Video summary
Cesar Millan teaches that a dog's behavior is primarily dictated by human energy rather than verbal commands, making it essential for owners to cultivate patience, calmness, confidence, love, and joy before interacting with their pets. He explains that dogs possess hardwired instincts regarding pack hierarchy where they are born either to lead, follow happily in the middle, or stay at the back, suggesting that a "middle-of-the-pack" dog is ideal for family life as it balances leadership and sensitivity without requiring excessive dominance training from humans. To ensure safety and well-being, Millan advocates for specific rituals such as avoiding touch, talk, or eye contact during initial reunions to prevent overwhelming the animal with excitement, while also emphasizing that physical exercise alone is insufficient; owners must provide sufficient mental exertion through challenging activities like weighted backpacks to drain excess energy and encourage a calm surrender of mind.
The core philosophy involves emptying the dog's "tank" through structured activity before establishing discipline or offering affection, as a tired dog is never problematic but an energetic one can become destructive if not properly directed. Millan argues that true love requires respecting the animal's nature as a predator needing direction to release energy safely, contrasting this with human constructs like money or status which dogs do not understand; he warns against projecting human emotions or needs onto animals, noting that such selfishness creates anxiety and triggers fight-or-flight responses in pets who detect stress via chemistry long before humans do. Discipline is defined strictly as structure rather than punishment, serving to create a safe environment where affection can be given freely after boundaries are established through calm leadership and consistent rules like prohibiting skin contact with mouths or allowing puppies to touch food only when looking at the owner.
Millan extends these principles beyond dog ownership into human relationships and personal growth, asserting that many couples suffer from dysfunctional dynamics due to societal conditioning rather than instinctual needs, whereas animals respond only to genuine energy and actions regardless of political posturing or external achievements. He shares his own evolution from seeking validation through fame and money to earning a position as a pack leader through self-discipline and spiritual alignment with God, illustrating that masculine energy is defined by providing direction, protection, safety, peace, trust, respect, and love rather than gender alone. This internal stability allows individuals to handle dangerous animals like horses or navigate complex social situations without fear, ultimately aiming for global unity where people learn fundamental truths about dogs, nature, and the divine to create a world free from conflict driven by misunderstanding.
To achieve this state of calm surrender essential for leadership, humans are encouraged to practice silence and suppress thought through methods like cold plunges that release adrenaline before inducing peace, ensuring they shed negative energy absorbed from their environment before engaging with their pack members. Specific behavioral guidelines include matching petting speed to the context rather than viewing actions as inherently right or wrong, establishing firm boundaries regarding bed sharing to prevent dogs from taking advantage of weak human energy, and utilizing varied walking routes or treadmills to maintain mental engagement while draining physical stamina. The ultimate goal is not merely training the dog but using this process to train the human to become a better person through service and respect, viewing the relationship with an animal as a mirror for one's own spiritual, instinctual, emotional, and mental health that reflects back on broader interactions with people and nature.
Read the full video transcript
I'm not saying that to give affection.
I'm just saying give affection to
patience and calmness and open mind.
Right? Cuz when you when your dog
misbehave, you want him to go back
there.
Go back to your good state of mind,
right? You don't want the dog to do
fight flight avoidance. Those are the
bad state of mind. The good state of
mind is patience calm surrender or
happy-go-lucky. Those are good state of
mind.
>> Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast
where we discuss science
>> [music]
>> and science-based tools for everyday
life.
I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor
of neurobiology and ophthalmology at
Stanford School of Medicine. My guest
today is Cesar Millan, better known as
the Dog Whisperer and the preeminent dog
trainer in the world. Today's episode is
truly for everyone, not just dog owners.
You're going to learn a lot about human
psychology and behavior and it will help
you better interact with other humans in
every type of relationship. For
instance, you will learn a simple tool
that allows you to move through the
world with a clear calm state of mind
that will allow you to interact with
others more effectively, to listen and
act with more clarity and intention. And
not incidentally, that clear calm state
of mind is also what dogs respond to
best and what makes them feel safe and
healthy. Today we talk about the
critical importance about understanding
dog biology and psychology and the fact
that they are pack animals and that we
have to remove our human sense about
these animals as our pets and of course
they are our pets and they're extremely
cute. They are family members, but
understand the hard-wired aspects of
their brain and biology that allow us to
be the best leaders for them. I have to
warn you, a lot of what you hear today
may sound counterintuitive at first
until you understand the biology of dogs
and the fact that they respond to
people's energy and actions, not words.
I know they can listen to commands, they
can learn words and commands, but
they're responding to the energy and the
actions associated with those commands.
Only then can you be the most effective
dog owner. And by effective I mean
making your dog as healthy and feeling
safe as possible. I should point out
that one of the reasons I'm so excited
Cesar came on this podcast is that I had
an amazingly positive experience with
his methods years ago when I got my
first puppy, Costello, who is a bulldog
mastiff. I read his book Be the Pack
Leader and the principles within that
book were critical for developing an
incredible relationship with Costello
who lived 11 years. You could bring him
into any environment. I would bring him
to class. I would bring him into
different people's homes. I could take
him essentially anywhere. He loved kids.
He loved people and he was extremely
well-behaved. Exceedingly lazy, too, but
exceedingly well-behaved. And I credit
that to the methods that I learned from
Cesar's book. So, if you have a dog or
you're considering getting a dog or you
want to better understand how to
regulate your energy and behavior in all
types of interactions with dogs, with
cats, and with other humans, today's
episode will teach you those extremely
valuable tools. And I'm extremely
pleased to announce the newest member
Huberman Lab podcast team, Strummer.
He's also a bulldog mastiff mutt.
He's similar to Costello in breed, but I
should say not a pure English bulldog.
So, not a lot of snoring and the other
stuff that go along with English
bulldogs. I love the English bulldog
breed, but when they're mudded with
other breeds like this one, they breathe
a lot easier and he's just the sweetest
thing. So, you'll be seeing and perhaps
hearing more from Strummer. I am
applying all of Cesar's methods to
training Strummer. You can see he's a
very calm, relaxed dog. He gets two
walks a day and a bunch of other things
you'll learn about during today's
episode that will benefit you if you
have or you're thinking about getting a
dog. Before we begin, I'd like to
emphasize that this podcast is separate
from my teaching and research roles at
Stanford. It is, however, part of my
desire and effort to bring zero-cost to
consumer information about science and
science-related tools to the general
public. In keeping with that theme,
today's episode does include sponsors.
And now for my discussion with Cesar
Millan. Cesar Millan.
>> Yes, sir.
>> Welcome. I'm a huge fan.
>> Thank you.
>> Your book
>> Same here.
>> Thank you. Thank you. I'm honored to
hear that. I but I will say your book Be
the pack leader. I read the hard copy.
>> Thank you.
>> my first puppy. We never had a dog in my
home growing up.
>> Yeah.
>> To raise Costello.
>> Yeah.
>> Bulldog mix, stubborn dog.
We went 11 years together, he and I and
that book and your other teachings were
tremendously impactful for my
relationship with him, yeah, but also in
my work life and my entire life.
We're going to talk about some of the
themes from that book and beyond today,
but I just want to extend my gratitude.
It's a true honor and pleasure to have
you here.
>> Yeah, in modern parlance, they say
you're the man.
You're the man.
>> The pack leader.
>> That's right.
Many, many people want dogs, have dogs.
Have these concepts of dogs that lead
them to think they're a great dog owner,
but a lot of
dog behavioral issues, emotional issues
we know probably reflect something in
the human as well.
>> Not probably.
>> So certainly.
>> Yeah, cuz there is no knowledge behind
instinct. It's all reaction. So you can
never blame an animal
for doing the wrong thing.
You see it? So So you can guarantee for
a dog to do the right thing.
Right? And And so how? Well, that means
the human has good energy. And what's
good energy? Well, if you understand the
power of silence, which that gives you
patience. The power of calmness, which
that gives you trust. And calmness is
you're just learning how to breathe,
right? The power of confidence, that's
knowledge, right? And then the power of
love, when to give love. Cuz a lot of
times people give love at the wrong
time. So you end up nurturing the wrong
behavior. Right? So that's what happened
to my clients. And then the power of
joy, that's the celebration, right?
We're going to FIFA right now. We're
going to World Cup. Nobody celebrates
unless they make a goal.
You see what I'm saying? But they have
to be patient, calm, confident, love
what they're doing, and celebrate
afterwards. See, they follow that
formula.
It's the silence, it's the common before
anybody's going to go to something so
powerful, such as winning, right? Or
being in a team, or being in a group.
The energies of silence, calmness,
confidence, love, joy is what makes them
become a great team, cuz that's what
connects your spirit, your instinct,
your heart, and your mind. In the same
way we have to connect with a dog. It's
not just emotional, it's not just
intellectual. You know, just want to
train the dog. What you train is the
mind. What you connect is the spirit,
the instinct, and the heart. That's what
you connect. That's why I say trust,
respect, love.
Trust the spirit, respect instinct, love
with the heart, create with your mind.
>> For many people, especially in the
United States, they're not
familiar with
feeling energy and exchanging energy
with
a dog.
>> Right.
>> I'll give an example of when Costello,
my previous bulldog, some probably
bulldog mastiff, who knows what he was,
but
whatever he was, he was Costello.
But I learned something very important
from you. Before he's Costello, he's an
animal.
>> That's right. Spirit.
>> Ah.
>> Spirit, animal, specie, breed,
[clears throat] name.
See, so the last thing they are is the
breed and the name.
>> Mhm.
>> So when I rehabilitate a dog, what I'm
doing is bringing back the happy spirit,
bringing back the healthy instinct, and
bringing back the rules, boundaries,
limitations mind.
Cuz that's what makes them well behaved,
when they understand rules, boundaries,
limitations, no matter what breed they
are.
>> Mhm.
>> So it really doesn't matter if you have
a pitbull, a Rottweiler, German
Shepherd, or I'm Mexican and you're
white, and
African American. It really doesn't
matter the race of the human. What
matter is is that person has a happy
spirit, a healthy instinct, and a well
educated mind, right? So you want to be
a good human.
Right? And you want to be part of the
pack of the good humans. And those
humans are good, right? Those are Those
are the humans that help other humans
or or or they create uh
well-behaved dogs because they're
following in that path.
You know, there is some people are born
to
the I mean, I I'm I was I'm part of the
pack where it's better humans, better
planet.
But I know a lot of people
who are not part of that path. So, it's
that.
>> Yeah, certainly uh
raising and and living with Costello
taught me a lot about how to sense
people's energy. I had an amazing
experience with him that I just want to
share briefly that I realized now is
probably the spirit component. But it
was something that I tried on the basis
of what I read in your book.
So,
I was walking him and he sometimes he
didn't want to walk in a particular
direction, you know, and so he was
always walking by side or a little bit
behind me. I had that going from very
early point. I practiced no look, no
touch, no speak in the first
um you know, minutes of contact of
coming home and we can talk about why
that's important. But at one point I
decided based on what you put in your
book to try something that seemed kind
of wacky to me at the time
where I was just going to
at some point during the walk, it was a
we would had a great stride, we're
having a good time, he's smelling
things, but we're moving on and
[clears throat] and I decided to just
send him like approval energy.
Like I'm just going to think it and then
I and then feel it. I'm just going to
send him some energy.
I'm just walking around, I'm just doing
this. I did not change where I was
looking. I did not change as far as I
know, like the tension on the leash, who
knows.
And he just looks right up at me.
And I was like, this is incredible.
After a really good day of hiking or
work, he used to come to the lab with me
or something, we were sitting or I was
cooking or something, every once in a
while I would just while I'm doing
something else, I would just send him
like this positive energy.
And he would look over at me. It was It
was wild. Yeah. I realized he's sensing
things that are beyond my words. In
fact, I don't know that he ever really
listened to what I said terribly much.
He could really feel what I was feeling.
He was probably paying attention a lot
more of the time than I was aware.
But I also had the experience of when he
was doing something I didn't like, I
could send him disapproval. That's
right. And he would stop. It was wild.
We were, you know, meters away from each
other. And I could send him this energy.
Now, to you this is probably like, yes,
of course. But I think for me and I
think for most people that have dogs or
thinking about owning a a dog, you know,
they think this is crazy, right? But
I swear on my life that you I could do
this in a variety of circumstances,
while driving, anything, and he would
react according to the
the energy that I was sending out. As a
neuroscientist, I can make up some
story. Okay, well, we have fish have
electric sensing I can make up a story
in neurology, neuroscience that would
more or less hold together. But I want
to know your impression of what What is
this and and then hopefully that will
take us into a discussion more about
energy exchange between all sorts of
beings.
>> Well, you know, silence is very
powerful. Right? Uh um
the the power of prayer. Uh
my mom certainly is always connected. Uh
you know, when I cross the border, I
feel my mom.
You know, I jumped the border. And so,
jumping the border is a life and death
thing, right? And then so, you you you
give yourself to God and then of course,
you know, your mom is is always thinking
about you. So, you feel this energy uh
that is done by the by the prayer or by
the silence. You are what you believe.
And so, if you believe you can connect
and you communicate this way cuz you
you're going to be I mean, the fact that
people are not aware of energy, we can
feel that the person doesn't feel good.
And we're not we don't even know each
other.
You know, so imagine if we humans are
sensitive to that, all animals never
stop this way of being.
Right? The sensitivity of animals that
they don't go into the mind, they stay
within their instinct because that's how
they stay safe, you know, and and
maintain the peace.
And so, uh what you did was exactly
that. Don't talk.
Don't talk with words, talk with energy,
body language, and intention, you know?
How how do you become the best dog
trainer in the world? Because that's all
you think about.
>> Mhm.
>> [clears throat]
>> That's all you think about it, you know?
Even when you go to sleep, even when you
know you're nobody, you're not about it.
That's So, you create the law of
attraction. You create the law of of
creation. The most difficult law is the
law of maintenance. Right? Cuz it's easy
to attract, it's easy to create. What's
hardest to maintain.
>> Mhm.
>> Right?
And that's why patience is so important
or silence is so important, yeah? Cuz
it's This one is is infinite. It's an
infinite energy. So, if you feel that,
imagine how powerful you become. And
then just to be right here where you are
claiming your space.
Calm.
That gives you another power cuz that
gives the animals the capability to
trust. And then your intention, right?
What is it that you want without words?
Uh just don't want you to be over there.
I just don't want you to go after that
dog. I just want you to stop doing what
you're doing cuz think about when cats
communicate with a dog.
It's a completely different species, but
can a cat control a dog? The same way
you did. Same. Silence, calm, confident.
[clears throat]
So, that's that's that's why a cat can
control a Rottweiler and a pitbull,
right? When people feel, oh, it's a it's
a very dangerous breed. At the moment
you think something is dangerous, you
you give your power away.
Right? At the moment you bring silence,
calmness, confidence, you regain your
power back.
And that's the first line of
communication before sound.
But most people focus on, I want to
train my dog. I want my dog to listen to
commands. No, no, no, no. You want your
dog to listen to to silence, to your
calmness, to what's in your mind without
saying a word.
>> That's exactly it right there. That was
the
the relationship with Costello improved
an order of magnitude when I understood
that. That I could talk to him all day
or say whatever,
it had a very little potency
>> Yeah.
>> compared to how I would show up. And
then it also taught me a lot, of course,
about how to arrive home,
>> Mhm.
>> how to walk into a You know, I'd bring
him to class. I taught at you know, 400
person class, he would walk in. It was
very interesting. Everyone you know,
"Oh, dog." Dogs Most professors wouldn't
bring their dogs to class.
And he knew it was all there. Typical
Costello, you know, he would just kind
of walk to the front of the classroom.
He'd wait a few minutes, not look at
anybody, and then he he would decide.
He'd just like glare at all the He could
light up a room. But I understood that
I wouldn't let him be like the too much
of a celebrity or else he would start
misbehaving. I had to remind him like,
you know, we have a structure and an
order and
>> correct.
>> And I do think that people would benefit
so much from getting in touch with this
capacity that they have to sense their
own energy and the energy of other
people regardless of
they have a dog.
>> Well, you know, Americans go to India to
be quiet,
right? And then to to to practice not
eating, which they call fasting,
right? And then to stretch.
That's practically it. It's silence, you
know, learn how to breathe, and then
stretch. Gives you a little bit, you
know, agility into it. And you learn to
control hunger.
Which in another country, that's what we
learn.
Right? We learn to control hunger. We
learn to be quiet. We learn to be calm.
We learn, you know, whatever we know, we
do really good at it. We become really
good farmers, really good animal people,
right? And family people, you know, God
people. And and so we have a good a
structure, good discipline, and such a
basic, simple stuff. And that's what
gives us the the upper hand of uh
walk a dog off leash. When I when I
started walking dogs in America, I
didn't know it was illegal to walk dogs
off leash.
I was walking 40 60 dogs at a time.
Right? And I was doing it off leash
because that's all I knew.
Mhm. You see it? And so that that um
that energy of silence, calmness,
confidence is what now I now that I
understand what I did is what led me to
this event, you know, for people who see
me from Inglewood to South Central. It's
a Mexican guy that walks a pack of dogs
from Inglewood to South Central off
leash. That's when the LA Times came and
and did a piece of me cuz they didn't
they couldn't understand, you know, this
concept of walking a dog off leash. This
dog shaman or something.
>> in the land of the free, right? Cuz you
know, dogs in America have rights, but
that doesn't mean they can walk off
leash.
