Pink and Undecided: Cesar Millan

#Undecided Meets The Dog Whisperer

Hello hello hello!!

*grin*

I'm actually very giddy writing this for I still can't believe that only around a few weeks ago I finally (FINALLY!!!) met my hero. Like literally shook his hand and said, "great show, Cesar, big fan!" *reminiscing*

Anyway, it all started at 3am on a Saturday (26 Apr 2014) morning. I jolted awake (after only around one and a half hour of sleep) and grinned from ear to ear. CESAR MILLAN DAY, I thought to myself... Rushed hubby to get ready and by 5am we were already in front of Juanda Airport's Burger King, "harassing" their people to quickly open the joint and were literally the first customers that day (hubby was craving for some good ol fashioned burger LOL).

Hubby (whom that day sat in front of me - no thanks for separating our seats, Air Asia!) looking giddy and sleepy at the same time LOL.

Long story short, we arrived in Jakarta around 7.30am and after getting our luggage we hauled our sleepy butts to Bakmi GM. Yes, it was quite early yet we've had burgers AND noodles. Big portions, no less... LOL.

Got to the hotel (Rasuna Icon, Kuningan - a decent hotel, nothing fancy, they could use MORE aircon for it was hot around the lobby and even in our room, but the breakfast was delicious!) around 9am and found out that the check-in time was at 2pm LOL. But the lovely receptionist lady promised to call us whenever our room was ready and she kept her words, by 12pm we were already in our room.

Showing you the roof-top resto area - where we waited for our room to be ready (because it was significantly colder up there - remember I said the hotel needs MORE air con hehehe) and where we had breakfast the next day.

The snacks hubby and I had to pass the time.

Got to chill for a bit while awaiting for hubby's big bro to pick us up and around 1.30pm we were on our way to the venue (The Kassablanka - KoKas). We got lucky that day for the traffic was just so so... It got a bit ridiculous approaching KoKas and we saw a white SUV being escorted by the police. We believe Cesar Millan was INSIDE that car hahahaha...

Anyway, got into KoKas, had lunch at The Duck King and by 3pm we were already in the venue!! *excited*

This is the first thing we saw when we entered

Cesar and Junior's cardboard cutoff!! *excited excited!!*

We were greeted by some nice ProPlan ladies asking us to sign our names and we could enjoy the entertainment they've prepared prior to the actual show. Which we did, but first thing first, we went and exchanged the vouchers we purchased from rajakarcis.com with our actual tickets!!

For someone from Surabaya whom never had to pay to go to concerts/shows (thanks to Ko Stephan from Lasika Production LOL), I didn't expect to get this kind of ticket... I pictured a more conventional looking ones - like, say, movie theater's LOL.

With tickets on hand, we continued to explore ProPlan's booths. First up, game time. We played xbox (dog themed, we played fetch with imaginary puppy) and managed to score 2 frisbees (one of them had already been destroyed by Jerome - silly face thought it was a chew toy I guess LOL)

Showing you what we got for our kiddos!

And then we lounged at ProPlan mini cafe.

Watched this dog training video (which was on repeat LOL).

I think hubby downed around 10 bars of mini chocolate they provided...

...while I was waiting for my coffee (always wanted to try Nescafe Dolce Gusto - and I finally did! The coffee was yum - didn't expect less from Nescafe!)

My perfect Saturday! (And yes, that's the frisbee underneath the tickets covering all the chocolate wrappers LOL).

O hi there Sorak Gemilang, ProPlan, and Animal Defenders' logos!! Thank you all for getting Cesar to Indonesia!!

Next stop: Animal Defenders' Booth!

A cause dear to my heart! Go check out their website and follow them on twitter

Purchased several t-shirts (two of them look exactly like what the mannequin wears) for hubby and I and for our kennel-boy. You can also purchase those merchandises on their website to help fund their organization!

Got to finally meet Mr. Doni Herdaru Tona in person! He's the founder of Animal Defenders and my personal hero! Go follow him on twitter to know more about what his amazing organization does!

Following the arrow to our seats!

The venue!! We got in pretty early, eager to skip the long lines!

The giant screen with the word: JAKARTA!!

Selfie with the hubs! (this was taken right before he snoozed right on his seat waiting for the show to start... Didn't I tell you we only had a few hours of sleep the night before hahaha)

Finally (after 15 to 30 mins delay, I can't remember) the show started. I saw dark blank screen and thanks to my days in EO business, I knew he was gonna make the grand entrance from behind the audience! I quickly turned around, saw this guy pacing forward, and started clapping. People followed suit and cheered LOL. They cheered further when he took off his jacket to show a football jersey. Took me a while to realize that it was Persija's (hey, no football fan here!) LOL.

