Cesar Millan is the foremost expert on dog behavior, and at The Oprah Winfrey Show, he talks about the mistakes owners make when it comes to their pet dogs.
Millan says that when having pets, the main equation is: “Exercise – Discipline – Affection” in this order. We need to focus on the Body first, the Mind second, then the Heart. According to this world-renowned dog behaviorist, the biggest mistake that humans do with their pets is “Humanizing” them first. Meaning, they shower them with cuddles, kisses, and affection before starting them on an exercise regimen or before laying down the ground rules (such as no chewing on cords and no pooping inside the house). Affection, Millan said, should be the last thing your dog should be getting from the leader of the pack (that’s you).
I had an experience with this when my spouse just brought home a Maltese. All of us were excited as the dog was male (we have three kids all daughters), and the girls took it upon themselves to shower their “baby brother” with all their love and affection. My partner took the puppy to the vet for his shots, and all was well until we realized that the puppy was peeing and pooing all over the place, and was beginning to gain weight (Maltese are toy dogs and can’t keep pace with everyone).
We finally got tired of mopping the floor and decided that enough is enough. The dog has to have his own space for peeing, a special time for poo, and no liquids at night — good thing he liked playing fetch, too. My partner stood up to be the Alpha Male of the family (I couldn’t stand my ground as the puppy was just too darned cute).
Watch the wisdom of The Dog Whisperer in this short clip here:
Carol Mills
If you follow Cesar Milan, you can’t love dogs. The man has no recognised training,,his methods are outdated and aversive. There is a wealth of information from professional dog trainers and behavourists who have recognised qualifications and use scientifically research based methods to train dogs.
Joe Kruper
I understand….just reporting what is out there so people are aware. Thank you for caring!!!
Joe Kruper
Thank you for loving dogs…We all love dogs!!