I got a call one Saturday afternoon from my good friend, the movie producer Barry Josephson. I have known Barry for about ten years. We met in the parking lot of a restaurant back in 2000, way before I had a TV show and before anyone knew who Cesar Millan was. He became one of my very first “celebrity” clients.
I had a pack of about 12 dogs in the back of my old van. I hadn’t noticed Barry, but he noticed me as I gave each dog a command to jump out of my parked van. Each dog waited patiently until I gave the command. Barry was impressed. I have trained all of Barry’s dogs since.
Two of Barry’s dogs had recently passed away, and Barry was still hurting from the loss. Barry’s third dog, a purebred pit bull by the name of Gusto, was also sad. Barry went on to explain that his wife, Brooke, felt that Gusto was in such pain that she needed to get another dog. Barry pleaded with her to wait until I returned from an overseas trip so I could help the family find the right match. However, Brooke couldn’t take it anymore and went to a rescue organization to adopt a puppy. Unfortunately for Brooke, the rescuers gave her a high-energy dog that wasn’t compatible with Gusto. When Brooke brought the puppy home, he began nipping at their three-year-old daughter, Shira. Of course, Gusto wouldn’t stand for that and stepped in to protect Shira from the puppy. From that day on, Gusto ignored the puppy. Although the Josephsons realized that the puppy was not a good match for their family, they decided to foster it (keeping it safely away from Shira, of course) until they could find him the right home.
This kind of story is repeated thousands of times because humans don’t understand the full process of how to select a dog that’s right for them. It’s not as simple as going to a shelter and picking out a dog—there are lots of variables to consider. For example, compatible energy attracts. Incompatible energy can be a disaster. Combine incompatibility with improperly introducing a new dog to your pack, and you have the formula for a sad but all-too-common situation of a rescued dog being returned to the shelter. When you adopt a dog, you are making a promise to care for him for his life. You owe it to that dog to do your homework and choose very carefully.
As I see it, choosing a dog has three key phases: self-assessment, dog assessment, and, ultimately, homeward bound.
PHASE 1: Self-Assessment
This phase begins with an honest look at yourself and your life. You must consider many different parts of your life and how a dog can best fit into it.
SELF-ASSESSMENT #1:
It’s a Family Affair
When you decide to get a new dog, that decision must involve every member of your human pack, because each of you will have to be the Pack Leader. Everyone should be in agreement about getting a new dog. If Dad has promised a dog for the kids but Mom objects to that decision, this can cause problems down the line, particularly if the kids grow bored with their responsibilities and Mom winds up being the one feeding and walking the dog she didn’t want in the first place. Have frank conversations with each other about a dog and what family members can realistically be expected to contribute.
Here are the kinds of questions you should be thinking about:
• If you have children, are they old enough for the responsibility of sharing in leadership and caretaker roles? If they are not old enough for that, are they old enough to understand that a dog is not a toy and to respect the dog’s space?
• Do the children understand that the dog is part of the entire family and doesn’t “belong” to one child more than to any other?
• Will there always be someone at home with the dog, or does the entire family take off early in the morning and return in the evening?
• Is the family used to taking regular vacations? If so, will you alter your methods of travel and accommodations so you can take your dog with you? What will you do if the dog stays home? Do you have responsible friends, family, or a trusted kennel that can care for your dog while you’re away?
• Does anyone in the family have allergies that would make adopting certain kinds of dogs impossible? (If so, you should investigate hypoallergenic breeds, such as the Portuguese water dog.)
SELF-ASSESSMENT #2:
Look at Your Living Space
Before you begin your search, you’ve got to understand the “rules, boundaries, and limitations” of your living space. Make sure that you will be allowed to have dogs where you live. Check your lease if you rent or read the bylaws of your homeowners association for any pet restrictions. Lastly, make sure that you know the local laws regarding dogs in your community.
Next, take a quick look around you. What is your living situation? Tiny apartment or large house and yard? A suburban or rural neighborhood with great walking trails and lots of nature, or a big city with sparse patches of grass and lots of traffic? When thinking about your new dog, try to imagine what kind of dog will fit in well with your living space. A high-energy dog in cramped quarters will most likely be a bad match.
Then consider the layout of your home. Do you have rooms in the house that will be off-limits to a dog? If so, what is your plan for restricting access? Will your dog be allowed on the furniture or not? Where will the dog spend most of her time? Coming up with your “house rules” before you start searching will help you get a better sense of what kind of companion you’re looking for.
