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A review by art_cart_ron
Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life by Cesar Millan
3.0
Don't pick this up for instruction.
I have a rescue dog who, it is believed, spent some time living feral. According to Cesar - that mean's I'm a neurotic mess (okay, not exactly).
The main message is that unwanted behavior your dog exhibits is a direct reflection of your own problems. A sort of pet ownership prosperity gospel thing that feels borne of privilege, career choices, presumption of authority - and a not-too-subtle drive to treat his readership as his pack of dogs.
See, the guidance he gives for walking dogs is this: Always walk ahead of your dog, or let them walk beside you at most. Never let them walk ahead of you. And that's how the lesson portions (of this collection of sometimes-interesting anecdotes) works out. As a reader, you are being held behind him - or on rare occasions, beside him, as a teacher and communicator. You aren't given many tools to handle practical situations.
He points out that, over his several books like this, he's had complaint that he doesn't give practical useful advice. So he added an appendix to give some advice. What comes to mind, for you, as a common bit of advice you could use about your dog? Stop barking? House training? Socializing? ... yeah, no. For that advice, you need to take your private jet to his compound (like clients listed in his book). He'll allow you a little bit of advice about how to introduce your dog to your home, or how to walk your dog... you know - the advice that lets you walk behind Cesar as a teacher, or - if you are really lucky - by his side for a little while.
On a positive note - there is some useful dog psychology (which he insists on categorizing as instinct, because psychology validates science too much - and his viewership is repeatedly "assured" that he's not too-sciency - - IOW, red flags galore, if you are an evidence-motivated empiricist).
I have a rescue dog who, it is believed, spent some time living feral. According to Cesar - that mean's I'm a neurotic mess (okay, not exactly).
The main message is that unwanted behavior your dog exhibits is a direct reflection of your own problems. A sort of pet ownership prosperity gospel thing that feels borne of privilege, career choices, presumption of authority - and a not-too-subtle drive to treat his readership as his pack of dogs.
See, the guidance he gives for walking dogs is this: Always walk ahead of your dog, or let them walk beside you at most. Never let them walk ahead of you. And that's how the lesson portions (of this collection of sometimes-interesting anecdotes) works out. As a reader, you are being held behind him - or on rare occasions, beside him, as a teacher and communicator. You aren't given many tools to handle practical situations.
He points out that, over his several books like this, he's had complaint that he doesn't give practical useful advice. So he added an appendix to give some advice. What comes to mind, for you, as a common bit of advice you could use about your dog? Stop barking? House training? Socializing? ... yeah, no. For that advice, you need to take your private jet to his compound (like clients listed in his book). He'll allow you a little bit of advice about how to introduce your dog to your home, or how to walk your dog... you know - the advice that lets you walk behind Cesar as a teacher, or - if you are really lucky - by his side for a little while.
On a positive note - there is some useful dog psychology (which he insists on categorizing as instinct, because psychology validates science too much - and his viewership is repeatedly "assured" that he's not too-sciency - - IOW, red flags galore, if you are an evidence-motivated empiricist).