Cesar, Emperor of dogs?

I am tucking into the first few pages of my new book, Cesar’s Way, written by none other than America’s Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan and I am pleasantly surprised at his passionate views on dog psychology and the way in which he approaches the subject of dog training.

Cesar, who is to me the dog’s answer to Oprah Winfrey, explains in his book that more often than not the root of any dog dilemma is its owner, and I must say that I agree. After all it is easier to smother your best friend with treats and cuddles than act as the dominant pack leader put your foot down on those common dog habits which creep up from time to time.

But if the US answer to dog psychology is all a bit too much for you, Bruce Fogle’s New Complete Dog Training Manual, which is also RSPCA approved, is equally as impressive. It provides a straight forward and illustrated read to give you a step by step guide in dog training using food rewards and verbal praise. Bruce also helps you cure bad habits and learn useful bonding exercises such as retrieval to keep your dog happy as well as obedient.

As I continue my quest into improving my canine companionship I learn that to create a better bond with my dog is to go beyond teaching him to sit and stay. I have learnt that reading into his behaviour and responding in the correct way to his actions is the key to a successful relationship between us.

It remains for me to say that at some point we may all encounter or have encountered a dog behaving badly, pulling on the lead, chewing our antique furniture or even excessively barking at the neighbours.

However before you decide to visit a pet shrink, here are some British alternative ways to help you avoid visiting dog borstal if the going gets tough.

• If your dog is picking up destructive behaviour around the home or is overly active try and channel that energy into something positive like a dog sport. You may discover your dog has got a hidden talent like dog agility or field tracking.
• Join a social dog club. This is a great way to socialise your dog and interact with other dog owners facing similar problems as you. You can find many meet up groups over the internet and on social networks like Facebook.
• If you don’t have time to invest in attending any training classes, give online training a go, you may find out that the answer to a happier dog is at the click of your mouse.
• If all fails then seek the tailored services of a dog listener like Stan Rawlinson. A dog behaviourist will work individually with both dog and owner to get through common dog problems.
• If you can’t help being a bookworm there are plenty more dog books out there check out Dogwise which lists other bestselling titles. Remember that its never too late to build that pawfect relationship between you and your dog.

If you have spotted any useful online tips or blogs on training your pooch then send your comments or links to us.

Dont forget to enter this month’s Pooch & Mutt prize draw