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How to Walk Your Dog | Cesar Millan & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Huberman Lab Clips09:42Added Aug 31, 2026

Cesar Millan and Dr. Andrew Huberman discuss the principles of dog psychology and the essential nature of the daily walk, highlighting how structured movemen...

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Contributed by 刘嘉琪

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  1. Mastering The Dog Walk

  2. 00:00Many people listening don't know how to
  3. 00:02walk their dog. Yeah.
  4. 00:03I'll ask a very simple question first.
  5. 00:06Should the dog always be next to you or
  6. 00:09behind you? Uh is there ever an instance
  7. 00:11where the dog should walk out in front
  8. 00:13of you? And as I say this, we both
  9. 00:14realize many people walk with their dog
  10. 00:16in front of them. So uh could you tell
  11. 00:18us about the concept of where the dog is
  12. 00:20relative to
  13. 00:20Well, think about it. Look at it this
  14. 00:22way. So people uh can can uh uh adopt
  15. 00:25the the concept quicker because the if
  16. 00:28you learn how to walk a dog um it would
  17. 00:30eliminate 90% of the problems.
  18. 00:33The other 10% will be rules bound
  19. 00:35limitations right that's it. Um so when
  20. 00:39a dog is a pup he follows his parents
  21. 00:43right and then he plays then he explore
  22. 00:46but the first activity he learns is to
  23. 00:48follow play play explore. So play and
  24. 00:51explore becomes like a reward
  25. 00:52activities. That's the Chuck-e-Cheese
  26. 00:55time. Right. Right. And and so the
  27. 00:57follow is the one they learn, you know,
  28. 01:00the rules, boundaries, limitations. They
  29. 01:01learn to to stay focused and not get
  30. 01:04distracted.
  31. 01:05So naturally dogs they need to learn to
  32. 01:08follow. When they go in front of you,
  33. 01:11they are in the mind of a player
  34. 01:13explorer. But at the same time, if you
  35. 01:15do this every day, the dog learn that
  36. 01:17you he has to lead you two places. And
  37. 01:20is that stressful for the dog?
  38. 01:22If a dog is middle of the pack and back
  39. 01:23of the pack, yes. If a dog is front of
  40. 01:25the pack, no.
  41. 01:27You see it? And so very important. In
  42. 01:29order for people to have a front of the
  43. 01:31pack dog, they need a lot of knowledge.
  44. 01:33And so most dogs are perfect uh middles
  45. 01:37or back. The back should be the easiest
  46. 01:39one. But when people don't do the right
  47. 01:41thing with the back, he becomes fearful.
  48. 01:43Uh the middle of the pack should be the
  49. 01:45one for the families because they're
  50. 01:46naturally happy golucky. But if you do
  51. 01:49too much excitement, they become hyper.
  52. 01:52You see it?
  53. 01:53And this is across breeds.
  54. 01:54Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is
  55. 01:55doesn't matter if it's a bulldog or a,
  56. 01:57you know,
  57. 01:57and every litter is front of the pack,
  58. 01:59middle of the pack, back of the pack.
  59. 02:00But it's more back of the packs being
  60. 02:02born like followers than it's only one
  61. 02:05per litter, a litter of the pack. So
  62. 02:08that's what they call in the in the
  63. 02:09breeder world pick of the litter. See
  64. 02:12it? So in a litter of German shepherds,
  65. 02:14only one it can be a police officers.
  66. 02:16The other one is pet quality or they
  67. 02:18call him the run of the litter.
  68. 02:19Back of the pack sensitive middle of the
  69. 02:21pack happy golucky is the HR of the fam
  70. 02:24of the pack. The middle of the pack,
  71. 02:26right? And then the front of the pack is
  72. 02:27the one that gives direction protection.
  73. 02:29Should you wait for your dog to get up?
  74. 02:30What if you have to go to work? Should
  75. 02:31you force your dog to wake up and walk?

