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Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life
The New York Times bestseller!
Be the Pack Leader is Cesar Millan’s guide for taking your relationship with your dog to a higher level. By developing the skills necessary to become the calm-assertive owner your dog needs in order for him to live a balanced, fulfilled life, you’ll improve your dog’s behavior and your own life as well.
Be the Pack Leader is filled with practic...more
Be the Pack Leader is Cesar Millan’s guide for taking your relationship with your dog to a higher level. By developing the skills necessary to become the calm-assertive owner your dog needs in order for him to live a balanced, fulfilled life, you’ll improve your dog’s behavior and your own life as well.
Be the Pack Leader is filled with practic...more
Paperback, 316 pages
Published
September 23rd 2008
by Three Rivers Press
(first published 2007)
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Solid advice. Whether you're raising dogs or children the philosophy works. Dogs (and kids) need to have a calmly assertive person in their lives who cares for them enough to teach them the basics for survival.
Heel - stay by my side, don't go running off into the woods (traffic) I can protect you easier.
Sit - there are times when you need to be quiet and attentive.
Stay - now is NOT the time to go wandering on your own.
No - and no means NO. Fortunately dogs (and kids...more
Heel - stay by my side, don't go running off into the woods (traffic) I can protect you easier.
Sit - there are times when you need to be quiet and attentive.
Stay - now is NOT the time to go wandering on your own.
No - and no means NO. Fortunately dogs (and kids...more
This book wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be a serious book about obedience training, using fairly heavy-handed methods. Instead it was mostly about "energy" and how I needed to have the right kind of energy in order to mesh with my dog's energy (I think). Oh, and walk for several hours a day. Excuse me, that should have been "migrate."
I actually found some of it to be more interesting and useful than I expected. But most of it seemed quite unhelpf...more
I actually found some of it to be more interesting and useful than I expected. But most of it seemed quite unhelpf...more
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Our childhood dog was agressive towards other canines, scared of everything, and generally neurotic. It always bothered me that we never took the time to train her because I felt that could have minimized some of her issues. Hence this book, as I begin pondering the possibility of getting my own puppy one of these days. I really have nothing to compare this book to, as this is the first dog guide of any kind that I've ever read. We'll see how my rating/review changes if I read another one or...more
I found this by accident and wound up reading the whole thing in a couple of days, as did my good lady. We both agree that the philosophy makes a lot of sense and we are going to apply it with our 14-month-old Bassett hound (Clover) and the Akita pup that's waiting for us. It was quite eye-opening to discover how wrong we were going about things with Clover. She has always been difficult to walk, partly because of her wanting to sniff everything. Now I have an idea how to fix that.
I'v...more
I'v...more
This is a very helpful book. I adopted a dog about a year ago, and he came with some issues that my husband and I have been struggling with (separation anxiety, dominance, obsessive/fixated behavior towards my 3 cats, etc.). Thanks in part to the advice and examples in this book, my dog and I are making huge strides.
When I first got my dog (rat terrier mix), his separation anxiety was so severe, he would mess in the house if I was just in another room for too long (like when I took s...more
When I first got my dog (rat terrier mix), his separation anxiety was so severe, he would mess in the house if I was just in another room for too long (like when I took s...more
A lot of this book is about how troubled humans can mean troubled dogs. It asks you to look in the mirror if your dog is acting up. It draws on the work of Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence), Deepak Chopra and others and stresses that calm assertive leadership will not only help you control your dog but will also help in other areas of your life to achieve balance and harmony. Where you can't find the confidence in yourself to dominate (in a good way, as the pack leader) your dog it recomme...more
In my family, there are three factors that go into deciding what gift to bestow upon someone. 1) What hobby/activity are they participating in currently? 2) Do I think they’ll like it? 3) I like it, so maybe they’ll give it a chance and if not, maybe they’ll give it to me.
The first one is certainly the most used. As an example, a few years ago I baked some sort of Germanic dessert bar for a potluck at work, then I made it again and brought it to Thanksgiving. To my family this automati...more
The first one is certainly the most used. As an example, a few years ago I baked some sort of Germanic dessert bar for a potluck at work, then I made it again and brought it to Thanksgiving. To my family this automati...more
With a new puppy coming into our home soon, and me more than a little out of practice when it comes to dog-rearing (always had dogs as a kid but haven't had one since leaving home) I figured I'd better brush up a bit.
If you've seen Millan's series, The Dog Whisperer, on the National Geographic channel, you pretty much know what to expect with this book. Case studies of how he helped people with problematic dogs, a smattering of autobiographical material on how Millan got to where he is...more
If you've seen Millan's series, The Dog Whisperer, on the National Geographic channel, you pretty much know what to expect with this book. Case studies of how he helped people with problematic dogs, a smattering of autobiographical material on how Millan got to where he is...more
Well, I've not read many books on training dogs so my review is a little limited. I found the ideas he gave on the dynamics between dogs and owners to be very novel and really refreshing. The idea that the owner should not act as though the dog's mind of his own attitude is actually a good reason to let him do as he wishes really changed my views of all the dogs I've had in the past. Instead of letting the dog decide for himself how he'll be allowed to live, it stands to reason that as the "...more
Tonya
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone with a dog or horse or even a kid.
