Raising a Dog & Mastering Calm Assertive Energy | Cesar Millan

Andrew Huberman

Jul 6, 2026

Episode description

⁠Cesar Millan⁠ is a world-renowned dog behavior expert. We discuss how to adjust your energy and behavior to ensure your dog is calm and happy and always follows your lead. Cesar shares specific tools for: returning home to your dog each day, structuring their walks, and eliminating aggressive behaviors and anxiety. We discuss how to determine if your dog is front, middle, or back of the pack order—a hardwired feature that determines much of their needs and personality. And we explore how human-human interactions are based on balances in energy, too. Both dog owners and non-owners will gain extremely valuable insights and tools from this episode.

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Cesar Millan
00:03:54 Animal Instincts & Human Energy
00:06:31 Spirit, Sending Energy, Tool: Silence, Calm & Confident
00:16:48 Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv
00:19:30 Walking Dog; Pack Order, Tool: Picking a Puppy
00:26:44 Human & Dog Hierarchy; Greeting Dog, Tool: No Look, No Touch, No Speak
00:35:11 Calm Dog, Structured Walk, Tool: Weighted Backpack
00:44:17 Sponsor: AG1 & Eight Sleep
00:46:57 Exercise, Discipline & Affection
00:50:23 Relationship to Death, Spirituality
00:55:30 Human Energy, Rescue Dogs; Sensing Stress
01:01:36 Animal Intelligence, Cats; Being a Pack Leader
01:07:27 Calm Greeting, Humanizing Animals, Safety & Security, Anxious Dogs
01:12:41 Safety & Horses, Respecting Dogs; Human Selfishness, Pack Leader
01:21:31 Sponsor: Function
01:23:15 Human Leaders; Pack Order, Prioritizing Affection
01:32:17 Picking Human Partners, Good Pack Leaders
01:44:40 Dog & Testing Boundaries, Tool: Calm & Confidence
01:52:34 Cultivating Self-Awareness & Self-Discipline, Life Values
01:58:02 Clearing Mind, Tool: Cold Plunge
02:02:22 Honoring Pet Death, Celebration, Expressing Sadness
02:12:13 Understanding Energy, Dog Training & Hard Work
02:17:25 Dog Breeds & Exercise, Fostering Dogs; Spay & Neuter, Humping
02:23:50 Petting Dogs; Barking & Destructive Behaviors, Tools: Early Walks, Challenges
02:31:31 Spirit & Instincts, Training Humans; Acknowledgements
02:35:50 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Protocols Book, Sponsors, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Achieve mental clarity through cold plunge practice

A cold plunge can teach you to achieve a clear mind by forcing you past the initial fight-or-flight response into a state of 'calm surrender,' which is the ideal energy to bring to your dog.

#cold-therapy

#mindfulness

Use weighted dog backpack to enhance walk effectiveness

Having your dog wear a weighted backpack on walks challenges them mentally and physically, effectively adding the equivalent of an extra half-hour to the walk.

#exercise

#pets

Recognize homeless individuals as exceptional dog owners

Homeless people often have incredibly well-behaved dogs because the dogs are constantly walking and following, which fulfills their deepest instinctual need.

#community

#pets

Celebrate your dog's life to ease their transition

Instead of showing sadness around a dying dog, which makes them anxious, you should celebrate their life with happiness as they are returning to the source.

#pets

Greet dogs with scent before voice and touch

Dogs experience the world first through their nose, then eyes, then ears, so humans should allow for scent-based greeting first rather than immediately using voice and touch.

#pets

Implement 'no look, no touch, no speak' rule to calm your dog

When you get home, practice the 'no look, no touch, no speak' rule until the dog is calm to prevent anxiety and reinforce your role as the leader.

#pets

Reset your energy before seeking emotional support from your dog

Using your dog for emotional support when you are sad is harmful because you transfer negative energy to them; you should first reset your own energy before interacting.

#energy

#pets

Focus on present care, not past of rescued dogs

When you rescue a dog, you must avoid feeling sorry for its past, as this reinforces a victim mentality; instead, focus on providing a calm, structured environment in the present moment.

#pets

Prioritize exercise and discipline to foster a healthy dog relationship

The correct formula for a healthy dog relationship is to provide exercise and discipline first, with affection given only as a reward for a calm, balanced state of mind.

#pets

Choose a middle-of-the-pack dog for easier management

For a typical family, a 'middle of the pack' dog is a better choice than the 'front of the pack' or 'pick of the litter' puppy, as they are natural followers and easier to manage.