It was just like his show The Dog Whisperer (the live one that is), but so much more at the same time. He's one superb public speaker and from the moment he said "Hello Jakarta", I was sold. He started the "seminar" with a promise that when the show was done, we would be more in tune with our instinct and mother nature. Two things that people in big cities nowadays are no longer familiar with...

He didn't bring Junior with him (later explaining on his website how it was not possible due to the fact that bringing him to Asia would mean plenty time spent during custom's quarantine whilst Cesar and his team would only spend several days in each country), but that didn't mean no dogs were present. Few weeks before the D Day, Indonesian dogs were selected (from numbers of people submitting their dogs' video on YouTube) by Cesar himself to be with him on the stage.

And the way the dogs behaved whenever Cesar handled the leash was just awesome. Basically this is what he wanted us to see on his shows, that it can be done. No magic. Just pure calmness and assertiveness.

Speaking of magic, he joked once that long ago he would say to people that "it's because the leash is magic" when asked what his secret was. Clearly it was a joke. People laughed. But when we were lining up to go to the bathroom during intermission, I heard one aunty said to her daughter, "I wonder if they're selling the magic leash outside?! We should go look!" and I was like... KILL ME NOW LOL LOL LOL.

Aunty, it was no magic. And certainly there's no such thing as magic leash. LOL.

Anyway, I didn't snap any photo, didn't record any video because not only it was not allowed (oh but it was okay to snap photos as long as we don't use flash), but I was so into the show, I didn't want to ruin the moment by doing something other than watching and savoring it. But when this showed on the giant screen:

I just had to. It's Cesar's fave quote. Well said, Mr. Gandhi!

And with that quote Cesar ended his show.

BUT it wasn't ending yet for yours truly as I actually won the meet and greet ticket!!!

Go on and read that card!!

And one of the biggest moments in my life to date:

I can safely say that I've met my hero (yes, bringing hubby and my dogs along for the ride - check out my t-shirt! LOL)

Arghhh what a dream came true!

Now excuse me, I need to dream my next encounter with Cesar Millan (which btw will come true, mark my words). Preferably at his Dog Training Facility - with me as one of his students. Hey, dream big, right!!

Toodles,

#Undecided

2:40:00 PM
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Life's Trick #1: How To Stop Your Dog From Running Away

calm and assertive

This morning when hubby and I were waiting for the driver to arrive at the carpool location, we noticed a dog, running away from a house. It was a little Pomeranian. She didn't just dash away, but whenever her person tried to get to her, she would run further. It was quite funny to watch, until hubby and I realized that the dog lost interest in the "little game" and started gaining quite a distance...

So we stepped out of our car. And hubby being hubby, managed to coax the dog to approach him with no difficulty whatsoever. And then it struck me. Lots of people are simply clueless. Therefore this is a good blogging material (and I haven't been blogging for so long because I ~~simply am too lazy~~ have nothing to write about LOL)!! So here goes, okay...

What's the first thing that pops in your head when your dog runs away?

Yes, I know just the thing... You panic and just by reflex, immediately start chasing after it, right?!

Right... But that can't be more wrong!

When you chase a dog, it's game time for them. They will instinctively run away because for them it's like "you can try, human, but you can never outrun me, let's race!!". And let's face it... they have 4 legs. They WILL outrun us hahahaha...

So here's the thing that works every time: MAKE THEM CHASE US.

Yep. Get their attention (obviously by calling their name) and then run the opposite direction. They will chase you. Once they do, stop abruptly, squat, and start calling their name. They'll run right into your open arms (sorry for the choices of words, obviously I need to write more LOL).

However, this is what you guys need to do in order to make sure that your dog doesn't have the need to run away:

1/ Walk em daily.

I seriously cannot say this enough. Dogs need exercise. Especially the large breeds and the high-energy-ones-albeit-small like a beagle. No matter how big your yard is, if you don't walk them out, it's like being in a large prison for them. Dogs are adventurers by nature. They sniff tracks. They need to go outside. They need to burn up their energy or else they'll feel trapped and whenever they see an opening on the front gate... Dash they go! Besides, walking your dogs is the best way to bond with them. If you do it properly, it's seriously fun. So start walking your dogs, okay?

Me walking my dogs off leash. Badass, eh!? LOL.

2/ Make sure they know their name.

I've seen dogs that don't even flinch when their human yell out their names. Which is super strange to me. Like, how do you communicate with your dogs then?!

Teaching a dog to know their name is very simple. Use their favorite treat. Get their attention by letting them sniff it, and then BRING THE TREAT TO YOUR NOSE (so they look directly at you), and say their name. When they look at you (meaning you have their attention), give the treat and SHOWER THEM with praises. Exaggerate. Repeat until you can get their attention without the treat.

This is what it looks like when you get your dog's full attention (gee, I was ever skinny once, no more now... no more... LOL)

3/ Teach them the word "come" and "stay" (or "stop" or whatever as long as they understand that it means "drop whatever I'm doing and pay attention to my human").

