Anyone heard of the Dog Whisperer? This guy cracks me up, and I did wonder how long he would go before having to eat his own words (Box4Rox tells me there's one episode where a dog finally bites him). But there is some truth in what he preaches. So, is you DOG leading YOU or are You leading your DOG?

Imagine you're out hiking and over the hill comes this dude walking his dogs. Like 20+ dogs. And they are mostly not leashed ... That is a sight you might encounter if you happen to be hiking near his Dog Psychology Center (somewhere S of LA).

Here's a link to the article about him:
http://thepetgazette.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=6&num=164

And here's his website:
http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/dpc-seminars.php

Box, seriously, lets get Obi and you (and your E) on TV!
I'm gonna take the liberty to repost your photos here.
(By the way, love the way your colors come out compared by the ones taken by my camera.)

I love that show !!! :)

I don't know if I could handle Cesar's analysis of me screwing up 16 different ways to Sunday however . . . :-(

Training a pup is hard !!

I've learned a lot about getting him under control on the lead . . . I'd really like to ask Cesar if it is possible to train a dog to walk as a "follower" on a short lead when you want and then reward him by letting him roam on a "long lead" (a.k.a retractable lead, flexi lead, etc.) part time . . . Would it confuse the dog ?

I'd also like to put Obi on a treadmill . . it would be fun to see how he handles that . . . maybe we can get a scholarship to Cesar's Dog Psychology U.

hahah South Park last night was about that guy! it was funny

Box, I don't doubt that training a pup like Obi is difficult and time consuming. I am always thankful to dog owners who let me play with their dogs. I'm like the single Aunt/Uncle who shows up for the good times, spoils the kids and then disappear. So don't take my advice/comments on how to bring up your kids, I mean Obi, too seriously. Just thought it would be fun and good to get an Element owner (and his Element) on TV!

Next time we meet up, I'll bring all my old tennis balls. Can Obi fetch? Or can he catch?

Maybe we should make it interesting and ask Cesar to address Obi's fear of heights, as demonstrated by the incident at Joshua Tree when Obi climbed a rock on his own and then could not get down. I mean, that sounds like something a "Dog Psychology Center" could help with.

M1 1I 1K 1E?
Umn... excuse my ignorance but is that code for something?
Darn it, I skipped South Park and went with X-files re-runs instead last night. I'm sure it was hilarious.

Box, seriously, lets get Obi and you (and your E) on TV!
I'm gonna take the liberty to repost your photos here.
(By the way, love the way your colors come out compared by the ones taken by my camera.)

hey, just wondering, what is this pup attached to, on the top, with the oval clasp?

By the way sweet dog.
j.

I just love the Dog Whisperer. He's so good with dogs and especially the dog owners, even the one who thought her dog was a reincarnated relative.. no kidding, there was an episode where a lady with Boxer really believed that. Anywho, Cesar straightened her and the poor dog out and both are doing fine now.

My favorite part of his show is when he brings a dog in for a group therapy session at his dog park facility where he has 35 other dogs who have successfully detoxed from inept owners syndrome. What a hoot!

Cesar Milan the Dog Whisperer is my personal hero and I don't even own a dog!

Box4Rox's Black Lab "Obi" is way cool. I love camping with him. An absoultely wonderful dog and very very handsome too! Obi's collar is a neon yellow glow in the dark one. And when Box walks Obi at night around the campground it's like watching someone walk the invisable dog. It's soooo funny.

M1 1I 1K 1E?
Umn... excuse my ignorance but is that code for something?
Darn it, I skipped South Park and went with X-files re-runs instead last night. I'm sure it was hilarious.

yeah its code for my name, Mike...its just a not so clever/creative way to type it, lol
and hopefully you'll catch some re-runs of the southpark...the dog whisperer was using his abilities to help Cartman calm down...it was pretty funny.

Oh, OK Mike. Trust me to read too deeply into things.
The Dog Whisperer on South Park!
(times are PST)
Tsst Sun, May 07 08:00 PM COMEDY 107
Tsst Sun, May 07 12:00 AM COMEDY 107
Tsst Fri, May 05 09:30 PM COMEDY 107
Tsst Thu, May 04 09:00 PM COMEDY 107
Tsst Thu, May 04 07:00 PM COMEDY 107

. . .

Next time we meet up, I'll bring all my old tennis balls. Can Obi fetch? Or can he catch? . . .

Thanks everyone for the Obi comments . . . yes, he loves T-balls, the more slobbered on and dirt encrusted they are, the better they are. He would be honored to have a few souvenirs from a KU (UK ?) team member :)

After you, he wants a few from Maria Sharapova . . . :wink:

hey, just wondering, what is this pup attached to, on the top, with the oval clasp?

By the way sweet dog.
j.

Thanks -

It's made from two screw links, some 4mm climbing cord, a rubber block and a wiregate carabiner. When he's in the E, he wears a harness for safety and gets clipped into that instead of his neck collar . . . He can't get past the rear of the front seats (but has been known to steal gum and chapstick from the center console :wink: )

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/box4rox/teardrop/doglead.jpg

Thanks -

It's made from two screw links, some 4mm climbing cord, a rubber block and a wiregate carabiner. When he's in the E, he wears a harness for safety and gets clipped into that instead of his neck collar . . . He can't get past the rear of the front seats (but has been known to steal gum and chapstick from the center console :wink: )

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/box4rox/teardrop/doglead.jpg

Thanks - that's a nice set up, easy to do as well.
j

Been addicted to that show since the first time I saw it. :D We regularly waste a Saturday morning or night watching marathon repeats of episodes teaching us to be "calm and assertive."

