Leader of the Pack

I love the Dog Whisperer (aka: Cesar Millan). I've read his first two books. I watch the show whenever I can and am always amazed at the simplicity and common sense of most of his solutions.

When I first got my greyhound, Elly, we didn't quite know what to do with each other. I had always had dogs growing up but had gotten them as puppies, and Elly was 6 when I adopted her. And greyhounds are just different than most other dogs. So for the first couple of weeks, we went on walks and to the dog park, but at home, we mostly just stared at each other. A few months later, she started showing signs of separation anxiety. I thought it was strange that after three or four months, with no real change in our routine, she would get nervous when I left. So I called my vet. "Congratulations," she said, "your dog has bonded with you." Apparently, now that she felt we belonged to each other, she didn't like it when I went to work, or wherever. The vet suggested a few tricks and a course in obedience training to strengthen the bond and instill some trust and discipline in both of us. The obedience training definitely helped both of us get to know each other better and to begin to establish my role as Elly's pack leader.

But what really made an amazing difference was when I started practicing the Dog Whisperer's mantra of rules, boundaries and limitations, and exercise, discipline and then affection. As it turns out, what Elly really wanted was a strong pack leader. And once I actively took on that role, she became a different dog. She is so much more relaxed, content, confident and happy. I am so proud of the dog she has become and I just love her dearly. People are always telling me how well-mannered and polite she is and, even when we are at home, she knows the rules and sticks to them. If she starts to try to test those boundaries, all I have to do is give her a stern look.

Anyway, I found this article about applying the Dog Whisperer's methods to greyhounds and I thought it was spot-on. So, as the Dog Whisperer would say, until next time, "stay calm and assertive."