First of all, this is not a training book at all. This book helps explain relationships gone wrong between humans and dogs. Don't expect to learn how to make your dog sit and stay. No quick fixes here. The key takeaway--if your dog is misbehaving, look in the mirror. It's you, baby, not the dog. This is Milan's effort to make us all realize that the problems and answers to ALL troubled relationships is within ourselves. A hard but hopeful realization. Worth the read to hear all the blind, oblivi...more
Not as specific on particular handling techniques as I would have liked. I understand that Cesar does not see himself as a "trainer," so this book is not about "training" your dog to sit, stay, etc. It is mostly about having what Cesar calls a "calm-assertive" energy toward your dog, which shows that you are the dominant animal in the relationship and the "pack leader." Little guidance is given on exactly how to apply this entergy in specific circumstance...more
We picked up this book from the library after Remy ate a chicken, hoping to learn how to break this habit without having to tie a dead chicken around her neck. Turned out the only time he mentioned the bad habit of chasing chickens he didn't really address how to stop it. We did learn some useful and interesting bits about how dogs think. I still remind Brittany that when she picks up the dog and holds her like a child it confuses the dog, but that doesn't seem to deter her. In the end, though, ...more
This is not a book on dog training so please do not expect it to be one.
Before reading this book I highly suggest you read 'Cesar's Way.' That book introduces you to Cesar Millan's way of working with dogs and philosphy
Cesar Millan famously says, "I rehabilitate dogs, and I train people."
I regularly watch his show 'The Dog Whisperer' on the National Geographic Channel and you learn a lot from that too.
I have personally started using his way mixed with traditional ...more
Before reading this book I highly suggest you read 'Cesar's Way.' That book introduces you to Cesar Millan's way of working with dogs and philosphy
Cesar Millan famously says, "I rehabilitate dogs, and I train people."
I regularly watch his show 'The Dog Whisperer' on the National Geographic Channel and you learn a lot from that too.
I have personally started using his way mixed with traditional ...more
I bought this on CD and was glad I did. I don't think I would have stuck with it had I actually had to sit and read the book - at least I could get other things done while it played. I was disappointed at how it seemed to scrape the surface of being a pack leader without any real clear directions on how to do so. It was an interesting book if you enjoy listening to stories by Cesar of his experiences but I was looking for more examples I could actually apply to my dog. I have other books of ...more
I know many find Cesar to be unreasonable or cruel, but...reading this book, I have to say that HE makes sense. He upholds discipline (not punishment) and calm, assertive energy as two of the highest orders of the canine hierarchical system. He never expounds cruelty, abuse, or punishment as an acceptable method for dog training (or behavioral correction). He asks us to interact with our dogs, to integrate them into our lives (and vice versa) so that we actually DO become a family, rather tha...more
Meh. In all honesty I think the only part of this book really worth reading was the appendix that gives step by step instructions on how to deal with common dog problems and issues and how to adopt a calm assertive frame of mind when dealing with animals in general so that you're not acting out of frustration, but really doing your best to communicate with them on their terms. It's a helpful reminder against anthropomorphizing our closest animal companions and for creating new relationships with...more
Very informative book on how to train and lead dogs. I learned a lot from this book. Found that a good deal of what we have done with Bailey is correct, but some needs modification. I am already working on that part of her behavior. There are some issues with Bailey that need tending to - this book will be a good reference as I work with individual items.
If you own a dog, I think you will get a lot of this book. Whether is is a puppy or a grown dog that you may think is "set...more
If you own a dog, I think you will get a lot of this book. Whether is is a puppy or a grown dog that you may think is "set...more
I liked this book but I found it less effective than the TV Series in some respects. It doesn't work as a book on dog training, because that isn't what Cesar does. It does work as a book on him describing how he can do what he does. But what I really wanted was a book that tells me how to do what he does with my dog. He attempts that, but I am not sure that he was effective in it.
He definitely has an interesting book here and it is a good quick read. I guess time will only tell ...more
He definitely has an interesting book here and it is a good quick read. I guess time will only tell ...more
Andre
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Honest dog lovers
Recommended to Andre by:
No one
If Cesar’s Way was, as some folks complained, short on concretes, it was ample on theory, the whys and wherefores of Cesar’s philosophy were explained in depth…for some too much so. Be The Pack Leader will please those who want more “a, b, c” application along with their theory. Co-authored with Melissa Jo Peltier the book’s prose is a bit more polished than Cesar’s Way which, I think, is reflective of Cesar’s growth since the first book as he has continued his journey into the world of practica...more
I don't have a dog, but I picked this book up because I wanted to read about Millan's calm-assertive methods. I figure they are good leadership methods in general.
