Rensberry.com
I read Cesar's Way on a recent trip. It was a quick and easy read, though refreshing and challenging.
I have watched Cesar on TV many times, and thought I emulated his style with my dogs. Reading this book reminded and challenged me to work harder with each of them.
Here are some thoughts he says that I took to heart:
My fulfillment formula is simple: for a balanced, healthy dog, a human must first share exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order! p56
He discusses how to communicate with your dog:
...my opinion is that, without question, dogs can sense even the most subtle changes in the energy and emotions of the humans around them. p67
Nose, eyes, ears. .... It is the natural order of senses in dogs. p86
The proper way to approach a new dog is not to approach her at all. ... pack leaders never approach pack followers. p90
All animals communicate using energy, constantly. Energy is beingness. Energy is who you are and what you are doing at any given moment. That's how animals see you. ... Your energy in that present moment defines who you are. p96-97
He also describes discipline:
It's a natural thing for a human to feel sympathy for another animal who's in distress, but dogs don't need our sympathy. They need our leadership. p107
And with discipline, understanding who is top dog - when your dog wakes you up and says let me out, they might just be the one in charge...
Whenever he makes you do anything, he is the pack leader. Simple as that. p133
Cesar goes into some problem areas. I will only touch a couple, but one issue he describes is dealing with dogs who jump on guests:
Instruct them not to acknowledge your jumping, overexcited dog - no talk, no touch, no eye contact - until she has calmed down. When a dog is being ignored, it sometimes calms down in mere seconds. p156
More discipline stuff:
Dogs don't resent other dogs for correcting them, and dogs don't hold grudges against dogs that make mistakes. They correct and then move right on with their lives. It's all very simple and natural to them. p216
Dog parks:
...your dog has four choices when interacting with other dogs - fight, flight, avoid, or submit. p255
The importance of walks:
The walk is an extremely important ritual for a dog. It needs to take place a minimum of twice a day, for at least 30 to 40 min each time, so that both the dog's mind and its body are given a workout. p274
Most importantly, the balanced dog:
Regular exercise, a strong stable pack leader, and affection that is earned will result in a dog that's calm and balanced. p275