2/15/2009
An Isaac dog named beagle
In the last couple weeks I've become addicted to watching The Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Station. I own an Isaac dog named beagle. He's been alive for 6 years now. Here he is, not pooping (here, he has fixed that problem).
Cesar Milan is the Dog Whisperer. He rehabilitates dogs. He trains people. He is an illegal immigrant from Mexico with a rather successful television show. He doesn't teach dogs to sit or fetch or do flips or anything. He doesn't train people to do that either, despite the whole "I train people" tease.
Milan is a believer of the "pack" model of dog behavior -- that dogs are the same thing as wolves and that they naturally live in packs with a single alpha leader that controls the actions of the rest of the pack. He teaches people to express a calm and assertive energy and to give dogs rules, boundaries, and limitations. He believes all dogs need exercise, discipline, and affection.
Now, part of this is bunk. The whole alpha model of wolf behavior has been disproved. Wolves actually live in family structures with the mated pair -- the parents -- controlling the rest of the wolves in the pack -- their children.
Yet Cesar Milan is very effective. Personally, I believe it is because it doesn't matter whether dogs are pack animals ruled by alpha dogs, or are structured like a close family. They still follow an authority figure. And Cesar Milan has simply learned how to become that authority figure almost instantly.
There are a number of articles which criticize Milan for not being humane and not using the latest and greatest methods in humane animal training. They call his techniques old and outmoded, that he has set the dog training world back 40 years, that he has odd roller blades.
Apparently today's dog training methodology is all about positive reinforcements and almost never negatively disciplining the animal. And, in truth, that is how I trained Isaac to sit, to lie down, to stay, to leave something alone, and to get down.
People don't like that Cesar Milan touches a dog (pokes the dog) when it is becoming unruly (actually, before it is becoming unruly). They don't like that he uses leash tugs and choke collars to correct a dogs behavior. They really don't like that he makes a dog submit as a punishment by lying on its back.
Some of them don't even like that he makes the dogs exercise on a treadmill when there is no other practical alternative. They call it cruel. I just have to laugh at that one. What a bizarre thought -- that treadmills are cruel. Having, personally, been on a tread mill many many times, I have to agree completely.
I think both camps have a point. I don't find anything that Cesar Milan does on his show cruel. Nothing even tweaks my cruelty radar. The dogs on his show are not having problems learning to come when being called. They are having problems where they are about to kill another dog. Their behaviors are out of control. The next stop for many of these dogs is to be put down (in bad doggy hell.)
The people who go on against Cesar Milan set up their Straw Man arguments. "That is not how we train puppies to sit any more!" Well, Milan isn't training them to sit, and I haven't seen any puppies on that show. He is correcting out of control cases. And he does it nearly instantly simply by becoming an authority figure (whether you call it "alpha dog" or "parent" it doesn't matter.)
I doubt Cesar Milan would use these techniques to train a puppy, either. No doubt he would use the same techniques as every other dog trainer in the world.
I enjoy the show. It is like watching Super Nanny, but with a different accent, and more feet.
Comments
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I certainly agree with hating the treadmill! lol
My last dog ate my house, literally. Sheetrock, doors, everything. I wish Cezar could have helped but at the age of 4 I had no choice but to put her to sleep after she bit someone.
Some dogs are very difficult and some are naturally obeident. I think Cesar is good at what he does.
2/16/2009 3:59:40 AM
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I have only seen this guy a few times, I'm not really impressed. I think he's just an overpaid kid who loves dogs. I am a dog lover but some people will do anything to make their animals happy which is to the extreme if you ask me.
3/11/2009 2:11:04 PM
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I wonder what he's like in bed...
3/24/2009 7:27:59 PM
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Dude, I totally agree with you! If you think that making a dog be submissive by lying on its back or gently but firmly tugging on its leash are both cruel and inhumane, then have fun figuring out a different "modern" method that is more to your liking. Can people be any dumber than to say that he is cruel?!?! If he was cruel, then how come his method both works, and does not reduce the amount of tail wagging. An abused dog does not wag his tail around his abuser. Cesar knows what he is doing, and one would be a complete fool to claim otherwise. And his roller skates- hmmmmm... interesting? Not odd. Just different. I, personally, wish I had some. So, any Daddy the pit bull fans out there other than me?????
4/15/2009 1:59:59 AM
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KTbug
hummm.... i'm ok with mr milan not being mr cruelty (but also not being the best dog trainer on the planet ;)...
, but fyi , tailwagging isn't a good indicator of happiness.
the pitbull that bit me between the eyes was wagging its tail (i was not fooled by the tail wagging just the length of the rope!)
9/30/2009 1:03:32 AM
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While I have seen Cesar do things I agree with, I overall disagree with him. I HAVE seen him do cruel things -- use a shock collar (with enough pain that the dog attempted to bite its owner), choke a dog with its leash until it was too weak to fight back (this video was on the Nat Geo website), and continue to attempt to pin down a dog that was clearly scared to death of him (dogs force an "alpha roll" only when they are trying to kill another dog). These instances of cruelty are not common, from what I've seen, but they definitely happen. My biggest problems with Mr. Milan are 1) that in more than half of the episodes I've seen (which aren't many, I admit), his methods have caused the dogs to redirect and bite at their owners -- including a child. I have a huge issue with any methods that put the owner at risk. 2) He seems to be really bad at reading dog behavior! He claims dogs are "calm and submissive" when they are fearful. In one case, he said the dog was calm and submissive while I said "That dog is about ready to attack another dog!" I barely got the words out of my mouth before the attack happened. And KTbug, I have seen signs of stress from the dogs in the vast majority of episodes. Like Molly said, tail wagging is NOT always an indicator of happiness, it can be an indicator of aggression or discomfort.
10/6/2009 1:59:09 PM
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