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Once upon a time a boy grew
up in 1950s America with a wonderful, loyal
family dog.
Dogs were not neutered, they were not
leashed. Only in the 1960s did the town
begin requiring a dog license.
The boy grew up and left his home in the
peaceful country side.
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As a young man he went to
college in the dark, congested cities of the late
20th century. The air was as filthy as the streets.
That was no
place to have a dog.
Year after year he slaved away on the treadmill
of urban life. It was an unrewarding struggle that
never led to happiness.
Dogs were incarcerated around him in back yards
barking endlessly.
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Some few
people actually walked their dog on a leash
but had to pick up the dog poop.
He was
disgusted to see these neighbors slip one
hand into a plastic bag to pick up a fresh,
stinking turd.
As a child he had never seen the poop from
his family dog who deposited it in the woods
behind the house.
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Finally he retired to
the country. He
wanted to have a dog again but everyone around him
only had annoying, out of control, yappy house rats
they called "a dog."
But the boy, now old and gray,
knew those ankle biters were nothing like the
dignified dog of his youth.
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He wanted a real dog. So he prayed
"Dear Heavenly Father, please help me have the
magnificent dog of my dreams. Thank you God."
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One day the man saw
Cesar Millan
on National Geographic Channel
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The (old and gray) boy watched
Cesar's show for several years. Then he felt he was
ready for a dog.
But it was not as easy as the TV show
. Angel
Reggie Conley and Luke adopted to him a young German
Shepherd. The dog Tyler was a big,
big handful.
A high powered
sports car.
Like a loaded gun.
The boy despaired and considered giving Tyler up
because it was too much to handle. But he kept
watching Cesar's TV shows - really paying attention
to what Cesar was saying. He took private lessons
with a dog trainer followed by 5 sessions of puppy
class, then more private lessons, then beginning
obedience, then intermediate obedience, then rally
obedience.
He learned about leashes, long lines, harnesses and
correction collars. The boy followed Cesar's advice
to exercise his dog
every day
.
Every single
day! In the rain he wore a poncho. When it was too
cold & stormy he went to the mall and used the
electric mobility cart there for inside walking.
He bought his own electric scooter to give his
canine friend the 3-to-5 miles a day it needed to
trot about the neighborhood.
When his dog was about 1-year old he let go of the
leash out on a walk. His dog stayed near him. Soon
he discovered that the bond between him and the dog
was so deep they were like one being.
Cesar was right in his essential premise that a dog
has a pure connection to Mother Nature; by staying
calm we can connect with that. It balances us,
it
balances me.
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He's
right! Americans have
foolishly humanized dogs
,
June 26, 2023
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What a
breath of fresh air this book is to
me!
Cesar's TV show amazed me how the
dog owners always blame their dog
for having all sorts of "human
behavior" type problems. Then Cesar
rehabilitates the dog from the sick
behavior of the owners only to find
they are unable to change their
ways.
EXAMPLE: One woman had a hyperactive
miniature pinscher that was totally
out of control. She never exercised
the dog, let alone trained him.
Cesar took the dog rollerblading and
it came home all happy & tired. The
woman wanted to "give doggie a
cookie to show how happy mommy
is..." and Cesar said - "No! The dog
knows how you feel by your energy".
But the woman insisted that she had
to show doggie how much she loved it
by giving a cookie.
At the end of the show Cesar did an
update on the woman with that
miniature pinscher. She had it put
to sleep. Euthanized. Killed.
Destroyed. This episode epitomizes
the difficulty of Cesar's message;
he is delivering uncomfortable
information that people don't want
to hear.
Most dog lovers, Cesar warns, get
angry with him. Like the woman who
loved her "little doggie baby" so
much she had it killed - people have
lost touch with nature to a
frightening degree. As a result
millions of dogs are destroyed every
year.
If you are not a moron, if you
respect the spirit in a dog and are
in touch with your connection to
Mother Nature you'll nod in
resonance with Cesar. He's not only
a master of martial arts; he's a
master of the connection with
nature.
When I grew up in the 1950s a dog
was "man's best friend". Then life
grew crazy and Americans made dogs
into mere accessories they could
treat like dolls. Today almost all
dogs are yakking annoyances whose
owners yell the dog's name in
various inflections of anger and
negativity as if that was how to
command it.
Given the obsession with
possessions, consumption, and
endless yakking on cell phones only
about 1 dog owner in 100 will ever
reach the bar Cesar sets in this
book. Many will criticize him - I've
heard that from two professional
trainers - but very few will really
understand Cesar's simple but
powerful message.
Cesar's Way works if you are willing
to change yourself. How do I know
that? Because my German Shepherd
(raised Cesar's Way) is a joy to
behold; Tyler accompanies me to Home
Depot, Costco, etc. where endless
crowds of children of all ages
compliment him -and yes, approach
him the wrong way (Cesar explains
this in his book) but he lets them
all touch his lovely face. We're
talking a 130 pound full blood wolf
looking dog here. He is friendly to
other dogs, children and cats. He
only barks when I allow it.
But God help you if you ever lay a
hand on me in anger. My dog knows
all about protecting me without
being taught- because of the
essential nature Cesar explains
brilliantly in this book. All I have
to do is make the "Sssstt!" sound
and my German Shepherd snaps his
attention to me. A smile, nod,
playful "Unh-uh", or hand signal and
he immediately obeys. Our
relationship is like remote control
by telepathy and mutual respect.
Cesar is right - I never have to
tell my dog "how much daddy loves
you..." with a cookie. Tyler senses
my energy. He keeps me emotionally
balanced just as Cesar predicts.
That is what dogs can do for humans
- connect us with Mother Nature.
Thank you Cesar Millan! You are a
magnificent soul! God bless you and
your family. Bravo!
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Once a $24.95 New York
Times bestseller, you can
find copies on eBay or
Amazon.com for about $9.
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A happy ending
The boy and his dog found their mutual connection to
each other through Mother Nature.
Most people will never achieve these results because
they will skim Cesar's book looking for a "quick
fix." But that is not what you need - you really
want to connect your life back to nature. Cesar
affirms that this is what dogs are here for.
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