And another plug for South Park. If you're a fan of Cesar, you *have to see this episode. I'm sure a lot of SP fans were wondering what the big joke was, but I was falling off the couch laughing. :-P

Now...do you think we can get Cesar to trade in his Wrangler and Liberty for an E???

I just saw the rerun of Cesar working with the official "Los Angeles Laker" Maltese "Princess Cujo" that belongs to Jeanie Buss (Laker Vice Pres) and Phil Jackson (Laker Head Coach) . . . . sort of funny to see him tell Phil Jackson that he can be "pack leader" for a bunch of NBA basketball players but when it comes to a 15 lb Maltese, he is a wimp ;-)

The dog whisperer? I thought you guys were kidding. Looks like California still has the lock on fruits and nuts.

The dog whisperer? I thought you guys were kidding. Looks like California still has the lock on fruits and nuts.

Damn straight! And don't you forget it. (wags her index finger at Dan) Unless of course you want in.

Richelle :D

The dog whisperer? I thought you guys were kidding. Looks like California still has the lock on fruits and nuts.

HEY,Hey,hey . . . Don't be knockin' Kaliphornia. We'll have Shen send Arnold or Paris Hilton or somebody like that out there to straighten you out. :???: If it was the "Kayak Whisperer" we wouldn't be baggin' on you guys . . .

Besides, your E was designed out here and all those movies that come in the brown wrapper you order were filmed out here . . . :wink:

Where would you be without the Golden State ?

I finally saw the SouthPark episode with Cesar. It's was so funny, and to apply it to out of control kids was so wrong in one sense and yet so appropriate in another. Just picture Cesar walking Cartman on a leash, or Cesar pinching Cartman everytime he misbehaves (actually, it sort of sounded like an electric shock buzz? Could not tell if he was zapping Cartman w/ something). But the episode does take a turn for the dark side ... I was not laughing at the end anymore.

I think that in order to sustain the popularity of his show, Cesar will need different types of dog behavioral problems. This could be Obi's shining moment as a "rock hound". And come on, you've gotta admit that Box4Rox is a pretty interesting dog owner (up there with the Lakers' VP and Head coach). How many dog owners are engineers who drives an E and volunteers' rock climbing boot camp for the Boy Scouts?

Dog Whisperer Is Currently Looking For Show Submissions In Select Cities Across The U.S.
The Dog Whisperer show is looking for new and exciting stories for the series. If you would like to be considered for the show, we are requiring a five to seven minute video for all of our applicants.

In the video, we would like you to introduce yourself and your dog. Give us your name, age, and occupation, as well as the dog’s name, age, and breed. Tell us the problems your dog is having and how these issues are affecting your life. Also, let us know what you love about your dog. We would also like you to capture at least three instances of your dog’s bad behavior. Please do not put yourself or your dog in danger while trying to film the behavior.
When making the video:

Please try to keep the cameras as still as possible.
Avoid having the date and time on the screen.
Don’t zoom in too close to the dog; we want to see as much of the environment as possible.
Avoid backlighting on subjects around doors and windows.
We will only be able to accept submissions from the following cities and surrounding areas:
Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Omaha, NE; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Cleveland, OH; Los Angeles, CA.

Videos can be submitted in almost all formats. Video files from digital still cameras and cell phones are not accepted. We are unable to return video tapes; if you would like to keep the footage, please make a copy for yourself.

http://www.dogpsychologycenter.com/submissions.php

Alright I can't resist posting this here.

I think all pet behavior consultants agree on one thing: the behavior problems commonly seen are a direct result of a lack of control on the part of the human, and too much control on the part of the pet. So it is obvious that a pet owner must establish that he/she [the human] is the head of the household and the pet is in a submissive position within said household.

Actually, from my experience, it is simple. By establishing a relationship of nurturing dominance by teaching and consistently using four basic commands, you can successfully demote your pet from its perceived position as head of the pack/herd. These commands - Up, Down, No and OK -- block the pet from making major decisions, such as whether or not it will get into something you don't want it to get into, whether or not it will receive time out for misbehavior, whether or not it will stop biting or making a racket, etc. etc. These commands will NOT, however, turn a pet into a little robot, so don't worry about that. These commands will also not remove all decision-making from the pet's life, because a certain amount of decision-making is important for an intelligent animal's mental health. The pet still has critical decisions to make regarding which food to eat next, which toy must be beaten into submission next, etc. etc.

Sounds like it came out of Cesar's mouth, right? Well I found this while searching for behavior info for my lovebird. It's from "Nurturing Dominance: What Is It & How Does It Work?" by Liz Wilson, Parrot Behavior Consultant.
I replaced "parrot" with "pet" in the quote above. Guess Cesar is just making an old concept in animal training hip again. He is a pretty good showman. Probably could sell snake oil to me to feed to my bird.

Bob, my lovebird pictured in my avatar, supposedly has the IQ of a 4 year old.