Visit Yahoo! Pets Send to Printer

Print:

Back to Post

Horse people and dog people

Posted Fri, Mar 21, 2008, 12:19 pm PDT
In my experience, I have not heard about many "misbehaving" horses from horse owners who come to me for help with their dog problems. Yet both horses and dogs require the same thing: balance.

I have found that "horse people" respect horses as horses. Of course, they love their horses, but they wait to give rewards until after exercise. They consistently follow "Exercise, Discipline, then Affection." After all, this is what is required to keep their 1,000 lb animal under control and themselves safe.

An out-of-control canine can cause harm, too. Yet, when it comes to their dog, may horse lovers forget the simple formula for balance and instead practice "Affection, Affection, Affection." Dogs, just like horses, need exercise and challenges in order to be fulfilled. They also require the same leadership and calm-assertive energy.

Remember, no matter what animal, you must understand how to meet their needs. Once you have done that, they will return the favor with calm, obedient behavior.

Showing 8 of 8 Comments

  • 1. TATFK - 2:19PM on 03/21/08

    AMEN as simple as it may sound it is the truth..I guess the truth usually is.. Thanks again Cesar

    Report Abuse

  • 2. Laura Von Loh - 10:14PM on 03/21/08

    We have both dogs and horses in our family. The two horses and two dogs that were trained using calm assetiveness, by my daughter and I, are well behaved and calm-natured and happy; my husband's dog who was "trained" with only affection, is neurotic, has no manners, and seems to be perpetually confused. You have confirmed why.

    Report Abuse

  • 3. INDIA - 8:57AM on 03/22/08

    Boy O Boy, I have had a German Shepard and a Great Dane, I trained them both to be well balanced dog's, they had to be as they were both so big. Now I have a Chihuahau, my little baby, he rules the house and is such a character. But enough already, I have my work cut out for me now !

    Report Abuse

  • 4. cvestal_7 - 1:31PM on 03/24/08

    I have a lab/german shepard mix that loves all dogs except the cocker spaniel it lives with. She will attack if not kept on a leash around this dog. Any ideas as to why this dog and none of the other 50 dogs it knows and hangs out with at day care?

    Report Abuse

  • 5. sandrawhitaker@att.net - 6:26PM on 03/30/08

    talk about a work in progress, have a jack russell who is quite demanding. 5 years and I keep thinking he will be too old to care ! im wrong, Love him like a child but be careful what breed you choose!

    Report Abuse

  • 6. shanaenae20 - 9:25PM on 04/06/08

    I have two gigantic warbloods that I event on, as well as a gigantic german shepard. The horse and dog that I raised without a lot of treats and overt affection adore me and are very obedient, but the horse who was spoiled by his previous owner is a 1400 lb PSYCHO!!!! Animals definitely turn out better when they can follow a consistent leader (but I admit, the Shepard does get away with more than the horses!)

    Report Abuse

  • 7. Maddie - 9:45PM on 04/06/08

    I recently rescued a Jack Russell Terrier. I thought i knew the breed, but did not know enough. I also have owned horses, and trained them as well. A horse is large, I also did, xercise, discipline and then affection. A dog? I let them run my house! But with the new JRT, I had to reverse my thinking and apply the same techniques from horse training to dogs. The JRT would pick on my Queensland heeler, who would use restraint, but when didnt it resulted in a couple of really bad and scary fights. I had to take control of the situation fast. I read all of the tips on Caesars Website, Dog Whisperer, things are much much better. I learned now to better control the JRT. I went from laughing and crying to getting back control of my house. Thanks!

    Report Abuse

  • 8. Canis Humanis - 1:46PM on 06/21/08

    A lot of what I learned about the "energy" I project and how it can affect the animal I'm working with, came from working with horses. Since you are in actual physical contact with a horse, they can feel if you are calm, nervous, tense, or afraid. IMO, Cesar's philosophies contain a lot of "horse sense", even though he's working with dogs. I remember working at a horse track and seeing what being cooped up in a stall all day can do. So, when Cesar talks about fulfillment vs frustration, it makes a lot of sense. One of my dog clients is a local horse trainer, whom I've known for 30 years. It's amazing how she can handle her horses, be a leader, train, and set boundaries...but was having problems with her dogs because she wasn't using the same principles! We've spend a lot of time discussing the philosophies of how we interact with horses, and she is now incorporating these same principles (along Cesar's philosophies) with her dogs. Her problem was viewing dogs as children, which surprised me because she didn't do this with the horses! Changing her viewpoint, made all of the difference.

    Report Abuse