Cesar Millan's Lessons From the Pack: Stories of the Dogs Who Changed My Life

by Cesar Millan, Melissa Jo Peltier

In this inspiring book, best-selling author and "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan uses decades of experience to reveal the many ways that dogs and people can enrich each other's lives, sharing eight essential life lessons imparted by a group of very special dogs he's trained over the years.

From his roster of celebrity clients to his reality television series, Cesar Millan is America's most sought-after dog behavior expert. Now, he reveals the amazing ways that our pets can teach us. In this affecting book, he shares eight heartwarming stories about the dogs that have inspired him the most—and the lessons he's learned from them about healing and more. Each chapter, drawing on celebrity and non-celebrity clients alike, spotlights the essential traits that allow these animals to make the best of their situations—from authenticity to acceptance—and reveals how we can embrace these values to enrich our own lives. Sharing never-before-told insights, Cesar imparts a unique blueprint for seeking happiness and fulfillment through canine companionship.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, Memoir, Self Help

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2017

About the author

Cesar Millan is a best-selling author, public speaker, and the internationally acclaimed star of “Cesar 911,” as well as the original, Emmy-nominated host of the “Dog Whisperer” program. With “Cesar 911,” he brings more than 25 years of dog experience and his status as the most recognized and sought-after authority in the field of dog care and rehabilitation directly to communities terrorized by unruly hounds.

In December of 1990, 21-year-old Cesar Millan crossed the border from Mexico into California. He lived on the streets of San Diego, landed a job grooming dogs, and soon gained a reputation for his calming effect on even the most difficult cases. With a few dollars in his pocket, he moved north to Los Angeles and took a job washing cars.

With the money he saved, he started a freelance dog rehabilitation service, primarily offering his expertise with extreme cases. This led him to open his first Dog Psychology Center, which eventually became the current 43-acre site in the Santa Clarita Valley, now including a sheep herding area, air conditioned kennels, swimming pool, obstacle course, and hiking trails. The Dog Psychology Center is a featured location in “Cesar 911.”

In addition to co-authoring six books, Cesar has created numerous instructional DVDs and continues to host a popular series of seminars where attendees learn how to apply his extensive knowledge of dog psychology and rehabilitation techniques.

In “Cesar 911,” he continues to apply that knowledge in order to bring balance to relationships, households, and neighborhoods being torn apart by out-of-control dogs. More importantly, he helps the humans who thought their dogs were beyond saving but who learn otherwise as Cesar comes to the rescue and teaches them how to be the Pack Leader.

Reviews

[Marcela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It usually takes me weeks to finish reading a book, but this book I finished it in 2 days. Unlike his other books, where he talks about techniques, approaches, and tons of information about how to fulfill your dog, this book is about the lessons dogs taught him. Cesar is very candid and he admits that the dogs he's met have taught him so many things such as acceptance, patience and so much more. The books I read are usually about dogs, of course, real estate, personal finance, self-help, etc. What I had not found was a book that combined dogs and personal growth until I read this book. Excellent book for those of us that are in a constant and never ending journey of self-growth and improvement.

[Opa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is essentially an autobiography for Cesar Millan with guidance lessons on what he did wrong and how his animals taught him how to do it right. Nothing wrong with the lessons and the stories were both interesting and touching especially if you love dogs.

[Kia ✩ ༄.° (ia until dec 30) · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the longest time I believed this abuser. Thanks Tumblr for opening my eyes.

[Paul C. Stalder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads more like a memoir than anything else. Millan breaks his life into straightforward lessons centered around individual dogs which he has owned, trained, or otherwise worked with. The lessons are not the defining part of this book; it is the stories which truly shine through. Stories of love and loss. Of joy and pain. Stories which will make you laugh, and a few that may bring tears to your eyes. An incredibly easy and enjoyable read, any dog lover will quickly be able to lose themselves within these pages. Just think of this as the "reality TV" book on your shelf; not life changing, not challenging, but damn fun. While I expected a bit more substance from a book bearing the National Geographic logo, I do not regret the time I spent getting to know the real Cesar Millan.

