All parents should watch the Dog Whisperer!
Okay, so I recently saved a puppy from PAWS – isn’t he the cutest thing ever! 
At the suggestion of many, I started watching the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Milan on the National Geographic Channel. I have to say it is one of the best shows I have seen in a loooooong time! It’s great for dog owners, but so much of it transfers over to being a parent and working with children as well.
The main points I think parents could take away from watching Cesar:
- Be Calm and Assertive
- Set Boundaries, Rules, and Limitations
- Be cautious and conscientious of the energy you project. Your energy transfers to those around you. Cesar says your energy transfers through the leash to the dog – meaning if you are feeling tense, frustrated, angry, etc, you dog will feel this and react to it. Children are the same way! If you are frustrated or angry on the inside, even if you are trying to smile on the outside, your child will feel it and respond to it.
- Be the pack leader! Children need leaders in their lives – and in the family environment it should be the parents. When y ou are the leader, the parent, then your kid can just focus on being a kid, knowing you will keep them safe.
- Live in the present and don’t hold a grudge based on what happened yesterday
Now, just to be clear on the things I don’t think transfer from Dog Whisperer to parenting:
DON’T put your child on the ground and pin them thereto show dominance
DON’T make corrections for every little thing your child does wrong
DON’T say “shush”, make your hand like a mouth and bite them, or touch your child with your foot when trying to correct a behavior
and of course, DON’T put a leash on your kid a rollerblade them around the neighborhood until they drool
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.