Cesar Millan: From El Perrero to Leader Of The Pack

cesar millan and dogsNo matter what side of the—pardon the expression—invisible fence you’re on about him, the fact is, Cesar Millan is an impressive individual.  From his humble beginnings as an illegal immigrant to reality TV superstar to broken man to rising phoenix in the dog rescue world, it has been a wild ride for this man.

But before I get too far into my personal adoration of Cesar, let’s talk about some of the things his detractors say about him, namely:  that his techniques are more intimidation than training, his seminars are more like thinly disguised marketing ploys and that sometimes he’s downright mean to dogs.

Others have written about how his high emphasis on exercise is a force for good in training, even if his methods focus more on negative than positive reinforcement.   Even noted behaviorist Dr. Temple Grandin has said that she understands why and how Cesar’s approach developed: because it was based on the handling of dogs that commonly ran in randomly formed packs in his Mexican hometown, and especially on his grandfather’s farm, growing up.

Cesar Millan and his beloved Daddy.

Cesar Millan and his beloved Daddy.

Cesar himself has often responded to criticism as it just being the price of being famous—and honestly, don’t we know that’s true?  The only thing that disgusts him is when people accuse him of abuse of animals.

Behaviorists  like Dr. Grandin now know that the old paradigms of all dogs simply being “baby wolves” and the idea that wolves themselves live in a dominance hierarchy are outdated.   We did think this was the way things were at one time because there were very few field workers studying wolves.  But new research shows that full blooded wolves live in a society structure more like a family than a pack.  Also, after so much selective breeding, not all breeds of dog now carry wolf traits—for instance, Alaskan Malamutes have more wolf traits than say, Dachsunds.

What does this mean for training your dog—and especially about Cesar Millan?

It means that Cesar’s techniques are completely appropriate for some dogs, less correct for others and completely wrong for some others.  In my opinion, a good rule of thumb is probably:  the more wolf-like traits your breed has, the closer a fit the training by Cesar Millan will be.

Whether you believe in what Cesar does or not, the fact remains that he is a knowledgeable trainer who has become a legend for his rags to riches story, as well as his transformative life.  He has been a force for good in the dog world for many years, because of his tireless media work against breed specific legislation and education of the public—and now, with his new emphasis on dog rescue.

Want to see how much Wolf is in your breed?  Go here.

 

Joy Jones, Your Pet Space

Joy Jones

Joy Jones, Publisher, is also the Vice President of Your Pet Space, a cage free dog boarding facility serving the greater Las Cruces, NM area. She is also a syndicated columnist living with her husband Dave. When not working on Your Pet Space, she writes a metaphysical column, as well as urban fantasy and humor. You can e-mail her at joy@yourpetspace.info as well as send her a friend request on Facebook.

What Is A Teacup Pig?

teacup pig

What Is a Teacup Pig?

So, I saw the reference to Teacup Pig online the other day, and thought—what the?  Is it obvious I don’t keep up with Paris Hilton’s choice of pets? Today’s miniature pigs, also known as micro pigs, pocket pigs, and teacup pigs are a trend started in the 1960’s.  At that time, pigs of 150–200 pounds were sent to zoos and were used for medical research on toxicology, pharmacology, aging, etc.  These small pigs were easier to work with than the larger farm pigs.

Today, many animal protection organizations and pig breeders say there is no such thing as a miniature pig, however there are breeders selling piglets called miniature pigs in North America and in the United Kingdom.

Buyer beware:

Since there is no established breed of “teacup pig”, you have no way of knowing whether the piglet you receive will stay small!  If you do meet with a breeder, ask to see the pig’s parents and grandparents to gauge their size.  Know too, though, that pigs can breed before they have reached their full size, so this is still no guarantee.  Bad breeders have also been known to recommend a diet that starves the animal to keep it from growing.  Also, unless you’re drinking your tea out of a 55 gallon drum, it’s good to remember even the smallest don’t stay teacup sized forever.  The term really just alludes to the fact that they never get as large as the breeds that weigh up to 1000 lbs.

There are many organizations set up to find new homes for pet pigs which have grown too large or unruly.  In 2009, pig sanctuaries took in more than 300,000 surrendered pigs, and they are often put down.

Things To Know If Your Heart is Set On A Teacup Pig:

They’re not legal everywhere.  So you need to do the research about where you live.  Their lifespan is 15-20 years, which is more than most dogs and cats.  They cost around $1,000 from a breeder—a rare rescue animal, this!  And getting them fixed requires a specialist.  Yes, you do have to get them fixed.  Males become aggressive upon sexual maturity, smell bad and can become destructive.  They can be litterbox trained, but will never be as neat an animal as a cat—they’re just not.  They also like to play in water and roll in mud—so if you’re not Paris Hilton and don’t have someone to clean off your pig—get ready with the towels.

On the bright side, pigs are super smart pets, though, and can be trained to do most things a dog can.  They also need regular walks, just like a dog.  And how cute is this?  They lurve their blankies!

Would you like more info on rescuing a teacup pig?  Here’s a list of rescues.

  Joy Jones is a syndicated columnist living with her husband Dave in Anderson, Ohio.  When not working on Your Pet Space, she writes a metaphysical column called The Midwestern Buddhist as well as urban fantasy and humor.  You can e-mail her at joy@yourpetspace.info as well as follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Looking for An Ecard? Try Sloppy Kiss!

cat-freetrial(1) Sloppy Kiss Cards is an animated ecard service for pet lovers and pet businesses. It’s the only pet ecard service where you get to choose and name the pet that stars in your animated ecard. There are over 250 dogs, cats and more pets to choose from!

