TW September Arts Insider - Cesar Millan

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By Gioia Patton

Cesar Millan

Pack Man This was one of those very rare occasions when the title of my profile about a celebrity artist appeared in the blink of an eye; (this title being particularly memorable as it appeared in the form of being ‘voiced’ over and over to the theme music from the 1960s television series, Batman.)

But really, when it came to Dog Whisperer Cesar MIllan, even I knew a good thing when I heard it, as Leader of the Pack was much too obvious an intro for the world’s foremost canine rehabilitation specialist.

A best-selling author, much-in-demand public speaker and branded pet care product designer/entrepreneur, Millan is also the star of the long-running hit television series Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, which airs reruns weeknights on National Geographic’s WILD channel. New episodes begin airing next year. Such is his reputation to train even the most aggressive, frightened, lazy, or compulsive dogs that Millan’s clients have included such ‘A-Listers’ as Oprah Winfrey, movie star Vin Diesel, Transformers motion picture director Michael Bay, and NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

On September 23rd Cesar Millan will be giving a presentation at the Kentucky Center about applying his techniques to your dogs. Millan’s presentation will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

When I initially requested a phone interview with Millan, my request was declined because he was filming a new Spanish language television series in Madrid, Spain. I was thrilled, though, when Millan instead agreed to fit an email Q&A into his very busy schedule.

WHEN: Friday, September 23 @ 8pm WHEre: Kentucky Center’s Whitney Hall tickets: $35/$50/$65 contact: The box office in person

(walk-up or drive-thru) or call 502.584.7777 or www.kentuckycenter.org; access@kentuckycenter.org for information about the range of accessibility options offered.

In your experience, who’s harder to train/rehabilitate — the dog or its’ ‘clueless’ owner and why?

I don’t consider myself a dog trainer. I consider myself a trainer of people and a rehabilitator of dogs. There have not been any cases where I believed I could not help the dog, but there have been cases when I thought I might not be able to help the owner. Bandit was a Chihuahua whose owner, Lori, would not impose discipline — even when Bandit snapped at and bit her fourteen-year-old son! She refused to acknowledge that her own weak energy was creating a situation in which Bandit had asserted dominance and was acting as her protector. She thought that by babying Bandit, she was creating the best environment for him, and it was not an easy task convincing her that the opposite was true. In the end, she allowed me to help her; when I heard from her last, all three of them were living quite peacefully!

What are the most common mistakes new owners of puppies make? Is it that they don’t realize the amount of time they’ll have to put in as ‘parents’ of a four-legged baby?

It’s important to establish yourself as the leader early on in your relationship. This can be hard when your puppy is young and cute, but remember dogs communicate through energy, so part of your job as pack leader is to project calm assertive energy — that is like the glue that keeps the pack together.

What’s the most common mistake someone makes when adopting an (older) dog from a shelter? Is it choosing the wrong breed for that family’s dynamics, or is it not realizing how much work one must put into helping that animal settle into being a member of a totally new family?

(It’s) choosing a dog that is the wrong energy level for the family. When adopting, people need to leave their emotions at the door and not choose a dog based on “cuteness,” but instead make sure their lifestyle will match with the dog’s needs. They should ask themselves: Do I wake up early every morning, pound a power bar and a health shake, and go for a run in the mountains? Or do I take life at a more leisurely pace? If you are a two-career couple with a small apartment, chances are that you shouldn’t purchase a large dog that requires a lot of attention, exercise, and space.

Could you share your thoughts about introducing a dog into a home where there is an autistic child and what good that can do for the child and ultimately the entire family? And is one particular breed of dog better suited for that situation than another?

In looking for a dog to introduce to this family the important thing to focus on is energy, not breed. The dog’s energy should always be equal to or less than the families own. Every first-time dog owner is different, even with these special needs.

There is no one kind of dog that would make a good fit for that whole group, even as a general rule.

However, a family with special needs may want to consider a service dog.

When many people think of a service dog they think of dogs that assist the blind or visually-impaired, but service dogs have many different jobs! Service dogs can assist the physically disabled by retrieving objects, pulling wheel chairs, turning off light switches and performing other tasks to help in everyday activities.

There are event service dogs that are trained to assist with invisible disabilities, such as diabetes and anxiety, alerting a person of a physiological change. These dogs are able to sense a variation within their owners and react accordingly, for instance seeking out another human in the case of their owner collapsing into a seizure.

I know a dog who works with a man named Kane, living with High Functioning Autism. This form of autism causes Kane to become detached and disoriented from his surroundings; many of his thoughts become scrambled and particular sensations are exaggerated. His dog, Dakota, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever, assists Kane with his bouts of disorientation by finding his car in parking lots and locating specific people by name. In emergency situations, Dakota can immediately search for Kane upon the command “go see Kane.” And when Kane becomes over-stimulated or agitated, Dakota senses the discomfort and nudges Kane until he starts to pet him, which acts as a calming technique for Kane.

What’s the best breed of dog to introduce into a home where the children are particularly rambunctious? And which breeds would be a mistake?