>> Mhm. You see it? A dog has to be on a
leash. And humans have to learn
uh to to transmit that energy through
the leash because there's a lot of dogs
that react on the leash. When the dog
should be the most well-behaved, then
the dog is off the leash.
You see it? But the leash in the animal
world is trust, respect, love.
The the the leash in the animal world is
a human understanding, you know,
silence, calmness, confidence, love,
joy. And that's pack leader, direction,
protection. Right? That's the only way
you can say I'm a pack leader. Right?
Cuz you are that energy.
>> I'd like to take a quick break and
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>> I'm uh
in a dilemma whether to go down the
uh
the concepts of what is
happening in third world countries, not
just today, but always in terms of how
people sense energy and use energy
versus what we do here, but I think I'm
also keen on the fact that many people
listening don't know how to walk their
dog.
>> Yeah.
>> I'll ask a very simple question first.
Should the dog always be next to you or
behind you? Uh is there ever an instance
where the dog should walk out in front
of you? And as I say this, we both
realize many people walk with their dog
in front of them. So, could you tell us
about the concept of where the dog is
relative to
>> But think about it. Look at it this way.
So, people can can uh uh adopt the the
concept quicker cuz the if you learn how
to walk a dog, uh
it would eliminate 90% of the problems.
>> Mhm.
>> The [clears throat] other 10% will be
rules, boundaries, limitations. Right,
that's it.
Um
So, when a dog is a pup, he follows his
parents.
Right? And then he plays, then he
explore. But the first activity he
learns is to follow. Follow, play,
explore. So, play and explore becomes
like a reward activities.
That's the Chuck E. Cheese time.
Right? Right. And And so, the follow is
the one they learn, you know, the rules,
boundaries, limitations. They learn to
to stay focused and not get distracted.
>> Right.
>> So, naturally, dogs,
they need to learn to follow.
When they go in front of you,
they are in the mind of a player
explore. But at the same time,
if you do this every day, the dog learn
that you he has to lead you to places.
>> Is that stressful for the dog?
>> If a dog is middle of the pack and back
of the pack, yes. If a dog is front of
the pack, no.
You see it? And so, it very important in
order for people to have a front of the
pack dog, they need a lot of knowledge.
And so, most dogs are perfect
middles or back. The back should be the
easiest one. But when people don't do
the right thing with the back, he
becomes fearful.
Uh the middle of the pack should be the
one for the families because it is
naturally happy-go-lucky. But if you do
too much excitement, they become hyper.
You see it? And
>> is across breeds?
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.
>> Doesn't matter if it's a bulldog or a,
you know, a
>> In every litter, there's front of the
pack, middle of the pack, back of the
pack. But it's more back of the packs
being born, like followers, then it's
only one per litter, a litter of the
pack. So, that's That's what they call
in the in the breeder world, pick of the
litter.
You see it? So, in a in a litter of
German Shepherds, only one it can be a
police officers. The other one is pet
quality or they call them the run of the
litter.
Back of the pack, sensitive. Middle of
the pack, happy-go-lucky. Is the HR of
the fam of the pack. Is the middle of
the pack, right? And then the front of
the pack is the one that gives
direction, protection.
>> Ideally for a family or for a typical
domestic situation, I'm thinking United
States, but elsewheres because this is
going everywhere in the this this
episode will go everywhere. Middle or
back of the mid pack?
>> Middle.
>> Yeah. A family who has never raised a
dog together, yeah, middle.
>> How can you assess the litter when you
see them so that you pick a middle of
the pack dog
>> Yeah.
>> if that's what's appropriate. Sounds
like that's the that's the goal.
>> The front is going to be very easy to
to assess because he's going to be the
biggest one. He's going to be the one
that's moving the sisters and the
brothers away from the mom.
Right? He's He's already going to
practice dominance.
And then the middle is is is is the
second to get to the mother. And the
back of the pack, they're always wait.
You see it? They're more shy. Naturally,
they're just sensitive.
>> What if you don't have access to the
interaction with the mother? Having gone
to pick up puppies a few times,
sometimes you just see the puppies, the
mom's in another room. Should you ask to
watch the interaction and if you and if
you can't, how can you assess if you're
just looking at the litter?
>> if you are in a situation, the breeder
knows because that's why they put
ribbons, you know, color ribbons.
[clears throat] So so they so they know,
okay, this is middle, this is our back.
Even though they don't call them that
way, they just call them round of the
back round of the litter, you know,
pet quality, up front of the pack. And
the front of the pack is just the
obvious one.
Right? And so when
just go inside, you know, where where
where the puppies are and there's no
mother or nothing, just stay quiet. And
every time you present something new,
you're going to see the more confident
coming to
and the more happy-go-lucky coming to.
And the back of the pack, he doesn't get
close.
Anything new, it just can be a pillow.
And that's the first time they
experience a pillow and the front of the
pack will go.
And the and the middle of the pack will
go and play.
>> It's hardwired.
>> It is it's there. That's why you can
guarantee good behavior.
Right? Cuz now you Okay, I want a middle
of the pack border collie. I want a
middle of the pack golden retriever. I
want a middle of the pack pitbull. You
can have it. You see cuz that's going to
guarantee you exactly what you want.
It's going to be easier for you to tell
them what to do because it was born
naturally a follower.
Versus if you get a front of the pack
whatever breed, chihuahua, I don't care
what it is.
They they're born
you know, with with the disposition of
giving direction, protection. So whoever
human wants to you know, live with them
needs to have more knowledge.
Right? So that's me running a pack of
dogs and having different animals, the
animals know that I have a big energy.
They don't know I have 43 acres, they
just know I have a land.
>> And that you're in charge of it.
>> Yeah, and then all the ups and downs
that I went through and I have been the
wars that I go through.
Right? The divorces and all of that
stuff. And I went through and and and
and I and I I'm I find my silence, my
calmness, my confidence, my love, my joy
right back.
They know my energy is big.
Right? So So that I can have a front of
the pack.
>> Mhm.
>> But I don't have one.
I have middles and back.
>> Even you.
>> Even me.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah, cuz it would re- it would require
so much
I would need to find him a job.
>> Mhm.
>> You see what I'm saying? Like a like a
border patrol, something like that,
looking for
>> [clears throat]
>> for looking for the bad guys. Like that
would be a job. It's just one officer
and one dog. He doesn't need the pack.
>> Fascinating. I I'm sure like many people
listening, I'm trying to figure out was
Costello front of the back. I think he
was. Um he's an enormous dog. I mean uh
even within his litter. And um when I
went to go pick up Well, I'd met him as
a 3-week-old puppy. He was the one
butting all the other ones out, eating
from their food bowls.
>> Mhm.
>> He was
>> They claim.
>> Yeah, he didn't yelp uh didn't yap at
all. He just ate everything,
>> That's right.
>> took everything, peed where he wanted
to, did everything.
>> Mhm.
>> So there was a lot It was a difficult
thing raising him. This new one,
Strummer, who's 4 and 1/2 months, he's
definitely middle, maybe even back of
the pack, but
>> sensitive.
>> he was second out uh when he was born,
and they said, "Oh, you know, he's going
to be the pick of the litter." They said
it, but it's definitely not. He would
you know, quickly it was clear that he
kind of kept a little bit distance. He
is very sensitive.
>> Okay.
>> That's good. Much sweeter.
>> Yeah, sensitive.
>> Yeah, much more playful.
>> As middle.
>> Um and that's the part that I have to
work with because they enchant us, you
know, like I noticed with Strummer he he
is figured out, you know, that if he
gets into play mode, it lights me up,
and then I have to remember to stay in
my
>> Mhm.
>> in my place, my proper place. Because
I'm trying to teach him here this is the
order of things. It's very important cuz
I want to break be able to bring him
anywhere.
>> Yeah.
>> in a room alone with little kids and
trust completely that he's not going to
accidentally do something.
>> Yeah.
>> For people that want to learn to sense
their own energy, use their energy
field,
>> should they also be asking if they are
front, middle, or back of pack?
>> yeah?
>> Yeah. In the [clears throat] human
world. This is something that's a little
bit of a sensitive topic, right? Because
every guy wants to say, "Yeah, I'm going
to alpha and not to be Everyone thinks
that way." I like to think in different
circumstances people can move up or down
the the
>> The human can.
>> hierarchy. I mean, I work with a lot of
scientists and I can tell you in many
environments that they don't come across
as alphas, but you put them in a
laboratory or a lecture environment and
I mean, they own their space because
that's their expertise. So, it can move
around. But,
can you
explain what it is to observe oneself,
really think honestly about oneself, and
where one really lies in this Let's
Let's call it what it is. It's a It's a
It's a hierarchy, but that makes it
sound like one is better. It just is
what it is. You're either front, middle,
or back of pack human.
>> That's the the special magic, right?
Being Being back of the pack means the
master calm surrender. So, we have to
learn to to master calm surrender.
That's our more sensitive state of mind,
right? This is So, when I'm assessing
and evaluating a dog, I go into my calm
surrender state. So, I go in the back of
the pack.
Right? When it's time for me to give
direction and protection, I go to the
front of the pack. When I achieve
whatever I need to achieve, I go into
the middle of the pack.
You see it? So, the human
can can can
can take advantage of this position of
this of this state of mind.
Right? The dog, [clears throat] the back
of the pack dog
is is going to is going to tell you,
"Listen, I'm here to master calm
surrender. It doesn't mean I don't do
happy-go-lucky.
>> [clears throat]
>> But, he can never do calm confident.
>> Back of pack can't do front of the pack.
>> Never. Never. Never.
>> And are we talking humans and dogs now?
If we're really transparent?
>> Well, it's just to have that fine line
between what the human can do, right?
What
versus what the dog can't.
Right? So, it's important to understand,
you know, that a dog is born with a
position, right? And the human can go
from whatever position he was born to
different positions, right? Cuz
there's a lot of like you say there's a
lot of scientists people
who are who are very brilliant on this
side, but when it comes to a dog, a dog
takes over.
>> Oh, yeah, or even just at a coffee shop,
you know, they're they sort of they they
become a smaller version of themselves.
Not because they're weak, it's just it's
not their domain of expertise and they
feel weak in that environment.
>> Correct. Or they turn on one energy more
than the other one. And so a lot of
these people turn on more the affection
energy.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? And the affection or love energy
in the animal world is not a strong
energy.
>> Yeah, tell me more about that because I
practiced on the your
recommendation, no looking, no touching,
no speak when I got home. Most difficult
thing for people to do, I think. You
know, they get home and the dog's like
super happy to see them, tail is
wagging, they're excited. And I I'm
like, I'm going to ignore my dog. This
feels like abuse, right? You know? But
come in, do my thing, it's and then
after some period of time I'm like,
"Hey." And what I realized is
every time after that I'd come home
and he was calm.
>> Yeah.
>> He was excited to see me, but he was
calm. Never jumping up and touching me,
never jumping up and touching anyone
else. But if someone came over and they
were super excited, it almost would
confuse him. Like this is not how people
enter the the space. Most people I think
have a very hard time not greeting their
dog with men and women squealing.
>> That's right.
>> [laughter]
>> It's crazy. And it makes the dogs
anxious. It causes problems in the
relationship.
>> Yeah.
>> Right?
>> Absolutely.
>> But I think most people don't realize
that.
>> Well, that's exactly you said it, you
know, I I don't want to ignore my dog.
And I don't want to like tell my dog
that I don't love him, you know, cuz
then the interpretation the dog missed
me.
But, you know, every time you leave an
animal behind walls, the the animal is
going to go excited or anxious. Right?
So, not always what you're greeting is a
happy dog. Most of the time what you're
greeting is an excited anxious dog that
is confused.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? So, it's very important, you
know, when when people sees dogs read
another dog, there is no excitement.
There is respect. Mhm. You know,
[clears throat] and then and they wait
until they the the front of the pack
allows them to come in. They can't just
come in into their intimate space.
So, it's a ritual. So, it's three
rituals that are very important for
people to master with no touch, no talk,
no eye contact. One is the meeting.
Every time you meet a dog, always remind
them about safe, peace, nose, eyes,
ears, trust, respect first. And then
there's the walk. The dog right next to
you, following you, quiet. And then when
you feed.
So, those three activities are very
meaningful to dogs. But, it all starts
with the meeting, with the greeting. So,
every time you reunite, you have to
remind your dog that you are a source of
safety and peace, of trust, respect, of
nose, eyes, ears. You have to tell them
that.
>> And I check nose, eyes, ears for us cuz
I think most people, because we're
humans, especially in US and, you know,
in northern Europe or wherever, like
>> England.
>> It's
>> Speaking constantly.
>> Yeah. There are people just speaking
constantly. Like, "Hi. Hi. Hi." Like,
you know.
This is not the best way for to
communicate with a dog who you are and
what you're about and what the the trust
relationship
>> creates excitement,
>> Mhm.
>> right? It creates a dog that learns to
greet people with excitement. So, if you
greet your dog with excitement, you are
the source to other humans. So, he's
going to greet all the humans excited.
He's going to jump on people. Not
everybody wants a dog that doesn't
belong to them to jump on them. So, but
because you know that let's say you do
that,
uh your dog has learned to welcome
humans
excited.
>> Mhm.
>> You see it? So, when a dog is born, he
borns with the nose open. 15 days later,
they open the eyes. 21 days later, they
open the the ears. This is
scientifically, right? This
[clears throat] is in all the
encyclopedias. So, that means the dog
met his parents through the nose, then
the eyes, then the ears.
You see it? But, when people wants to do
ears, eyes, nose, they're they want to
create a human. They want the dog to
understand the way you and I understand.
Hey, hey, Andrew, how you doing? But, we
can control that excitement. Right? At
least we should.
>> Some [clears throat] people can't,
right?
>> But, so it's a different ritual for us.
You know, we believe in parties, we
believe in parades. I For a horse to go
to New York, it's a very excited place.
It takes conditioning.
Because no horse will ever volunteer
going to New York.
See, it has to be conditioned.
Right? Cuz you're bringing him to a very
excited environment where his instincts
say flight.
>> And recently there have been these
problems. Sorry to cut you off. I don't
know if you saw a couple of the
carriages in
Central Park took off. Someone was
killed recently. There's a whole debate
going on now whether or not this is good
or bad for these horses, but it's just
clear, regardless of where one sits on
the debate, that you can't take the
instinct out of the animal. There are
triggers that will send them over an
edge.
>> Oh, you have to make sure that you
you know, you you keep eye on on how is
the spirit of the horse, is the instinct
of of the horse
healthy, you know? Is the spirit happy?
You know, cuz when they just go into the
habit of working, working, working,
working, even a police dog can crash.
You see what I mean? Even a Even a
police can dog can bite a police officer
cuz it's overworked.
>> I have a few friends from the special
operations community. They work with
these dogs that jump out of planes,
parachute, do
Yeah, yeah, the Malinois, and
several of those guys have told me that
with those dogs you cannot ever ever let
up your guard as the leader. In fact, a
few guys who got a little soft with
them, just a tiny bit, like one anecdote
was they decided to invite the dog in to
watch a movie with them one night when
they're on deployment or maybe they were
training, I don't know.
And
he let the dog get a little too close to
him during the movie. The next day he
got bit. And it's like they're
constantly trying to move up the move up
the hierarchy. He's like it sucks cuz
you you you fall in love with these
animals, but you have to constantly keep
the relationship in its proper place or
they'll not turn on you, but they'll try
and take your position.
>> They don't try. That's the thing with
animals. They don't try. They just do.
Right? There is no knowledge behind
instinct. It's all reaction. So at the
moment your energy goes down, bam.
>> Amazing.
>> At the moment they so they're they're
keep eye on your energy,
you know, and but at the same time, you
know, this kind of dogs are always in a
high level of excitement. They keep them
that way. They are vigilant.
They keep them like like that. They
don't know how to turn it off.
>> So to create a great home family dog or
even if somebody lives alone, it's no
look, no touch, no speak in the first
couple of minutes of contact.
>> Yeah, until the dog becomes peaceful and
calm and open-minded. So surrender means
the mind is open.
Right? So once the mind opens up, you
can teach whatever you want, such as
waiting, such as being calm.
>> What if somebody has an anxious dog
right now? They haven't been doing this
and the dog is pawing at them and and
running around. Should the person just
stay completely in that calm space
moving about and ignoring them touching
them or should they be physically giving
like, you know, get off me type of
thing?
>> this also have to do with how how much
exercise physically exercise the dog has
to receive.
Right? How long is his walk? Cuz most
people walk 20 30 minutes. That's not
enough and the dog end up in the house
for 20 23 and 1/2 hours.
>> In my opinion, it's borders on abuse.
It's really
incredibly hard on an animal that has
that much energy.
>> say I love my dog.
And and and in my first question is how
long do you walk them?
>> What is your recommendation? I realize
it varies by breed and by age.
>> Yeah, and by level of energy cuz some
are couch potatoes, low level energy,
some middle and some high, right? And so
it depends on the energy of the dog. So
not because a dog is a back of the pack
doesn't mean they they don't have high
level energy. Okay? Because the sled
dogs, there is a lot of guys that go in
the back. There's only one in the front
if you notice, right? And even in the
back of the pack dogs, because it it
they create a a pack from middle back,
right? And that's where they stay in
that mode. And and so even the back of
the pack, they have to have the same
level of stamina as the one in the
front. So now because he's a back of the
pack, he's couch potato.
