--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Discipline isn't about showing a dog…" description: "\"Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.\" — Cesar Millan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg" --- # Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's… ![“Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.” quote by Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg) > “Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.” [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership is responsibility, not dominance over those you care for. **In simple terms:** Discipline is caring responsibility. Key Takeaway Lead with responsibility. Themes leadership responsibility compassion Mood empathetic instructive Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - training pets - parenting children - team management - mentoring - volunteering Key Concepts ethology human-animal bond caregiving Questions to Reflect On - How does responsibility improve relationships? - When is firm guidance appropriate? A Different Perspective Dominance can breed resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boss/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Taking responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-responsibility/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [To me, the human move to take responsibility for the living Earth is laughable - the rhetoric of the powerless. The planet takes care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-margulis/to-me-the-human-move-to-take-responsibility-for-the-living-earth-is/) [Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-margulis/) > [“Discipline isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. It takes reprogramming your habits and your thoughts, as well as mastering your emotions. Yet it’s essential. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrystal-evans-hurst/discipline-isn-t-easy-but-it-s-necessary-it-takes-reprogramming-your/) [Chrystal Evans Hurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrystal-evans-hurst/) > [“Cakes have gotten a bad rap. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always a person at the table...No, really, I couldn't...Everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-ray/cakes-have-gotten-a-bad-rap-people-equate-virtue-with-turning-down-3/) [Jeanne Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-ray/) > [Discipline of others isn't punishment. You discipline to help, to improve, to correct, to prevent, not to punish, humiliate, or retaliate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/discipline-of-others-isn-t-punishment-you-discipline-to-help-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [Discipline isn't a dirty word. Far from it. Discipline is the one thing that separates us from chaos and anarchy. Discipline implies timing. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-brannaman/discipline-isn-t-a-dirty-word-far-from-it-discipline-is-the-one-thing/) [Buck Brannaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-brannaman/) > [Re raising kids: Love, without discipline, isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/re-raising-kids-love-without-discipline-isn-t/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Although I can't stop all cruelty to living creatures on the planet, I can be kinder to every living creature in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/river-phoenix/although-i-can-t-stop-all-cruelty-to-living-creatures-on-the-planet-i/) [River Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/river-phoenix/) > [The true test of anyone's worth as a living creature is how much he can utilize what he has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/the-true-test-of-anyone-s-worth-as-a-living-creature-is-how-much-he/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [It is the responsibility of the living to make meaningful the sacrifices of the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/it-is-the-responsibility-of-the-living-to-make-meaningful-the/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“According to the Tiqqun collective, we have become the innocuous, pliable inhabitants of global urban societies.7 Even in the absence of any direct compulsion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-crary/according-to-the-tiqqun-collective-we-have-become-the-innocuous/) [Jonathan Crary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-crary/) > [“Living in the moment is not an excuse to be a ne'er-do-well. A person can give up on life or immerse themselves in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/living-in-the-moment-is-not-an-excuse-to-be-a-ne-er-do-well-a-person/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [We have been given the privilege and responsibility of living on Earth to see it isn't ruined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-johnson/we-have-been-given-the-privilege-and-responsibility-of-living-on/) [Allen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-johnson/) > [Why, oh why must one grow up, why must one inherit this heavy, numbing responsibility of living an undiscovered life? Out of the nothingness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-oh-why-must-one-grow-up-why-must-one-inherit-this-heavy-numbing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“LEGACY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE LIVING!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/qwana-m-babygirl-reynolds-frasier/legacy-is-the-responsibility-of-the-living/) [Qwana M. "BabyGirl" Reynolds-Frasier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/qwana-m-babygirl-reynolds-frasier/) > [You can't have responsibility and you can't have us living up to our ideals unless it's based on a fairly common acceptance of truth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-can-t-have-responsibility-and-you-can-t-have-us-living-up-to-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) ## More by Cesar Millan > [Birth, life, death is a cycle. And they're all beautiful, you celebrate all of them. Animals do grieve, but they move on. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/birth-life-death-is-a-cycle-and-they-re-all-beautiful-you-celebrate/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Dogs seek attention from you. But by paying them that attention when they want it, you're reinforcing the bad or hyperactive or anxious behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/dogs-seek-attention-from-you-but-by-paying-them-that-attention-when/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I want people to understand there is a such a thing as creating a harmonious experience between the dogs and the humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/i-want-people-to-understand-there-is-a-such-a-thing-as-creating-a/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Aggression is not a breed thing. Its a state of mind, and it comes from how the human is with the dog. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/aggression-is-not-a-breed-thing-its-a-state-of-mind-and-it-comes-from/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [The pack is very important for a dog. Once you give him the right pack and the right energy, you look at him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/the-pack-is-very-important-for-a-dog-once-you-give-him-the-right-pack/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [There are cases where the dog is not compatible to the house. There are people that don't have the strength. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/there-are-cases-where-the-dog-is-not-compatible-to-the-house-there/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [There are two schools. The school where you go and open a book, and then there's the school of life. When you learn hands-on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/there-are-two-schools-the-school-where-you-go-and-open-a-book-and/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [People with strong breeds are trying to be in control because their dog is labeled as aggressive or dangerous. That tells us how ignorant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/people-with-strong-breeds-are-trying-to-be-in-control-because-their/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Breed is among the least important things about a dog. It's more important to find a dog with compatible energy and needs that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/breed-is-among-the-least-important-things-about-a-dog-it-s-more/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I do think there are some dogs - although it's very, very rare - that do have to be kept away from all other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/i-do-think-there-are-some-dogs-although-it-s-very-very-rare-that-do/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I don't believe in ever putting a dog down for behavior issues, because that's just punishing the dog for something wrong that humans did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/i-don-t-believe-in-ever-putting-a-dog-down-for-behavior-issues/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [A lot of times in parks the large dogs and little dogs separate. That creates the opposite of social. Sometimes dogs run back in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/a-lot-of-times-in-parks-the-large-dogs-and-little-dogs-separate-that/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [I have two kids and they have the same rules. We have to do this as a community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/i-have-two-kids-and-they-have-the-same-rules-we-have-to-do-this-as-a/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Whenever I've been bitten, it's because I made a mistake. I either misread the dog's body language or let my guard down at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/whenever-i-ve-been-bitten-it-s-because-i-made-a-mistake-i-either/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) > [Homeless people's dogs are more knowledgeable than dogs in Beverly Hills. Why? Because they explore, they move forward, they go through the ups and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/homeless-people-s-dogs-are-more-knowledgeable-than-dogs-in-beverly/) [Cesar Millan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) [Explore all 132 Cesar Millan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. 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He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you have brought into your world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cesar Millan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who-s-boss-it-s-about-taking/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who-s-boss-it-s-about-taking/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/cesar-millan-3383_animal_discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who_2000512.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Discipline isn't about showing a dog who's boss; it's about taking responsibility for a living creature you…” — Cesar Millan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cesar Millan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-millan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Discipline isn't about showing a dog...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who-s-boss-it-s-about-taking/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-millan/discipline-isn-t-about-showing-a-dog-who-s-boss-it-s-about-taking/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```