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The leaders or role models I admire most are people who are relaxed and assert direction without yelling or becoming emotional. This is the type of person I am most likely to follow, and this is how I like to lead others. Think Oprah Winfrey or the coach who calmly explains to her players what went right and wrong.

This calm, assertive energy is also the correct way to be a pack leader to your dog, according to Cesar Millan, author of “Be the Pack Leader,” along with his co-author, Melissa Jo Peltier. This energy is something that comes natural to me as an introvert, but something every dog owner should think about and achieve. I know that the few times I have yelled at or lost my temper with my dog, he saw me as weak and unstable. Let me explain more in this review of “Be the Pack Leader.”

Even as an experienced dog owner, I am always reading more about dogs and spending more and more time with them to better understand their behavior. For that reason, reading this book was worth the time because even though a lot of the information was repetitive to me, it reiterated the importance of being in charge of my dog so he can live a more balanced life.

One of the topics covered in “Be the Pack Leader” is how so many “leaders” in the human world are not calm and assertive. Instead they are excited, stressed and often let their emotions surface and play a huge role in their decisions. And humans are the only animal that will follow an unstable leader. All other animals instinctively recognize that the strongest leader is not always the loudest, the bossiest or the most physically threatening. That is why so many working people who are in charge of others through their careers come home and cannot control their 6-pound Yorkshire terriers. The dog doesn’t know how “important” his human is, he just sees an unstable person.

Millan addresses many of the problems so common in our dogs. These “issues” are not because of the dog’s personality but are a result of the instability found in her owner. These issues could include aggression, hyperactive energy, anxiety, obsessions, phobias and low self-esteem. Millan gives clear steps on how to change your behavior in order to help your dog, focusing on the formula: exercise, discipline and affection, in that order.

“Be the Pack Leader” has a section on tools used to help a person establish leadership with her dog. Millan gives a description on everything from a simple leash to prong collars to electric fences and how all can be used to properly control a dog in a positive way.

Other topics in “Be the Pack Leader” include how a dog’s behavior often mirrors his owner, how dogs communicate through energy and ways to challenge certain breeds through games and exercise. The back of the book also offers a quick reference guide for tips on becoming a better pack leader during certain situations like visiting the dog park or vet’s office and what to do if your dog is aggressive around food.

“Be the Pack Leader” is really an extension of Millan’s first book, “Cesar’s Way,” also co-authored by Peltier. My only complaint about “Be the Pack Leader” is I was looking for more in-depth, new information. However, I know more and read more about dogs than the average dog owner and I watch Millan’s show all the time. Much of the information in this book will be new to most people.

If you only have time to read one of Millan’s books though, start with “Cesar’s Way.” “Be the Pack Leader” regurgitates a lot of the same information, although it focuses more on the importance of being a calm, assertive leader and the way animals communicate through energy humans do not always pick up on.

If everyone followed Millan’s advice, more dogs and humans would be living more balanced lives.

(Image from best-dog-photos.com)

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Lora from It’s the Dogs’ Life has a good question this week: How do you deal with leash aggression and what causes it? She asks because her lab, Apollo (not pictured), acted aggressive while on the leash at a public dog event. As soon as he was off leash, he was everyone’s buddy like normal.

I’ve seen this same issue with my family’s golden, Elsie. Elsie used to growl and strain at the leash when other dogs passed during a walk. With her, it seemed like she had low self confidence and acted out with aggression toward other dogs because of her anxiety. In her case, using a Gentle Leader for walks solved the problem. She is a different dog while wearing it. She is calmer and doesn’t try to control every dog she passes.

Although I don’t think the Gentle Leader (or any similar head collar) will fix the problem entirely, it is a tool that can help control a dog that is acting dominant. If anything, the owner will be more relaxed and confident and the dog will pick up on that energy and also become more relaxed.

Correcting an aggressive dog on a leash is similar to correcting a dog that whines on a leash because in both cases the dog is not under control. Many of the strategies to correct a hyperactive, crying dog will also work to correct an aggressive dog.

Make sure the dog is getting enough exercise so he is less likely to release his pent-up energy in a negative way. As far as correcting a dog, the worst thing to do is hold the leash really tight because the dog will naturally want to resist and pull even harder. Tension will cause the dog to act even more aggressive, so make sure to hold the leash loosely. Also keep the collar high on the dog’s neck where you will have the most control, and give quick leash snaps when necessary to correct the dog.

Practice walking your leash-aggressive dog near other dogs in a controlled situation with another person and dog you trust so you can make quick corrections when needed. Make the aggressive dog sit at your side and have another dog walk around him from a safe distance. Again, hold the leash loosely and give him a quick leash pop the second he growls, barks, stares at a dog or starts to lunge.

Signing up for a group obedience class is a good idea so your dog can practice being around several dogs while on a leash.

Does anyone else have a solution for Lora and Apollo? Have you ever dealt with leash aggression? What caused it, and how did you fix the problem?

Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all of my weekly question posts.

(Image from m-star.tumblr.com)

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Most Tuesdays I write a post that asks a question on anything related to dogs. Usually the question is related to training or behavior, but it could be anything. Most of my readers are dog owners and with all of us combined we have come across almost any dog issue you can imagine. Together we can come up with some pretty good solutions. So, here are all the questions that have been asked so far on my blog. If you have a dog-related question, send me an email at Lindsay@thatmutt.com and I will post it for others to answer.

These questions have been asked so far:

Training/behavior:

What is your dog’s worst habit?

How do you deal with leash aggression?

How do you stop your dog from crying on walks near other dogs?

What do you do to get your dog to stop whining?

Are shock collars cruel?

Do you kennel train your dogs?

Does your dog sleep in your bed?

Pet services:

Does your dog go to daycare?

Have you hired a dog trainer?

Travel:

Would you fly your dog?

Issues:

Is it OK for other people’s dogs to poop in your yard?

Entertainment:

Who’s your favorite movie dog?

What is the silliest game you play with your dog?

Health:

What dog food is best?

Is pet insurance necessary?

Is it bad to give your dog human food?

Other:

What dog breed is your favorite?