You know, so then then you have to
understand the levels of energy that
they're born with, low, medium, high.
Yeah, so a lot of times people say, "Oh,
bulldogs are couch potatoes." No.
The [laughter] you can have a bulldog
that is absolutely athletic, absolutely
athletic, and has the stamina to go and
you know, obviously you have to help
them with the breeding part. And cuz
they're they just go into, you know, no
limits. So you have to help them, you
know, calm down.
>> Strummer has a lot of energy, you know,
uh
compared to Costello. Um so
two minimum 30-minute walks per day, as
much as a couple hours twice a day.
>> back on, right? Obviously the dog is a
little older because, you know, the
backpack adds that extra half hour. Cuz
now the dog is carrying something.
>> So weighted backpack.
>> Yes.
>> And how should one assess like
percentage of body weight of the dog?
Like
>> At the beginning, you can just put a
backpack cuz they're psychologically,
you know, they don't want to wear
anything, you know? Nothing that we put
on them, they want to wear it.
>> Uh-huh.
>> You know, a leash, a collar, a muzzle, a
boots. It doesn't matter. It doesn't
matter.
Uh so psychologically, that drains them,
right? Cuz they got to get used to it.
So you you walk until the dog comes
surrender to it, and then you take it
off. And then the mind will become very
drained. Once the dog gets used to it,
and then you start putting weight. You
can start with 5 lb. Remember,
everything you add something, you
challenge the mind.
And the goal is simply for the mind to
surrender.
You see it? And and then the body the
body is going to become calm because
he's wasting energy. So your job
literally every day with a dog is to
empty the tank.
Empty the tank, you know? Cuz a tired
dog is never going to give you problems,
ever.
>> True.
>> The ever. How? He doesn't have the
energy to give you problems, right? And
then on top of that, you create rules,
boundaries, limitations such as just put
food right here, but he can't touch it.
So, the mind now has to be disciplined
not to touch it. Then the mind has to
learn instead of doing this to do this,
and that requires the self-discipline.
If you tell the dog, "Don't touch it."
or "Don't touch the human. Don't touch
the food. Don't touch the cat." they go
into a calm surrender state, and they
wait.
>> Yep.
>> The first thing that I taught Strummer
um
was to suppress action. Just as a
general theme. He learned it right away.
Um at 8 weeks, it took about a day,
maybe even half a day cuz I had learned
the hard way with Costello. He was much
more stubborn. I could set food down.
Yep. As a
8-week-old puppy,
because we went through the training
process, he's not touching it until he
looks at me.
I can walk around the room. I can do
whatever I want. He's tracking, and then
when I say, "Okay." then he's going to
eat. I will just mention there's a
inhibition from the forebrain down to
the brain regions that control impulses.
And this is what we call top-down
inhibition, which is nerd neuroscience
speak for what you you're describing
practically. And I feel like it carries
over to other circumstances more easily.
But I can put food in front of him now
and leave the room.
I don't do this for extended periods,
but I come back, he's not going to touch
it. Yep. And then he he starts to eat.
Now, it's a little bit more difficult
with
things that um like trying to teach him
to not uh be mouthy on But so I have a
rule, no no skin in dog's mouth. It's
just like it's all or none. Make it
simple cuz when it's really cute when
they're a puppy, their teeth are a
little sharp, and then you can kind of
But I just have a it's a thick black
line. Right. And my girlfriend knows
this, too. Like she's like, "No, but he
wants to play." And it's like, "No skin
goes in his mouth." And he cuz that's a
simple rule. Yep. And
if he does happens to, you know, go for
skin, I'll do the little yelp thing. He
understands right away. So, if people
hear this, they're going to be like,
"This is terrible, right?" You're
putting food in front of him and he
wants to eat and you're not letting him,
but could you elaborate why this is so
important to the dog's happiness and
well-being because
I believe [snorts] it is and I could see
that in Costello. I see it in Strummer.
There's a trust. There's a calmness.
There's a an availability to go more
places.
But many people they just like, "He's
hungry. She's hungry. They missed me."
You know, "They didn't know what they
were doing."
>> feel guilty because they didn't walk the
dog. Mhm. Guilt plays a big role in
raising dogs.
>> Well, then let's stay on the walk for a
moment. What what is so critical about
the structured walk? I've been doing 2
hours a day or so of structured walk
since he was little. And people say
that's too much for a puppy.
I I feel like he's been great with two
1-hour walks.
>> It's because they forget instincts.
Right? They forget instinct that a dog
is instinctually is going to follow his
parents to find food and water, right?
Yes, they do it after 2 months of age
cuz otherwise they will stay within the
den, right? But
from from two to four, they follow, you
know, they follow and somebody's always
taking care. You can see it in the
African wild dogs. There is always
somebody that supervises the litter.
But they allow them to follow,
right? And then they they they they they
go to a certain stance because they're
growing. But as soon as a dog gets into
6-8 months of age, that guy wants to
walk more than 30 minutes.
Guarantee. He doesn't want to stay in
one place too long.
>> So, all these people with their dogs
home all day or some people will say,
"Well, the dog has the yard running
around the yard." It's not the same,
right? Being able to run around a yard.
>> With the yard becomes like the zoo,
right? As an animal in the zoo with a
yard.
But does not natural. That's just
practical for with human, right? And the
human feels like, "Okay, I have a
backyard. That's where the dog does
exercise." But the dog is going in
circles.
So, exercise for a bird is going
uh for a fish or you know, a a bird have
to fly, a fish have to swim, and a dog
has to walk. It's just the nature of
each uh specie. Right? So, the walk is
the most important activity in my eyes.
Right? Look at the homeless people with
their dogs. Why they can walk a dog off
leash?
>> You were the first person I ever heard
say that homeless people are the best
dog owners.
>> And the humans who are blind, the humans
who are blind dog is right next to them.
Uh homeless people dog in the back.
Right? So, what are they doing right?
Well, the dog is following them.
Right? If they're in a follower state.
Uh and so, the dog the the the dog that
lives with the blind is is not allowed
to get distracted cuz it its purpose is
to guide the the the blind. And the dog
that lives with the homeless he's not
allowed to go in front. Uh consciously
or unconsciously, the dog stays in the
back. Nine out of 10 uh homeless people
have a pitbull.
And the dog is well-behaved off leash.
Right?
>> a lot of them in my neighborhood. This
is Los Angeles.
>> It's incredible. Incredible, right? But
in Mexico, every single dog in the whole
country, every single dog is off leash.
So, that's uh
in America, the American dream for a lot
of people is is to have a dog walk off
leash. Cuz people pay a trainer to train
their dog to be off leash. Well, this is
the nature of a You see it it doesn't
make any sense, you know, once you hear
it. It's you just have to help them by
practicing the ritual of not touching
the dog, no eye contact. Let the dog be
calm, surrender in front of you. Make
sure during the walk he's also in the
same state of mind. And before you feed
him, do this for at least 3 weeks.
Right? So, you get into this habit.
Right? Then when you greet,
when you walk, and when you feed.
So, then this dog is going to have this
beautiful silence, calm, surrender. And
this is the dog you bring into dog parks
or dog beaches. And then your job is to
make sure that you uh the dog that your
dog is going to play with has the same
energy as your dog. You have to be
selective, just like with kids, right?
>> Yeah, I don't bring my dog to dog parks.
I I used to
>> need to.
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I've followed your recommendation with
Costello and also a Strummer.
Uh exercise, discipline, and then
affection.
>> Right.
>> Yeah.
>> And for many people, you know, they're
going to hear that. I mean, it's
reflexive for you now, of course. Um
this is your domain. Uh
but they're going to be like, this but
they don't want to walk first thing in
the morning. I want to cuddle with my
dog first thing in the morning. I mean,
my household now, I had to be really
clear, like there's if we don't follow
this, we're damaging the opportunities
for Strummer. We're We're actually
hurting his psychological well-being.
And the only hard part uh with him is he
doesn't necessarily like to wake up
early, but sometimes have to walk him
early, so it takes a little bit of uh
extra encouragement.
>> Mhm.
>> The day always starts with a walk.
Then discipline training.
And then
food.
>> Yeah.
>> And then some affection.
>> Yeah.
>> But it's not hours of like cuddling on
the couch or anything. It's like a, you
know, I mean, I I love him. I would love
to pick him up and and
>> Right.
>> treat him like a little baby
>> Right.
>> much more often than I do.
>> Right.
>> Uh
but I They see the incredible results
that come from this exercise discipline
and then affection.
>> Which is even a natural life as love.
Cuz you're right, it's good we we we
want them to live as natural as
possible.
And uh and and so that's love.
In in my eyes, like exercise discipline.
Discipline is not punishment. Cuz that's
a word and then the animal dog people,
when they hear the word discipline on
the dog, they put as punishment.
>> Yeah, they're thinking it's a teacher
hitting them.
>> Yeah, like
>> Yeah.
>> punishing the dog. And no, you're just
making sure the dog follows the rules by
limitations. You the dog follows a
structure, you know, and that's what we
call discipline. Right? And and and
that's how we achieve becoming
well-behaved or achieving success
because we have to be disciplined.
Right? And so a lot of times
what I what I end up helping people is
understanding the word. So so the block
doesn't block the word doesn't block
them from doing the right thing. Right?
Which is your job as a as a as a pet
parent cuz now is the title pet parent.
Right? Is is direction protection.
Then love.
Yeah, but most dog people want to do
affection affection affection. And when
it should be exercise discipline and
affection, body mind heart.
>> I think the the walking part is so key,
obviously, and
I I'll just say it. Um you tell me if
you agree or disagree if you want, but
um I think most people are just lazy.
They don't want to walk. And if they
walk, they don't want to do it without
talking on their phone or looking at
their phone. And the dog can sense if
your energy is on the walk or the energy
is someplace else.
>> Or you connect or you disconnect.
>> Mhm.
>> Or you're in a flexi leash with a
harness on and you're on the phone,
which are the the worst.
>> Yeah.
Yeah.
>> Yeah, it's so it's so it's it's it's the
moment where you are connected to mother
nature and through the dog, right? And
people now, you know, they see God is
dog backwards. All right, so you're
connected to spirit and you're connected
to earth. But you can't be connected to
technology.
And the phone is the same thing. Is the
phone is for connection, communication,
relationship. So does the dog.
Connection, communication, relationship
to God, to Earth, to you.
And so then you create that triangle and
then the dog is inside that bubble.
You know, oh this human is really
respecting God. This human is really
respecting Earth. This really This human
is really respecting the moment. So you
create this vibe.
Right? And the dog is in a follower
state, so he's going to imitate the
energy that you're in.
Right? And And so what is prayer? An
imitation of everybody doing the same
energy.
>> It's so fascinating that
your relationship to dogs
has
opened up this understanding of human
behavior, but
not just how we behave, but how we
relate to the the entire world. Like the
energetics. This keeps coming up in our
discussion. I feel I have other
practical questions, but I want to touch
on something that you mentioned before
we started recording, which is that in a
third world country Yeah.
people are aware of death very early on.
And so the connection to the spiritual
comes first
and all the rest follows. The complete
inversion of somebody like me who was
born in northern California. It's like
Silicon Valley. Didn't call it that then
and you learn everything through the the
logical structures and you know, science
and and my dad's a scientist and but and
even if one loves poetry and music and
things like that, which I do,
the order
is through the sort of like bricks on
the ground first and but there's no
concept of death actually until your
grandparent dies or an animal dies or
something. Tell me about this
relationship to death and how it
structures the the psyche and the energy
of people in third world countries
because it it's a direct outgrowth of
everything we're talking about. These
things are going to be extremely useful
to people in regardless of where they
live in the world.
>> I think that's the first step, you know,
to learn not to be afraid of of
Right? That's the first step. It cuz
I in in America they don't want nothing
to die, but is
is just what it is, right? Birth, life,
and death. So, it's just That's when in
the Mexican culture we have the El Dia
de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. So,
we learn to to be okay with it. We learn
to accept it because, you know, in
Mexico
or third world country, death is
everywhere. You can see it everywhere.
You know, I'm from the north of Mexico,
Sinaloa. And you see people with the
chopped heads and hanged up and, you
know, you go to school and people are
are dead. So, what do you what do you
end up doing in that in this moment? You
end up believing that God will protect
you. That's your spirituality.
Right? And just like what I don't want a
a person to break into my house, you get
a dog.
>> [laughter]
>> Right?
And so that the mother nature to protect
you.
So, for us when when we grow up that way
seeing death everywhere, we learn to
surrender to this higher power. Right?
And we are what you believe, you know?
So,
it's it's really good, you know, in in
in our experience to be able to
surrender to death, but at the same time
we also surrender that somebody's going
to give us direction, protection, love.
The same thing is the pack leader.
Right? And we just surrender to that.
Right? And as well we surrender to earth
giving us food and taking care of earth
cuz it's a it's a it's a combination of
spirituality and instincts in a third
world country.
>> So, it's almost like people in third
world countries
place sort of they see the reality of
death early and they place
themselves in a a sort of hierarchy.
They look upward often times, not
always, but often times these are
religious people, right? Um
my father's from Argentina and is a
Catholic country and is a
>> Latinos for for
by design we we are
taught to uh first.
And then second is mother nature.
Right? Yeah, it's number you know,
that's the It's like an order. And then
you have to go to work.
Right? So, job is number three.
And then you have to love the family.
And then love is at the at the end.
Right? But it's God first, Earth second,
which and then it's family or work.
>> Well, here in the United States, it's
we're raised very differently.
>> Yeah, self first.
>> And it's also this idea that stuff
is the portal to
>> happiness.
>> That's right.
>> Having latest phone, having access to
all the apps.
>> Shoes, a lot of shoes.
>> Shoes, bags.
>> up with one pair of shoes.
You know, one pair of shoes. And so we
grew up with very nothing. But then so
what How do we stay happy?
Right? How do we stay happy? So, it
becomes like a belief system, right? And
so that belief system
has helped a lot of people that I know
there to stay happy. It's just a happy
people with nothing. With just the key,
right? You first have to be learn to be
happy, healthy, loving, smart with
nothing. Then when you have something,
and then you're already happy, healthy,
loving, smart. Right? It just adds into
your accomplishments. But animals don't
understand money, fame, power. Animals
understand natural, simple, profound.
So, that's the part that I grew up in.
>> Natural, simple, profound.
>> Natural is your instinct. Simple is to
love. Profound is your spirit. Natural,
simple, profound.
So, even if you're not smart, right? You
can still be natural, simple, profound
and have an amazing relationship with
animals. Incredible. Right? Even if
you're not you don't know how to read,
you don't know how to write, you don't
know where Europe is.
But you can still have an amazing
relationship with God and with mother
nature and with your family.
Right? Therefore, if you're good to
those three, you're good to you.
>> I used to joke cuz I'd bring Costello to
my lab with me.
My lab had about 15 people. I'd walk in
with him and and he'd go around and he
like walking into the lab he'd see all
the students and people working. He used
to bring his toy around to each of them
sitting at their desk or trying to get
them to play.
>> [clears throat]
>> He was part of the lab and and people
really I like to think they loved him.
They told me anyway that.
But I used to look at him sometimes I
think it
he doesn't care that I'm the professor.
He doesn't care that's the best part
about this relationship. He doesn't
care. He doesn't care even if we go home
at night. Sometimes I would sleep in the
lab back then. He doesn't care.
He just wants us to be together. He
wants his walks. He likes to pee on
things and I just realized he just kind
of wants to be around
the joy of family, a laboratory. He just
wants to be part of this and it really
helped me to just remove the the
the concept that he even knew what roles
were or jobs [clears throat] were. It's
just this place we went. I think dogs
are wonderful way to look at the world
differently and realize both how
different we are as a species but also
all these things that we've created that
these are just human creations and
they're important. Jobs are important
obviously but but to not project that
onto
him but also
it's very useful to not project that
onto
people in the world. I'm not going to
point at any specific colleagues but I
knew people who were very who are very
prominent in their field
and the way they go into the world is
almost like disappointed because people
weren't feeding them the adoration that
they felt they deserved. But no one
cares, right? Cuz they're in their own
experience and I just mentioned this
because yeah in your book and and these
teachings of the that we've been talking
about in
today, they they taught me a lot about
the human energetics. We're not dogs so
we can't just transfer that in but it
told me that like most of the time when
we think we're operating from a place of
like knowledge and roles and all this
stuff there's something that's been
constructed by humans like a uniform to
show this person is in charge. They have
all the stuff that reveals their
accomplishments. The degrees on the
wall. You take that stuff away
and
it's a very different kind of
interaction. Like, who's this person?
Like, what are they about? Like, what
moves them forward or back? Are they a
good person or a bad person? Are they
scared? And it it I think it's very
helpful if people learn to tap into this
a little bit.
>> when I go to people's home, uh the human
tells you the story and the dog tells
you the truth.
Just by you looking at them.
That's it. The dog immediately tells,
"This is the energy we feel. This is the
philosophy we practice and this is the
actions we do." Immediately, the dog
always He's the most honest member of
your house.
They don't know how to lie.
See it? They don't know they don't know
how to to to do what we humans do.
They don't just just just just don't,
right? So, it's I listen to the human
because I I need to understand, okay,
where is this human stuck? Right? And
then through that conversation, I go,
"Okay, what about it if we think of
Don't think of spirit. Think about
silence. Do you like silence? Okay,
silence is part of the spiritual world.
And what about calmness? Calmness I
think I'm calm. Okay, let's breathe."
