The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!)

B

Bunbun

Cathlete
LOL...either I am REALLY bored today or my developing cold is scrambling my brains, but here goes:

Does anyone watch The Dog Whisperer? I love this show: This dog trainer, Cesar Milan (sp?) comes and helps pet owners deal with their unruly and even dangerous dogs. His solution is almost always the same: exercise (dogs MUST be taken for a daily walk), discipline, affection. I have to agree with his methods--I grew up with a dog, and as an adult I owned a cat and made all the mistakes that the dog owners make on his show, only in terms of raising/having a cat.

Anyhow...here's the "applied to modern life" part--Milan says over and over that dogs must have a daily walk, usually of an hour in length. When they don't get taken for a walk, they get restless, bored, full of pent-up energy that comes out in often destructive ways. As someone who is frequently bored/restless and dissatisfied with her job--even though I basically like what I do for a living--it strikes me as maybe this applies to people, too? That most of us spend 8+ hours a day cooped up in an office, sitting on our butts, not expending energy. And maybe the vague lack of satisfaction that some of us feel is tied to the overwhelming lack of physical activity?

I know, for instance, that I am at my happiest when I am physically doing something--it's why I'm nuts for working out in all sorts of ways. And on the weekends, if I'm not working out, then I'm cleaning the house or running errands, or just getting outside for a walk. And at night, I can't just sit and watch tv, unless it's something that is intellectually interesting. I have to knit or talk to my BF about the tv show or what is going on in the world...Just sitting around doing nothing with no goal and no "job" makes me nuts.

My BF says that if I was a dog, I'd be in the "working group" class: If you don't give these dogs a job to do, they will *find* one, and it may be destructive!

Sorry so long--this is an issue I've been pouring over in my mind for quite a while now, and I'm not sure that I've put down my thoughts on it here in a way that makes sense or is even interesting to anyone!

Thoughts, anyone? I'd love to hear what people here think of this.
 
Neat post! I absolutely agree! A tired dog is a good dog.
I have an Australian Shepherd and he HAS to have a "job" or he's really bored and becomes destructive. He's trained in Search and rescue, but because of my current job, I have not had time to finish his training, so now his chief occupation is keeping the back yard squirrel-free. He's very good at his job. He will literally sit still and just watch. The dog is smarter than I am - I swear. But I do take him for long walks, and on weekends we do 8 and 11 mile hikes. Or 5 and 6 mile runs. I'm a firm believer that exercise is essential for all creatures - even us.

If you can't take your dog for an hour walk - toss the ball for a while - my husband has perfected the technique of tossing the ball while sitting in a chair and drinking wine. Everyone is happy and the hyper Aussie gets worn out.

But you made an interesting observation. You mentioned that vague feeling of lack of satisfaction maybe being tied to lack of exercise. Makes me wonder if maybe instead of marriage counseling, what most couples need to do is to jog or hike together. You get away from the house and the pressures and just spend some good quality time together. But I guess that's a whole 'nother post...
 
RE: The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!...

<<Makes me wonder if maybe instead of marriage counseling, what most couples need to do is to jog or hike together>>

You're probably right about that. I also always wonder about the effect of lack of activity on kids--all the kids who are diagnosed ADDH (ADHD?) these days. Could it be related to kids having fewer opportunities to burn off all that energy they have? I know that I read a study yesterday that concluded that lack of exercise--and not food choices--was the primary cause of childhood obesity. Can't remember where I saw it, but I think it was a journal from the UK.

Anyhow, as for dogs and exercise, I love your husband's solution!! It just sounds so relaxing and summertime-like. I guess I miss having a backyard to relax in during the summer! Would also love to have a dog, but right now I'm stuck in a small apartment, and it just wouldn't be fair to the dog.
 
RE: The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!...

I love that show, the dog whisperer, he is from Mexico and was raised in a farm full of dogs and he studied the behavior of them, dogs need a dominant leader, not a spiritual or lovable, that is why dogs dont do well with too much affection, they become the leaders of the house, check next time you see a dog pulling the leash and the owner is following, when a person follows the dog, means the dog is the dominant one and in charge, I learned all that with Cesar Millan. And the walk is not only good for excercise, but it is quaility time, if the dog follows the owner, and you accomplished this by keeping the leach up the neck like a dog show, the dog gets into the following zone and that means, the dog is the follower and the walk should have that purpose, first respect toward the human and second get rid of the energy, I saw all the shows, my favorite was NUNU, the chiguagua who acted like a deamond, hahahaha, till Cesar came to the picture and fixed the little fellow.

The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
RE: The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!...

I really like this show too! I have a puggle (pug/beagle mix) and for being so small, she sure does have a lot of energy! I have learned a lot from this show. I do agree with you too, I think sitting around all day long makes us crazy and we are happier when we have exercised too! What a fun post! Thanks for writing it!
 
RE: The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!...

<check next time you see a dog pulling the leash and the owner is following, when a person follows the dog, means the dog is the dominant one and in charge>

It's funny--since I've been watching the show, I pay more attention to people walking their dogs on the street. It's amazing how many people let their dogs be the dominant one on the leash--and scary when it's an aggressive dog.

Worse, what prompted me to write this whole post is hearing my neighbor's dog yesterday while I was doing laundry--he leaves the dog home by itself, and it cries ALL day long. He knows about it--we've talked to him about it--but he feels there's nothing he can do (though I suggested he watch the show). I just feel so awful for his dog--dogs are a social animal, and this one is obviously not adjusting well to being cooped up in an apartment all day without exercise or companionship.
 
I love "The Dog Whisperer". DH and I have used some of his techniques with our two dogs with very good success. Some of them are really subtle, like not inadvertantly "rewarding" them for undesireable behavior.

I think you're right, Bunbun, that there are application of Cesar's techniques to other areas of daily life, besides dog training. I know several parents who have let their human kids become alpha in the household. Yikes!
 
RE: The Dog Whisperer as applied to modern life? (LONG!...

BUN BUN, the dog is suffering like that, he is not happy, I can hear Cesar saying that, he is not full filled, if you walk the dog first thing in the morning, you got rid of all the energy, and he just have none to act up, according to cesar dogs suppose to walk, is their natural thing to do and not doing it on daily basis we have a fustrated dog.

The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
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