[S.V. Veen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew there is a lot we could learn from dogs, but this book gave me insight in what a dog truly wants. It is a fun read and I learned a lot about our own dog and myself.

[Khanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard and humbling read for me. I finished it feeling anxious and unnerved, not because of the contents of the book but because it was like seeing my own inner demons emerge in each of the chapters, reminding me to challenge and push myself; for me, a good book can be one that pushes buttons, causes me to examine things, ask questions, and challenge me to move out of my little bubble. (Afterwords, I thanked my own dogs for being so patient with this bumbling human who still has much to learn from them. Their response was to chomp harder on a raw bone.)

[Piper Pringle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cesar is amazing!


These eight lessons he outlines are very inspiring and helpful for anyone who is trying to better themselves or their relationship with their dogs!

Another amazing Cesar Millan book read and under my belt! 💗

[Theodora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a dog training book (like other books written by Cesar). It’s an autobiography. If you like him, you’ll love the book :)

[Luis Bernardino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro que é uma mistura entre autobiografia e autoajuda.
Apesar de por vezes ficar com a impressão que algumas partes estão escritas de forma a serem mais facilmente entendidas por um grande leque de leitores, algumas das questões que Millan coloca e as soluções que apresenta, são bastante interessantes. Mais ainda no atual contexto de pandemia.
Uma leitura interessante e que merece a pena.

[shelby leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried, smiled, and cried some more — heartfelt and intimate I loved every second! Such a wonderful insight to how important dogs have always been to us and even more so today.

[Eleonora Rangelova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Приятно четиво, но не намерих тази книга толкова полезна, колкото наръчника за щастливо куче на същия автор.

[Jackie Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable! Loved reading about his younger years. Highly recommend

[Marie-Josee Saumer · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off, before I even started to read this book, I already had an opinion made about Cesar Millan. Let's just say,I didn't regard him as highly as some other people do. I do think the opinion I had formed of him may have mainly been based on other peoples opinions of him, which isn't typically the type of person I am. Sometimes we makes judgements or form opinions about people too quickly. I haven't read any of Cesar Millan's other novels yet, and I am glad I haven't. I feel like this should have been what he chose to write as his first book. The reason I say this, is because it explains who he is as a person, where he comes from, and what his purpose is. This helps us to better understand him as an individual but also as an animal behaviourist. Now, I do still feel that in some parts of this novel, the way he expresses himself makes him seem like he is bragging about his superiority or how great he is, which I don't think is intentional but it comes across that way. All in all, what Cesar has to say is not as bad as I thought it would be. I can appreciate a lot of what he has to say and also relate to it. Here is one of the things that he says that really marked my heart; "True love means supporting and helping another person or animal accomplish something that is important to them: to fulfill their desires before thinking of your own. Dogs show us love all the time by being hypersensitive to our needs and trying their best to satisfy our human needs for companionship, love, and obedience. But while we always say we "love our dogs," too often we treat them as if they exist only for our pleasure and convenience. We ignore their very real inborn needs and desires-for exercise, discipline, and affection. Too often, my clients give affection, affection, and affection, because it's easier and it's what they want in the moment. I try to teach them that to truly love a dog, you must learn to fulfill that animal's necessities before your own.". It really touched me to know that I am not the only individual out that feels the same way. Clearly Cesar is passionate about dogs, cares for the on a very deep level, and only wants what's best for any canine in this world. It's heartwarming and wonderful feeling to know that people like Cesar exist in this world.

[Ladytess · Rating 5 out of 5]

cesars tips helped us so much and this book is great for any fan!

[Raquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neste livro, Cesar Millan abre-nos o seu coração e conta parte da sua história e como foi a sua vida e o lidar com os cães e claro explica o seu dom. Temos também testemunhos de celebridades e algumas histórias de cães e que acabam até por nos emocionar um pouco. Não estava à espera de gostar tanto deste livro como acabou por ser na realidade. Nota-se que Cesar Millan gosta realmente de trabalhar com os cães, tenho é imensa pena que ainda haja pessoas sem coração e que abandonam os seus animais.

http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[SHERRY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable!