SELF-ASSESSMENT #3:
Consider Your Energy
You also need to consider your family’s lifestyle and energy level. Are you a pack of couch potatoes who prefer time in front of the TV, computer, or video game right after dinner and don’t move until bedtime? Or are you an active family, up at dawn every weekend and off for a hike, or to the beach or other adventure? You should never adopt a dog with a higher energy level than your own pack—unless you are willing to change your lifestyle to accommodate that dog’s energy. A high-energy Dalmatian or Jack Russell terrier would be a bad choice for a low-energy family but would thrive with early-rising hikers.
Take an honest look at the emotional state of your family. This is probably the most important factor of all, because the energy in your household will greatly affect your dog’s behavior. On many of my cases, I could take one look at the dog and instantly know that there was trouble in the primary relationship in the household.
You have to be honest and determine whether there are any unresolved issues in the family dynamic, whether between spouses, between siblings, or between parents and children. Dogs will easily pick up on unbalanced energy and, sensing trouble in the pack, will try to take a leadership role. This frequently plays out as the dog trying to “protect” the stronger human pack member from the weaker one by becoming possessive and, sometimes, aggressive.
FROM CESAR’S LEADER OF THE PACK CASE FILES
Rosie, the Stressed-Out Staffie
One month before we began filming the show Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack, Executive Producer Gregory Vanger and my training assistant, Cheri Lucas, flew to London to begin dog selection for the show. Their first stop was Animal Helpline in Peterborough, England. As at many shelters, the volunteer staff there doesn’t possess the knowledge to resolve many of the behavioral issues they have to contend with.
During a tour of the facility, Cheri met Rosie, a gorgeous Staffordshire terrier. Relinquished to a high-kill shelter by her first family, Rosie was scheduled to be put down within a few days, but Animal Helpline pulled her from the pound and took her in.
However, the stress on Rosie was beginning to take its toll. Rosie had developed a noncontagious form of mange from the stress. She was placed again into a loving home, but her new human developed a severe allergy to her and ended up in the hospital for anaphylactic shock. Reluctantly, Rosie was returned to Animal Helpline … again.
So, thanks to Cheri, Rosie became part of the Leader of the Pack crew! A few weeks later, Rosie was on a plane to our Dog Psychology Center in Spain, with no idea of the adventure that awaited her. Once she arrived, we started the serious effort of tackling Rosie’s mange. Rosie’s behavioral issues were mild, but she had become very skilled at manipulating humans. Before, she had no rules and no boundaries, and if she didn’t want to walk, well, she was going nowhere.
My staff and I were able to rehabilitate Rosie very quickly. It didn’t take any time at all for us to turn her around—all it took was a strong leader. But now, we needed to match Rosie with a new family. The question was: Who fit that profile?
Several candidates were competing to adopt Rosie, including a cancer survivor named Debbie and a family with two children. Debbie was on a journey to turn her life around—not only had she battled cancer but she had also faced down obesity and severe depression. Debbie decided to appear on Leader of the Pack to find a dog to be part of her brand-new life. The production team favored the family with two adorable children, as they wanted Rosie to have the loving, stable family she deserved.
However, I decided that Rosie would be a better fit for Debbie. I believed that Debbie and Rosie were of a singular mind—both needed rehabilitation, and they would be just enough of a challenge for each other that their love and appreciation would grow through the process of healing. I am happy to report that as I write this, Rosie and Debbie are doing very well together. Debbie is committed to the process of helping Rosie become the perfect canine companion, and Rosie seems to be giving new purpose to Debbie.
SELF-ASSESSMENT #4:
What’s in Your Wallet?
It is supposed to be impolite to talk about money, but you do have to seriously consider whether the family can afford a dog. Taking proper care of a pet costs money. In addition to the initial costs of adoption, microchipping, licensing, accessories, and spaying or neutering, you will have monthly expenses for food and annual expenses for veterinary care. These can vary by type and size of dog, and by your location, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) estimates the average monthly expense for dog necessities at about $70.
This figure doesn’t include veterinary expenses or pet insurance. If you don’t have pet insurance, then you should at least have a savings account set aside with a few thousand dollars in disposable income in case of a sudden emergency. Like people, pets do get hurt and they do get sick. Having that safety net can take some worry out of the equation while your dog is recovering.