And then I I change the the instinctual
world just by just breathing, right? And
then I start giving the information so
the intellectual world is more simple,
right? It's more clear with the nose,
eyes, ears. Rules by limitation. I'm
just giving this simple information,
right? So, [clears throat] your mind
knows how to execute.
Right? And then when do I love? Hold on.
Just Just wait. Wait. And And then when
the dog goes
"Now." That's when you love. Cuz I want
to teach people to love silence, to love
calmness, to love an open mind.
Cuz people had learned to love an
excited dog, an anxious dog,
a dog that that had that was a victim,
right? So, if you rescue a dog and then
that dog was in a bad situation, that
person goes and rescues a dog because he
feels bad. And then if that same person
starts telling everybody in the family
what happened to that dog, So now the
whole entire family feels bad for the
dog. So when they describe the dog, they
describe the past. So they learn to love
the past.
Cuz they feel sorry for this dog. So the
dog now is fearful, controlling the
house, you know, has it and doesn't
listen to [clears throat] the humans.
At the moment I grab the same dog and I
bring him to the ranch and I give him
silence, calmness and be part of the
pack, that dog changes.
They live in the moment.
So really what happened to the past to a
dog a month ago, a year ago is
irrelevant.
It's irrelevant. What's relevant is how
do you treat him now?
Right? And the only thing they need to
to become good is is safe, peace
environment.
A trust, respect human with exercise,
discipline or the or exercise, mental
stimulation, activities.
Then the love comes at the end. Safe,
peace, love. Trust, respect, love.
Exercise, discipline, affection.
See, love is number three. It's a
reward.
Right?
It's a reward. How do you stay happy?
Well, and then you are grateful. How do
you stay healthy? You learn how to
breathe and do exercise. How do you stay
smart? Well, you learn, you achieve and
you give it away. Or you learn to turn
your mind off.
And then Uh so when do I practice love?
Well, practice love once you master your
spirit, your instinct and your mind.
Then love that thing about you.
Right? Love Love Love those three things
about you. Your silence, your faith,
your calmness, your trust to you and
then your confidence, your mind. Love
that.
>> [laughter]
>> Can dogs smell stress?
>> Yeah. Feel stress, it smells. But
remember, it's it's it's the feeling of
the energy that you have inside, your
electricity, right?
You're You're not functioning normal,
then that same energy is going to create
a chemistry.
Right? Then you're going to sweat and I
mean, it's just going to go into a the
nose, eyes, ears. And but it's first is
without the nose, eyes, ears, just the
animal in them is going to sense. Let's
When an earthquake is about to come they
sense it way before it
it trembles.
You see it? So that energy of mother
nature is shifting at a such a high low
level of sensitivity then then we see
then we hear things.
>> Humans are so obsessed with dog {quote}
{unquote} intelligence that looks like
our intelligence. Like if I see another
video of like how many words a dog can
learn or you know dogs doing tricks or
walking on their hind legs. I
None of that impresses me. And I also
like cephalopods octopuses have a couple
of them actually and I'm fascinated by
them and people think they're extremely
intelligent and they
maybe, but I'm interested in their
intelligence. You can find a video of a
guy who taught an octopus to play a
piano. But if you look at the training
process
it was just shaping, right? Reward this
and reward that. That video I'll go on
record saying totally unimpressive to
me. It tells you far more about the
trainer's willingness to painstakingly
shape an animal than it does about
octopuses at all. I I mean I'm not
saying a an ant or a plant could have
learned to play the piano, but what he
did could be done with a horse if it
just had big keys. So it's there's
nothing interesting about this, but
humans we seem obsessed with
transferring our let's keep it to first
world because that seems
aligned here. Our first world
understanding of what intelligence and
knowledge is and skill is
and putting that onto other species. And
it
it's crazy. It's crazy. It doesn't
reveal anything except our own
short-sightedness and and stubbornness
about being unwilling to think about
these other ways of communication and
moving through the world.
>> Well, is that that self-oriented first
versus pack-oriented, you know, what is
what the pack needs versus what is what
you want? Right? So that that is more
like what where when the human just
wants a baby for example and they get a
dog. Humanizing a dog is a is a good for
the dog, no? Right? It's not good. It's
good for the human,
you know, it's good for the human
fantasy and and
fulfillment, uh
emotional fulfillment or whatever thing
they have in their mind. But is it is it
good for the dog to be a human? Why
would he wants to be a human? Why they
don't try try to do the same thing with
a cat? Because the what they say is is a
cat. So, you can't humanize a cat.
>> [laughter]
>> You see what I'm saying? So, the cat
sends the human hell, right? Yeah, cuz a
cat only comes whenever he wants to
come, so you can't influence anybody who
doesn't want to be with you.
Yeah, right? The dog, you have to teach
him to live without you.
Right? He has to learn to keep you
distant cuz he's a pack oriented. So,
you you can influence a dog much quicker
than you influence a cat.
Right? You can't influence anybody who
doesn't want to follow you.
>> How do you feel about cats?
>> I love cats. I love all animals, you
know. I I was going to invite you to the
ranch cuz we have all the species and we
can assess and evaluate your dog better,
right? With the chickens and the dogs
and the different species, so so we can
see the prey drive.
You know, and you can you you you you
you you are going to
be able to see do you have a dog with
prey drive and how do we block it?
Right? Or you have a dog with play drive
and you just leave it open.
>> Yeah, I'd love to bring Strummer out
there.
>> it's a good place because your dog gets
to interact not just with dogs, but with
other species that trigger the prey
drive. Very, very important cuz what
makes your dog social is that he learns
to accept others.
See, I I don't want a dog that that that
has a
protective drive or I'm not interested
in that, right? I just want a dog that
accepts everybody.
Yeah, and that's a dog that is going to
give you zero lawsuits, zero liability,
right? Cuz he accepts everybody.
>> Yeah, I know people
in California in particular whose dogs
charged other people lawsuits. Like it
even if they didn't bite, it's that's a
whole thing.
>> a lawsuit. It could be a dog that was
not meant for protection. But because it
doesn't have rules, boundaries,
limitations, it doesn't walk and you
know, every day the dog is bored,
confused, or frustrated. And then he
releases that because he's a predator.
Dog by nature is a predator. They're
going to move forward to release energy.
You see it? So, but you want them to
move forward with the right state of
mind.
Right? Or when you tell the dog to move
forward.
Right? That's That's just discipline.
And but people don't don't have that
kind of understanding. And the dog end
up doing whatever they want. So, the dog
end up, you know, putting people in a
loss of which another another uh
place where the dog doesn't know you're
getting sued about it, you know? So,
he's not going to Oh my god, we're going
to We're going to lose money, you know?
The dog is not going to understand that
concept.
>> Yeah, we as humans we we project so much
onto other species, other people.
And in the backdrop of everything we're
talking about, I'm
I'm hoping that people are seeing the
ways in which
they can show up into circumstances with
more calmness.
>> Yep.
>> Especially if it's not reflexive.
You know, before every episode, I I
pray. I do. I I ask for certain things.
I try and to open up certain things so
that
um
I realize not all of this is under our
control. That's my belief. And I try and
invite certain things in. So, it's not
reflexive. I do it as a You call it a a
discipline. I'm happy to do it, but um I
think people assume
that you're either calm or you're an
anxious person.
People assume that their dog is either
calm or anxious.
This is a terrible
misconception. I think we we can become
calmer regardless of where we are in our
natural levels of anxiety.
>> do not will never choose anxiety or be a
living anxious life. We're the only
species that follow unstable leaders.
Right? So, to be the pack leader in a in
the animal world, you have to be the
most patient, the most calm, the most
confident, the most loving, the more
joyful. Everything has to be at 100%.
Then you can be a pack leader.
Right? And your job is to resolve
problems.
That's practically it. So, the least
thing you can do is to bring problems,
anxiety, fear, insecurities. All of that
stuff is is something that you bring
back home. You don't want that.
>> So, before people hit the door coming
home, they should do a a check-in with
themselves.
>> prayer, [clears throat] too.
God, just let me be silent, calm,
confident, loving, joy to my dog.
That's it. I might I want to practice no
touching, no talking, no eye contact,
and just help my dog to calm down, and
then I'm going to give him affection.
I'm not saying not to give affection.
I'm just saying give affection to
patience and calmness and open mind.
Right? Cuz when you when your dog
misbehave, you want him to go back
there.
Go back to your good state of mind,
right? You don't want the dog to do
fight-flight-avoidance.
Those are the bad state of mind. The
good state of mind is patience, calm,
surrender, or happy-go-lucky. Those are
good state of mind.
>> I think
here I'm projecting a lot and assuming a
lot, but I think a lot of people
deep down, I think they probably like
that their dog is so, quote-unquote,
happy to see them at the end of the day.
Because I think many people feel devoid
of real love and connection, and the
idea that their fur baby, I really don't
like this term. They're not babies. Yes,
they have fur, but like
I think out of respect for animals, we
have to remember that they're animals
first. I When I heard first heard you
say like they're, you know, their spirit
animal, you know,
species, and then breed, and then the
name. It was so helpful for me. Because
I don't want to get into it here cuz
it's not directly relevant, but in
science, I've worked with humans.
I worked with animals, and I you know, I
stopped working with animals cuz it was
really hard on my soul. Yeah. I
understand biomedical research. I
understand what is a whole other
discussion, but even just the way that
people would start to talk about
animals, like we work on them, not with
them. And this is a complicated issue we
could get into sometime, but I started
to realize that we start using words
to either dehumanize
or humanize animals. And both are
terrible.
So when I heard you give this
description of, you know, spirit animal,
etc. I was like, he's saying don't
humanize
>> Right.
>> these animals because it makes them feel
unsafe.
>> Yeah.
>> Or or confused.
>> Or confused. Yeah. And years later I
realized
again, with all due respect to
biomedical research and the need to make
discoveries, I do think there's too much
animal research that's unnecessary,
these kinds of things, some is
essential, but may etc. But I realized
there
we're dehumanizing animals.
And I thought, oh my goodness, cuz I had
this incredible contradiction in my
mind. It was a real soul dilemma.
Like, I love Costello.
I I
I it was like he he was a family member.
And I was willing to do all this work on
myself and with him, but in my
profession, I was observing things where
I thought this is
not okay.
And I stopped and I work with humans.
Even saying I work on humans, you hear
scientists say this is terrible,
terrible.
And I think words matter to humans and
because they shape how we behave.
>> Correct.
>> And so I'm noticing a theme uh
throughout today where you have s- words
and simple ways for people to remember,
no look, no touch, no speak, right?
Exercise discipline then affection, etc.
That's telling people people stuff in
people language.
But the level that you're really
interested in and you're trying to
convey is
the animal experience and then the
spiritual experience. I'm not trying to
psychoanalyze you here, but I I this is
the structure that I hear emerging that
I think will be very useful to people
Because we're going high-level,
low-level
all the time.
So,
if people could start to think about
themselves in this way and think about
their animals.
>> I think a lot of people are going to
say,
"Oh, no. I
come home and I want to be loved by my
fur babies and I want them to and I miss
you and I want to do FaceTime with you
and like, you know, and
I think people
genuinely, however, want their animal to
>> They want their animal to feel secure.
>> Number one.
>> And when I think about real love, it's
about safety and security first.
>> Mhm.
>> So, for someone that has like the other
day I was in the hospital visiting a
friend and the woman behind the counter,
we were talking and she said, she said,
"I have two Frenchies."
>> Mhm.
>> I said, "Well, you work long shifts."
She goes, "Yeah, they're home alone. I
come home, they're pooping and peeing. I
feel so guilty."
>> That's right.
>> And my first thought was, you shouldn't
own those dogs. But she's in love with
the dogs.
>> Right.
>> I thought, "Well, okay." So, I passed
along a little bit of what I learned.
She said, "I" and she just said flat
out, "I can't do it.
I can't do it. There's no way I could
come home and they're going crazy and
I'm and excited to see me that I
couldn't just pick them up and then just
hold them."
>> But it's making them anxious.
>> She's nurturing them.
>> Yeah.
>> The same nerves that is helping humans
to be healthy, she's helping her dogs to
be unhealthy.
It's so contrary. That's exactly what
you were going through, you know,
working with humans versus working on
humans, right? So, she's helping other
specie, right? But the specie that she's
in love with, she is not. But it's
because the story she is
is accepting in her head. She's agreeing
with that, right? This I have so much
guilt that I can't stop it, right? Cuz
that's what she's trying to do, to numb
her her guilt.
>> When I was growing up, most people
didn't have dogs in our neighborhood.
Suburban neighborhood. Um
there were a few dogs. Now, everyone's
got a dog. It's like having a phone.
Everyone's got a dog.
This doesn't seem like a good thing.
>> It's a great thing for me cuz I get I
love to teach people, you know,
about energy, philosophy, and actions. I
want people to have a trust, respect,
love, the most incredible relationship
with a dog cuz you know, that's a dog
really makes you a good human if you do
things right. And then once you practice
that, you can just give it to other
humans cuz it makes it tangible. Does
energy really work? Yeah. What about if
I have a good philosophy? Does that
really work? Yeah, it works. What about
if my actions are good? Does that really
work? Yes. Now you combine the three and
watch what your dog does, right? And
then you go and do the same thing with
other humans.
Right? So you create this beautiful
trust, respect, love with humans, or
connection, communication, relationship.
You go and create safe, peace, and love
environments. Horse people are really
good about safety. Right? So So the
priority in the horse world is not love.
The priority is safe.
So So a horse person is going to teach a
child don't scream, not touch the dog,
no eye contact, right? So the kid will
learn that with a horse you have to be
quiet, calm, and wait until the horse
give you the signal.
And the same person will go and teach
the kid with dogs ask if you can pet
them.
Right? But because in the horse world
safety is number one,
how do you keep a horse calm?
And you wait.
And then the horse calm What it What How
do they walk a horse? The walk The horse
is right behind next to the human, never
in front.
Right? So people can people you can see
a little kid walking a horse.
You see it? And the horse is behind the
kid, not in front of the kid.
But first is the meeting, and then the
third thing is feeding the horse. If the
horse is too excited, don't put the hay
yet. Wait until the horse comes down,
then the hay goes down. The meeting, the
walk, and the feeding.
>> Incredible. And they're big, so we have
this natural respect for them that
people don't necessarily have for a dog,
but a dog obviously can bite, you know.
>> But why not have that respect for
someone that we say, you know, man a dog
is man's best friend. Yeah, the dog has
the best titles of all the animals in
the on earth. Right? The dog. But when
it comes to the actions, we don't honor
the dog because we want the dog to be a
human.
We don't respect the dog because we want
the dog to be a human. When you honor
and respect somebody, you honor who they
are. You respect who they are. You learn
about how they are, and that's what you
love.
See it? You love who they are. You don't
love what you think. You love who they
are.
>> And you don't try and project
that they're somebody else. I think some
people
making assumptions here, but some people
will hear some of what we're talking
about today and they'll say, oh, well,
that's how I should become the pack
leader with people. I should never let
anyone walk through a door before me or
something like But the point you're
trying to make is that human to human is
different than animal to human. You
don't just transfer the same thing. Some
things transfer, but other things don't.
>> Yeah.
>> I've worked with non-human primates
before.
>> Okay.
>> It's interesting, a lot of people go to
the zoo. I'm not a big fan of, you know,
putting large carnivores and primates in
zoos. I'm not. I want to be clear. I
don't, you know, I I
I have issues with that. But people will
smile at the monkey or they'll go like,
you know, e e e e e.
For a macaque monkey,
bearing teeth is aggression.
So, a friend of mine, she's an animal
behaviorist, and she said, oh, no, if
you if you want to do an affiliative
behavior with with a monkey,
you lip smack.
Which sounds kind of cute and funny.
And people go, oh, but you you could
tell somebody that a hundred times,
and they'll still go, e e e e e. Like
it's like we want to project our own
understanding of what we think
is going on, and even in the presence of
knowledge, your dog is going to feel
more safe and secure and happy if you
come in no look no touch no speak.
>> Yeah.
>> There's something about the human brain
where we just want to project no, but I
want my experience. And it's an
incredibly selfish thing. It was really
the realization for me that it's very
selfish of me to come home and want a
certain kind of interaction with my pet,
Costello, but to
put the interaction in the terms that
work for me. I And I said, you know,
this is the first time I owned a dog.
Everyone in my life for the longest time
they're like, you're never I was talking
about it since I was a kid. You're never
going to get a dog. I waited until I had
the finances, until I had a home. I
waited. I'm very proud of the fact that
I waited. I desperately wanted an animal
for so long since I was a little kid.
I had fish and things like that, but I
wanted a dog. I knew at the time when I
got him that it was the right time.
Yeah.
But I had to be very careful because I
wanted it to go so well that I found
myself projecting. What if he doesn't
>> Mhm.
>> What And there was all this
stuff and then I read your book and I
realized
if I want this to go really well, I have
to get out of my understanding of what I
need
>> Mhm.
>> on my terms and start thinking about
what
he needs and I need
>> Mhm.
>> in his language.
>> Yeah.
>> And it was like this light bulb went
off. I'm just you know, this is really a
a statement of gratitude that hopefully
will be informative for people because
we the human brain just says like, no, I
want to be loved and so I'm going to do
this thing that's actually harming the
thing that I I say is my fur baby.
>> Yeah.
>> Like no one would ever hurt their fur
babies, but they're
they're doing it.
>> Yeah.
