Hi, Nancy,

I would love to read your impressions after you see him in person. My own take is that he is even more personable, knowledgeable, and impressive than his TV show would indicate! And someone else wrote in an earlier thread here that he's ao completely matter-of-fact and non-judgmental about mistakes the owners have made and are making that people are comfortable with his teaching; they don't jump on the defensive.

I agree with all this.

I know that the best trainers and behaviorists stress all the time that dogs WANT and NEED the human to be the pack leader, but it was Cesar Millan who finally drove it through my thick head that calm/assertive is what the dog needs,wants, respects, and feels secure with.

He's really good.

I would love to attend one of his seminars, and I certainly intend to, hopefully within the next year, and his book and video are on my must have list - Christmas is only 5 1/2 months away!

I think what cracks me up about Ceasar is the fact that he seems almost part dog himself...he certainly has their mannerisms down pretty well.

Hi, Melanie:

You have hit on one of my favorite parts of his demos. It is SO entertaining and funny (and touching, too) to see him demonstrate what a wanted or unwanted dog behavior looks like. I love watching him mimic a happy submissive companion dog or an excited-aggressive dog, because his whole head and body become dog-like. Sometimes I have to laugh out loud!

My wife and I love the show...we catch it at dinner hour sometimes....one show really struck me...the man with the little Yorkie (I think) that he was babying...and Cesear mentioned about his personal pain and the man spoke about the daughter he doesn't see, and quietly said, "foster care"...letting the audience know that whatever this man went through, it had to be very painful emotionally. I can only imagine how deep and long that story would have run...very sad.

I would love to hear about follow ups...did this man (and his partner) make lasting changes? Did others?

Were the personality traits that Ceasar picked up on so engrained that even after his diagnosis, did they return to their previous behavioral patterns?

A follow up series of all the homes he visited would be great to watch.

I also enjoy his DVD.

QUOTE: A follow up series of all the homes he visited would be great to watch. END

I agree. I'm sure that some people revert to their ingrained ways, but Cesar Millan has an excellent way of phrasing things and the man you mentioned seemed to really have that lightbulb moment.

If you ever get a chance to see him in person or especially see him with his own pack, it would be well worth it, IMO. It was to me. His experience and research and wisdom are amazing.

He has a book coming out in April. There is a phony book pretending that it was written by him right now on the internet, so don't be tricked.

Connie, thanks for the tip; I will look for the book. Watching his DVD was great too.
Watching him feed all the dogs was a bit nerve wracking...It is not something I would want to do. He maintains control well, but...it just feels stressful! It looks like a fight could break out anytime!

I think that in spite of TV editing, he is quick on his feet, thinking-wise. To pick up some of the subtle hints that he does shows he is a good listener. He might make an excellent investigator! He either gets down to it, or the TV commercial times don't show us more of the questions he asks. He also has a good TV presence...confident but not arrogant. I even watch the repeats, but then again, with some of the Leerburg videos (now DVDs), I have seen them so many times that I have them memorized. I have only watched Ceasar's DVD once, but I will end up catching it a few times...my daughter, 5, LOVES to train with me, so she watches them too. She calls Ed by his first name like they're well known kindergarten buddies! She loves to see which breed he will have on the show next!

I am sure that there have been requests for follow up shows...let's hope they have one...no one would miss it!

I would teach the dog obedience (motivational at first) and as the dog learns and understands what's required or being asked of them, i'd simply enforce the obedience.

If it's running around and i don't want it too....

...i'd tell it to Sitz, or Platz.

I find it ironic that the most basic obedience commands are ignored by dog owners.

Just teach obedience (motivational food/toy at first) and as the animal acknowledges knowing it, enforce it.

BTW...

...by doing obedience in all sorts of distractions, works wonders in desensitizing a dog to various enviromental stimulus.

QUOTE: I think that in spite of TV editing, he is quick on his feet, thinking-wise. To pick up some of the subtle hints that he does shows he is a good listener. He might make an excellent investigator! He either gets down to it, or the TV commercial times don't show us more of the questions he asks. END

He does ask more questions in person, but yes, he is so quick in his ability to assess the type of unwanted behavior (fearful, etc.). In his native Mexico his neighbors and family referred to him as part dog because he is so good at sensing their thoughts (or whatever you call canine brain activity), but he also has spent years on research and a ton of experience, and what can beat that?

I'm like you with Cesar Millan TV shows and his DVD and with Leerburg videos; I watch them over and over, and I see more every time. Or maybe it's that my brain will finally really grasp a fine point -- the old lightbulb moment.

Unfortunately I am going to miss his seminar again this year. I had planned on going to the one in TN and staying with family there. Seems my family there has such a fear of my dogs that they are not welcome to stay even overnight. I tried talking to my uncle about it and explained to him that my dogs are not vicious killers. But his excuse was the following.. "Dogs are animals and you will never know when they will turn on you. Look what happened to Roy of Sigfried & Roy." You can never change some peoples way of thinking. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Connie wrote: "I'm like you with Cesar Millan TV shows and his DVD and with Leerburg videos; I watch them over and over, and I see more every time. Or maybe it's that my brain will finally really grasp a fine point -- the old lightbulb moment."

Connie, I think that there are so many little subtle moments in dog training and behavior that watching over and over helps the mind progressively go beyond the principles, and into the details. There are some of Ed's tapes that make my wife laugh because I know the dialog and will give it to her moments before the narration!

Seriously, it is those moments...real quick, where the dog had a hint of avoidance, or maybe grasping fight drive (not confusing it with defense) that really takes concentration and I have found that watching them ad naseum, like going over great chess games, develops an "instinct". I think it is crucial. I think it can REALLY be seen on how someone raises a working puppy...skillfully NEVER putting the pup in avoidance, constantly building confidence, tackling new situations slowly and carefully, reading the pup's temperment (Do you remember where some pups were shown as young pups, and how they reacted to temp. testing, and later, some shown doing Sch routines, and how their puppy temperment was revealed in the necessary techniques to title them? That was a really, really important part of the tape. I always wondered why that was not shown more often, even with other breeds...

Anyway,

I am really amazed at how Ceasar picks up on peoples' pain and suffering, and is able to draw a correlation to the dog. He is like a skilled therapist...keeping projection down, and listening up.

I read recently of a Coton breeder, who's client's dog was losing weight and a couple of trips to the vet showed nothing. This breeder was so in tune with this breed that she knew enough to ask the client about her personal life...the woman had been gaining weight and going through a bitter divorce. The dog was so bonded that she was suffering the woman's stress; but just reacted differently. The woman loved her little dog, and made some lifestyle changes and the dog rebounded.

So, I do watch the tapes, and now DVD's over and over and over....they say that chess instinct is "honed" by playing the games of the greats over and over, even when you don't understand the how's and why's; and I think this applies well to dog training in general.
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for me, Ceasar has opened up a new area that I never looked into before, and is helping me see all my pets (pygmy goat, rabbits, etc) with "new eyes"...I really enjoy the show and just hope some new episodes are produced.