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and quick to read. Engaging life stories of the dogs in his life. Some of the lessons raised gave food for thought regarding self, ego and success. I know about respect, authenticity, forgiveness, and resilience. Acceptance is an interesting concept.

[Sunshine Biskaps · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Cesar Millan's Lessons from the Pack: Stories of the Dogs Who Changed My Life"
by Cesar Millan
Reviewed on 15 Feb 2021

This book is written more like a memoir of Cesar's life and how the experiences with dogs have influenced his outlook on life. The advice given were basic and sometimes redundant. The stories about the dogs are exceptional. I enjoyed reading about the recovery of 69 of the 70 dogs that were in Michael Vick's fighting ring. Popeye and Rosemary can teach people about the art of forgiving. I loved the beginning and the ending the most with the imagery of the perfect world through the eyes of our dogs and what it truly means to live in the moment. I am happy that Cesar Millan has overcome his depression and has found love and light, with the help of his pack members.

[Melly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the Dollar Tree - hoping the book was worth it. I am normally not a fan of buying "celebrity" type books but I love this guy's tv show so I took a chance.

Man am I glad I did. This is a very good book! It felt a bit preachy at times, but that was a small complaint easily overlooked by the high quality of writing and information given. Granted, none of the basic points were new to me. I know we should all have empathy, wisdom, etc. I get that. I think most of us have a basic understanding of that. But Mr. Millan presents it all a bit differently and inspires thought. And that, friends, is always a good thing.

Definitely recommended.

[Camio.Dontchaknow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life lessons for humans, learned from dogs. Basically how to respond positively to the past, present, and future. I love hearing someone's take on a situation or a philosophy. When a person sits and distills their own understanding of a life lesson until they can sum it up in their own words for someone else's benefit, it's always interesting to see how they phrase it, how it hits them. The lesson, or the process of learning means something different to everybody. And there are some connections or subtleties you'd completely miss if you only ever paid attention to *your* understanding.

[Alina Stepan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probabil o carte unica pentru Millan, pentru ca include foarte multe elemente autobiografice, care-i explica atat succesul, cat si modul in care se raporteaza la animale si ideea la care a ajuns pentru Santa Clarita. O poveste despre oameni, despre catei si despre cat de putin diferiti suntem unii de altii, pana la urma. Ah, si despre un baietel mexican care a pornit in lumea mare inarmat doar cu iubirea lui pentru animale.

[Alicia Yeng · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to watch Dog Whisperer with my dad and mum. Truly amazed with Cesar's ability. Reading this book, he explains that he listens to his pack of canine and go with their flow. Without them, he wouldn't have learned much. Now he's sharing what he's been taught in this book. There's also a bit of his background as a kid growning up through hardships and the people he met along the way which opened up a path to Hollywood.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cesar Millan is truly a remarkable human being from the standpoint of his connection with animals. The stories shared in this book were heartwarming and reaffirmed that with the right therapy rehabilitation is possible. The self-help points were rather common sensical but the stories were worth the read.

[Radhika Gunawardena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Aside from it being a very easy to read and well-written text, I love how Cesar explains the wonderful qualities of the dogs in his life. He also stresses that these are qualities common to all dogs, but have evaded virtually all of mankind.
I wish we were more like our canine buddies.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this great book on goodreads.com/giveaways. Ceaser's ensight into dogs behaviors and what humans can learn from them is deep. Definitely a must read for anyone who has a dog or is thinking of getting one. Five stars!

[Beverly J. Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I don't agree with all of Cesar's dog training, this is not a book about how to train your dog. It is stories about how dogs have taught him lessons in life. I enjoyed reading about the amazing dogs that have come into his life and what they taught him.

[Drenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I expected; and was very impressed with what I took away from it: how to improve relationships with other people and many tips on how to have a more balanced outlook on life and it's trials.

[Gretchen Tischler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this heartwarming account of Cesar Milan and some of the dogs that have been important in his life.

[Pamela Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Cesar book. I enjoyed it and will read more.

[Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I respect Cesar and use his techniques in training my dogs, and have read his previous books.
This was enough for me to finish, but felt much like what I've read before.