PHASE 2: Dog Assessment
Once you have made an honest assessment of your family lifestyle, energy level, and dynamics, then it is time to start considering what kind of dog you should bring into your pack.
DOG ASSESSMENT #1:
Age Is More Than Just a Number
Puppies are cute and adorable and hard to find at shelters because they’re first to be adopted, but the reality is that puppies also require a much bigger investment of time, energy, and money to bring into a household. Many behavioral issues that later require professional help have their roots in how a puppy is raised. Unless you or a family member is able to be around all the time for a couple of months to over a year, and is able to spend that time in consistent training, then a puppy is not the ideal choice.
Dogs reach adulthood between a year and 18 months of age, and if they’ve been properly raised to that point, they are less likely to come with issues. At the very least, you should be able to spot potential issues in a meet and greet at the shelter or rescue group and decide whether you’re willing to deal with fixing them. Adult dogs are also much more likely to be housebroken, and depending upon temperament and breed, their energy levels are generally lower than those of puppies. If you don’t have as much time to dedicate to a dog, then an adult under seven years of age is a good choice.
Don’t count out senior dogs, though. Generally the last ones to be adopted from a shelter, they will still be with you for years, and are frequently more balanced and lower energy than their younger counterparts. If you have limited space and not as much time to dedicate to training and walking a dog, then a mellow old senior may be the perfect match for your household. The trade-off is that you’re likely to face higher veterinary expenses—but an older dog is ideal for someone with no children in the house, like a single person or married couple whose kids have all moved out.
Don’t forget to take your own age and energy level into account when considering a dog to adopt. A high-energy puppy might be too much for a senior citizen to handle, whereas an older dog might not be able to keep up with an energetic 20-something. Again, you should only adopt a dog with the same or lower energy level than your human pack. Considering all the options when it comes to age will maximize your chances of finding the right dog.
DOG ASSESSMENT #2:
Know Your Breeds
I’ve explained that dogs should be seen as animal, species, breed, and then name, in that order, but breed can move higher in importance when adopting and making lifestyle matching decisions. The purer the breed, the more likely a dog will strongly exhibit traits particular to that breed, and therefore have specific needs.
In Nine Simple Principles for a Balanced Dog, I discussed the seven groups of dogs: sporting, hound, working, herding, terrier, toy, and nonsporting. To fulfill dogs in all of these groups, it may be necessary to give them a job appropriate to their breed instincts. Sporting dogs may require a lot of time playing fetch, for example, whereas working dogs may be happiest wearing a backpack on the walk. Terriers frequently need stimulating mental challenges and love to work for rewards, so they may need toys that allow them to “find the treat.” Hounds can be tireless runners, so they make a great match if you love to jog, skate, or ride a bicycle.
When considering a new dog, it helps to do your homework, particularly if you find yourself drawn to a particular breed. You’ll find many published sources on dog breeds, both in book form and online, and American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standards regarding temperament are an excellent guide on what to expect.
Unfortunately, we live in a world with breed-specific laws; many apartment buildings and homeowners associations will not allow particular breeds, so you need to do your research in this area, too. Although aggression is a trait of an animal with unbalanced energy, it is sadly also often attributed to a handful of breeds, regardless of a particular dog’s behavior or temperament. Sometimes it doesn’t even matter whether dogs are purebred members of a particular breed; if they look like an aggressive breed, they are considered aggressive, period. Lennox was a mixed-breed dog in the United Kingdom that vaguely resembled a pit bull and had no reports of aggressive behavior. His breed status alone was enough for the Belfast City Council to seize and, ultimately, destroy him in 2012, despite international protests. Again, do your homework first to be informed about any dogs that may run afoul of these perceptions and laws.
Finally, consider possible medical issues that certain breeds are prone to—for example, hip dysplasia in German shepherds, or thyroid problems in Pomeranians. Again, the purer the breed, the more likely they are to have problems typical of that breed. Research the possible expenses of treatment in a worst-case scenario, and then add that into the likely financial costs of adopting a dog.
If you take the time to learn about breeds—their needs, issues, and energy levels—then you’ll have a much better idea of what you’re looking for on your search, and adopt responsibly.
DOG ASSESSMENT #3:
Select the Right Energy
I’ve mentioned several times in this and other chapters that you should adopt a dog with the right energy for your household, but how do you determine what a dog’s natural energy level is? Visiting a shelter, where the dogs are kept in cages, can be misleading, because a dog in such a situation can build up frustrated, edgy energy that is not reflective of his normal state.
