How to Raise the Perfect Dog (34 page)
Read How to Raise the Perfect Dog Online
Authors: Cesar Millan
Tags: #Dogs - Training, #Training, #Pets, #Human-animal communication, #Dogs - Care, #General, #Dogs - General, #health, #Behavior, #Dogs
Junior in action
Junior, well into his adolescence and careening toward adulthood, gets along with any new dog or human that comes into our lives, while always remaining attuned to his instincts and alerting me to any negative energy that might be coming from either species. He can play equally happily with a terrier like Angel, a Lab like Blizzard, or another pit bull, such as Memphis, or another visitor to our pack. Much more “dog” than “pit bull,” Junior is actually a more enthusiastic water dog than Blizzard the Lab! To watch the gusto with which he dives into our backyard pool and retrieves balls and toys is to witness the purest kind of bliss imaginable.
But beyond being a happy, well-adjusted dog, Junior has been shaped into something much more rare through Daddy’s and my hard work and guidance. Junior is becoming more than just an enabler of balance; he’s becoming an actual source of balance itself. He seems deeply aware of his purpose: to use his abilities and power to help others. He has gone beyond the programming of his breed and even of his species to become a real ambassador to the world at large—a canine Gandhi or Martin Luther King. I feel we’re seeing only the beginning of what Junior will accomplish in his life.
As Daddy settles into semi-retirement, Junior is coming into his own as the next leader of the pack. In any new situation, I can sense Daddy’s wisdom mirrored in Junior’s feedback and intuition. Breeders try to pass on the genes of a dog from generation to generation, but with Junior, I’ve aimed to pass on Daddy’s psychological and spiritual essence instead. As sad as I am that Daddy is facing the sunset of his days on earth, I am comforted by the knowledge that his legacy will live on—not just in my heart but in the impact he has had on Junior, and in the influence Junior will have on the world. Junior will take Daddy’s gifts to the next level, having the added benefit of an owner who is older and wiser—as I certainly hope I am!—plus a full pack of committed humans, including my kids, to support and nurture his purpose. That’s what we all dream of, isn’t it? The next generation getting better and better? Through Junior and the future generations of puppies that Junior will inspire, Daddy and what he stands for will live on forever.
I am so proud to have had the opportunity to share all these dogs’ carefree, joyful puppyhoods with my readers and with the world.
APPENDIX: RESOURCE GUIDE
CHAPTER 1: MEET THE PUPPIES
Grogan, John.
Marley & Me
. New York: HarperCollins, 2005.
Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue
www.scllr.org
Brookehaven Miniature Schnauzers
[email protected]
CHAPTER 2: PERFECT MATCH
Thinschmidt German Shepherds
www.assertivek-9training.com
The Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising a Puppy
. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.
Last Chance for Animals
www.lcanimal.org
Humane Society of the United States
www.hsus.org
The American Kennel Club
www.akc.org
CHAPTER 3: MOTHER KNOWS BEST
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
www.aspca.org
CHAPTER 5: YOUR HEALTHY PUPPY
The American Veterinary Medical Association
www.avma.org
The American Pet Products Association
www.americanpetproducts.org
The American Animal Hospital Association
www.aahanet.org
Pet Insurance Information
www.petinsurancereview.com
Terifaj, Paula.
How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie
. Palm Springs: Bulldog Press, 2007.
Animal Blood Bank
www.hemopet.org
CHAPTER 6: CONNECTING, COMMUNICATING, AND CONDITIONING
International Association of Canine Professionals
www.dogpro.org
The Monks of New Skete.
The Art of Raising a Puppy
. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991.
———.
How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend: The Classic Training Manual for Dog Owners
. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2002.
Rutherford, Clarice, and David H. Neil.
How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With
. Loveland, Colorado: Alpine Blue Ribbon Books, 2005.
Kilcommons, Brian, and Sarah Wilson.
My Smart Puppy: Fun, Effective, and Easy Puppy Training
. New York: Warner Books, 2006.
Cesar Millan’s Sit and Stay the Cesar Way: Vol. 4 Mastering Leadership Series.
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/products/dvds.php
Deeley, Martin, and Cesar Millan.
Working Gundogs: An Introduction to Training and Handling
. Marlborough, England: Crowood Press, 2009.