  76. Draining Energy Through Routine

  77. 02:34I certainly would. They're they're
  78. 02:35daytime animals. So the biologist
  79. 02:37definitely as soon as the sun comes up,
  80. 02:40they they should go, you know, they
  81. 02:41should go.
  82. 02:42This is what we do with strummer. Even
  83. 02:44though bulldog I mean they'll sleep till
  84. 02:4610:00 a.m. but um we we have to work so
  85. 02:49we take them
  86. 02:50no take care of it. It's easier. It's
  87. 02:52actually better, right? Cuz he's like I
  88. 02:54got to but then you drain the energy
  89. 02:56quicker.
  90. 02:57Yeah. It's way better because you want
  91. 02:58them to stay waiting for you in a
  92. 03:00resting state. So it's five body motions
  93. 03:02the animals do. They stretch as soon as
  94. 03:04they wake up, right? Walk, run, rest,
  95. 03:07sleep. So a lot of times when you don't
  96. 03:09walk the dog or run the dog and you want
  97. 03:10the dog to wait for you, he can't go
  98. 03:12into a resting state.
  99. 03:14You see it? So it's very important that
  100. 03:16we follow the the five body motions
  101. 03:18because every single animal as soon as
  102. 03:20they wake up, they stretch.
  103. 03:22The bird flies,
  104. 03:24right? And the the dog walks and and and
  105. 03:26the rest of the animals, the the the
  106. 03:28water animals, they swim, right? So
  107. 03:30there is a um a a formula that they
  108. 03:34have. So if we want them to wait for us,
  109. 03:36we have to leave them in a resting state
  110. 03:40and they just that's the meaning of
  111. 03:41waiting state. That's it,
  112. 03:43right? But they can't wait or rest if
  113. 03:45the body and the mind has not been
  114. 03:47drained. And another another reason why
  115. 03:50the walk is so important
  116. 03:51because the walk is is the only activity
  117. 03:54from play and explore that gives them
  118. 03:56calm surrender. Play and explore gives
  119. 03:58them an excited energy.
  120. 03:59Do you recommend walking them on the
  121. 04:01same path, novel path? um giving them
  122. 04:04new
  123. 04:04in the beginning. Yes. Then the the the
  124. 04:06same path is important. They create you
  125. 04:09know trust to the environment but once
  126. 04:10they they they know it very well you
  127. 04:13have to change it.
  128. 04:14Mhm.
  129. 04:14Yeah. And and you don't have to change
  130. 04:16like even going on in a different
  131. 04:18direction you can just come outside and
  132. 04:20put food in the floor and tempt the dog
  133. 04:22to want to smell and correct them. So
  134. 04:24that creates a challenge.
  135. 04:26You see? So you learn to ignore food in
  136. 04:28the floor and you see it. So you start
  137. 04:30creating your own Universal Studios. So
  138. 04:32your whole house or your whole
  139. 04:33environment becomes your own dog
  140. 04:35psychology center where you're
  141. 04:36challenging your dog, you know, to uh to
  142. 04:39not get bored because they learn a
  143. 04:41pattern really fast and once they learn
  144. 04:43it, there is no growth. So then then the
  145. 04:46mind gets also frustrated, bore or
  146. 04:48confused because there's no growth.
  147. 04:50I love it. I train stmer to run on the

