Pampering Your Dogs Can Make Them Unhappy

I love watching Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer, on cable TV. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the program, Cesar is a dog trainer who doesn’t train dogs. According to him, he rehabilitates the dogs while training their owners. Cesar takes a very basic and hands-on approach, assuming the role of the Alpha male and encouraging pack behavior. Sometimes he becomes more of a dog than the dogs themselves and as far as changing behavior it always seems to work; at least on television. 

Cesar emphasizes that the problem in most dog behavior cases is that the owners treat their pets too much like people. He stresses three rules: exercise, discipline, and then affection, strictly in that order of importance. He claims that most domestic dogs don’t get enough exercise. In nature, dogs were designed to walk great distances to cover their territory and obtain food. Short bursts of running around in the house or the back yard don’t do the trick. He recommends walking your dog at least 45 minutes per day. A lot of shoes have been chewed because of all that pent up energy. 

Secondly, to the chagrin of many pet owners I’m sure, he stresses discipline over affection. As much as you think that wiggles wants to be held and stroked all day that just isn’t the case. Dogs look for leadership from the Alpha male or sometimes Alpha female of the pack If they don’t find that leadership, they unwillingly assume that role. So, hey gang, let’s tear up the kitchen trash can may seem a perfectly reasonable command to the new leader, but not to the owner of the house. Also, he maintains that since dogs don’t have a very good command of the English language, they respond much better to physical commands like a tug on the leash, or a tap of the foot than saying things like “No!” or “Down Boy!” I used to know someone who was an avid hunter.