CHAPTER 8: PROBLEM-FREE PUPPIES
Dog and Puppy Tips
www.cesarmillaninc.com/tips/
CHAPTER 9: SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT
Paws and Claws Mobile Vet
www.pawsandclawsmobilevet.com
NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1
. Dogs’ life spans vary according to their size: smaller breeds have longer life spans (twelve years or more) than larger breeds (approximately ten years). The Humane Society of the United States,
Dog Profile
,
http://www.hsus.org/animals_in_research/species_used_in_research/dog.html
.
CHAPTER 1: MEET THE PUPPIES
1
. Sharon L. Peters, “Bulldogs Sitting Pretty on Top Dog List,”
USA Today
, January 17, 2008,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-01-16-favorite-dogs_N.htm
.
CHAPTER 2: PERFECT MATCH
1
. Susan Kauffmann, “Interspecies Friendships: When Cats Join the Pack,”
ModernDogMagazine.com
,
http://www.moderndogmagazine.com/articles/interspecies-friendships-when-cats-join-the-pack/270
.
2
. John Grogan,
Marley and Me
(New York: HarperCollins, 2005).
3
. Monks of New Skete,
The Art of Raising a Puppy
(New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991), p. 76.
4
. American Kennel Club,
AKC Meet the Breeds: Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
,
http://www.akc.org/breeds/soft_coated_wheaten_terrier/
.
5
. “Questions All Reputable Breeders Should Be Able to Answer” list courtesy of Jeri Muntis,
http://www.mojaveschnauzers.com/
.
6
. The Humane Society of the United States,
Policies and Guidelines
,
http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/policies_and_guidelines/guidelines_for_animal_shelter_policies.html
.
7
. Clarice Rutherford and David H. Neil,
How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With, 4th ed
. (Loveland, Colorado: Alpine Publishing, 2005), pp. 136–146.
CHAPTER 3: MOTHER KNOWS BEST
1
. Bruce Fogle,
The Dog’s Mind: Understanding Your Dog’s Behavior
(New York: Macmillan, 1992), p. 74.
2
. Miniature schnauzers were exhibited as a distinct breed as early as 1899. American Kennel Club, Miniature Schnauzer History,
http://www.akc.org/breeds/miniature_schnauzer/history.cfm
.
3
. According to Bruce Fogle, socialization to dogs is four to six weeks and to humans is four to twelve. It’s safe to say that puppies interact primarily with their littermates and mother between two and six weeks. Bruce Fogle,
The Dog’s Mind: Understanding Your Dog’s Behavior
(New York: Macmillan, 1992), p. 69.
CHAPTER 4: PUPPY COMES HOME
1
. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,
Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants
,
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/index.jsp?plant_toxiciy=non-toxic-to-dogs&page=14
.
2
. Diana Foster,
Arriving Home with Your New Pup
, Thinschmidt German Shepherds, 2009.
3
. For more in-depth information on the different theories of discipline and rewards that apply to how I rehabilitate dogs, see my book
Be the Pack Leader
,
chapter 2
.
CHAPTER 5: YOUR HEALTHY PUPPY
1
.
www.americanpetproducts.org
.
2
. James McWhinney, “The Economics of Pet Ownership,”
Investopedia.com
,
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/06/peteconomics.asp
.
3
. The American Animal Hospital Association, “AAHA Seal of Acceptance,”
http://www.healthypet.com/sealofaccept.aspx
.
4
. Paula Terifaj,
How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie
(Palm Springs: Bulldog Press, 2007), p. 42.
5
. In 2006, the American Animal Hospital Association revised its guidelines on the use of vaccines in dogs.
2006 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines Revises
, retrieved May 5, 2008, from
http://www/secure.aahanet.org/web/startpage.aspx?site=resources
.
6
. Paula Terifaj,
How to Protect Your Dog from a Vaccine Junkie
(Palm Springs: Bulldog Press, 2007), p. 17.
CHAPTER 6: CONNECTING, COMMUNICATING, AND CONDITIONING
1
. Clint Rowe,
Critical Periods in Canine Development
,
http://www.wrimclubamerica.org/yourwein/development1.html
.
CHAPTER 8: PROBLEM-FREE PUPPIES
1
. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology,
http://www.eva.mpg.de/English/research.htm
.
CHAPTER 9: SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT
1
. For more in-depth information on pet overpopulation: Elizabeth A. Clancy and Andrew N. Rowan,
Companion Animal Demographics in the United States: A Historical Perspective
,
HSUS.org
,
http://www.hsus.org/web-files/PDF/hsp/soa_ii_chap02.pdf
.
2
. Kathy Diamond Davis,
The Canine Behavior Series
,
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/content.plx?P=A&A=1701&S=1&SourceID=47
.
