Energy and Emotion

Cesar's Way : The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier

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The most important thing to understand about energy is that it's a language of emotion. Of course you never have to tell an animal that you're sad, or tired, or excited, or relaxed, because that animal already knows exactly how you're feeling. Think back on some of the beautiful stories you've read in publications like Reader's Digest and People magazine - stories of pets who have comforted, even saved, their sick, depressed, or grieving owners. These stories often include comments like "it was almost as if he knew what his owner was going through." I'm here to assure you that, yes, these animals do know exactly what their owners are feeling. A French study concluded that dogs may actually also use their sense of smell to help distinguish between human emotional states.2 I'm not a scientist, but after a lifetime of being around dogs, my opinion is that, without question, dogs can sense even the most subtle changes in the energy and emotions of the humans around them. Of course animals can't always comprehend the context of our issues; they can't distinguish whether we're heartbroken over a divorce or losing a job or misplacing a wallet, because those very human situations mean nothing to them. However, such situations create emotions - and those emotions are universal. Sick and sad are sick and sad, no matter what your species.

Animals aren't in tune only with other animals - they seem to be able to read the energy of the earth as well. History is full of anecdotal tales of dogs who have appeared to "predict" earthquakes or cats who have hidden in the cellar for hours before a tornado. In 2004, a half day before Hurricane Charley hit the coast of Florida, fourteen electronically tagged blacktip sharks who had never before left their home territory off Sarasota suddenly headed off for deeper waters. And think of the terrible Southeast Asian tsunami of that same year.3 According to eyewitnesses, an hour before the wave hit the coast, captive elephants for tourist "elephant rides" in Indonesia started wailing and even broke their chains in order to flee to higher ground. All over the region, zoo animals fled into their shelters and refused to come out, dogs would not go outdoors, and hundreds of wild animals at the Yala National Park, in Sri Lanka - leopards, tigers, elephants, wild boar, deer, water buffalo, and monkeys - also escaped to safe ground.4 These are some of the miracles of Mother Nature that continue to astound me: they are a brilliant illustration of the powerful language of energy at work.

One of the most important things to remember is that all the animals around you - especially the pets with whom you share your life - are reading your energy every moment of the day. Sure, you can say anything that pops into your mind, but your energy cannot and does not lie. You can scream at your dog to stay off the sofa until your face is blue, but if you aren't projecting the energy of a leader - if, down deep inside, you know you're going to let him on the sofa if he begs you long enough - he's going to know what your real bottom line is. That dog is going to sit on the sofa as long as he damn well pleases. He already knows you are not going to follow through on your screaming. Because dogs often perceive loud vocalizing by humans in an excited, emotional state as a sign of instability, he'll be either unaffected by your tantrum or confused and frightened by it. He certainly won't relate it to your rules about the couch!

The Calm-Assertive Personality

Now that you understand the powerful "language" of energy, my next job is to help you understand how to harness it to foster better communication between you and your dog. It takes a dog only a few seconds to determine what kind of energy you are projecting, so it is important that you be consistent. With your dog, you want to project what I call "calm-assertive" energy at all times. A calm-assertive leader is relaxed but always confident that he or she is in control.

Now, the word assertive has gotten an unfair bad rap lately. Maybe it's because it is so similar to the word aggressive, but their meanings are worlds apart. Think of people in popular culture. No matter what side of his politics you adhere to, you've got to admit that Bill O'Reilly is angry-aggressive. He yells "Shut up!," interrupts, and tries to get his way through bullying. In most everyday situations, being angry-aggressive can work against you - it's simply not an energy-efficient way to get things done, and it's really not good for your blood pressure. An angryaggressive dog would not make a good pack leader because the other dogs would perceive him as unstable.

I haven't come across many people who are "calm-aggressive" in my job, though I suppose you could describe the villains in James Bond movies that way - they're always plotting to blow up the world without breaking a sweat or spilling their martinis. In any case, "calm-aggressive" is not an energy state that's natural to the nonhuman creatures in the animal kingdom.

But calm-assertive personalities? They are the leaders of the animal world. In our human landscape, they are few and far between, but they are almost always the most powerful, impressive, and successful people on the block. Oprah Winfrey - the number one role model for my own professional behavior - is the epitome of calm-assertive energy. She is relaxed, eventempered, but undeniably powerful, and always in charge. People everywhere respond to her magnetic energy, which has made her one of the most influential - and one of the wealthiest - women in the world.

Oprah's relationship with one of her dogs, Sophie, is another story. Like many of the powerful people who hire me to help them with their dogs, Oprah had some issues in sharing her vaunted calm-assertiveness with Sophie. In the years that I've been helping people and their dogs, I've observed that many type A powerbrokers - directors, studio heads, movie stars, doctors, lawyers, architects - have no trouble being dominant and in control in their jobs, but the moment they arrive home, they let their dogs walk all over them. These people often see their life with their pet as the only area where they can let their softer side show. This is all incredibly therapeutic for the human, but it can be psychologically damaging for the animal. Your dog needs a pack leader more than he needs a buddy. But if you're looking for a role model in calm-assertive energy, turn your channel to The Oprah Winfrey Show and watch her interact with her guests and her audience. That's the kind of energy you should be aiming for when you interact with your dog, cat, boss, or your kids!

Copyright © 2006 by Cesar Millan. Excerpted by permission of Harmony, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

About the Author

Founder of the Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles, Cesar Millan is the star of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan on National Geographic Channel. In 2005, the National Humane Society Genesis Award Committee presented him with a Special Commendation for his work in rehabilitating sheltered animals. A native of Culican, Mexico, Cesar lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ilusion, and two sons, Andre and Calvin.

Melissa Jo Peltier, an executive producer and writer of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, has been honored for her film and television writing and directing with an Emmy and more than fifty other awards. She lives in Los Angeles and Nyack, New York.