Although César Millán is known as the Dog Whisperer, his tips to train and raise dogs could very well apply to life in general. Not only that, some of them could also come in handy when dealing with other people, and even your own kids! Below are 7 quotes extracted from his book Cesar Millan´s Short Guide to a Happy Dog, and how you can apply them to your life.
1. Dogs can read energy better than they can understand the tone and inflection in our voice.
This is true of kids too! No matter what we are saying to them, dogs and children can perceive whether we are happy, angry or sad and everything in between. Be mindful of what kind of energy you’re projecting. When our dogs and/or our kids are agitated, chances are we are too! It all starts with you.
Read Related: Training My Dog Saved My Relationship
2. Dogs are first animal, then species, then breed and finally, they have a name.
Many people make the mistake of humanizing their dogs, treating them as if they were their equals. This deters them from learning to behave appropriately. In the same vein, children are not adults and when they are very young, you just can’t reason with them. With both dogs and kids, you need to treat them as well, dogs and kids first.
3. To be successful as a Pack Leader—and as a person in general—you need to be mindful of your energy and learn to adjust it when you are not in a calm, assertive mode.
If you are to be successful both in training your dog, having any kind of authority over your kids and clout in any situation in life, you need to be in control of your energy. The more balanced, calm and assertive you are, the better others will respond to you.
4. You are the source of your dog´s calm, submissive state, and your dog is looking to you for guidance.
You are also the source of your children’s calm, receptive state and they are looking to you for guidance. The same goes for your employees if you are a manager, or your team if you are a coach. Model the behavior you want them to show.