Take advantage of the volunteers and staff at the shelter, and ask questions about dogs you’re interested in. Chances are, they have spent a good amount of time with all of the dogs and have a better idea of their general temperament and behavior. Shelter workers don’t get a commission for adopting out dogs and they know that bad matches will probably wind up right back in the shelter, so it’s to their benefit to be honest and informative.
Questions to ask include the following: How does the dog get along with staff members and other dogs? How does the dog behave at mealtime and on the walk? How does the dog react to visitors coming up to the cage? Does she seem to have any issues with particular people, such as children or men?
When you think you’ve found a possibility, then your entire family should visit the shelter for the aforementioned “meet and greet.” Most shelters are happy to have you do this, and have a designated area where everyone can gather with the dog off leash. Observing the dog outside of the kennel and with some degree of freedom can also tell you a lot. Is the dog easily distracted by everything? Does he investigate each new person or seem to fixate on only one? Does he immediately begin to mark all around the meeting area? Is he outgoing or timid? Is he constantly in motion, or does he settle down quickly and demonstrate calm, submissive energy?
Finally, if the shelter or rescue allows it, the best way to gauge whether a dog’s energy and personality will be a good fit is to take her on a walk; think of this as a “test drive.” This will give you an idea of whether the dog has issues with pulling or trying to lead you. If you can take a sufficiently long walk to drain the dog’s energy, you will also get an idea of her real temperament outside of the kennel.
Most important, you should remain as objective as possible during this process. You will have plenty of time to fall in love with the dog later, but that will be a lot easier if you find the right dog in the first place. It can be easy to fall for the first dog that catches your eye and then adopt out of guilt because you don’t want to leave her in the shelter, but this can lead to bad choices. You really don’t want to bring home that high-energy Saint Bernard puppy if you live in a studio apartment and work 12-hour days.
A dog is not a toy or a piece of furniture. A dog is a lifetime commitment. It is far better to turn down the options that will not be good fits and find the dog with the right temperament and energy level for you than to adopt the wrong dog and later have to make the hard decision to give her up or bring her back. With the right questions and observations—and patience—you can maximize your chances of finding that perfect match.
FROM CESAR’S LEADER OF THE PACK CASE FILES
Sofia, the Fearful Italian Dog
Sofia was one of the most heart-wrenching cases we ever dealt with on Leader of the Pack. Cheri Lucas flew into Rome with a mere 24 hours to find the perfect canine candidate for the show. An Italian producer whom we had hired to shoot footage of the Italian dogs for the show met her there, and they drove an hour outside of Rome to a shelter in the Italian countryside that housed over 400 dogs. Of these 400 dogs, nearly half were senior dogs. Another quarter of the dogs were pit bulls or pit mixes—highly undesirable dogs in Italy. The rest had severe issues: either dog or human aggression, fear, or antisocial behavior. And then there was Sofia …
Sofia was not on the “short list”—a list of dogs compiled for the show prior to visiting Italy. We already had a “fear case,” so we were on a quest to find a different kind of issue that would add more interest to the show.
As Cheri tells the story, “When I walked by Sofia’s run, she was surrounded by other runs full of dogs that were barking incessantly, throwing themselves at the fence, or spinning in their runs. She was terrified. Sofia had the biggest, most soulful eyes I had ever seen. I was smitten. One look at Sofia and all you wanted to do was help her.
“One of the shelter staff allowed me to enter Sofia’s run. I attempted to get a leash on Sofia, but she was in a complete panic by my presence. I knew what to do—no eye contact, no attempt to touch her, no baby talking, but it didn’t matter. Sofia’s level of terror was so intense, I thought at one point that she would collapse.”
Sofia’s backstory was very sad. Her owner had been incarcerated on unknown charges. Authorities then found over a dozen dogs in his backyard. All of them were adults, and each seemed to be part of the same litter. All of these dogs had been equally neglected—each of them was terrified. The rest of Sofia’s siblings remained at the shelter.
Cheri finally got a leash on Sofia and began the process of removing her from the run. “She was completely shut down, but eventually I got her out. At this point, she collapsed. The only way I could return her to her run was to carry her. Sixty-five pounds of dead weight is a lot to carry, but eventually I got her back in her run.”
Fortunately, the show agreed to take on Sofia. Once Sofia arrived in Spain, she began to change almost overnight. The serene, peaceful atmosphere at Centro Canino in Madrid began to work its magic on Sofia. Within a few days, we filmed my first attempts at rehabilitating Sofia.
