Canine expert visits Encinitas shelter
By: JOHN RAIFSNIDER - For the North County Times
Treat your dog like a dog, Millan says | Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:51 PM PST ∞
Cesar Millan, right, renowned dog behavioral specialist and star of National Geographic Channel’s hit show "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," poses for pictures on Thursday with fan Linda Hendel and her dog Ty at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas. In celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Cesar & Ilusion Millan Foundation, Cesar made a donation of $2,500 to the local shelter as part of his efforts to improve the health, happiness and balance of dogs in the area..
JOHN RAIFSNIDER For The North County Times
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ENCINITAS ---- Renowned animal behaviorist Cesar Millan says most people do too little research before rescuing, adopting or buying a dog. And once they bring the dog home, they treat the animal too much like a person, instead of a pooch.
Millan, host of the National Geographic Channel TV show "The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," made his remarks during a visit Thursday to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas, where he and his wife, Ilusion, donated $2,500 to the center.
A dozen fans of Millan braved chilly, windy conditions to wait in the center's parking lot for a chance to get an autograph or photo with the man, whose list of clients includes several Hollywood stars.
Millan's advice to any prospective dog owner ---- despite their social status ---- is to spend time learning the characteristics of breeds to make educated decisions about what type of dog to acquire. One of the most important facets in selecting the right dog, Millan said, is to find one that matches, but does not exceed, a prospective owner's energy level.
"There are four levels of energy: low, medium, high and very high. Once you know what energy level you are, then you go and get a dog that is equal or lower in their level of energy," Millan said.
"If you are a medium-level energy type of person, and you adopt or purchase a dog with a high level of energy, you're already in trouble," he said. "It is easier to control a dog that is the same level of energy as you. It makes it easier to walk with your dog ---- it makes for a more pleasant time.
"People who are dragged around by their dog say 'This dog is crazy' but, it's not that there is anything wrong with the dog, it's just that they chose one with the wrong level of energy."
According to Millan, a dog can size up a human very quickly, while the inverse may take several days.
"You have to see it from a dog's perspective," he said. "They are going to know in 10 seconds how much you know, so you have to prove to them how much you really do know. That takes as much as two weeks. They don't rationalize, they just react based on your knowledge, how much energy you brought and how you move. They don't know what you do for a living; they just know how much common sense you have."
Striking a balance of exercise and affection with a dog should be a high priority for owners, said Millan, as is proper treatment. Some dog owners, he explained, work too hard at making a human connection with their pet.
"People are humanizing a dog, before they honor the dog for what it is ---- a dog," he said. "Then they wonder 'How come he isn't listening to me?' It's because you are not using his language or his way of communicating. They humanize dogs first, before they honor the nature of the dog. Treat them like a dog, before you treat them as a human. Make sure you fulfill their needs before you try to fulfill your needs.
"A lot of people fulfill their own needs through their dog and the only one who gets a benefit is the human. It's good therapy for the human, but it doesn't necessarily make a dog balanced," he said.
"The kind of people who do that ---- those are my clients."
