So many people try to deal with their dogs (and other animals) from a human reference point. They think animals think of things in the same way as humans, and that's just not the case. For example, dogs are pack animals, and they approach things from that pack animal mentality - where do I fit into the pack? What is my "job" in the pack? Who is the pack leader?
On his television show, Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan helps people address problems with their dogs by approaching the problem from that same pack mentality - whether it's a dog not recognizing the "alpha dog" status of its owner, or a dog who's stressed out about conflict among the humans in the household, for example. This book is essentially Millan explaining how pack animals think, and showing readers how to establish themselves as the pack leader in their dogs' minds.
One of the main points made throughout the book is that dogs respond to the energy and non-verbal communication put out by their owners. You place yourself as the pack leader, and keep your dogs from being stressed out, by putting out calm, assertive energy. Millan gives lots of great examples of how this helps you to work out problems with your dogs, but I wish he had done a better job explaining how to project that calm-assertive energy.
There are a few other minor issues that I have with the book, but for the most part, it's a good resource for people trying to establish a strong, respectful relationship with their dog.

His methods use punishment and other tactics that will scare and hurt dogs. That certainly does not help them be happy. To really help your dog be happy and well behaved, look for books and videos by trainers like Karen Pryor,
Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson,
Kathy Sdao (From Tacoma!), Jane Killion. Here is a great website with free positive videos. http://dogmantics.com/free-video-list/

His methods use punishment and other tactics that will scare and hurt dogs. That certainly does not help them be happy. To really help your dog be happy and well behaved, look for books and videos by trainers like Karen Pryor,
Patricia McConnell, Jean Donaldson,
Kathy Sdao (From Tacoma!), Jane Killion. Here is a great website with free positive videos. http://dogmantics.com/free-video-list/

This is a great book for anyone who has more than 1 dog. I recently adopted a rescue dog and I now have a pack of 3! This book explains how dogs really think, feel and behave. Cesar uses very gentle and easy techniques. He uses his own energy and body language (confidence and assertiveness). I have tried a few of his suggestions and one that I can really back-up is the fact that if you bring a new dog into an already exhisting pack, the new dog will learn a lot from the others. I know it worked for me, just amazing to watch them interact, set boundries and of course decide who will be the alpha dog. Thanks Cesar!

I'm not sure where sdbishop gets the idea that dogs are not pack animals. If they weren't then feral and stray dogs wouldn't run in packs, which they do. As for the book, I like how much of this book is focused on you changing your energy. He refers you to a couple of other books and techniques to get yourself centred.

Interesting approach to dog training. Psychological, spiritual, and emotional approach to dealing with dogs and people. Too much name dropping. Much of the material from the first book is repeated. Stand alone book.