I found that bringing the balanced pack of over a dozen dogs into the mix with Sofia was part of the answer to her recovery. All that Sofia had ever known was other dogs, so it was only logical to use them to help Sofia move forward.
Out of the three couples that applied for Sofia, I was particularly interested in one young couple, Danilo and Sara, from Bologna, Italy. Danilo was a “cat person” and had never really had a dog before. I was fascinated by the fact that this man was so in love with cats, his own very spoiled cat, in particular. Danilo was concerned that adopting a dog would upset the cat. I found this kind of amusing, but also recognized the seriousness of bringing a dog into a home with a rather spoiled feline.
In this particular case, the other two candidates were clearly not cut out for a case that was going to require lots of commitment. They had very active and busy lives, and they were looking for a dog to provide companionship. Sofia’s fear was going to improve only if her adoptive family was willing to put time and effort into her rehabilitation.
Needless to say, Sara and Danilo are doing great with Sofia. However, after visiting a veterinarian upon arrival to her new home, it was discovered that Sofia has a rare condition called pulmonary hypertension. The condition is impossible to detect without an extensive veterinary exam, but our production team is standing behind Sofia’s care and offering assistance to the young couple who adopted her.
PHASE 3: Homeward Bound!
So you’ve gone through all the pre-adoption steps, visited the shelters, and found the perfect match. Congratulations on the new member of your pack! Here are three other very important things you need to do next.
HOMEWARD BOUND #1:
Spay or Neuter Your Dog
Now we’re going to talk about the bird dogs and the beagles, so you might want to send the young ones out of the room …
In many places, all dogs adopted from city or county shelters must be spayed or neutered before they will be released, and this is usually included in the adoption fees. There are exceptions for registered and licensed breeders, but the license fees for intact dogs are also generally a lot higher. In the city of Los Angeles, for example, the annual license fee for a spayed or neutered dog is only $20, but the fee for a dog that is not fixed is $100, plus a $235 permit fee, and microchipping is mandatory.
Unless you are a professional and responsible breeder, there is no good argument for not having your dog fixed. Unlike humans, who may mate at any time, male dogs only feel the urge strongly when there are female dogs in heat nearby, and females go into heat only twice a year—typically between January and March, and again between August and October. Otherwise, your dogs really won’t know or care what they’re missing. Despite the existence of products like Neuticles, which are meant to replace a male dog’s missing parts, Rover really won’t sit around feeling sorry for what’s gone, and such cosmetic “un-fixes” are really more for the human’s benefit than the dog’s.
Having your dog fixed can also be healthier for them down the line, particularly for female dogs. Early sterilization can prevent mammary tumors and urinary tract infections. For both male and female dogs, eliminating hormone signals can lead to a more even and predictable temperament. It will also prevent them from trying to escape during mating season and then presenting you with an unwanted and unexpected litter of puppies.
Financially, sterilization is a small investment with a bigger payoff down the line, and many shelters and clinics offer low-cost or free sterilization programs. Again, many shelters include the procedure as part of the adoption fees.
The most important reason to spay or neuter, though, is pet overpopulation. Four to five million unwanted dogs and cats are destroyed every year due to overpopulation in the United States. Worldwide, there are six hundred million stray dogs. Sterilization is the single most effective way to deal with this problem. I saw the results firsthand while visiting Germany during production of Leader of the Pack. In that country, people with dogs—except for breeders—are required to have their pets sterilized; because of this, Germany does not have the stray dog problem that the United States has. In fact, the country has reduced the problem so much that it is now taking in shelter dogs from other countries.
When it comes to being a responsible dog owner, you must provide many things—food, shelter, guidance, training, and leadership. But the kindest thing you can do, for your dog and for yourself, is to guarantee that you will not create a generation of unwanted pups. The decision on whether to spay or neuter should be a no-brainer. It’s a simple, safe, and inexpensive procedure that will prevent many problems throughout your dog’s lifetime.
HOMEWARD BOUND #2:
Microchipping Is a Must
Once upon a time, the only available ID systems for dogs were tags on their collars or tattooing, which was never as popular or common. Both methods have drawbacks. Runaway dogs can easily lose their collars or tags, or thieves can remove these IDs. Likewise, tattoos can be removed or altered.