Sloppy Kiss Cards is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It was founded in 2006 by avid pet lover Nicole Stocker. After spending several years working at Microsoft Nicole felt she was barking up the wrong tree and that it was time to combine her digitally developed sensibilities with her love of animals. Inspired by the many pets – past and present – in Nicole’s life, in June of 2006 Sloppy Kiss Cards became a bone-a-fide business. First it was just dogs, then cats were added in March 2007 and as of April 2009 a whole new crew of pets joined the Sloppy Kiss Cards family including: horses, birds, fish, rabbits, pigs, monkeys, chickens, frogs, and more! Finally, in 2011 a Pet Business Ecard Service was added to provide pet businesses with a unique and fun way to keep in touch with their clients.

Nicole likes to think of Sloppy Kiss Cards as the post office for a global community of pet lovers. Read what our members have to say about Sloppy Kiss Cards. Also be sure to check out our Facebook page to read even more comments.

To honor the immeasurable contribution our canine and feline companions make, Nicole donates part of each ecard membership to the Petfinder.com Foundation, a foundation that helps homeless pets find loving homes.

We are so excited that Nicole and her company have joined us in our Bookstore and we hope you’ll check out her amazing selection of fun ecards–especially for Valentine’s Day!

 

SATURDAY GUEST BLOG: What Is Animal Communication?

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I started hearing animals as a young child. As an adult, I was lead back to animal communication by my dog, Gaylord. I knew something was terribly wrong with him, but the vets could find nothing. I met the person who would become my animal communication teacher at my first psychic festival, and I was convinced that indeed people and animals COULD hear each other through her work with my dog. Since that time, I have seriously studied and practiced animal communication with all manner of critters including snakes, birds, tortoises, dogs, cats, horses, fish, and wildlife of all sorts. Along the way I became a certified Healing Touch for Animals practitioner, a Usui Shiki Ryobo Reiki Master, a Master in Crystology, and a certified Level 1 Equine/Canine relaxation massage therapist.  In 2001 I founded Animal Communication and Wellness Services (ACWS), and was joined in 2004 by Terri Noftsger. The primary focus of our business is to support families that include animals, helping both human and animal to understand one another better through animal communication and complimentary healing modalities such as HTA, flower essences, massage, essential oils and flower essences, and medical intuitive work. Our goal is to reduce the number of animals who are in shelters and rescue organizations through helping humans and animals understand each other. We participate yearly in several rescue organization events including the GABR Basset Bash & Waddle, Strut your Mutt, Glendale’s Spooky Pooch event, as well as many other events benefiting local rescues, shelters, and dog training clubs.

Communication is an exchange of information, feelings, or thoughts between two or more beings. Animal communication involves communication between human and animal, or between animal and animal. Humans and animals communicate on many levels, just as humans communicate with one another on many levels. We communicate with each other through sound, body language, smell and taste, and signals or cues. For example, when your dog or cat comes and sits in front of the refrigerator, chances are they are telling you that they are hungry and that they want you to feed them. They have communicated with you. Animal communicators use telepathic communication as well as the other forms of communication listed above to talk with animals. Most animals are very adept at telepathic communication, and are very happy when a human finally “hears” them. Animals communicate telepathically by sending pictures, feelings, phrases or words, or physical sensation to the communicator. The animal communicator in turn relays this information to the caregiver.
How does this work? While I can’t give you a precise scientific answer, we can explain how it works for us as an animal lovers and animal communicators. Basically it all starts with the heart connection we have with animals around us. When we feel love towards another human or an animal, we form an energetic connection with that being. Specifically, we are referring to the energetic connection that forms between the human’s heart chakra and the animal’s heart chakra. [If you don’t know what a chakra is, blog and let us know and we’ll explain that next time!] Two things happen when the energetic connection forms: the connection opens a “pipe” through which communication can flow; and the animal and human can then “hear” each other through that pipe. We can “hear” each other using a sense we all have called telepathy. This sense allows us to receive pictures, sounds, words, feelings, emotions, physical sensations, smells, tastes, and a “knowing”. Unlike our physical senses, telepathy lets us get information in a variety of forms!
Have you ever had the experience of “knowing” something is not right with your cat or dog? They seem to look and behave normally to you, but something is just “off”. The animal has telepathically communicated to you that something is wrong. When we talk to lost dogs or cats, for example, one of the things we ask them to do is send us pictures telepathically of what is around them. When a client wants to know if something is physically wrong with their pet, we ask the pet to share with us how they are feeling in their body. We can’t diagnose because we are not veterinarians, but we can provide the information the animal gives us in response to that question. That information could be in the form of words, visuals, an emotion such as tiredness, or a physical sensation that we get such as a feeling of nausea or pain in an area of the body.
The goal of animal communicators is to help humans and animals learn to live and work together more effectively by promoting understanding between them. In addition, we endeavor to teach humans how to “listen” to their own animals, thereby enriching their lives together tremendously.

 

cindyCindy Huff has agreed to do a regular feature for us here at Your Pet Space!  Feel free to post questions or comments to this post, or e-mail us with questions at joy@yourpetspace.info  You can also check out her bio on our Staff Page.  She’s looking forward to hearing from you!