>> By projecting human stuff. Anyway, I'm
telling you what you already know, but I
think it's just something I really want
to underscore because people hear
affection last. Like this is just a you
know, guys being like, I'm alpha. No,
it's the complete opposite of it. It's
about respecting the animal.
>> Yeah. It's it's about safe, peace,
trust, respect. Once you have those two
pillars, then you bring the love. Cuz
that's what you want to love. You want
to love the trust and respect. Not
because you love people, you trust them.
Not because you love people, you respect
them. So, love love has his own energy,
his own, you know, identity. But, you
want to love trust. You want to love
respect. That's what you want to love.
You want to [clears throat] love a place
that you feel safe and peace. That's
what you want to love. That's the land
part, right? And then the relation,
trust, respect. Then, you know, the way
you experience the world, body, mind,
heart. Right? So, at least those three
things. Just do it that way, you know,
just put love at the end. It won't hurt
you.
It would only make you wiser, right? It
will only make you more patient, more
more more more more calm. And And you
will see the outcome. Right? The reason
why I said no touch, no talk, no eye
contact is because if you want to touch
a a back of the pack dog, he's going to
run away.
If you give eye contact to a front of
the pack dog, is exactly what the
monkeys is means it means fight when
you're looking at somebody. I'm going to
touch him, right? And then when you
talk to a to a middle of the pack,
you're going to get him very excited.
So, if you practice no touch, no talk,
no eye contact to any position of the
pack, what you're going to allow is
nose, eyes, ears to come to you.
You see it? So, you're going to create a
law of attraction. The dog is going to
come to your smell. And then he's going
to assess and evaluate, can I trust?
Can I respect? Do I feel safe? Are you a
peaceful human? That's what you want
them to know about you.
That you can be trusted. That you can be
respected. That you feel That you can be
a safe source, a peaceful source.
Then, once the dog is Okay, yeah, you
have that. Then the dog is going to sit
right next to you. He's going to do
this, or he's just going to relax. As
soon as he gives you that, that's when
you give love.
So,
it's nothing wrong if you wait a little
bit.
Right? It's nothing wrong. You just
You're just following the steps. You are
the one who's being disciplined.
You see it? To be a good leader, you
have to be a good follower.
So, you have to understand the power of
calm surrender. You have to understand
the power of patience. If you don't
understand it, you're going to be a
terrible leader.
So, I'm not telling people be a pack
leader just because you you're the dog
owner. No, no, no. I'm telling you
what it requires to be a pack leader.
The highest level of patience, the
highest level of calmness, highest level
of confidence, and then knowing when to
give love and know when to celebrate.
Love, joy, it's a celebration energy.
This one is direction, protection.
What do we want of our pack leaders like
politicians? We want them to We want to
have an an America that feels safe
peace.
We want to have a Mexico that feels safe
peace. We want to have a Argentina that
feels safe peace.
We want to have a Colombia that feels
safe peace. We want to have a Venezuela
that feels safe peace.
Otherwise, we can't feel the love.
We want to have somebody that we trust
and respect so we can love them.
Right? That's what we want. It's It's
our instinct to want this. It's our
spirit to to want this.
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These days, um, most, uh,
leaders of countries seem to get there,
um,
by projecting the most confidence that
nothing can phase them. That seems to be
the the the competition. Yeah. On both
sides of the political aisle. It's like,
who is more certain of the statement
they're making? Correct. This is like,
and this is like just seems to be the
thing we select for. Not the traits
you're describing. I got my theories as
to why that's so, but
I think we can all look around and see
see how that's going. I just go back to
>> learn a lot from animals, right? I think
all leaders should should show us, you
know, themselves with a pack of of dogs
so we can assess and evaluate their
energy well.
You know,
cuz they they they say the philosophy we
want to hear.
Right? They always talk great about the
intellectual part people want to hear.
But then the energy and then the
actions, that's what we end up seeing at
the end, right? Look at Mexico, right?
We always, "Oh, a woman president. Yes,
Mexico is going to be well taken care."
Same.
No safe, no peace, no trust, no respect.
It's the same. It's a continuation of
the same philosophy, but they're all say
great things.
You see what I mean? I don't like to
dogs. I I say, you know, "Listen, I'm
going to bring you back your your your
silence, your calmness, your surrender.
That's my contribution to you because
you humans made you fight, flight,
avoidance.
And boom, I don't say nothing to the
dog. I just feel it and I do it. I skip
the saying.
Cuz they don't care about what I say.
They care about what I feel and what I
do.
The human cares about what you say. So,
you can just brainwash the human all you
want, lie to the human, and the human
will vote. We're the only species that
follow unstable leaders.
There is no species that will vote for
somebody they have unstable leading
energy to begin with. They can't care
less what they say.
>> I watched that uh series on Netflix,
Chimp Empire.
It's fascinating, you know, they they're
very hierarchical, you know, troops. And
the the alpha occasionally will feel
like he's losing some control over his
uh troop.
>> Mhm.
>> And he'll go on these displays where he
starts breaking trees and beating his
chest. And
they look a lot more like humans. Humans
look a lot more like them.
But I saw a
an interview with Jane Goodall. Um I
think you've probably seen this where
they said, you know, what what is your
favorite thing about them? And she and
she says, "No, dogs are my favorite
species. You can really trust them."
>> All right.
>> The chimps are like humans. They're way
too much like us. They lie, they cheat,
they I mean, if you watch Chimp Empire,
brace yourself for, you know, when they
decide they're going to ostracize a
member of their of their
>> They'll ostracize them.
>> It's uh they make them suffer an
extended punishment. It's It's brutal.
And that's the primate brain. Um sadly,
uh humans were
Yeah. supposed to move beyond that.
That's That's uh our role. Uh
I'm making the assumption that some
people either have a dog or they're
thinking about getting one. Correct.
Preparing oneself for every interaction
sounds like the the thing
uh [snorts] to do until it becomes
reflexive. It also It's a lot of work.
Like you described it, you know, brief
prayer at the door, setting intention. I
think that's awesome.
>> Yeah, good habits.
>> Waking up in the morning.
>> Mhm.
>> I will say hello to Strummer. I take
care of myself first, move about. If he
has to use the bathroom or something,
I'd let him out right away, but he
waits. And then he gets up and then we
do our our thing.
But the temptation to walk over there
and just he's, you know, he's sleepy.
He's a bulldog. He's calm and should
just grow like cuz I love him. My heart
fills when I when I, you know, walk in
the room with him.
>> Yeah.
>> I think this is the thing that a lot of
people are challenged with. But they're
like
So,
for me,
temporarily breaking down my notion of
cuteness was very important.
>> Mhm. He doesn't understand cute.
>> Right. He has no concept of cute. He
only understands what he understands.
I'm the one projecting a lot of Oh, but
he's like, I want to cuddle him and I
want to play with him.
I confess this is easier for me to do
now that I've done it with one dog
before. It's much harder for my
girlfriend to do. She's like she gets
pulled in.
>> Yeah.
>> We joke you you caved to love. We joke,
you know, it's like we caved to our own
feelings of love.
>> Correct.
>> But it can damage the safety and the and
the and the the general pack order. And
then people think, "Oh, pack order
sounds like not love." Could you
elaborate a little bit on why it's so
important to [clears throat] stay in the
frame of We're really asking humans to
think more like dogs, but to behave in a
way that is somewhere in between.
>> 80% of my clients are women.
80%.
When I go to, you know, their home
because I like to assess and evaluate
the dynamics inside the house.
The dog is in the front.
Wife is number two. Kids are number
three. Husband is in the back.
Back of the pack.
>> This is in the United States?
>> In the United States. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
United States.
So,
um why the dog is in the front?
She puts him there.
Why? Because she only practice
affection.
And why the husband is in the back? Cuz
she practice rules, boundaries,
limitations with him.
You see it? So, look look. So, she is
capable to practice leadership, but she
practice it with the wrong member in the
house.
The dog needs the leadership. Right? Cuz
what why did they call me? Cuz now the
dog doesn't the kids can't walk him.
You know, the the friends kids can come
to the house.
The dog steals food.
Right? Or the dog barks at the
neighbors.
Right?
They don't have the ideal
life that they chose or they thought
they were going to have by having this
Labradoodle.
It should be the easiest one, right? Cuz
those two breeds are practically, you
know, the the epitome of like most
docile breed.
>> I know.
>> Right?
>> the Labradoodle people like try raising
a bulldog mastiff. Right?
>> Yeah.
>> From 8 weeks on.
>> Yeah, it's just
>> Like you'll learn a lot about yourself.
>> It's a it's a different strength.
>> Yeah.
>> Right? So, this breed should be easier.
Mhm. Because it's designed to be easier.
But because they only practice affection
first,
or only affection,
uh the dog end up going in front of the
pack.
>> Mhm.
>> So, this is what happens when people
wants to practice affection first or
when when they prioritize affection to
the dog, but to the rest of the pack,
uh
it's very clear for me that she practice
rules, boundaries, limitations to the
husband.
He has to do whatever she said.
But the dog doesn't do whatever she
says.
You see it?
So, that we have to change, you know? We
have to help people to understand. It's
It's not that love is bad. It's It's
just what are you giving love to?
>> I'm so happy you're raising this. I
think some people will say, "Well,
she has to treat the husband basically
like a child because he's playing video
games." I'm making the assumption here
that we don't know what the dynamics are
between the husband and the wife. And I
I I a lot of
married couple friends where it seems
very balanced. I don't know what happens
when I'm not there [clears throat]
obviously, but I know somewhere yes
indeed like there's some infantilization
of the male, but he does that to himself
too. He's behaving like a kid.
>> Right.
>> Or I also have seen very balanced and
I've seen where
it's a bit more of kind of the structure
I grew up in at least for the early part
of my life.
Maybe it's cuz my father's from South
America, but until my parents split it
was like my dad was the dad and then it
was my mom and then you know and then
there was the kids and sadly we didn't
have a dog.
Things are very different nowadays.
>> Yeah.
>> Right? And so I'm trying to
remove any assumptions that the dynamic
between
the husband and wife are that way solely
because of one or the other. It's
It's there's an agreement there.
>> It's correct.
>> There's always an agreement, yeah,
right?
>> is that he surrender.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah, that's the agreement. At one point
you don't want fight flight avoidance,
so the guy end up surrendering.
But the dog didn't. The dog took over.
>> And you also don't want
so domineering that she's in flight
flight surrender either, right?
>> Correct. You don't want that.
>> That that That exists too and that's bad
also.
>> Yeah, my relationship now with a woman
is is I have that a good instinctual
relationship. Right? Cuz my masculine
energy is the
the one who gives direction protection.
When before I used to follow this
concept of happy wife happy life. And
it's how can I make her happy? She has
to make herself happy, so I end up
surrendering to everything she wanted.
And and so this concept of you know
happy wife happy life didn't work for
me.
Right? But and so I just went back into
okay, I'm just going to become confident
and attract a woman that wants to be
come surrender to this area, which is
the instinctual area. Spiritually we're
the same, emotionally we're the same,
financially, you know,
we're the same. Um
but instinctually that's the part that I
I I I couldn't I couldn't just
not be masculine, right? Or come
confident. I just couldn't. I just
couldn't. And that's that's it works
beautiful now.
>> Oh, it sounds um like you you've hit the
bull's-eye there. Actually, I have
since we're talking about human
relationships, uh I have a friend he has
a very happy, very successful marriage
um in in the real sense that you walk
into their home like they
they have some uh they have a
couple of kids. One of them has some
special needs, but that um they're
managing that well. The home is very
balanced. They seem very, very happy.
And he was giving advice uh to some
other guys uh and he said, you know,
among the the
the
women that would be like partners, good
partners for you,
>> Mhm.
>> yeah, you have to make a decision
about
how much you want somebody who's going
to give you instructions versus leave
you alone versus wants you know, some
direction.
>> Mhm.
>> It's a very edgy thing to say, you know,
at the time. Now, you can have these
kinds of conversations.
>> Um
Yeah, and it and it was very
interesting. There were three other guys
at the table, none of whom are are
married, including me, and we each had
different answers to that question. One
said, yeah, I want somebody that I can
like really be in like kind of wants to
be led.
>> Right.
>> Not subservient, you know, obviously
respect and kindness and all that, but
but the other one
>> [laughter]
>> he said, um no, I want someone who's
like
>> really going to like keep me in line.
>> Mhm.
>> I was like, this is incredible. But he
was being he was being honest. He wants
someone who's basically going to like
keep him out of his childlike nature
>> Okay.
>> when the childlike nature wasn't going
to help
>> Right.
>> but keep the structure of the home. I
think it's a very important thing this
notion of um we don't have good words
for this to keep us off of the barbed
wire. Like we hear dominance, hierarchy,
and it sounds like control.
>> Mhm. It sounds like subservience. It
gets into notions of like all sorts of
things. But this is a fundamental aspect
of the human spirit.
>> That's the instinct to a part. Like I
said, we [clears throat] can both love
God at the same level. We can love love
at the same level and we can all develop
our intelligence at the same level. But
when it comes to instincts,
that's the only area in my life that I
know
that I my calm confidence is going to
lead my pack.
Right? Cuz that's what I do with dogs.
That's practically it. I I walk a pack
of dogs. So they're all got to go into a
calm surrender state. And so in my house
I wanted the same thing cuz I want her
to feel safe peace. I want her to trust
respect. I wanted her to love that about
me.
But I have to [clears throat] be that
man that has a high level of patience,
high level of calmness, high level of
confidence, high level of love. And I
need to earn that position. I don't just
want it. I earned it.
But I need to have a woman that uh
understands, you know, that that's what
I'm looking for.
Right?
>> Yeah.
>> Instinctually. Not in the mind, not in
the heart which is temporary. No, no,
no. This is permanently.
>> Mhm.
>> You know, your instincts. And I I will
provide safe peace.
I will be a peaceful man, a safe man to
be with, a trustworthy man, a respectful
man, a loving man, right? A smart man. I
will always work on having good energy
and only following good philosophy and
only doing good actions. Cuz I want that
position.
>> Did you take some time before your uh
current relationship after your divorce
to sort of
feel into this and and think about how
you were going to
be that or
um is this something that you
decided to evolve in the
uh as a person?
>> that I was picking the I was picking the
wrong woman.
Right? I I was I was I I couldn't
understand why I can pick a dog and and
make him the perfect dog. [laughter] I
can pick a perfect dog for you. Like I
can go pick a I couldn't pick up the
perfect woman for me. I just want the
one for me.
Right? What I think is perfect for me.
And so, I I had a a
trouble because I had the wrong
philosophy inside my head. You know,
what a man should should do or what a
man woman should do. It was the wrong
philosophy, period. Right? Once I
changed the philosophy, then I went,
"Okay, I just I need to find a woman
with this spirit, with this instinct,
with this heart, and with this mind."
So, I was more like clear, right?
[clears throat] Okay, now now I know
what I'm looking for.
Right? And she's a pack leader. But not
in the house. She's a pack leader. She
has three restaurants. She has She has a
lot of money. Right? Uh but she earned
it. She did it on her own.
Right? And and that was that was it. She
came said, "I just want to give you my
calm surrender."
I said, "That's all I want from a
woman."
You know, to have a beautiful
relationship. So, she
>> knew that she wanted to be in the role
that she currently is.
>> Yeah.
>> Also, like there was a a knowledge of
self going into it.
>> when she you know, she's doing her
business, she has to be a pack leader.
They get tired of being pack leaders.
Right? They just just get tired
of like I don't want to, you know, give
direction and protection 24/7s even at
home. So, at home she just wanted
somebody to give her safe peace, trust,
respect, calm surrender. That's She
needed to connect to her instincts.
Right? It's so it's important because,
you know, she connects to to God. So,
she's calm surrendered to God. Right?
So, she's calm surrendered to the
business. She's but she needed to be
calm surrendered to a man.
But it has to be the right man. So, I
was I was the right man at that time,
right? Cuz I I earned the position.
You know, I didn't just muchisimas you
don't earn in the position. You just a
man and da da da. No, no, no. When you
are good pack leader, you earn the
position. You know who you are. You
value who you are. And that's the and
that's what you love. Self-knowledge,
self-value, self-love. So, I did my my
rehabilitation for me because, you know,
even though my grandparents and my and
my father taught me well about animals,
they didn't teach me well about women.
And they say, "You make money and you
get whatever you want." That was it.
>> Yeah, that's an incomplete
>> How do I assess and evaluate this?
That's the right woman.
How do I How do I do How do I make sure
I do good connection, communication,
relationship? Everything I teach with a
dog. How do I How can I achieve it with
my same species?
Right? But I didn't receive information.
Right? I just I would I would just given
a project.
Right? And I accomplished I became
money, fame, power, and I just went and
grabbed whatever was available.
>> Well, I can certainly say
um
my
Well, I'll just be direct and why why
tap it. I mean, I think my parents split
because of a a power struggle about
roles and power. Um and my father's from
a Latin country, my mother's not, but
irrespective of that it didn't matter. I
used to think that was the reason, but
it was Now, fortunately, they both
remarried. They've been remarried for a
very long time, very happily to their
new partner. And my sister and I always
say like
they're like with their perfect fit. It
just like works because of exactly what
you're describing, these these dynamics.
I mean, I think
I didn't say it, but I saw
online at some point
someone said, you know, the way you
destroy a country is to get the men and
women to hate each other.
