A few weeks before we brought our new puppy home, I spent all my reading time trying to figure out how to care for and raise a happy and healthy dog. By the time I’d finished my stack of books, I was convinced I knew everything about dogs, and would be able to handle any situation we might encounter. You would think four kids would have taught me otherwise. Now that we’ve had the puppy for three weeks, I’m sufficiently humbled. I’m not sure any of the books I read could have totally prepared me, but I really enjoyed Cesar’s Way by the renowned “dog whisperer” Cesar Milan.

The first part of the book reads like a personal history. Milan describes his early experiences and connection with dogs on his family’s farm in Mexico, and what it was like for him to immigrate to the United States. The autobiographical portion of the book is relevant to his overall message, because he approaches dog training and his work with dog rehabilitation as an outsider to the American way of perceiving dogs and pets. Milan believes that American dogs often suffer under the care of well-intentioned owners because they are treated like people instead of like dogs, and this can cause anxiety, confusion, and fear.

Milan’s basic premise is that dog’s need strong ‘pack’ leaders to follow, and that dog owners need to exert a certain kind of energy. He calls it “calm-assertive” energy, “relaxed but always confident that he or she is in control.” This is a point he emphasizes again and again throughout the book. He encourages dog owners to transform themselves, if they lack this kind of energy, to visualize it until it becomes natural to them. I can’t refute or validate his premise about pack leaders and “calm-assertive” energy as it pertains to dogs, but the week I spent reading his book I found myself suprisingly calm. I don’t think I raised my voice at my kids a single time. I was channelling the “calm-assertive” energy. It worked so well, that I’m not sure if I should shelf this book in the parenting section of my home library, or put it with the other dog books. (I’m kidding. Kind-of.)

Milan concludes his book by giving readers a simple formula for working and living with their dogs: Exercise, Discipline, and Affection – in that order. According to Milan, dogs need frequent exercise to calm and center them. He calls walking a dog a “primal activity” that puts dogs in tune with their inner canine. It also creates a bond between dog and owner. I’ve tried very hard to follow this step of his formula, though sometimes I feel I’m overdoing it a little when I put my 11 week old puppy on a leash and try and get her to follow me around the park. She’d rather sit and watch the birds fly by. The next step is discipline, which basically means sticking to a routine, and keeping expectations firm and clear. And affection comes last, after the first two steps have been met.

Cesar’s Way gave me a lot to think about, and was a quick and enjoyable read. Milan’s methodology is largely based on intuition and his extensive experience with dogs. It doesn’t always translate into understanding and solving everyday problems you might encounter with your dog. I still don’t know how to keep my puppy from chewing on everyone’s feet, or my four year old from taunting her. I tried coaching my four, six, eight and ten year old into owning their “calm-assertive” energy when they interact with the puppy, but I think that is asking a little much. I’ve resisted calling a trainer because of the impression I received from Milan that dog training amounts to teaching a dog tricks, while his methodology builds strong relationships between dogs and owners, and healthy, balanced, naturally obedient dogs. But with all the biting and nipping around her, I might have to call a trainer anyway.

I just picked up a copy Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw. I’m eager to add it to my doggie bibiliography. We’ll see how it compares with Cesar’s Way.