Donald McCaig Quotes

No dog is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate dogs, I train people. I am the dog whisperer.

People say I train dogs, but in many ways I train people.

I can't speak American dog very well. There was a lot of improvisation with Uggie - like when I put the dog on the table or sometimes I follow him, sometimes he follows me. I had a lot of treats in my pocket. We worked with Omar Von Muller, the dog trainer. It was very easy because it was a big movie.

It is the job of the dog trainer to summon the dog's genetics, not to impose man's will over dog's.

A dog – a collie – went up to Eric, looked up at his face, and growled. “Shoo,” Eric said, making an imperious gesture with his hand.

I brought a Border Collie back home to Vancouver from Wales - where some of my ancestors are from - and needed to challenge him in other ways than just being my pet. So I investigated sheep herding and took a few lessons, and decided I was probably learning more than my dog!

I think I'm good at training dogs, but none of my dogs agree with me on that.

We have Beast, our Hungarian sheep dog. And he is so talented. He's so smart. He knows his daily schedule. He has an extracurricular activity. He goes herding. He herds sheep. And we've been told that he's quite gifted.

People teach their dogs to sit; it's a trick. I've been sitting my whole life, and a dog has never looked at me as though he thought I was tricky.

When I'm training a dog, I develop a relationship with that dog. He's my buddy, and I want to make training fun.

Once I climbed into a mountain lion's cage and she bounded at me and put her paw on my face, but she kept her claws withdrawn.

Once you have an animal, you have to commit to it. They need a sense of freedom, but, of course, they must have some boundaries. I am against hitting them though; just send the vibe and that will do it.

If you are fearful, a horse will back off. If you are calm and confident, it will come forward. For those who are often flattered or feared, the horse can be a welcome mirror of the best in human nature.

Owners lavish love on their pets, which is why so many go from non-aggressive pups to being out of control when they're older. People just don't realise their dog must respect them as leader of the pack.

Do not wave stick when trying to catch dog.

People - and dogs - are dying to be trained.

I grew up on a farm and my grandfather quit school when he was 12, but when it came to common sense and animals, he was the smartest person I've ever met, before or since. He taught me that to touch an animal is an earned privilege. It's not a right.

Working with animals forces an actor to work harder because you have to be quick when it comes to improvisation, and you can't break character - at all.

I'm impressed with how professional they are and what they can get an animal to do. I mean, dogs and cats - that's one thing. But when you get into the larger animals, that's a different thing all together.

It's just extremely difficult to shoot with five dogs. They're great, and the people who handle them are amazing. But they're animals.

You can't train a penguin to act. You kind of have to take what you get.

Though each trainer believes his or her method is best, I don't think it matters which method the pet owner adopts so long as that owner finds a capable mentor and sticks with the training. Eventually you will learn to see your dog, and when that happens, the richness of your and your dog's lives will tell you what to do next.

A sheepdog trial is the most difficult test of a man and dog ever devised.

Every actor strives to be in the moment, and when you're on a horse, you constantly have to communicate with it and assert your authority.

Any dog can be aggressive; it's basically the way they're raised.