And we see that a lot now. Um I like to
think maybe things are improving a
little bit, but so much of what we see
because of
anger at leaders, frustration with, you
know,
social dynamics and belief about what
people can and can't become. All of this
stuff has led to this place of a ton of
distrust, but the power structure is all
messed up.
>> Yeah, they fight, fight, or avoid each
other.
Right? But they say they love each
other.
>> And they still, because there's an
instinct there, they still desire each
other. Right? I mean, men and women are
still seeking to be together, but you
hear the where they're, you know, all
the guys are like kids, and you hear
that all the women are, you know, they
want something that they, you know,
can't be achieved in this common thing.
And you know, and
I mean
>> Confusing.
>> Yeah, a lot of confusion. And of course,
I know some very happy couples that that
where they've worked it out. But the
roles in those couples seem very it's
like they're they're being themselves,
and it just works.
>> Yeah.
>> I just don't want to think about it. I
just want to feel it.
Right? I just want my spirit, my
instinct, and my heart. And I know what
I got to do anyway. I'm 56. I know what
I got to do.
But I don't I just don't want to have a
fight flight avoidance at home.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? I just don't want to have that
ever ever ever
ever. Right? So, it's it's very clear to
me, you know, that uh
that what I looking for is exactly what
everybody looks for in a relationship,
human dog. Safe, peace, love, trust,
respect, love. Body, mind, heart,
exercise, discipline, affection. Follow,
play, explore. Everybody wants the same
thing. They just do it with a different
species. I want to be able to do it with
a different species and my own species.
You know, and and and and I'm
>> [clears throat]
>> I'm the happiest I've ever been.
>> Yeah, yeah.
>> You you breathe and exude happiness. I I
have to say it's it's real. It's it's
tangible.
>> It's amazing cuz I was already happy
with with my goal in life, right? My
dream was to become the best dog trainer
in the world. And I became the dog
whisperer. So, I train humans. I don't
train dogs, right? So, so this dream was
bigger than what I thought.
But then I couldn't have a good
relationship with a woman, which was
fascinating to me at that time why I
have fight flight avoidance.
Why I don't have calm, surrender,
happy-go-lucky, calm, confident. Why
don't? I'm not saying my woman is not
calm, confident towards me. If I'm
wrong, and then yeah, she can, you know,
give direction protection. But if I'm
not, there's no need.
All right? So that That makes me a very
consistent man with my with my role.
That's it. I I keep my peace. I keep my
my my patience, my calmness, my comfort,
my love, my every single day of my life.
I I don't miss one day even if I don't
feel good.
You see it? I internally I'm 100.
>> Because with people, it only takes once
to be on the receiving end of um an
outburst to just There's always that
little asterisk going forward. I share
with you the um the deep desire, and
fortunately I have it now to
uh not have fight or flight at home. Um
I
>> a dog, either.
>> Or from a dog, either, right? That
always scares Exactly. So I'm guessing
that the home you grew up in had a fair
amount of fight or flight. Otherwise,
maybe that would
>> very It was very machismo, you know? My
parents still live married. Uh but
that's all, you know, it was it was this
way of Oh, that's it, you know? So
it was definitely a more like sadness,
right? Cuz my mom was not allowed to do
her own self.
You know? And and so that's Oh,
obviously not healthy for for the dream
of of a woman.
Right? So she has to, you know, have
just be a mom and stay at home, and it
was
uh
it was hard for her, you know? Um
Yeah, but
that's That's all I saw, you know? Uh
Yeah, when when my dad would um
discipline would discipline with anger.
And when my mom would discipline would
discipline with guilt.
You know? And And I would say, "But
that's It worked a little bit."
Then [snorts] I come to America and
there's, "Ah, it's It's a completely
different way of looking at things."
Right? You can work on your energy, you
can work on your philosophy, you can
work on your actions, and then you can
become just as good as you are with a
dog. Cuz I have an incredible
relationship with dogs, right? And I
have an incredible relationship with God
because he definitely allowed me to
become what I dream about. Right? And I
came and did it in a different country.
I have to learn a different language.
Right? And then I went all over the
world.
That was God, right? Me following the
spirit and and the instinct. Now I can
tell you how I did it.
But in the beginning when I jumped the
border, it was all spiritual and it was
all instinctual. It was all passion. It
was not the mind doing it.
It was just my spirit and my instinct
and my heart just following this dream.
Right? And adapting. I have to learn
this. I have to this. But then at the
same time I saw a lot of great things in
America.
You know, like you can be you. Oh, yeah,
you could be you. It's great. This is a
good philosophy. The Stoics is a great
philosophy, right? Um
and then your actions, okay? Just walk,
shoulders up, head high.
Breathe. [snorts]
Walk.
And that's probably body language, you
know, also exudes what you're thinking
and what you're feeling.
>> [clears throat]
>> And because I'm with dogs all day, I
just keep that energy.
24/7.
It's beautiful.
>> The um
as a practical tangent, the thing about
just shoulders back and and walk, I
think it's funny to see when people try
this. They're like like I'm going to be
the pack leader. That doesn't work.
[clears throat]
And I'll tell you, it really doesn't
work with a bulldog mastiff.
>> No. You can't fake.
>> If you get frustrated with them, they
feel it and they pull back. It's wild.
They just can feel it. Like if you're
frustrated, let's go.
>> Mhm.
>> It's like, no. I'll sometimes give a
little bit of a stern
I have one little command that I
occasionally use. I keep its potency.
But if
Costello or in this case Strummer is
really being stubborn just for
stubborn's sake,
>> Mhm.
>> I'll do tsk.
And that's it.
>> Yes. That's all it takes.
>> But if I do that more than three times
on a walk, it loses its potency.
>> Correct.
>> It's just my way of saying like, "No."
It's It's just a no. But I don't say no.
And if I were to
>> Yeah. And if I were to
And I'm realizing as I say this, that
little is probably more of a reminder to
myself as much as it's a reminder to
him.
>> to both.
>> Yeah. I'm just kind of trying to create
this thing like, "No. We're going I lead
this walk. We're You need this walk. I
need this walk. We're doing this walk."
And he just
>> Yeah.
>> he goes. Now, it's a little bit tougher
when my girlfriend walks him, he tests
her more.
So, can we talk about that when a dog is
in a very respectful with one person,
obeys the boundaries,
but then to other people they're
acting out. How should that be remedied?
If the three of us walk together, for
instance, he'll do whatever she she
wants.
With me, he does
whatever I decide. Okay?
>> But sometimes with her she'll say, "He
was great." And now he was really
difficult. How does one facilitate that?
>> that the first thing women have to
realize is how much they are in their
emotions and how much they think about
things.
Right? So,
you know, the fact that we go into the
silence and the calmness and just we
follow through is is That's the spirit,
the instinct, and the mind.
And that's what That's what's walking
the dog.
But in my experience, women go into the
emotional
uh uh
um vibration. And then there's a
Costello, vamos,
and they begin to have a intellectual
conversation. So, the dog knows that the
human is only using half of who they
are, which are the heart and the mind.
Right?
>> [clears throat]
>> And so, it's very important for women to
remember that spirit is a powerful
thing. And so, how am I going to
practice silence?
And it's instinct is a powerful thing.
How am I going to practice
instinct breath?
You're calm inside. Right? And you just
want to go from point A to point B. Very
simple, very practical. You're not
negotiating. You're not looking at
anything else, you're not distracted.
You just going,
you know, for the task. And then the dog
just follows the silence, the calmness,
and the confidence.
It's when the human doesn't use that
vibration that the dog has an option to
get distracted, to do other things, to
go away from the routine of off from the
structure, from whatever you want to you
want to do. But at the same time, the
same woman can ride a horse. And in
order to ride a horse, she have to be
quiet, calm, confident.
>> Oh, yeah. And my my first girlfriend was
a She had horses at home.
>> Yeah.
>> They had a stable below their their
home. They actually weren't that
wealthy, but her dad actually had like a
not even a junior high school education.
He came over from Greece. He became a
taxi driver. And he was going to give
his daughters this life. And they had
this horse.
And it was incredible to see her cuz
she's very very quiet person actually,
very artistic.
>> And but with her horse, and he was a
wild one. He was gelded late. And so it
was a whole thing.
>> Um
>> Um and
but her in the presence of that horse,
like she just understood cuz he was
dangerous. He was actually a dangerous
animal.
>> And a totally different side of her came
out. And I I said it was the first time
I realized I was like I was I mean I was
a teenager, right? But I was like, wow,
like she has this immense power. It's
not like the kind of power that we think
about. Of course, women have power and
you know, all this, but it was a
completely different landscape. And I
was like, whoa. I I mean, first of all,
I can't do that. I had to learn to be
around him.
>> Correct.
>> But just the the level of calm and
confidence
uh to clean a horse. Like you you know,
you know, a horse can kill you, right?
But if you walk around going, "Oh my
gosh, this horse can kill me." It does
not go well.
>> But exactly the way you know, so what we
have to remember is is the human part
before the gender, right? So just go
back to your human. Can a man and a
woman ride a horse? Yeah. Why? Because
they're using the same energy and the
same philosophy and the same actions. So
I said, "Because it's a man or a woman?
No, no, it's because they're using the
same energy for So, it's a human thing.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Not a gender thing.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? So, yeah, I I invite, you know,
my my uh female clients to don't forget
you also have this calm confident inside
of you that your dog needs.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Craves. And especially in Europe
because most of the time people call me
cuz the dog is in a fight state. Right?
So, most of my cases are aggression. And
so, in your case you have no choice.
>> Mhm.
>> You [clears throat] have to lead the
pack. And the only way you can lead the
pack is with calm confidence.
You love the pack with love and joy. So,
you already know how to do that.
Right? You have to get You have to tap
into what people call masculine energy.
Right? That's so Can a Can a Can a woman
ride a horse? Yes, she has to be in this
energy to do it.
>> Mhm.
>> You see it? She has to So, she They just
have to learn to recognize, okay, I'm
not changing me. I'm just
using everything about me.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? It's like a man Can a man use the
feminine side? Yes, you can, of course,
you have it. Right? Is your love joy.
And your masculine is your calm
confident. Silence is for everybody.
It's your patience.
Right? So, silence is before calm
confident or love joy.
And this is what they call feminine and
this is what they call masculine.
Right? So, it's
I would However you want to call it,
just be the whole human.
Use your spirit, use your instinct, use
your heart, use your mind. Trust,
respect, love, and then do whatever your
mind wants to do.
It has nothing to do with women or a
man.
>> Mhm.
>> But if we divide and we see each other
different or say, "No, it's because I'm
a woman I have to be emotional." Yes,
you can be emotional at the right time.
Just like a man can be emotional at the
right time. Nobody's saying not to be
loving.
What we're saying is how to use this
energy for good where you reward good
behavior on humans and good behavior on
dogs with the energy of love.
Right? If the energy of love
uh
can change bad, there would be no bad
men on in the world.
Right? Cuz moms normally give you love.
But love doesn't change the bad energy.
It's the calm confidence that change the
bad energy.
The
>> idea that, you know, society is broken,
humans are broken. I mean, there are a
lot of problems in the world right now.
Purposely, by the way.
Tell me more.
>> If we get the wrong information, we're
going to be no connection,
communication, relationship. So, how can
we become powerful?
Right? Cuz when we unite, and then we
become powerful, the pack unites.
>> Mhm.
>> [clears throat]
>> But if the pack is separated, the pack
fights, flight, and avoid each other.
Right? So, purposely, we get the wrong
information. That's why my goal is to
give people the right information. If
you have low money, middle class, rich,
it really doesn't matter. We should all
know the same thing about dogs.
We should all know the same thing about
God. We should all know the same thing
about Earth. All of us. It has nothing
to do with what position in the pack you
are, economically speaking.
>> Mhm.
>> See it? So, what what what does that
world look like? Well, that world look
like like all humans around the world,
regardless of the economical
position, they're all going to have an
amazing relationship with dogs.
How? Because they're all have the same
information.
That's it.
>> I I love that. I mean, I feel like we're
we're drifting further and further away
from ourselves as as a species. And what
I'm hearing is that looking at our
interactions with this other species,
dogs, and looking at our practicing our
ability to get outside ourselves.
>> Yeah.
>> And tapping into other aspects of
ourselves, like the need for calm
confidence when we just want to be
loving. That's really about wanting to
be loved.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, the person coming home is not
It's not that the dog needs their love.
They can hear,
oh, you know, actually, the dog needs
calm confidence. But
>> I translate it as no, that this person
just feels so tired at the end of the
day.
>> Yeah.
>> What they need is something that just
adores them.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, and I the whole process of
raising Costello was
one of reading your book. Really, this
is this is why you're here. I mean, cuz
I
See that saw and experienced so much
value from your teaching.
And then realizing that
if I really want to get what I want,
>> Yeah.
>> it means building the relationship means
not doing this thing in the moment. I'm
thinking about the whole relationship.
Safety first, is right. And so, it's
this kind of counterintuitive thing of
needing to go against self in the moment
to create the sort of picture where you
get so much more and everybody wins.
There is a version of everybody,
including the dogs, wins. But,
it requires a level of
self-discipline, awareness,
calmness, breathing that I think many
people and certainly in that time I felt
like a just so much constant pressure to
do to do. So, there's a certain amount
of slowing down and self-awareness
that's required for everything that
you're describing. What is your practice
for that on a daily base? I mean, you're
a master now, right? You're a virtuoso
at this. But, for the
I would say there's unskilled, skilled,
master, and virtuosity. You're up at
>> Back of the back of the back of the back
of
>> But, so for somebody who's trying to
move from unskilled to skill in the
domain of like
slowing down, thinking about what the
priority in this interaction is, getting
all that working while life is happening
in real time.
>> Lots happening and it's coming through
the phone and this and that, schedules.
>> How do you recommend, young or old, that
people start to cultivate this awareness
and this
>> I think the quicker we become aware what
is life about, right? Cuz we all going
to die.
And so, what what what is life about?
And life is about life, right? Life is
to be happy, to be healthy, to be
loving, and to be smart. That's life.
And then it's time. how do you
structure, how do you manage time,
right? And and uh and then is memories,
that's all you take. Once you realize
those three things,
I I think you're going to be able to
focus and and experience life
um the way animals do,
right? Cuz they're very grateful of
life, they structure time very wisely.
And then by the time they die, they only
take good memories.
Right? Cuz that's all you take, good
memories. And so the quicker we
surrender to that concept, uh the
quicker we are going to focus in what's
what's valuable,
right? And and what and things that we
can definitely practice that this this
concept of love,
right? And so that to me is be grateful
of life every day, be thankful of life
every day, you know, learn with your
mind to learn to achieve, give it away.
It's very important to be of service and
make other humans, you know, or animals,
you know,
achieve what you just achieve. And of
course, you know, the energy of love to
love those three things about it, right?
Your spirit, your instinct, and your
mind. Learn to love that about you cuz
that's who you are. So who is Cesar
Millan? Cesar Millan is a spirit, he's
an instinct, he's a heart, and he's a
mind.
Right? So and then man, I value that so
much.
And and that once I value that, it's
easy to love what you value.
You see it? It's easy to love what you
value. And so once you realize this this
natural, simple, profound self, you want
to give it away. I give it away to dogs.
And because I do that, I get to
rehabilitate dogs that people
unconsciously have confused.
See it? Cuz dogs in America, you know,
dogs in their country are skinny, but
they don't have psychological problems.
Dogs in America are chunky and I get to
have a TV show. So dogs in America
should be the happiest, healthiest,
loving, smartest dog on Earth cuz that
dogs in America have rights.
You understand that concept? But why
would a guy from Mexico comes to America
and National Geographic gives him a TV
show?
Because America
created fight, flight, avoidance
unconsciously. Even though America loves
dogs more than any other country I've
ever seen in my life.
Dogs have birthday parties in America.
Dogs have Christmas presents in America.
Dogs get married in America.
Dogs get married?
That's you know, taking the humanization
to another level, but that's that's just
shows you, you know, the the
the creativity of human.
But not because a dog has all this
money, fame, and power, the dog is
happy.
>> [clears throat]
>> My goal is is for people to understand
that, you know, happiness and health and
and and having a good heart and having a
a good creative mind
shouldn't take too much.
Right? It's just it's just about being
grateful. Right? It's just about being
thankful. It's about loving those two
things. And then make sure that your
mind learn, achieve, gives it away, or
learn to turn it off. So, don't use your
mind to think bad things.
>> What's your process for turning off your
mind? This is a very
common challenge for people.
>> I think the easiest way for people to
experience because they have to see it,
right? You can tell people
but if they don't see it inside, they
they're never going to see understand
what you mean.
So, what what I help people with is I
put them in the cold plunge.
Right? And so, once they go through the
fight, flight, avoidance, they want to
see and they get to the calm surrender.
What are you thinking? I'm thinking
nothing. That's exactly what what what a
clear mind looks like. Right? So,
through that cold plunge experience, the
human gets to understand breath,
patience,
you know, confidence,
and not to think anything because you're
doing this with your spirit and your
instinct and your heart. This is your
mind just have to wait for the the three
minutes.
That's [clears throat] it. Without
anticipation, so there's just nothing
there.
Right? And then, of course, the cold
doesn't let you think.
Right? But the only thing you can do is
breathe and wait. And so, then once they
see it, okay, that is the meaning of not
having nothing in your mind.
Right? So, I'm making them experience it
versus if I just tell them,
they can't picture it.
