Dog Tip of the Day

Selecting a Shelter Dog: Advice from Cesar Millan

Yesterday DogTipper.com had the opportunity to interview Cesar Millan, host of National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer, and the first question we had to ask him was about a subject very dear to us: adopting shelter dogs.

In his new book How to Raise the Perfect Dog and the companion Dog Whisperer episode, Millan recommends selecting a dog based on energy level. A dog with a medium energy level is often best for working families and families with children.

But how can you know if you're seeing a dog's true energy level--or just excitement--at a shelter? We asked Cesar Millan:

"[Shelter dogs] have pent-up energy. Sometimes excitement is also a sign of a high-level energy dog, but that’s an intensity that you feel.

When a dog is a little bit nervous or sad, he's not going to show you his energy. He's going to show you his behavior, you know, what the mind is going through at that time. Those dogs are going to require a human who understands rehabilitation right away. There's a lot of dogs, once you go to a shelter, that even though they had a bad experience, their state of mind doesn't change. That is a blessing from God, in my opinion.

What we have to do is really go inside of a shelter with our inner silence, so we can really pick up on the energy. Everybody's capable to do that. The thing is a lot of people enter into a shelter, [saying] "Oh my God, look at him!" So, there's constant speaking. … sad … a lot of sound going on, so you don’t get to relate with the animal from a silent, energetic point of view.

Make sure that you do two or three rounds around the shelter. Bring the dog in and put a little mark on the dog that you want to evaluate and make sure your family comes, as well, if it's a family-related situation, you know.

So, don’t go in there feeling sorry for them. I know this is one of the most difficult things for me to coach people with, to be more from a mental point of view or a more psychological approach so you can truly analyze and really do what is best for that dog."

Photo of Millan and Marley, a rescue Lab, courtesy National Geographic Channel

Labels: Adopting a dog, Cesar Millan, shelters

posted by Paris and John @ 12:11 PM