Sit! Stay! Now Grow Up: Is Raising Children Anything Like Raising Dogs?

Soon after I graduated into parenthood, I found myself deep into casual party conversation with fellow parents about the vexing particulars of parenting. People (parents and strangers included) are rarely shy about dispensing the bit of wise parental advice, and this party was no exception. Beleaguered parents were brimming with tips and tricks as how to get your child to sleep through the night, stop crying, etc. The most intriguing comments came from a couple that had loads of experience with both large and small animals alike (one was a veterinarian and the other raised horses). Their conviction, in short, was that much of what they learned raising, herding, and caring for animals could, and should, be applied to raising children. The gasps and chuckles that met this confession were plenty, and became the fodder for many subsequent jokes at the party.

But, as much as I might not have been convinced, these two were obviously on to something. As is evidenced by a recent New York Times article that outlined the growing trend around people taking Dog Whisperer tactics and applying them to the raising of their children. For those of you unaware or confused about what exactly a “dog whisperer” might be (full confession: I have never actually seen the show–just read an awful lot about it), The Dog Whisperer is a TV show that is hosted by, and essentially is, Cesar Millan (a self-proclaimed and plainly evident dog guru). I won’t get into the specifics of the show (feel free to follow up yourself) but essentially Millan employs a pack mentality (where he is the obvious leader) and provides three essentials for his dogs: exercise, discipline and affection. These Dog Whispering tactics are quickly being adopted by parents and fast becoming child whispering tactics.

Ideas like this, containing the holy trinity of behavioral rules, and easy to follow guidelines are like crack for confused and confounded parents. But really, how much are we to gain by treating our children like dogs and positioning ourselves at the head of the pack? Is it such a crazy idea that it just might work? Is it demeaning and an oversimplification of human behavior? Could these Dog Whispering ideas be applied to a larger world? Global conflicts? Corporate malfeasance?

Would love to hear some of your whispering wisdom.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

go G.

10:00AM PDT on Jul 23, 2010

i dont have kids but i raised my nephew while my sister was hospitalized for her depression...dogs are much better than kids in training..

send a green star

Bon L.

7:03AM PDT on Jul 21, 2010

Thanks for the article.

Heather C.

11:28AM PDT on May 31, 2010

Children look to the parents to learn how to live in the world. No matter what words you use, parents are here to train/teach our kids and to keep them safe. I treat my pets the same way. Keep them safe, happy , and healthy!

Dorothy D.

10:16AM PDT on May 16, 2010

Having trained both children and dogs, to be honest, I think it is easier training a dog!

poepiesnoepie k.

5:17AM PST on Feb 11, 2010

This picture makes me smile.. This is what I really look like when I give commands to my Golden Retriever... I love it when he is this really so responsive and attentive... but surely he does get his treats after...

5:12AM PST on Feb 11, 2010

I can't compare, don't have children... but so to say I consider my dogs like kids too... they are more trainable than any human...

Past Member .

7:18AM PST on Feb 6, 2010

You have to be careful,though, if you have both. It's easy to get confused at times.

7:01AM PST on Feb 6, 2010

Uh huh. Raising children and dogs is exactly the same.

Naoko H.

3:01AM PST on Feb 4, 2010

Both takes a LOT of patience! lol

Roberta R.

4:40AM PST on Jan 31, 2010

I agree that children are not dogs, but I think this theory may work. In the past we lived in 'packs' and worked together in similar ways to that of the wolf. We may no longer live in this way,but children still have instincts that have been passed down since the beginning of time. These instincts cause them to look to adults for food at a very young age, want to stay close when they learn to walk around the 'den' and want to wander to learn about their environment.
Due to this basic instinct, parents should try to ensure they are the 'alphas' as this teaches children respect. Other training techniques that work ith dogs work with children, so why not the ones used on the dog whisperer?