Customer Reviews
Of no practical use - By: Polly, 29 Jul 2008 
I was so disappointed by this book that I have given it away to charity. I wouldn't have given it to anyone I know who has an interest in dogs, & I wouldn't recommend it. The information that I was looking for - Cesar's take on how to have your dogs behave as you'd like them to while providing them with a happy & secure life - simply wasn't there. For the few snippets of rather loose & outdated info that were buried in the text, I had to wade through pages of Cesar's self-congratulatory 'look how clever I am & see how well I've done' autobiography, with far too many crass references to his wealthy celebrity clients (does the size of Oprah Winfrey's ranch with its ocean view reallly matter in a book that I thought was about dog behaviour? I don't think so).
I came away from reading this book with the impression that I - along with every other dog owner - must have unlimited energy, unlimited time & be prepared (just for starters) to get up at the crack of dawn to take my dogs out for a minimum of an hour's exercise (having learned to rollerblade first, of course). The way the book was written made me feel that, as I don't have the energy or think the same way that Cesar does, I may as well forget about being a dog owner as, in his eyes, I'm not up to it. I found that alll rather disheartening, but then I realised something - Cesar Milan's views don't apply.
I would recommend 'Think Dog' by John Fisher instead, & I have made a note of the authors recommended by other reviewers for my own further reading (Jean Donaldson & Karen Pryor in particular).
Good read, but nothing new for Cesar fans. - By: Maz, 12 Jul 2008 
If you are already familiar with Cesar's television programme, The Dog Whisperer, then this book is going to give you very little that's new.
There is a brief insight into Cesar's childhood & his migration to America, though, I must say, some of that seemed a little too convenient for my liking. For example, he claims to have practicallly walked into a grooming salon in America, owned by two ladies, & got a job, despite barely speaking any English. On the next page, he explains the exact cost of the grooming & how much of a cut he received from each one (50%), & yet, he is completely unable to remember the names of the two women who gave him such a life-changing break in his life. (Therefore we are unable to verify the account.) Of course, this might well be exactly how it happened, but it struck me as to be almost quite the opposite of the way that many of us remember things. I can remember the names of alll of my past employers, but I would reallly struggle to remember my hourly rates of pay at the time, or even my annual salary.
The above criticism notwithstanding, the book is well written, clear & easy to follow. You might consider it as a concentrated guide to Cesar's approach to living with & interacting with dogs. The book does enable Cesar to clarify certain points about his beliefs, & to take the time to add foundation to the sometimes seemingly woolly statements that we often hear him make on his television programmes.
Cesar, to his credit, seems as genuine in his writing, as he appears to be in his television programmes. I came away feeling that whether his statements are right or wrong, they are made with the best intentions. I struggle to believe that the man has an ounce of malice in his entire being.
This book also enables him to state his views on purely positive reinforcement training & trainers. They are a group that often criticise him & his methods. Yet, he seems to remain courteous & respectful of their beliefs, admitting that in some cases, the treat methods may well be the best way forward.
Did the book teach me anything new? No, not reallly. I've watched his programmes & so there was reallly nothing new to learn in here.
Did I learn anything new about Cesar? Yes, mainly relating to his childhood, & how he claims that relates to his beliefs on living with & rehabilitating dog. Though, as mentioned previously, I found some aspects of it a little too convenient.
Has it changed my view on Cesar? I've always been a little indifferent to Cesar. I respect the work that he does, & I admire the way that he interacts with people, though I don't reallly follow his beliefs or practises in my own interactions with dogs. If anything, the book has given me a little more respect for his beliefs, or at least the way in which he has formed them, & how he doesn't stray from them, despite the waves of political correctness crashing against him.
If you're a big Cesar fan, it will help to complete the bookshelf, but reallly, there's very little in this book that you won't know already.
Conformed character - By: J. M. Skinner, 27 Jun 2008 
Since taking in a cocker spaniel puppy two & a half years ago, I read every conceivable training manual & book, & still ended up with a bossy, dominant, 'naughty' although very loving companion. He would pull on walks, steal food from work surfaces & plates, jump up at visitors, bark hystericallly at the front door.... the list goes on.
I took this book on holiday, & couldn't put it down or wait to get home & put his advice into action.
Training started immediately upon collecting Ralphie from the kennels; not having eye contact & waiting until he was calm-submissive before making a fuss; we haven't looked back.
Unlike many other 'training' books, Cesar Millan explains HOW he brings dogs round, not just that he did. I particularly liked his description of his own upbringing as it helped me understand the mindset, & although I wondered at the start if he would ever get into the tips & wrinkles of leading your pack, alll the information was necessary to understand fully the concept of 'dog whispering'.
Like many other reviewers, I think this book should be issued with each dog; it would certainly have saved me a few tears!
The Best - By: L. Kay, 19 Jun 2008 I am 6oyrs of age & have always had dogs.I find Cesar Millans approach to understanding & rehabilitating dogs to be fascinating & totallly convincing.Bye & large I have always followed a similar approach to living with my dogs.Cesars explaination about the "energy" aspect is explained clearly & is the element that I found to be the most instructive.Someone wrote a critical review doubting the dominance theory.I am baffled by this as it is so straightforward & basic to any level of dog training.Another person criticised Cesar because he occasionallly gets bitten.That's a bit like saying an artist occasionallly gets paint on his clothes.As Cesar Millan tends to take on the most difficult cases obviously sometimes he will have a difficult time.He never gives up though & wins through where conventional trainers give up.
I would recommend this book to anyone as you will learn something important regardless of your previous experience.I know he has given me a few new ideas for living with my six year old German Shepherd & three cats.
Ouch! - By: Richard T, 20 May 2008 Is it just me, do I imagine that every time I see Cesar he gets bitten? You'd do better to get Jan Fennell's "The Dog Listener" & save on the band aids.