  148. Treadmill Training Techniques

  149. 04:53treadmill.
  150. 04:53Yeah.
  151. 04:54For little rewards here and there,
  152. 04:55intermittent reinforcement. And he loves
  153. 04:57it. He runs now. He jumps on. He gets on
  154. 04:59that thing. Uh, it never occurred to me
  155. 05:01to do this, but I realized that we're in
  156. 05:03California, it doesn't rain too often,
  157. 05:04but even when it rains, I want to have
  158. 05:07something where I can get his energy
  159. 05:09out. If it there's fires again, I want
  160. 05:10to be outside of course. Anyway,
  161. 05:12um, so glad to hear that the treadmill
  162. 05:14is is okay.
  163. 05:15You know, the first treadmill I saw,
  164. 05:16remember the show The Jetsons?
  165. 05:18Yeah.
  166. 05:18Without Jetson.
  167. 05:20Yeah,
  168. 05:20that was the first dog I ever seen on a
  169. 05:22treadmill and I was a kid. Then I come
  170. 05:24to America and I see a whole bunch of
  171. 05:26treadmills, [laughter] you know, and in
  172. 05:27people's garage and I say, "Did you ever
  173. 05:29put your dog on a treadmill?" I said,
  174. 05:31"No. Can you put a dog on the
  175. 05:32treadmill?" I learned that by watching
  176. 05:34the Jetsons.
  177. 05:35Oh, very cool.
  178. 05:36Then I came and practiced it in America
  179. 05:37because people just had the treadmill,
  180. 05:39but they were not using it.
  181. 05:40Wow.
  182. 05:41You know, so that's when I started
  183. 05:42putting dogs on a treadmill and people
  184. 05:45were just fascinated. But I said,
  185. 05:46"Listen, this is not for you to stay
  186. 05:48lazy. This is just for emergencies,
  187. 05:51okay? and for you to challenge the mind
  188. 05:54and and and you know and and that's it.
  189. 05:56But it's not it's not so you don't walk.
  190. 06:00Yeah. I do a walk with him then bring
  191. 06:02him back and then if he still has a lot
  192. 06:03of energy and I have to go I get him
  193. 06:05going fast on an incline.
  194. 06:06Yep.
  195. 06:07Get him right to his threshold and then
  196. 06:09play with it a little bit. We're done.
  197. 06:10Like we I've been trying to share this
  198. 06:12thing with him like
  199. 06:13we this is our thing and now he
  200. 06:15[clears throat] he loves the treadmill.
  201. 06:16He we dying to get on the treadmill. If
  202. 06:18people become more like personal
  203. 06:19trainers, they will challenge the dogs a
  204. 06:21lot more like a personal trainer.
  205. 06:22You see, so they will be able to, you
  206. 06:24know, challenge the mind and challenge
  207. 06:26the body. Challenge the mind, challenge
  208. 06:27the body. It's a personal trainer,
  209. 06:29right? And but
  210. 06:30but people don't do it, you know, they
  211. 06:32don't do this other uh titles,
  212. 06:35right? I'm just want to be a dog lover
  213. 06:37or the mom of this dog or the father of
  214. 06:39this dog. Yeah, you can also be a coach.
  215. 06:41You can also be a religious coach, you
  216. 06:43know what I mean? Or spiritual coach, uh
  217. 06:46intellectual coach. I mean, don't forget
  218. 06:48that it's four worlds. It's not just the
  219. 06:50emotional world, and that's the only one
  220. 06:53you want to practice because that's the
  221. 06:54easiest one,
  222. 06:55right? To love a dog is so easy, you
  223. 06:58know, to challenge him, you know,
  224. 07:00spiritually and instinctually and and
  225. 07:02intellectually, that's it requires
  226. 07:04creativity.
  227. 07:05Yeah, that's a great relationship with
  228. 07:07Yeah, it's awesome. It's good for you.
  229. 07:08Yeah. Because if the dog is doing great,
  230. 07:10that means you did great. So, it's a
  231. 07:12reflection of you, right? The dog is a
  232. 07:14reflection of you, your energy, your
  233. 07:16philosophy, your actions. So every time
  234. 07:17you work out with a dog, you're working
  235. 07:19out with yourself.
  236. 07:20It's just in a natural, simple, profound
  237. 07:22way.
  238. 07:23That's it. You know, which is about
  239. 07:25trust, respect, love, safe, peace, love,
  240. 07:27body, mind, heart. Just simple stuff,
  241. 07:30right? And that creates the off leash.
  242. 07:32That that [clears throat] is, you know,
  243. 07:34the ultimate we should all accomplish.
  244. 07:36And you shouldn't pay for it, right? I'm
  245. 07:38not trying to get my, you know,
  246. 07:40colleagues, the dog trainers, uh, not to
  247. 07:42get jobs, but it's it's um, it's kind of
  248. 07:47silly that you hire somebody to teach
  249. 07:49your dog off leash. You earn that.
  250. 07:52That's something we have to earn. It's
  251. 07:53good for us
  252. 07:54to earn, you know, that that trust, that
  253. 07:57respect, that love.
  254. 07:58It's good. It's it's a good exercise, a
  255. 08:00good workout. That means you use your
  256. 08:02spirit, your instinct, your heart, and
  257. 08:04your mind every single day of life.
  258. 08:05That's why that dog behaves that way.
  259. 08:08You see, they keep you on track, just to
  260. 08:10live a natural, simple, profound life.
  261. 08:12And when you're having a hard time in
  262. 08:14life, that's where you want to go.
  263. 08:16To your natural, simple, profound. You
  264. 08:18know, never let this one go. So to have
  265. 08:20a good relationship with a dog is
  266. 08:22automatically let you have a good
  267. 08:24relationship with God. They're together.

  268. Weighted Backpack Recommendations

  269. 08:26We're the only one that separates them.
  270. 08:28What is your recommendation? I realize
  271. 08:29it varies by breed and by age. two
  272. 08:33minimum 30 minute walks per day as as
  273. 08:35much as a couple hours twice a day
  274. 08:37with a backpack on right obviously the
  275. 08:39dog is a little older because you know
  276. 08:40the backpack adds that extra half hour
  277. 08:43cuz now the dog is carrying something
  278. 08:45so a weighted backpack
  279. 08:46yes and how should one assess like
  280. 08:48percentage of body weight of the dog
  281. 08:49like
  282. 08:49in the beginning you can just put a
  283. 08:51backpack cuz they're psychologically you
  284. 08:52know they don't want to wear anything
  285. 08:53you know nothing that we put on them
  286. 08:55they want to wear it
  287. 08:56you know a leash a collar a muzzle a
  288. 08:58boots doesn't matter doesn't matter soy
  289. 09:01Psychologically that drains them, right?
  290. 09:03Because they got to get used to it. So
  291. 09:05you you walk until the dog comes
  292. 09:07surrender to it and then you take it off
  293. 09:09and then the mind will become very
  294. 09:11drained. Once the dog gets used to it
  295. 09:13and then you start putting weight you
  296. 09:14can start with five pounds. Remember
  297. 09:16every time you add something you
  298. 09:17challenge the mind and the goal is
  299. 09:20simply for the mind to surrender.
  300. 09:23You see it and and then the body the
  301. 09:25body is going to become calm because
  302. 09:26it's wasting energy. So your job
  303. 09:28literally every day with a dog is to
  304. 09:29empty the tank. Empty the tank, you
  305. 09:32know, cuz a tired dog is never going to
  306. 09:33give you problems.
  307. 09:35[music]