Everyone whispers these days. On TV, there’s The Ghost Whisperer (love that show!); in the bookstore, there’s The Baby Whisperer (for getting your infant to sleep) and even The House Whisperer (for organizing your home). Now enter "The Dog Whisperer":
"Meet Princess Cujo, an cute Maltese owned by high-ranking Los Angeles Lakers executive Jeanie Buss and given to fits of ankle-biting, eye-rolling fury.
"Exasperated, Buss — the daughter of Lakers owner Jerry Buss — has turned to ‘dog whisperer’ Cesar Millan, who offers cryptic wisdom as the cameras roll for his TV show.
"’A dog is a window to see the person from the inside out,’ says Millan, who has become canine psychologist to the stars and a celebrity himself. The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan began its second season on the National Geographic Network this month.
"Millan, who grew up surrounded by animals on a farm in Mexico, tells his human clients it’s essential to project a calm and assertive energy while setting rules and boundaries for their wayward dogs. As he puts it: ‘I rehabilitate dogs; I train people.’"
Just the other night I happened to be talking with a couple of dog-owner friends who have heard some of Millan’s advice and think that he may have some worthwhile wisdom to share for handling dogs. So, if you have a problem pooch, it might be worth checking out his show. But frankly I’ll be glad when the fad of titling experts as Whisperers fades.
Say all you want about the title, but your friends are right, he really does know what he’s talking about with dogs. I think if people stopped treating their dogs like kids we wouldn’t have so many growly or snappy dogs. Dogs are dogs, not people.
Laura and the dogs
Is there a cat whisperer? No wait, people own dogs and cats own people…never mind.
Haven’t we had enough of cats lately?
Laura,
I completely agree! It makes me crazy when people speak about their pets as if they are their children.
Take care and God bless.
J+M+J
Right! I am my dog’s master; I am not her “daddy”.
I think my biggest problem with people who treat their dogs as children is their behavior really confuses the dog. Dogs don’t understand “sometimes” and they don’t understand yelling either. They have five minute memories. If you yelled at them about getting in the trash, they think you are the greatest person ten minutes later. In having my dogs and learning how to think like they do, I’ve learned to let a lot of little stuff go. Yeah, my dog ate half of a paper plate, but he did it half an hour ago and so he won’t understand why I’m mad at him.
Laura
To those interested in how the whole *whispering* phenomenon began, I’d recommend the book The Man Who Listens to Horses by Monty Roberts. Really fascinating book! He developed a system of *breaking* a horse that he calls “gentling” & how he did this & what his reasons were make for a very great read.
Out in Colorado, there’s a bona fide llama whisperer.
Beat that!
They have five minute memories.
Laura, I don’t see how this argument shows how dogs are not like human children. 🙂
“They have five minute memories.” Sometimes I do, too. (Oh, well, it probably helps my golf scores).
All welcomed jokes aside DJ : , dog’s have situational memory, when you are not around your dog, he can’t think of you like people can. When he sees you again ALL of the memories he has of you come flooding back in a big rush, it’s why he’s so happy to see you. Kids on the other hand can remember what you asked them 5 mins. ago.