In the 1990s, this changed with the advent of the RFID (radio frequency identification) chip, a tiny, implantable device that can last up to 25 years. The chip is encoded with a unique number that will identify your dog and help reunite her with you in case she is lost. When your dog is microchipped and registered, it is very easy to establish ownership if someone finds or steals her and tries to claim the dog for themselves.
Like spaying and neutering, microchipping will ultimately help reduce the stray dog problem. Although some people are disturbed by the idea of implantable identification, the benefits really do outweigh the drawbacks. After all, we don’t complain that cars have to have license plates, and your dog is a lot more valuable to you than your car, right?
The chips themselves are harmless, passive devices. Unlike cell phones or other electronics, RFID chips do not transmit anything on their own. They never emit any kind of harmful radiation. They become active only in the presence of a scanner, which sends out a signal to which the chip responds with the number encoded in it. This process takes only a few seconds.
As the chips become more common and technology in general improves, we are beginning to see some interesting alternate uses for this form of ID. For example, one company now manufactures a dog door that uses its own scanner to read the RFID chip. If it recognizes your dog, then the door unlocks; otherwise, it does not. Now, instead of an inviting flap providing entry for the neighbors’ dogs, roving raccoons, or opportunistic burglars, you can in effect give your dog his own personal key.
There is another, very humane reason to seriously consider microchipping—a dog with such an ID cannot be abandoned. In the past, people who wanted to dump a dog would only have to remove his collar and tags, drive him to a remote area, and let him out of the car. A dog with a microchip, though, will lead authorities right back to the registered owner. RFID also provides a way to track down people responsible for training dogs for fighting or to be human-aggressive. Like a gun with a serial number, an owner of a dog recovered from a fighting ring or captured in connection with a crime can be tracked down and held responsible.
The process of microchipping is quick, as painless as a vaccination, and cheap; like spaying and neutering, it is becoming more commonly included in the cost of adoption. Look at it this way: If you have your dog microchipped, you will never regret doing it, but if you don’t and your dog gets lost, you will forever regret that you didn’t.
HOMEWARD BOUND #3:
Meeting Your Human Pack
You’ve located the perfect dog with the right energy for your family and lifestyle. You’ve researched the breed, decided you can handle any special needs, and have everyone in the household ready to take on the role of Pack Leader. You go through the adoption process, including microchipping and spaying or neutering, and today is the big day—time to bring home your new dog.
This is the point in the process when many people make the biggest mistake, frequently out of excitement over having a new family member. They drive home, bring the dog out of the car and to the front door, throw the door open, take off the leash, and let the dog loose to explore her new home … and the poor dog has no idea what’s going on or where she is. It may look like she’s excitedly investigating as she runs from room to room, sniffing everywhere, but she isn’t. You’ve just thrown her into a completely alien environment with no direction, and these early associations are going to stick. The place is unfamiliar, it smells different, and there doesn’t seem to be any way out. If you have previously had pets in the house, it will smell like them, and your new dog will be uncertain about invading someone else’s territory.
So let’s back up from the front door and back to the car, and back to the shelter. Before you even bring the dog to the car, take her on an energetic walk. This will help use up the pent-up energy from being in the shelter. Once you are in the car, stop a few blocks from home and take your dog on another walk, this time to your doorstep. This allows her to get used to the smells and sights of the new neighborhood and to begin to feel confident about being there. She will also get to know you and your energy, and you will begin to establish trust.
Finally, when you arrive home, it’s not time to let your new dog go bounding inside yet. Lead her to whichever door you enter through, and then make her sit, waiting until she shows calm, submissive energy. When you open the door, you and the family must enter first. Only then, invite your new dog in, but keep her on the lead for now—and make sure that everyone practices “No Touch, No Talk, No Eye Contact” (see Cesar’s Natural Dog Laws).
The idea is that you slowly introduce your new dog to her new place, one room at a time, and you should begin with the room where she will find her food and water, making her wait until you have gone through the door and invited her in. Have her sit while you get her food and water ready. After she has eaten, she should be even more relaxed. Now you can give her the tour of the rest of the house, avoiding rooms you do not want her to enter.
As with that first room, make her wait at the threshold to every room until you invite her in. Keeping her on the lead, let her sniff and explore each new place before leading her to the next. What you are doing with this process is telling the dog, “This is my territory. I own it, but I am allowing you in.” It will help build your dog’s respect for what is yours from the beginning.
