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For Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer--it's all about relationships
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copyright 2009 Olivier Y. Grielen
For Cesar Millan, “The Dog Whisperer” it’s all about relationships—those between human and dog, man and woman and disparate cultures. Appearing Saturday night at the Superstar Theater at Resorts in Atlantic City Mr. Millan spoke to a packed house. His hit television series is now seen in 83 countries and as Mr. Millan notes that while accents may change from country to country the dog problems remain the same all over the world. And the problem is “never the dog,” for the Dog Whisperer the people problem is the largest part as well as the most entertaining. “Humans tell you the story, the dog tells you the reality”, he notes, adding that if not for us there would be little of interest to watch in the broadcasts.
The human animal bond as examined by Mr. Millan is one in which an ordered relationship serves both species and the order requires that the human be in the lead. Only by remaining calm and assertive can the respect of a dog be secured. “Who you are in the animal world is energy” and maintaining a calm, confident and even demeanor asserts that energy in a positive manner. The Millan formula of “Exercise, Discipline and Affection” is prescribed every day in order to be effective. And Cesar reminds his audience that we need to remember that we are discussing our relationships with dogs and not people. We need to allow our dogs to be dogs and as such we need to remember that in this scenario: “Discipline is for them to remember every day not to pull you out the door.”
As popular as he may be Cesar Millan is also aware of his critics. In tackling opponents of his dominant positioning he offers that this is more a position of assertion not aggression. An analogy is offered wherein football players are routinely described as dominating a playing field and no harm is inferred from such description. As for those who might take issue with the concept of “submission” being somehow abusive, Cesar notes that “submission means open minded to me.” And he is not above comparing our relationships to non human animals to human animals as well. Reflecting on the male female dynamic Cesar revises the formula to: Affection, ask for exercise and maybe you get what you want (with humans it becomes more of a respectful request than a respectful demand).
That for many of us we just don’t know what to do with a dog is clear. Without that quandary we would have no need for dog behavior experts or animal shelters. We bring home dogs for all the wrong reasons and do all the wrong things with them. Cesar marvels at the American take on dog as substitute child and reminds us that the best way to keep dogs out of shelters is to always, always be “willing to treat a dog like a dog.” Most dogs bite people not because they are vicious but because people handle them inappropriately and when a dog is handled in the wrong way it bites, that is what dogs do. Such limitations may be partly compounded by the fact that there is very little for a dog to do in the average American household and little, if any, time to indulge in natural dog behavior. For instance, natural dog behavior includes butt sniffing along with squirrel chasing and digging, all of which we mostly try and disourage. And where we do permit dog behavior it is often through our own filter. As humans we are primarily visual and cannot begin to imagine the wealth of information and sensation afforded a dog through scent. An average 20 minute dog walk barely scratches the surface in allowing a dog to sniff every full and rich square inch available.
When Cesar recounts stories of spoiled American dogs who are coddled and mismanaged compared with the harder, grittier dogs kept in impoverished conditions it is almost as if the situation can be ascribed to economics. Discipline in this scenario is amost a noble necessity and affection not a luxury to be squandered. This is a tough fix for us, while our dogs are not our babies they are very much our dependents, we humans are the sole providers of food , shelter and recreation. And our penchant for vanity breeds (and their attendant issues) along with our tendencies to breed more submissive dogs creates complicated issues of overdependence.
Sitting in this audience it is hard not to enjoy Cesar’s warm and infectious style. Mr. Millan’s appeal can be partly attributed to charisma and comic timing but what is perhaps even more endearing is his earnest thoughtfulness. A student of animal behavior learns from many sources but the greatest and most valuable of sources are the animals themselves. It is apparent that Cesar Millan has spent much time in studying dogs and people. While Millan credits his grandfather for teaching him about dog behavior it is his work over the years in distilling the principles, his own considered observations about human and dog behavior and his ability to communicate this knowledge that is his own legacy. And this legacy is not only confined to breaking down what works for human dog relationships as they exist in the present it also addresses the future. Millan and his wife currently run a foundation that aids rescue groups and are currently working on a curriculum with Yale University for humane pet education in preschools and elementary schools.
Cesar Millan tries to figure it out, and he does and that is his great success. Cesar shows us what makes a relationship work whether is one between dogs and people, men and women, old and young or cultural differences. He is quick to point out that his way is not the only way to achieve a successful relationship with your dog, other equally valid methods are available. In this bountiful country we are blessed with many, many resources. As the dog whisperer puts it there are many options and many ways that work, you need to find the one that works for you and remember the universal key to all relationships: “Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty” for heart, body and mind; canine and human.
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Cesar Millan ·
The Dog Whisperer
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