>> As somebody who's a real believer, as
you probably know, in deliberate cold
exposure, I mean, I think it's
it's uh people it's zero cost. I mean,
you you use a cold shower, you know, it
saves on the water bill. So, this isn't
like having to run out and buy
something.
What it tells me because of the cold
plunge
immediately, reliably releases
adrenaline,
which then wakes up the brain as well.
>> That's your instinct.
>> Shuts down the forebrain. The very
fascinating um that you're saying this
because the forebrain is strategy, etc.
But in the first 20 or 30 seconds of
deliberate cold exposure, the prefrontal
cortex, which controls all the top-down
inhibition of impulse, is it's not shut
off, but it is greatly diminished. You
can't strategize well. You're just
thinking out, you know? So, you're
saying people need to get past the point
where they're trying to
uh
suppress impulse, but they need to
experience adrenaline.
>> That's right.
>> Got it.
>> Yeah.
>> That's right.
>> And then they get to peace.
>> Yeah.
>> Yep.
>> And that's the energy to bring
>> Yeah.
>> to your interaction [clears throat] with
your dog.
>> Yes.
>> And ideally to your spouse and your
kids, too.
>> Everywhere.
Everywhere. So, a human after a cold
plunge brings that energy away. You
don't have to talk. Everybody knows your
energy feels really good.
All because you went to Mother Nature.
Right? That was Mother Nature, cold.
Right? It's water, cold. That's Mother
Nature. Right? So, imagine uh you bring
that energy to your to to meeting a dog,
to walking with a dog, to feeding a dog.
That's it. That's all I want people to
experience cuz everybody wants to
They want to do that.
Right? Or they want to do I'm not aware
how I feel. I just want to give
affection.
You see it? So that So that that is good
for the human, not necessarily good for
everybody else cuz that human is
spreading that energy. So my goal is for
people to spread, you know, silence,
calmness, confidence, love, joy because
that's exactly how you feel after a cold
plunge.
Exactly in 3 minutes.
You get into that state. You have to
learn to love, you know, the the process
of I'm going to fight flight avoidance.
But I'm not going to listen to that part
of me. I'm going to listen to my calm
surrender.
I'm going to listen to my calm
confidence.
And then once I finish, I'm going to
listen to my happy-go-lucky.
And that's all you want. That's it.
Those three state of minds are super
powerful.
>> You know, I've thought a lot about
deliberate cold exposure,
adrenaline, norepinephrine. You get this
long arc of dopamine that lasts hours
and hours and hours afterwards. And then
that my critics will say, "Well, it's
just dopamine in the body, not in the
brain." Actually, new findings show it's
dopamine in your brain and body. Long
arc of very few things produce this
thing of long-lasting dopamine. Drugs
will spike and drop.
>> Right. Well, good relationship with a
dog is long-lasting dopamine.
You know, a well-balanced dog is a
long-lasting whatever you want, you
know?
I hope you want the four worlds, your
spirit, your instinct, your heart, and
your mind, all of them by walking.
Just walk with the dog for a long period
of time, then you do your play explore.
That's the best medicine any human can
can get.
>> It's the the amount of peace that I
still get from my relationship with
Costello. I mean, he's passed now, but
he's still
>> Yeah, everywhere even his spirit
>> uh is
I mean, I would say it's very natural.
>> It's where I It makes me well up, you
know, not out of sadness. It's like I
can feel the the love of the
relationship. Right? You know, I had to
ask an an on my list and I'm going to
ask this is the right time, I believe.
Um
So, as
Costello got to 11 years old. It's
pretty old for a bulldog. That's right.
He had a some sort of spinal stroke. He
couldn't walk. He was falling over. I
was like distraught. How can I get this
fixed? And at some point I realized, you
know, when people say like they'll let
you know.
>> Yes.
>> I had a a feeling and then a thought and
it went something like this.
I made a contract with him
to take care of him.
>> Yeah.
>> And
in the contract of being a really good
dog
owner, but like mostly in the contract
of the relationship, I owed him a
a peaceful exit. Hated going to the vet,
so I got someone to come to the house
and do this thing.
Most people they hate the concept of
death,
especially in family members or a dog.
And I think it would have been useful to
me to understand the day I got him
that someday this is going to end.
>> Yeah.
>> And I think like this thing about
honoring death is a real thing
>> Mhm.
>> uh
is so important. Because that last two
weeks was a real struggle between me and
myself. My desire to just keep it going
and I realized I was being selfish. It
was about me. And of course, I
gave him a the best passage I I could.
And people in my life who knew me and
knew my relationship to him, they said I
I actually can't believe you did it. I'm
surprised you were able to. But the
moment I realized like this is the final
line
>> Mhm.
>> in being in the contract of being a
really good dog owner,
I was like, of course I have to do this.
>> Yeah.
>> So, no one likes this topic, but
given where you're from, what is your
relationship to the concept of death
as it relates to to dogs? And the
question is very specific here. Do
People say they know, they'll let you
know.
>> Yeah.
>> The question I want to know is
is it okay to show your dog sadness or
does it make the dog that's dying more
anxious?
>> With my kids, you know, I have two kids
and you know, obviously we have a pack
of dogs. They have experienced dogs
passing. We always make a celebration. I
always bring them to their their
favorite place. So I definitely bring
more of the energy of happiness and I I
ask my kids if you're going to cry or
whatever, just do it away from them.
Otherwise, you hold them.
>> Mhm.
>> [clears throat]
>> Right? So I don't I want them to go
back. That's why it's so good to think
to believe in God because they're going
back to the source. So they're way
better with him than they're they're
with, you know, here. I did my homework
right too, also. So I feel really good
that I gave the best life
>> Mhm.
>> uh for that particular dog, right? Um
and so when it's time to go, they tell
you. They they tell you. They can, you
know, ask many many signs. But at the
same time as, you know, when is the day,
is everybody happy?
Everybody's happy. We're going to we're
going to dance. We're going to
celebrate. We're going to
uh you know, it's a ritual. You can make
a sad ritual or you can make a happy
ritual.
You see, it's time for him to depart.
It's time to go. So when I die, I want
everybody to be happy. I don't want no
sadness. I Listen, my life is
beyond what I thought. Right? So I I
give that same life to a dog. Same.
It's I'm very dedicated human. Seven
days a week uh
even if I don't feel good, it doesn't
matter. I go and walk that pack.
I'm very committed. Right? It's all
about honor. It's all about respect.
It's That's my way of showing my heart
and in my mind, I don't have one day
that I I did wrong by them.
So when it's time for them to go, it's
time for them to go, but we're going to
make happy about it cuz they're going
back to God. That's how I see it. And
you know, as you said as you as you're
talking about, the spirit never dies.
>> Mhm.
>> You know, the spirit never dies and it's
an opening for me to help another soul
and another soul cuz that's what that's
why I'm here, right? I'm here
on Earth to my time can be used wisely
to keep helping.
And that's what I find, you know, my
inspiration, motivation.
That's it.
>> Beautiful. Not what I expected and I'm
so pleasantly surprised. I
challenges me to even say it cuz he's
still so new, but when Strummer dies,
the last 24 hours of his life will be a
celebration with him.
>> Yeah, celebration.
>> All right.
>> Yeah.
>> All right.
>> Happy spirit, you know what I'm saying?
Laugh, dance, you know,
just happiness.
Cuz they once you start going like this,
they don't they they they get worried.
You know, and then the spirit lingers.
You don't want to You just want it to
go, you know, and for them to give you
direction, protection. This, you know, I
have a big pack on heaven.
>> [laughter]
>> You definitely have a big pack waiting
for you.
>> When I go home, you know, I'm going to
I'm going to have the, you know, how
many dogs I have I saved my life.
So, eat
Yeah, I'm going home.
>> I love it.
>> You know, Earth is a beautiful home, but
it's temporary.
>> Yeah. Well, I believe this, too.
>> Yeah, it's temporary.
>> I've talked a bit about my faith. I just
now is not the time, but I'm you know,
my audience knows I'm very
very much in in agreement that, you
know, this is this is an amazing phase
of us, but it's not the only phase. And
so, if people are feeling uh sad, like,
you know, the number of people I know
who turn to their dog for emotional
support or a Yes.
around a loss of a loved one or breakup
or loss of a job or just the world,
whatever.
>> Yeah.
>> What is your stance on that?
>> It's bad because they're passing that
energy to the dog that doesn't know what
happened. But, I mean, obviously,
they're going to help you absorb the
energy, but after you did that,
just take him to the beach so he can let
go to the energy. Same thing when you
bring a dog to a hospital, right? The
and the therapy dogs. They go to
hospitals, you know, kids with cancer,
da da da da da da,
depressed people, blah blah blah. That
dog absorbs that energy.
Okay? Just like you will and absorb
people's energy. Your job is to go and
let it go.
So, every time you give bad energy,
you know, help people or help dogs to
get rid of that energy that is not
healthy for them.
Yeah. Utilize it, you know, it's it's
available. Uh but again, you can also go
and take a cold plunge before you hug
the dog. And that way you kill that
energy. You know, kill that energy. Just
kill it. And only give good energy to
your family.
Give good energy to your home. It's
discipline.
It's easier just to go and
throw that negative energy that you just
grabbed. It's easier. But then you
spread the whole thing everywhere.
>> Oh man, I saw in so many laboratories
where the the boss, you know, brilliant
scientist, I'm thinking of one in
particular, and they would do this like
what I would call trickle-down anxiety.
They'd be stressing, they'd walk through
the lab stressing out. Graduate school
is already hard, especially in the if I
may, in the sciences.
>> Yeah.
>> Very very hard. Very competitive.
Postdoc is even more uncertain. Like you
don't you don't get a degree at the end.
You're investing 5 years of your life.
You know, and for to walk around, the
boss walking around like making people
anxious.
>> Yeah.
>> Terrible. The other thing that was
terrible was walking around making
people feel overly confident. People
would do that, too. So, everything
you're saying, it's like you could see
it in these very hierarchical human
relationships.
>> But I think with dogs we we're so what I
I'm just going to say it. I feel like we
are so selfish
>> Yeah.
>> as a species. Like that these animals
are here for us and just for us. To give
me love when I get home, to console me
when I'm sad, to give me all the things
I want.
>> Yeah.
>> That I would be blind to the the basic
needs of that animal. It's It's really
is. It's as selfish, in my opinion, as
saying, "Oh, these are
animals that we work on, that just serve
our purposes to advance our careers or
scientific understanding." And again,
there's there's for that, but we have to
be incredibly nuanced about where that's
appropriate and where it's
inappropriate.
>> It's just a selfishness.
>> The selfish part and the unselfish part.
So, what I'm saying is don't forget, you
know, to be at service before somebody's
at service to you.
Right? So, the [clears throat] spirit
instinct it love to be at service. And
then the the the love and and the mind
loves to be served.
So, this is your selfish part of it and
this is your unselfish part of it.
You see it? So, you're here to serve God
and you're here to serve Earth. All
right? So, you don't forget that.
Right? To be at service.
Cuz they skip it. So, once you once you
go directly to the heart and the mind,
this is what I want. I want my dog to
love me ra-da-da. Okay, fine. You just
skipped spirit and instinct.
Right? Cuz the spirit will never bring
bad energy to the heart.
And ins- instinct will never bring bad
energy to the mind.
You see?
So, I So, if you remember that you are
four things and and this is what you
want to give to your dog, to yourself,
to your house, to your family, and then
you're going to be focusing on on making
sure that
you snap out of it whatever like you do
hug yourself to snap out of it, right?
>> [clears throat]
>> And then and then you go bring, you
know, patience, calmness, confidence,
love. Then you go hug the dog.
So, you also have to learn to snap
yourself out of it from whatever energy
you went and attracted. It's like
stepping on poop. You got to remove your
your shoe before you walk into the
house. Otherwise, you bring that scent.
So, energy is the same way. It's like
poop on your feet.
Bad energy is the same. You're going to
spread all over the house. Your plants
are going to die. You know, your dogs
are going to be like, "Okay, this energy
is is not good, so we
Right? And then your family will will
get it.
So, you you enter in you're going to
enter into this dark energy.
>> These days on social media, there's so
much
I'm realizing about the low-level
um
stuff. Like, you should never hug a dog.
You should hug a dog. You should never
pick up your dog off the ground. It's
okay to pick up Your dog should never be
in your bed. Your dog should be in your
bed. You see all these contradictions?
You see the same thing in the health
space. Like, you should cold plunge. You
shouldn't cold plunge. You should sauna.
You should like it it and it comes down
to a basic fact, which is that it's not
about the practice, it's the it's the
principle behind it, the spirit behind
it, the energy behind it. So, I was
tempted to ask you like, is it bad to
pick up with the dog? Actually, Strummer
loves being held. Costello hated it.
Strummer he's hap- he's basically
happiest just being carried around. But,
I know you don't I don't carry around
too much. But, it's fine. He just
drapes. He's so happy that way. He He
wishes he could go through the world
that way, frankly.
It's not about carry or don't carry.
>> No.
>> It's about what is your energy, why are
you doing this? Is it for you? Is it for
them? What's Okay.
>> And if the dog feels, because you know,
you can ask a groomer or a vet, they
have to carry that dog. But, they can't
carry a fight-flight avoidance.
>> Right.
>> They can only carry a happy-go-lucky one
or a calm-surrender one.
>> Mhm.
>> Those are So, it's nothing wrong hugging
a dog. It's nothing wrong putting a dog
on the bed. It's nothing wrong It's It's
what state of mind the dog was in when
you did this is more important.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Because what about if a dog is in
a is in a flight state and you want to
carry him?
He's going to feel trapped. And then the
dog is going to bite or is going to pee
or is going to scream.
Right? So, you could have prevent that
just by not focusing on what you wanted
to do. Is Is the dog that you want to do
that in a calm-surrender state?
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Can the dogs stay on the bed?
There's nothing wrong, you know, sharing
your house with the dog. It's Think
about invading versus inviting.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay? So, when the dog goes on his own,
>> Mhm.
>> he's inva- invading.
>> Mhm.
>> When [clears throat] the dog is waiting
and you tell him to come over and you
tell him where to go. That's being
invited. So, that mind is going to
become surrender. The other one is going
to get territorial.
You know how many times I have
rehabilitated dogs who claim people's
bed?
Where the husband can't come near the
bed because the wife and the dog were
already there.
I I done a rehabilitation where the
husband sleep in the living room for 3
years because she wanted the dogs to
stay on the bed. And when every time
they the guy came into the into the
bedroom
uh the dogs will after him.
>> I'm sure everyone is thinking, "What did
he do wrong?" This is You know, we're
living in this time now where there's
this projection of like, "Well, he must
have done something wrong." I don't I
can also imagine the situation you just
described where no one did anything
wrong except give the dog too much
power.
>> Correct.
>> That there's actually Let's assume
there's no problem between the couple.
She would like the husband in the bed.
Perhaps. But the But the dog is somehow
picking up on something.
>> Yeah, no no, she said it clearly to me,
"I just don't want him on the bed."
>> The husband?
>> Uh-huh.
>> Okay. So, there the dog is basically
taking advantage of the owner's spot.
>> listen, let's say you guys want to spend
20 minutes on the bed. Let me show you
how to do it."
>> Mhm.
>> And so, that's what I I taught I taught
the dogs just to wait.
>> Wow.
>> Right? But she needed to make sure that
uh she agrees with the agreement,
commitment, follow through, right?
Nothing can happen without agreement.
So, she needs to be in 100% agreement,
otherwise the dog will not do it.
>> They really can sense
>> Yeah.
>> any kind of small fraction of energy.
>> goes down, they're going to take over.
Your energy goes up, they're going to
move away.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Your energy have to be bigger for
you to create a follow.
>> Mhm.
>> If your energy [clears throat] goes
down, you follow them.
Simple as that.
Simple as that. You just You just have
to remember energy. Right? And then if
you want to lead, this is the end
animals. You can lead humans lying to
them all day long. But with animals you
can't. You have to bring the perfect
energy, the right energy,
an energy that belongs to all of us,
right? Your patient energy, your calm
energy, your confident energy, your love
energy. We all have that inside of us,
right? God gave us all the same thing.
That's up to you
but do you go from the back of the pack
to the front of the pack? That's up to
you,
right? But you have patience, calmness,
confidence, love, joy cuz that's how you
going to deal with life.
Right? So with animals it's a perfect
way to maintain this, you know, within
yourself. Mhm. Right? [clears throat]
It's like a gym, going to the gym
everyday, right? But it's just the gym
is mother nature, the beach, you know,
the streets, whatever. You just walking
around with dogs in a natural simple
profound way.
And that's it. Then you go to work.
So imagine if people develop this
beautiful habit. Okay, I'm going to do
what Caesar says, you know, silence,
calmness, confidence, love, joy for 30,
40 minutes and then
I'm going to feel the silence, the
calmness. Then I go to work.
Right? And when I come back no touching,
no talking, no eye contacts and then my
dog back in her and then I can do the
greeting.
Then I go out for another walk,
right? And then you can do the play and
explore.
No bad behavior would happen in your
house
with that simple formula.
I love it. I I hope that people start to
think about their dog and getting a dog
as more of a
gym
as opposed to
I'm going to we're going to get a fur
baby. I have a friend I have to be very
careful here.