Yes, it is cute when your dog knows how to shake hand or roll over or play dead. But those tricks will do em no good. On the other hand, basic obedience commands are way more important. Especially "come" and "stay".

4/ Always stay calm and assertive.

Yes, I'm quoting the Dog Whisperer himself, Mr. Cesar Millan. It's true. When you're in a panic state, your dogs don't trust you. How do you expect to give commands or simply to stop them from running away when they don't trust you? And as for being assertive, it always helps to let your dogs know that when you give a command, you mean business, so they take you seriously. Besides, being assertive is totally different from being mean, don't mix the two, okay?

Digressing: I'm going to go see (and meet hopefully!!!) Cesar Millan's show in Jakarta this April. Tickets are secured. Now, I need your help. Affirm it with me, people: I will meet and interact with him on his show!! (side note: been practicing The Secret, but that's another story for another day).

Digressing further: Kalista passed her first obedience test. She got 53 (out of 60), and the best dog's score was 55. Beyond proud.

Kalista and Hubby on one of her training session. And the photo on the right shows how Hubby praises her after training.

Okay, I guess that's it.

Toodles,

#Undecided

with my Jerome - a Valentine's gift that keeps on giving

3:27:00 PM
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#Undecided's Hero

Cesar Millan

Hello everybody! How's Friday treating you? Kindly I hope, LOL. My day isn't all pretty (I had a persistent tummy ache thanks to this spicy egg and tofu dish I had last night) which is why I need to distract myself with happy thoughts and here I am, writing... sharing with you my latest happy thought.

As you know, I am a dog person. I love dogs. I always have and always will. But I guess growing up with them didn't necessarily teach me how to properly treat them. Sure I tend to them, play with them, give them lots (yes, LOTS!!) of affection, but that was it. I thought that was enough. My dogs always seemed happy anyways. Sure they chew on stuff, bark some, jump on you, hump your leg, pull on their leashes, but that's what dogs do... right?

Well I thought so... until I saw my first episode of Dog Whisperer on NatGeo.

My understanding of dogs was instantly scattered *dramatic alert LOL*. Apparently everything I did to and for my dogs wasn't all correct. I started watching the show religiously - and I got my hubby hooked as well. It's safe to say that Cesar Millan is our new hero. I was honestly amazed of how good he is with dogs, even with dogs he has never met before...

We started practicing his theories on our own dogs - with surprising results. Apparently they are doable! And NOT to my surprise, our dogs responded better to hubby. Yep, he's my very own Dog Whisperer. LOL. It's a joy watching him "at work" doing his magic with our pack, and it has become my obsession to share him with others (the talent ya, not the person. I don't share husband, sorry!! LOL).

The opportunity presented itself in the form of a handsome 6-month-old Siberian Husky name Bolt.

Bolt - recent photo

Bolt - a few months ago *cue: awwwwww*

Bolt before he met hubby was a typical dog which had - quoting Cesar Millan - no rules, no boundaries, no limitations. Yes, with his adorable face, he pretty much got away with everything. He even managed to nip and bite his humans here and there. Quoting Fanny (my friend - his owner), "It feels like I'm in an abusive household - LOL - I have bruises all over my thighs, cuts on my knee, and scratches on my hands." She was finally at a point where she needed someone's help because she just couldn't manage him anymore. Especially with a baby on the way (yes, she's 5 months preggo), and the fact that Bolt is growing fast and he will eventually become bigger and stronger than he is today.

So it was one Saturday afternoon. Hubby and I with our two German Shepherd (Jerome and Kalista) drove to her house. We got there and were greeted by Bolt barking his lungs off. We immediately spotted that he wasn't aggressive - he was just territorial and unsure about how to react to a situation, especially with 2 new dogs on his turf (which is a very typical case for dogs which live alone and have no social skill). It took hubby around 5 minutes or so wrestling with his leash (while Jerome and Kalista sitting quietly with me - completely ignoring whatever Bolt was doing - which is exactly what stable dogs would do) and Bolt immediately calmed down.

We took everyone off for a walk and after one round hubby was confident to walk Bolt off leash (I'm sure it was because Jerome was there - he's such a good role model, that dog, I love him to bits LOL). We ran into two neighbor's dogs (another German Shepherd and Siberian Husky - coincidence?!) and everything was a-OK. Bolt never bolted (yes, pun intended LOL), but he did strayed and ventured into a vegetation by himself and got himself dirty but he came back when we called out to him (never, I repeat, never chase a straying dog because he will only run faster thinking that you're playing with him. Just stay calm, squat down and call their name with some whistling and clapping - that is the trick!)

Bolt trying to dominate Jerome - and no, it is NOT okay when a dog does this to another dog. He's not being playful, he's being dominant (look at his ears and tail). We need to stop this behavior before this escalates into a fight.

