If you love dogs and have never had a dog and you are thinking about getting a dog. Or you have a dog and have problems with your dog(s).

DOG BOOKS:

• MARLEY & ME by John Grogan. Marley a 97 pound steamroller of a Labrador Retriever. If you are a dog lover or have never had a dog and want to know what it is like to have a dog. This book is a must read, wonderful, has been an extremely popular book, don't know how many reprints this book has had. Even if you are not dog lover but you like or love animals you will enjoy this book. Book would also make a terrific gift. A must read. Labrador dogs are used as Guide Dogs so I thought a Lab would be an easy dog to have and to manage, now that was a stupid misconception on my part.
  
• WALLY THE WONDER DOG by Marsha Boulton a Canadian author. Wonderfully written. Also another book that would make a great gift. Life with Wally the Bull Terrier. A must read.
  
• Cesar Millan the dog whisperer.
  
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DOG DVDs: (dvds with Cesar Millan must have, brilliant)

• to understand dogs and training dogs/problems cannot go past CESAR MILLAN. Even if one does not agree with everything he says or does, what he says, when you think about it, it is simple and makes sense e.g. when selecting a dog choose a dog that has the same or lower energy level than yourself - which is so obvious but how many people think of something so simple, not me! We have Boxers, had I done the correct and sensible thing of getting a dog(s) with the same energy level as myself I would have selected 15 or 20 year old dogs that spend all their time sleeping.
• DOG WHISPERER The complete First Season with Cesar Millan
• DOG WHISPERER The complete Second Season with Cesar Millan
• DOG WHISPERER The complete Third Season with Cesar Millan
• There is another Dog Whisperer Jan Fennell, also enjoyed watching those dvds/tv shows, title of dvd "The Dog Listener communicating with man's best friend".

The Cesar Millan dvds, shows you various problems people have with their dogs and how Cesar solves/deals with it. Great source of information/knowledge and wonderful reference source.

Cesar Millan's golden rule: dogs need discipline, exercise then love. He explains this and no matter how much one loves their dog if discipline and exercise are missing, no amount of love can compensate. Dogs needs to burn up their energy otherwise they get bored, frustrated and that leads to destructive and/or problem behaviour. All those Huskie, collie,  and other working dogs/puppies who never leave their back yard for walks and who get no exercise.... I always see a lot of ads where people are giving away working dogs.

From what I have seen and read, it would appear, there is no such thing as a dangerous breed. All dogs have the potential to be dangerous and all dogs have the potential to bite. The problem is people having dogs/breeds of dogs that they are not capable of controlling, looking after and understanding. The people are at fault and the dogs get the blame.

The dogs are not the problem, it is people who are the problem, if a person does the right thing, then there is no problem. People are responsible for what their animals do.

The mistake is never the dogs, the dog is never the one at fault, if there is a problem, it is the person who is to blame. If you are the pack leader and you do your job properly then you will always be in control of your dog(s). As yet I have not mastered the task of being a pack leader, the dogs ignore me or laugh at me. Being a pack leader is a 24 hour job. As soon as you let that job go the dog will assume that role.

Cesar Millan dvds and books always focus on the role of pack leader and how to achieve that. Most people who have dogs, the people are not filling the role of pack leader, and the dogs have taken on that role and that means problems.

Cesar talks about the energy one gives off, animals pick up on that. One always needs to be calm and assertive, sounds easy but it is not, the dogs laugh and think I will never master it.

We got our first dog nearly 3 years ago - oh my gosh we had no idea what we were getting into - would have been better if I had read books and watched dvds first - instead of getting a dog - hard way to learn and still learning. Could not imagine life without the dogs, so loving, live wires.

Having dog(s) in ones life is a very different experience than having cats, a dog is a lot more work and so much more time consuming. Dogs are pack animals and are not solitary beings they do not like being on their own.

Human values/pyschology does not work on dogs and Cesar is very good at understanding from the dogs point of view. He must know what he is doing and saying because he is able to control a pack of 30 or more dogs and he does it without being cruel, without raising his voice, no shouting. He makes it look so easy.

Have not finished this......... will get back to this soon.