As Millan says (quoting Boyatzis and McKee) "the limbic system in the brain is an 'open-loop' system; that is, it depends on sources outside the body to manage itself. In other words, we rely on connections with other people for our own emotional stability. In this way, we are exactly like other social animals -- ...more
As Millan says (quoting Boyatzis and McKee) "the limbic system in the brain is an 'open-loop' system; that is, it depends on sources outside the body to manage itself. In other words, we rely on connections with other people for our own emotional stability. In this way, we are exactly like other social animals -- ...more
This is a great book, even better than "Cesar's Way." In "Be the Pack Leader," Cesar really goes deeply into his theories of dog rehabilitation, fleshing out the great but sometimes vague techniques outlined in "Cesar's Way." Lots of great, concrete advice here.
But the best parts of this book are aimed at humans, rather than dogs. In the easy voice of a friend, Cesar describes perfectly the primal connection between people and dogs, suggesting that human...more
But the best parts of this book are aimed at humans, rather than dogs. In the easy voice of a friend, Cesar describes perfectly the primal connection between people and dogs, suggesting that human...more
I really liked this book. He really knows dogs and helps explain some of my dogs behavior. Even though I read this, I am still so not the pack leader. I took my dog for a walk, was trying to apply the techniques to have her by my side (vs out in front) and she pulled and I slipped on the ice breaking my wrist. It's 7 weeks later and my cast is off and walks are still a challenge. It would probably help to have him in person to ask questions of and get directions. I learn better by showing than r...more
Yes, we now have a dog. She's very sweet but big and strong and a handful at times. A friend gave me this book, which was an inspiring read but not so easy to impliment. We have a dog trainer coming tomorrow to work with me and the kids so we all can take Makana (our St. Bernard/Akita mix)for a walk without being dragged at the sight of a squirrel. I'm working on having calm-assertive energy as advocated by Cesar Millan. Makana doesn't seem to be paying any attention.
I learned alot from this book but while the book gave information on common dog problems it didn't give a step-by-step on how to solve these problems which was what I was hoping for.
Filled with practical tips and techniques as well as real-life success stories from his clients (including the Grogan family, owners of Marley from Marley & Me) and his popular television show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Cesar helps you understand and read your dog’s energy as well as your own so tha...more
Filled with practical tips and techniques as well as real-life success stories from his clients (including the Grogan family, owners of Marley from Marley & Me) and his popular television show Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, Cesar helps you understand and read your dog’s energy as well as your own so tha...more
I'm still on the fence as to whether Cesar's books work very well without having snarfed down entire seasons of the show. Since I did mainline the show, I can't say. This seems to be rehashing a lot of stuff, but it's a good refresher if you're seen the show and probably good new material if you haven't. I love Cesar, so my quibbles certainly aren't with the material as much as if there's really anything new in here or not.
Rated: B
Rated: B
I do not own a dog or have any desire to own one. I know that my brother loves dogs and very much enjoys Cesar Millan on "Dog Whisperer" so I thought I would take a stab reading this book.
I liked how Cesar discussed the role philosophy and introspection play with being a dog owner; dogs live in the moment where as people do not, how calm assertive energy is passed between dog and owner soundlessly.
Cesar is not a particularly interesting writer and this book did...more
I liked how Cesar discussed the role philosophy and introspection play with being a dog owner; dogs live in the moment where as people do not, how calm assertive energy is passed between dog and owner soundlessly.
Cesar is not a particularly interesting writer and this book did...more
So very helpful in understanding how to be a balanced owner and "pack leader." Teaches some very helpful "calm-assertive" techniques not just to improve life with your dog, but to improve the rest of your life as well. And Cesar has a great voice, he writes like he talks on the Dog Whisperer. Very real and funny and helpful. The book is also entertaining as well as enlightening on the subject.
I definitely don't agree with much of what he says and I've never watched his show. This book focuses upon the fact that many problems found in dog behavior stems from something emotional, or physical that its owner is projecting. While this seems like a simple concept that I could accept, he delves deeply into talking for ages about energy and spiritualism evoked around the dogs to make them behave that I just couldn't get behind or understand exactly what he was trying to accomplish or instruc...more
Cesar Millan makes a lot of sense in his analysis of what it takes to be the pack leader with your dog. You won't get a lot of specific techniques from his books, but you will learn how "calm assertive energy" can be used to effectively let your dog know your expectations. I am implementing his method with our new rescue dog, Abe, with good success. I highly recommend this book to all dog owners.
Guess why I read this... I still don't quite know what "calm, assertive commands" are, but I do find myself quoting this a lot when the beasts act like jerks. It explained some of their motivations, just the reasons why dogs act like dogs and not like cats. So I guess it helped. My next dog is going to meow.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Training your dog | 4 | 26 | Apr 06, 2009 02:10am |
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Cesar Millan is a Mexican-American self-taught, professional dog trainer widely known for his television series The Dog Whisperer, now in its sixth season and broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide, including the US, Canada, Australia, Spain, Chile, Macedonia, Italy and the UK.
Prior to The Dog Whisperer series, Millan had focused on rehabilitating especially aggressive dogs ...more
More about Cesar Millan...
Prior to The Dog Whisperer series, Millan had focused on rehabilitating especially aggressive dogs ...more
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“Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking
responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.”
—
23 people liked it
responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.”
“Denial,they say, stands for"Don't even notice I am lying." Human beings are the only animals who are happily lied to by our own minds about what is actually happening around us.”
—
19 people liked it
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