Once you have completed the tour, it will be time for your new dog to meet each of the human members of the pack, one at a time. Let her smell them first, and don’t allow anyone to show affection until the new dog comes to them. Pack Leaders do not go to their followers; their followers come to them.
HOMEWARD BOUND #4:
Introductions to Your Canine Pack
If you already have a dog at home, you need to manage the introduction of the new dog to your current pet. Don’t just throw the two of them together. Although the kids may be excited to have a new puppy in the house, your existing dog may not be so thrilled. In fact, such an introduction can make your older dog defensive and your newer dog insecure, leading to problems. Look at it from your older dog’s point of view: She’s just hanging out in her place, minding her own business, when suddenly this strange dog comes running in and the humans seem very excited, so there must be something terrible happening. That’s the formula for failure right there.
Introducing a new dog to an existing pack will take the assistance of a friend or family member, but the results are worth it. Simply put, each of you should arrange to meet in neutral territory while walking one of the dogs—you with your current dog, and the other person with the new one. You should encounter each other casually and begin walking together with the dogs on the outside. They may or may not become curious about each other right away, but it’s important to keep moving forward for a while, and walk until both dogs have had their energy levels lowered.
At this point, you can bring both dogs back to their home, humans entering first and then both dogs invited in. The rest of the introduction process is the same, except that you can now allow your older dog off leash, unless she tries to instigate play with the new dog, in which case both should remain leashed. Although trying to play would be an excellent sign that they’re going to get along, save the play as a reward for after the new dog has done the work of following your leadership and learning the new space.
By following these procedures when bringing a new dog into your pack, you will start off on the right paw together by demonstrating pack leadership and setting Rules, Boundaries, and Limitations from the beginning. You will have plenty of time for affection and fun and games later—a lifetime’s worth, in fact. But everything you do on that first day will affect everything that happens from there on out. It is worth every ounce of effort to do it right.
FROM CESAR’S LEADER OF THE PACK CASE FILES
Janna, the Belgian Malinois
We traveled to the Netherlands on our search for dogs for the new show. While visiting a shelter outside of Amsterdam, we came across a gorgeous, four-year-old female Belgian Malinois, a herding breed that resembles German shepherds. Janna had been picked up as a stray. She had been microchipped, so the shelter called the owners, but they refused to come pick her up, stating that they no longer wanted her. She was subsequently placed in a home with an elderly man who passed away three years later. Once again, Janna found herself back at the shelter Dierenopvangcentrum Enschede. (Yes, the spelling is correct! Dierenopvangcentrum is Dutch for “animal shelter.”) Only this time, Janna had changed.
Janna had become highly stressed at the shelter now. She developed an obsessive behavior of biting her entire hindquarters, hip, and tail, becoming very vocal when starting this behavior. She would continue for several minutes and would not stop until exhausted. This self-mutilating behavior left her covered in her own saliva. We knew we could help Janna overcome her obsession and match her with a good home, so she was selected to be on Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack.
When Janna arrived in Spain, her behavior began to escalate. While in Cheri Lucas’s home for an overnight stay, Janna opened cabinet doors and “nested” inside. She dug holes in the backyard and curled up inside of them. This behavior made us concerned that Janna might be pregnant, because most shelters in the Netherlands don’t practice regular spaying or neutering.
A trip to the vet determined that Janna wasn’t pregnant but suffering from a very intense case of false pregnancy, due to having gone through several heat cycles over the previous four years without having had a litter. The vet determined that the nesting behavior was Janna’s determination to find a place to have her imaginary puppies. It was an odd syndrome but, more than that, an almost intolerable condition to have to live with. We started Janna on holistic medications and got her involved in agility exercises to work off her excess energy. Belgians belong to a very high-energy breed that absolutely must be challenged on a daily basis.
Out of the three candidate families that applied for Janna, I was very drawn to one family in particular. This couple from Belgium had one adorable, precocious son. Sven, the father, was disabled due to an industrial accident and was unable to work. He walked with a cane and had chronic pain that left him severely depressed. The young child’s unrelenting support of his father touched me. I could see that this family genuinely supported one another.
Although Janna’s case was very challenging due to the length of time she would need for rehabilitation, I felt that this family was the right choice for her. I was convinced that Sven would rally to help Janna fully recover, just as he was trying to recover himself from chronic pain. They would be a team. Many tears were shed during the selection process. Even the candidates who were eliminated were touched by this family’s struggles and were thrilled that Sven and his family had been selected to adopt Janna.
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