We tackled several of Bolt's issues that day and showed Fanny and Harry (Fanny's husband) how to handle him. They have managed (by themselves) to walk Bolt without him pulling on the leash. Harry did it first and then jokingly made a bet that Fanny would never be able to walk him successfully that day, but hubby was like "challenge accepted!!" and got her to do so after 2 or 3 attempts *proud moment LOL - Harry so owes us money!!*. They managed to get him to walk into his kennel (without force or being lured by treat), and to wait patiently in front of an open door.

Harry took this pic. He said that it was one memorable moment that Bolt could sit politely with a stranger LOL.

The next morning, I got the best news: Harry and Fanny had a good morning with Bolt. Their biggest achievement - see for yourselves:

Bolt - sleeping in front of an open door - without trying to barge in - yep, a first for them!!

And one more - read the caption, please!! *smug* LOL

We felt it was appropriate for Bolt to be introduced to our whole pack - and I am proud to report that it went smoothly. Enjoy the photos!

from left to right: Denzel - Jerome - Hubby - Bolt - Kalista - Fanny - Alvon - my brother Henry (Gloria is not in the picture because we suspect that she's preggo so she needed to stay inside)

Bolt and his two mentors

Alvon sniffing on Bolt's rear. Yes, this is how dogs meet. It's normal. Don't worry and try to separate them when your dogs do this.

We had one incident when Bolt jumped and tried to nip Alvon when Alvon tried to drink from his bowl. A new challenge for us to tackle. By the end of the day, Bolt only let Kalista pass (well not really, Kalista sashayed her way in and Bolt was speechless LOL), so it's a point to work on - which we will.

Kalista and Bolt's bowl LOL

I wonder where Jerome was...

nap time

I've been getting rave reports from Fanny. Bolt is on his way to be a balanced dog. Was it magic? Nope. It was just a bunch of people trying to do what's best for our dogs. How? By being their good pack leader and treating them as dogs - just the way they are meant to be treated - and not humanizing them.

Was I proud of hubby? Very! He's my new hero!! LOL.

Hubby and Kalista

Our next project? Personally, I would like to keep helping Baby Boy be a good pack leader. I'm sure he will - he's on his way to be!! Just look at how good he is with Jerome and Kalista!

Have a nice weekend, y'all!

Until next post,
#Undecided

a photo of me and Gloria :)

4:58:00 PM
5 Comments

#Undecided's Valentine's Day

Cesar Millan

Hi loves... How are you doing today? I hope you guys are all having a fun and/or relaxing weekend. I'm writing this entry on a Saturday night in a Starbucks joint while hubby and my bro are busy browsing for koi fishes, but since #Pink has uploaded her entry, I will save this one as a draft and publish it tomorrow. (I seriously don't know why I'm telling y'all this, but I guess I love putting backstory to everything LOL).

Anyway, I know it's Feb 16th today, but I would like to share what went down on my Valentine day.

Here goes.

Btw the weather is so crazy lately, don't you think?! It's so hot in the mornings and always raining at night. No wonder I'm not 100% healthy until today. Hmph.

*ahem* Yes, you're right. I'm trying to make this post longer. LOL.

Sorry. Hehehehe.

Okay seriously. Here goes.

Unlike #Pink and her hunny, hubby and I never celebrate Valentines day. Both of us are the most unromantic people there is. No, scratch that. #Pink is not a romantic either, but she is the type of person who would use whatever reason to celebrate. Yes, she's that jolly LOL. So last Thursday was just another Thursday but it was quite special because it was a homecoming day for our new baby.

No, not Kalista - but kudos for those who had her in mind because that means you've been reading this blog religiously :)

Our new baby is Jerome. A long haired German Shepherd. Hubby actually purchased him around a week after purchasing Kalista but we've been keeping him low key because we didn't want to alert my mother (she's a dog lover but we already have 3 Golden Retrievers and they're quite a handful especially during the no-maids times, she would freak). Hubby said that we should just surprise her and since we have already purchased him there would be nothing she could do LOL. Well that or trying to pass him for Kalista and when Kalista arrives, well... that would be another problem for another day. LOL.

Anyway, mother finally found out on Thursday morning and thank God that she didn't mind LOL.

So, here you go, peeps. Our new baby Jerome. Isn't he's a beaut!!

aaaaaaaaw *in love*

one more - up close to his face

So, no candle-lit dinner for hubby and I. But a nice long walk - with our pack. Just like what Cesar Millan says, a walk is what makes a pack and since Jerome is a newbie, the best way to introduce him to our Golden Rets is to just walk everybody together. And we did.

our new pack - after the walk

I am thrilled to report that Jerome was well received and he has made quite a bond with Denzel (our male Golden Ret). And just after 3 days, hubby has managed to walk him off leash today (yes, he is that good with dogs).