Any breed can be “kid-friendly” with the right pack leadership, but the most important rule for kids, especially rambunctious ones, is to teach them to practice “no touch, no talk, no eye contact” when meeting new dogs. It’s important to let a dog approach you, and not run towards a dog. They get to know you by smelling you and they respond to your energy, so if you’re excited, they will be, too, but not always in the best way. Always teach your children to be calm and assertive around dogs and they will feel that energy from you. Consider your state of mind — let’s not adopt a mentality where we generalize the best breed for everyone — by doing that, we isolate the rest. It’s a dog-lover’s world against loving all dogs. Breed is not the journey of the dog.

Bomb-sniffing dogs, police dogs, seeing-eye dogs and drugsniffing dogs have been around for years. But lately, I’ve been fascinated to read about pet dogs who’ve actually ‘sniffed’ out the presence of cancerous tumors in the bodies of their unsuspecting owners — having exhibited their alarm by repeatedly jumping on that part of their owner’s body. What are your thoughts about that, and are you aware of scientists looking into a way to take that (ability) a step further?

Animals can sense vibrations of energy — it’s their main form of communication — but smell is their strongest sense. We know that a dog experiences the world through their nose first, then eyes, and then ears. In a dog, energy and scent are deeply connected. In fact, they are physically connected, too — for example, when a dog is frightened, he may empty his anal glands, which produces a smell. This sense is also connected to their limbic system, which is the part of the brain that controls emotions.

The dog’s nose has been put to the test recently — in fact, a recent study showed how Belgian Malinois shepherds — already world renowned as narcotics and bomb-sniffing dogs — were trained to smell and identify the differences between samples of urine from cancer patients and control patients. Out of 66 cases, the right sample was chosen 63 times. That’s a success rate of 95.5 percent. So while I’ll leave the science to the scientists, I think we’ve only touched the surface of how powerful dogs’ noses really are!

When I was a child, I recall my wire-haired terrier being found running ‘wild‘ in our plane’s cargo hold after he’d chewed through his cardboard box carrier during the flight from Louisville, Ky. to Florida — as this was before sturdier carriers were made. That said: what’s the best way to prepare a dog for a flight (in the cargo area) either in the days leading up to the actual flight or during the flight itself?

Flying in a plane is an unnatural experience for most dogs. The air pressure alone can affect a dogs’ balance and cause anxiety or uneasiness. Even if your dog has flown peacefully before, he can still have a new or different reaction each time you fly based on a variety of reasons, different smells, sounds, etc. In order to help ease dogs into the flying experience and keep it consistent, I recommend that people try using an association-by-scent technique with lavender oil.

It works like this: You place a drop of lavender oil on your hands and let your dog pick up the scent. It is best to do this in association with pleasant experiences, such as feeding time and before walks. Do this as often as possible prior to the flight, and then once on the plane, allow your dog to smell the lavender scent again. The positive association will allow him to calm down and remain relaxed. Also, take the time to get your dog used to his travel carrier. Build up to longer amounts of time in the carrier and make sure it’s large enough for your dog to feel comfortable — this means being able to stand up and turn around. Use the carrier in your car, on the floor, so he can feel the vibration as he will on a plane. Make sure to take your dog for a long (longer than normal) walk or run before you fly and drain his energy before heading to the airport. The more tired he is, the more likely he will be to sleep and relax during the flight.

Because of your unique ‘connection’ with dogs, some people probably assume it’s some sort of psychic (ability) connection.

I grew up on a farm in Culiacan, Mexico, where there were many dogs. I got to observe their behavior with my grandfather and with each other, both on the farm and in the city. Interest and observation over time is how I developed most of my philosophies, but I first recognized that natural “way” with dogs while working in a canine grooming salon in San Diego. I was the only one there who was able to work with even the most unruly dogs, and I was able to win their trust, loyalty, and respect. That’s when I started to see the gift I had been given. All of my knowledge of dog psychology and pack behavior is rooted in that experience. It is not a psychic ability but an understanding of the dogs energies and needs.

Do you believe it was divine intervention or something else that your life’s path is what it is?

Ever since I was a child, I did say that I wanted to be the best dog trainer in the world. When you come from humble backgrounds, you always want to be something extraordinary, and make a positive impact. I do believe I’ve been blessed with a career that was chosen for me, because when people see me with a pack of dogs, they see the talent and the gift God has given me.

But it has also taken drive. My mentality is that no matter what, you keep going — it’s 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you choose to respond to it.

So how do you feel about cats? Or can you take them or leave them?

I love all animals! We actually talked to a “cat whisperer” in an issue of Cesar’s Way Magazine last year, and many of the dog training lessons in my book, Cesar’s Rules, apply to teaching any animal — use calm, assertive energy and make sure you are in a positive frame of mind; reward what you want, not what you don’t want; send clear and consistent signals; be patient and don’t put a ‘clock’ on it when teaching an animal something new; and try and find what turns that particular animal on, to make learning fun for him or her. These rules can apply to teaching humans, too!

GIOIA PATTON IS AN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CELEBRITY PROFILER and concert reviewer.