This is truly not about my household but
I have a friend she's married they're
going through some struggles. They have
two kids and she told me the other day
they never had a dog. She's going to get
two
husky puppies and I said
do me a favor,
just get one. Yeah. In six months if you
but they want each other this and that
and the the kids are young there's no
way and I I'm and I know the struggles
that they're having and it's a they're
they're both overworked, they're
under-resourced. So, this is
and they love each other very much, but
this is like a really hard situation.
>> Right.
>> And I'm thinking to myself,
I want to be supportive. And I said,
"Do not get a puppy now. And if you do,
do not get two puppies. This is like
insanity. Like you you like you want to
like it could break your family." Or and
she said, "Well, I promised the kids I
>> your heart because you have to get rid
of the dogs.
>> So, this she said, "My It was a story.
It's very interesting. She said in when
I was growing up my parents would make
these promises and they wouldn't do it
and I told and it broke my heart and I
told my kids they could each get one."
And I said, I said, "Well, you have no
idea the kind of heartbreak they're
going to experience when you have to
give them both back because one is
biting the kid or one is you know, like
and she's like, "Oh, I wouldn't want
that." And I was thinking to myself,
"And you're already under-resourced."
>> Yeah.
>> I share this because I'm realizing
throughout today's conversation our
concept of dogs and what they owe us
is completely backwards. She's a very
good person.
>> Yeah.
>> I won't state her profession for states
of but she's in a
a
profession of
intense service all day long. And has
I've known her for more than two
decades. But the concept is these
puppies are going to come here and
rescue us.
>> Yeah.
>> This is like fulfill
>> fulfill
>> the dream that I had. Yeah, right? Uh
with prior to you know, with my parents.
>> More love. Just more love can't be bad.
More love can't be bad.
>> Yeah. And they're huskies, right? So,
this is a breed that love to migrate
longer than any other breed in the
world.
Right? So, walking is one thing.
Migration is another.
This is why I got a bulldog.
>> You see it?
>> That's why I got a bulldog. Bulldog
breed. I actually didn't get a purebred
bulldog
because I they have issues.
>> have issues.
>> But yeah, a dog that needs to migrate,
how much walking do they need per day
ideally?
>> especially a pack. So, the bigger the
pack, the longer the walk.
>> I know. They they both work such crazy
hours.
>> let her know, "Hey, begin with a
fostering. So, that way they get get
know themselves as a family. Is
everybody in agreement? Does everybody
understand what the rules, boundaries,
and limitations are? Does everybody
understand what the responsibilities
are? Can Can we all see our good habits
and our bad habits?
You know, do we all follow through? So,
with a foster dog, if you're not
adopting and you're just temporarily
keeping him in the house, so the dog
gets, you know, a a home and and a
family. It doesn't necessarily have to
stay in the house, but the human gets to
learn about themselves before they enter
into the purchase or the adoption.
Right? So, to have two puppies a
huskies, you got to have to purchase
them. Right? And so, she's going to go
into make a purchase and then eventually
she realized, we were not ready
as a family.
In my mind, I was ready.
But in the whole pack, we're not ready.
Right? And And the puppyhood is That's
from birth to 8 months.
So, in a matter of 6 months, you have a
dog that is this big who's an adult now.
Right? Now, you got to think about spay
neuter. Cuz if you don't, then you deal
with the the
you know, the hormones and then they can
start fighting with each other.
>> What's your take on spay neuter?
>> Well, in America it's necessary in
because dogs are not going to mate and
so
uh and they spend a lot of time indoor.
>> So, I neutered Costello.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh I
put him on testosterone therapy his
final 2 years.
Um vets that I knew said, we would love
to be able to do that more, but there
are reasons we don't. With uh Strummer,
I thought
keep him intact.
>> Yeah.
>> Then people say, oh, but then they're
going to mate with all the dogs in the
neighborhood. You can also give a dog a
vasectomy. It's very easy procedure.
It's funny we don't do that. I learned
that in Australia
it's illegal to not neuter your dog. In
Scandinavia, it's illegal to neuter your
dog.
>> right.
>> What in the world is best?
>> Well, it depends on the on the on the
place, right? Because in America,
without a doubt, since the dogs don't go
out as often, they they rely on the
human. Dogs in other countries, they're
not neutered, but they're not looking
for trouble. They're not, you know,
they're they may when the female gets in
heat. Otherwise, they're busy looking
for food and water.
So, you know, as long as you use your
energy for to for survival purposes,
you're not going to develop frustration.
So, so what happens, you know, when a
dog is intact and they don't get to walk
enough and they don't get to be
challenged enough and then it all goes
into the arouse and they're the whole
day
they're excited. And then people go,
"Oh, baby." The thing comes out, right?
And then and then the dog gets excited.
How many I don't know if you've ever
seen it, but I've seen it a lot. Dogs
humping their owners or dogs humping
furniture in the house. I mean, Costello
tried to hump me once.
Yeah. It never happened again. I I just
made it I just made it very clear that
was not okay and I used isolation. I
just put him back in the thing. I left,
came back. Yeah. I
sent him the message mentally,
energetically, that's never happening
again. It was very stern.
It has to be clear day one. So, that
happens in day one, but a lot of times
people go,
"No, no, no." They
they more celebrate that, right?
And so, they end up in a celebration and
and end up funny, but the dog end up
becoming more and more aroused about the
humans. So, now he's mounting, which as
you know is is a sexual and is
dominance,
you know, behavior [clears throat]
towards the human. So,
in America, definitely a dog needs to be
neutered more more often. Plus, we have
an overpopulation. You know, millions of
dogs die every year
because there's an overpopulation
problem and that's taxpayer money who
pays for for the killing of dogs. So,
it's important that we regulate
Uh
through This is the only way you can
regulate that.
>> I see these crazy things on Instagram.
Someone says, "You When you pet your
dog, it should be slow. No, when you pet
your dog, you should rub." I'm guessing
doesn't matter. It's the energy behind
it.
>> Yeah. I mean, you obviously don't want
to push against the fur, but somebody
was saying, you know, all the all people
are like petting their dog too fast.
They don't like that. Is this just
people making stuff up?
>> Look, if if a dog is doing agility and a
dog is like excited cuz he's doing
agility, pet him hard. Pet him fast
cuz you want him like that. But if you
want the dog to be in a restaurant, pet
him soft.
So, it's depending on what you want the
mind to feel.
You see what I mean? You don't want to
pet fast in a restaurant, you know, and
slow in agility.
So, it's it's it's it's not the action.
It's what are you petting?
>> Makes total sense. Makes total sense. I
mean, a soft stroking calm, you know, a
calm dog.
>> Restaurant means calm.
>> Mhm.
>> Agility means cover it.
>> Good job. Yeah.
>> for it, right?
It's like what FIFA is doing right now.
All the Everybody's excited. Nobody's
like [clears throat]
>> [laughter]
>> You see this?
>> With um barking, uh
I learned from your book like if Costel
or when he was a puppy, he he could let
it out.
>> Yeah.
>> And
the temptation is to say, "No."
But why would you shout back to a dog
that's vocalizing? So,
I would just walk away.
And then when he was quiet, I'd come
back.
>> There you go.
>> And then pretty soon he realized nobody
wants to be around a barking dog.
And somehow he knew instinctually that
if there was a threat or someone you
know, he sensed a threat, a bark, he
only would bark once. He had this
I mean, he had this like I mean, man,
his he was a beautiful specimen, I have
to say. He was just so beautiful, but
his barks were like a bass drum.
Mhm. But it was one.
>> Mhm.
>> And then we just But he would never just
sit there and bark. I think a lot of
people their dog barks and they talk to
their dog. So, presumably
>> Right.
>> the dog is barking because that's what
gets them some sort of feedback
attention.
>> That's right. Or or the dog is also his
only way to drain energy.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? Well, like when my dog
obsessively bark, how often do you walk?
Uh once a week, twice a week or
whatever. So, so the barking becomes a
way of draining energy.
>> Mhm.
>> Or like destroying your house, you know,
a destructive behavior. Why would a dog
destroy where he sleep? Well, because he
doesn't do much with his body and his
mind. So, he has to drain that energy
and that's what we call destructive
behavior. But, people don't understand
that we are not we're in a way
practicing destructive behavior by not
doing what we supposed to be doing,
which is walking the dog every single
day. At the moment they wake up in the
morning, they stretch and the second
thing they want to do is walk.
>> Should you wait for your dog to get up?
What if you have to go to work? Should
you force your dog to wake up and walk?
>> I have certainly would. They're They're
daytime animals. So, the biology is
definitely as soon as the sun comes up,
they they should go, you know, they
[clears throat] should go.
>> This is what we do with Strummer, even
though bulldog I mean they'll sleep till
10:00 a.m., but um we we have to work.
So, we we take him out.
>> Take care of it. It's easier. It's
actually better, right? Cuz he's like,
"Oh, I got to" but then you drain the
energy quicker.
Yeah, it's it's way better cuz you want
them to stay waiting for you in a
resting state. So, it's five body
motions the animals do. They stretch as
soon as they wake up, right? Walk, run,
rest, sleep. So, a lot of times when you
don't walk the dog or run the dog and
you want the dog to wait for you, he
can't go into a resting state.
>> Mhm.
>> You see it? So, it's very important that
we follow the five body motions cuz
every single animal as soon as they wake
up, they stretch.
The bird flies,
>> Mhm.
>> right? And the the dog walks and and and
the rest of the animals the water
animals they swim, right? So, there is a
um
a a formula that they have. So, we want
them to wait for us, we have to leave
them in a resting state.
>> Mhm.
>> And they just [clears throat] that's the
meaning of waiting state. That's it.
But but they can't wait or rest if the
body and the mind has not been drained.
And I another another reason why the
walk is so important.
Cuz the walk
is the only activity from play and
explore that gives them calm surrender.
Play and explore gives them an excited
energy.
>> Do you recommend walking them on the
same path, novel path, um giving them
new
>> In the beginning, yes. Then the the the
same path is important to create, you
know, trust to the environment. But once
they they they know it very well, you
have to change it.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah, and and you don't have to change
like even going on a different
direction. You can just come outside and
put food in the floor and tempt the dog
to want to smell and correct them. So
that creates a challenge.
>> Mhm.
>> You see it? So you learn to ignore food
in the floor. And you see it? So you
start creating your own Universal
Studios. So your whole house or your
whole environment becomes your own dog
psychology center where you're
challenging your dog, you know, to to
not get bored. Cuz they learn a pattern
really fast and once they learn it,
there is no growth.
So then then the mind gets also
frustrated, bored, or confused because
there's no growth.
>> I love it. I trained Strummer to run on
the treadmill.
>> Yeah.
>> For little rewards here and there,
intermittent reinforcement. And he loves
it. He runs now. He jumps on. He gets on
that thing.
>> Yeah.
>> Uh it never occurred to me to do this,
but I realized that we're in California,
it doesn't rain too often, but even when
it rains, I want to have something where
I can
>> All right.
>> get his energy out. If it there's fires
again, I don't want to be outside cuz
anyway. Um so glad to hear that the
treadmill is is okay.
>> You know, the first treadmill I saw,
remember the show The Jetsons?
>> Yeah.
>> With Astro Jetson?
>> Yeah.
>> That was the first dog I ever seen on
the treadmill. And I was a kid.
Then I come to America and I see a whole
bunch of treadmills, you know, and in
people's garage. And I say, "Do you ever
put your dog in the treadmill?" They
said, "No. Can you put a dog in the
treadmill?" I learned that by watching
The Jetsons.
>> Oh, very cool.
>> Then I came and practice it in America
cuz people just had the treadmill but
they were not using it.
>> Wow.
>> You know? So, that's when I start
putting dogs on the treadmill. Ba ba ba
ba ba
and people were just fascinated. But I
said, "Listen, this is not for you to
stay lazy.
>> Right.
>> This is just for emergency.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay? And or for you to challenge the
mind and
and and you know, and that's it. It but
it's not it's not so you don't walk.
>> Yeah, I do a walk with him and bring him
back and then if he still has a lot of
energy and I have to go, I get him going
fast on an incline.
>> Yep.
>> Get him right to his threshold and then
play with him a little bit.
>> correct.
>> And then like we I've been trying to
share this thing with him like we this
is our thing and now he he loves the
treadmill. He we dying to get on the
treadmill.
>> become more like personal trainers, they
will challenge the dogs a lot more like
a personal trainer.
>> Mhm.
>> You see it? So, they will be able to,
you know, challenge the mind and
challenge the body. Challenge the mind,
challenge the body. Da da da da as a
personal trainer, right? And but
but people don't do it. You know, they
don't do these other uh titles.
Right? I just want to be a dog lover or
the mom of this dog or the father of
this dog. Yeah, you can also be a coach.
You can also be a religious coach.
>> Mhm.
>> You know what I mean? Or or a spiritual
coach. Uh intellectual coach. I mean,
don't forget there is four worlds.
There's not just the emotional world.
>> Mhm.
>> And that's the only one you want to
practice cuz that's the easiest one.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? To love a dog is so easy. You
know, to challenge him, you know, uh
spiritually and instinctively and and
intellectually, that's it requires
creativity.
>> Yeah, that's a great relationship.
>> Yeah, so awesome. Really it's good for
you.
>> Yeah.
>> Cuz if the dog is doing great, that
means you did great. So, it's a
reflection of you.
Right? The dog is a reflection of you,
your energy, your philosophy, your
actions. So, every time you work out
with a dog, you're working out with
yourself. It's just in a natural,
simple, profound way.
>> Mhm.
>> That's it, you know, which is about
trust, respect, love, safe, peace, love,
body, mind, heart. Just simple stuff.
Right? And that creates the off-leash.
>> Mhm.
>> That That [clears throat] is, you know,
the ultimate with we should all
accomplish. And you shouldn't pay for
it. Right? I'm not trying to get my, you
know, colleagues, uh, the dog trainers,
uh, not to get a jobs, but
it's it's a
um it's kind of [clears throat] silly
that you hire somebody to teach your dog
off-leash. You earn that. That's
something we have to earn. It's good for
us
>> Mhm.
>> to earn,
>> [clears throat]
>> you know, that that trust, that respect,
that love.
It's good. It's It's It's a good
exercise. A good workout. That means you
use your spirit, your instinct, your
heart, your mind every single day of
life. That's why that dog behaves that
way.
See it? They keep you on track.
Just to live a natural, simple, profound
life. And when you're having a hard time
in life, that's where you want to go.
To your natural, [clears throat] simple,
profound. You know, never let this one
go.
So, to have a good relationship with a
dog is automatically let you have a good
relationship with God.
They're together. We're the only one
that separates them.
We're the only one that separates
everything to create chaos. We make a
lot of things up.
>> What I'm hearing today over and over is
that you obey the spirit, you obey the
instincts, ours and these animals, dogs
in this case,
and you put that first,
then all the other stuff about pet not
pet, pet not pet, like all the other
stuff falls into place.
But it's a moment-to-moment thing. It's
a daily thing. There isn't a "Well, I
love my dog. It loves me." That That's a
That's a story that's partially true,
but there's actually, if I'm
editorializing a little bit, there's
there's actually a fair amount of abuse
of the animal in that situation.
>> It's very self-serving.
>> Yeah.
>> There's abuse of the animal.
>> Yeah.
>> But when we align all those things and
we start from
spirit,
>> Yeah.
>> it all kind of falls into place.
>> Yeah.
>> But we have to be vigilant and we have
to basically train ourselves. This is
all about training ourselves.
>> I train humans, rehabilitate dogs.
That's That's my job. I train humans,
rehabilitate dogs. You don't have to
have a dog to talk to me.
Because, you know, learning how to be
with a dog is learning how to be in
life, period.
>> Mhm.
>> Right? It's good for you to be a pack
member, a good pack member at home. You
need to know what is your position and
just be contribute to the family.
Right? And bring good energy, good
philosophy, good action, even if you're
in the back of the pack, or the middle
of the pack, or the front of the pack.
It's not only the front of the pack that
has to have good energy. It's
it because he's in that position, he has
to be the fittest.
Right? Fittest not only physically, but
spiritually, instinctively, emotionally,
and mentally.
You know, with the body to to take care
of all those four energies.
Right? So, otherwise, it doesn't matter
what position
you are in the pack, bring good energy,
good philosophy, good actions.
Right? And one way that you can achieve
this every single day is having a great
relationship with a dog.
It just makes you a good human.
Everybody wins that way. It's not about
training the dog, it's about training
the human to be a good human.
Right? And then that human is going to
have
good everything, cuz that's that's what
his energy and philosophy and actions
are all about.
So, imagine if the world is led by good
humans.
>> Yeah, that's a beautiful image.
>> Yeah.
>> Well,
Cesar, I
I'm immensely grateful for you coming
here today. Um,
you are incredibly knowledgeable,
incredibly wise. Your Your energy is
tangible from the moment somebody meets
you. It's a real thing. I I can say that
uh having experienced it in the room.
I'm sure people listening are hearing it
and feeling it as well.
You also have a an incredible
relationship to the the spiritual of
animals and humans and and
a real what I hear is a a wish for
humanity and for animals. And uh your
relationship to the things that are
timeless.
>> Yeah.
>> The past, the present, what happens
next, it's it's really
incredible. I said it before, I'll say
it again, three different different ways
for the multi-generational
purpose of it. You're the man.
You're also incredibly wise, and you're
a virtuoso of bringing together
information in practical ways that
people can not just learn how to take
care of their dog and themselves better,
but as you pointed out, be a better
human. So
>> That's it.
>> you're a special one. Thank you so much.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you for joining me for today's
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