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Dogs as Teachers
Posted by Cesar Millan, November 20th, 2007
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Filed under: Guests.
My family lives in a typical suburban neighborhood in Southern California, and our cul de sac is overrun with kids. This Halloween while my 13 year old son Andre took 9 year old Calvin trick or treating, my wife and I got to watch a virtual parade of ghosts and goblins, vampires and witches, superheroes and cartoon characters as they came and went from our front door. But there was something else we noticed and got a big kick out of — all the dressed up dogs. We were entertained by Labs dressed up as ballerinas, English bulldogs dressed up as NFL players, and Yorkies dressed up like little bandits. The market for doggie Halloween outfits must certainly be booming!
Of course this is all harmless fun, but seeing this pageant of dogs in their cute outfits got me thinking about our powerful need to humanize our dogs. We give them human names, and we put them to sleep on doggie canopy beds. We speak to them in full sentences and paragraphs. We train our children very young to humanize animals by creating cartoon characters of critters that talk, rationalize, live in houses, drive cars…and even defy the laws of gravity like the Roadrunner & Wile E. Coyote. Humans seem to have an innate need to make over our world in our own image. In a metaphorical sense, we continue to "dress up" our dogs as humans, even after Halloween is over.
My clients often say about their dogs, "Oh, he thinks he's a human" when the dog does something "cute," or when he begs scraps from the table, "He wishes he were a person." In my opinion, if animals could indeed "wish" why would on earth would they want to be like us? We're the most unstable, destructive, restless, and lonely species on the planet! In my opinion, it might make more sense for people to wish they were more like dogs.
As a kid growing up around dogs, I fell in love with their grace, dignity and wisdom. They naturally had everything I wanted — peace, order, joy, sense of purpose. They got up in the morning instinctively knowing what they were here to do and how to enjoy the day. They lived in the moment. All my life, I have learned from them far more than they could be able to learn from me.
Just imagine what our world would be like if all people would learn from their dogs and adopt their best qualitie! There would be no more lying. There would be a lot of integrity in the world and people would mean what they say. People would have gratitude and appreciate life all the time. They'd live in the present and not worry about the future. They wouldn't obsess over the past. They would appreciate the small things and never get tired or bored with the activities that bring them joy. When people faced problems or conflicts, they would find the simplest route to resolving them. They'd have a full range of emotions, but not get stuck in any one of them. They'd move on from trauma much faster, without much lasting damage. Friends would always be loyal, and people would trust their instincts and know a friend from an enemy right away and they would know to keep a safe distance from a volatile person. They would follow the best person for the job, not the one with the most money or biggest ego. An they would never again follow another unstable leader!
Humanizing our dogs is something we do for us, not for them. But the beautiful thing about dogs is that they are drawn to balance like a magnet. Almost every dog has the ability to bounce back from an unbalanced state to a balanced one — that is what dogs "wish" for! The peace and joy that comes from having a balanced dog is like manna from heaven for a human. Perhaps we should take a breather from our busy lives and really study our dog's innate natures. Then instead of trying to squeeze them into the "costumes" of humans, we will be able to appreciate the amazing creatures they truly are.
And maybe, we can even become better people from their examples.
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Founder of the Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles, Cesar Millan is the star of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on the National Geographic Channel. In addition to Cesar's educational seminars and work with unstable dogs, he and his wife have founded the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing financial support and rehabilitation expertise to shelters. A native of Culican, Mexico, Cesar lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ilusion, and their two sons, Andre and Calvin.
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Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog... and Your Life
Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier
Thank you, Cesar. Again, and again, and again, for the common sense words that ring so true! I have a wonderful
German Shepherd, a "rescue dog", who has epilepsy. It is
miserably hard to see him have the seizures; he is on medication, but every now and then, he has "cluster" seizures that last through a two-day period. I would spare him if I could, but perhaps that would diminish the dog he is. It is, after all, a part of him. Our other "rescue" is a fear-driven small black lab mix. He was tabbed "abused" which is such a general term that could mean anything. He's very afraid of loud, sudden noises, big trucks, and some people. Toby is a loving companion to Konrad (The German Shepherd) and our two cats; he's just afraid of the world "out
there". He has, however, come a long, long way in the two and a half years we have had him home with us. He and Konrad came to us at the same time. The cats were already in residence; they were born to our cats.
I love your show; watched through originals and reruns, and
I have tried to follow your examples. Sadly, haven't done a very good job of it, but promise to continue trying.
Thank you for your marvelous insights into the canine world. You help so many people!
Thank you,
Sandy Allen
Just wanted to comment that absolutely everything Cesar Millan does with dogs works well with training my horses too.
Thanks so much, sir, for the common sense you bring to pet ownership in America. I specify our country because we are fortunate enough to have the abundance to pamper our animal friends as though they are our children, which to me is unhealthy to all involved. Don't get me wrong--I am a card carrying menmber of PETA, and other organizations working in defense of animals, and have raised 3 "rescued" dogs myself well into their teen years. I just believe that we are seeking to fill emotional needs that are better addressed at a therapist's office, than expressed through painted toenails and gemstone collars on our pets. Maybe a trip to Korea, where dog is on the menu, will wake up some of these people and prod them back to the real world, where a donation to their local humane shelter would be money better spent---or dare I ruffle even more feathers and suggest adopting your next cat or dog from that same shelter?...Again, thanks, and may all the worlds' creatures be warm, safe and loved this holiday season...PEACE
This is from a big fan in the Canadian Rockies. I love your DPC. What is going to happen to all the dogs living there. I hope you will build the best facility in the world to help dogs. Your show is on every afternoon at 3 PM and I never miss it, won't even answer the phone. My friend Romy has a Briard and I have an Old English Sheepdog named Dudley. These 2 herding dogs just love eachother. Romy and I would like to make a trip to L.A. to visit you. Is that possible?
With my best wishes,
Madeleine
Well done Cesar!!!
Am from Australia and my husband and I watch your show whenever we can. We think you're the best dog trainor in the world. My husband used to do the same and he said he has never seen anyone as good as you are. I said to him that when I come to America I would want to meet you even though I don't have a dog. We do love your show. Keep up the good work. I am looking forward to meeting you one day.