Originally Posted by Nancy1999  I'll try to answer your question, first of all, from all my education; I found that there are no "true" experts. The more I studied my field the more I realized science doesn't know very much. There are some solid facts in science, but how the experts "interpret" these facts, would be considered "opinion." The interpretation of facts opens up the large can of worms, and until more real facts come in, a variety of opinions could still have merit. Leading opinions change in the scientific world, and rarely do all the experts agree on how these facts should be interpreted in the larger picture. I read a few of your links, and couldn't find specifically why they were against Cesar, I can understand that they are against a certain method, but again, that is their opinion. I can't see how they could be against everything Cesar stands for, and if they are against everything, then I disagree with them. I take from Cesar the things in which I fully agree, the things, in which, my background in Learning and Behavior theory would support.
One of the primary reasons, I support Cesar is his attention to assertive behavior. I'm thoroughly convinced everyone should learn to be assertive, this doesn't mean aggressive. I'm familiar with assertive training for humans, and I believe in should be taught in kindergarten, I think it is such a valuable tool to know, understand, and in integrate into your personality. When I saw Cesar describing some of the assertive methods, I was thrilled, I think if people would learn this way of being they would be not only great with their dogs, but with other humans, and even great forum debaters! As far as the interpretation of dominant, I see nothing wrong with teaching a dog that humans are the boss. I'm am the boss of Joey, and I was the boss of my children when they lived with me, and I would love to have a boss like me. I do not see the family structure as all equal, or a democracy.
I can also tell you that because Cesar had no formal education, there will be a bias towards him. For example, an expert in the field of psychology is always against someone who comes out with a "pop" psychology book. No matter how helpful people find the book, they always would say, the book is dangerous because of XYZ. Usually, they haven't even read the whole book, but there is a definite basis in academia towards commercial success. Should we ignore the experts, of course not, should we do the alpha roll, I wouldn't, but even Cesar says that you shouldn't attempt this yourselves. Cesar's attitudes and methods might change through the years; I believe that he is doing more good than harm. For those whose dogs rule the roost, he's teaching that this isn't a good thing for your dog, and doesn't fulfill its needs. For those who are really aggressive and hit their dogs, he gives them better ways to gain control without hitting. He believes you should never hit your dog. I think many of you are forgetting how many of these large aggressive dogs have been kicked, hit and beaten, and I think this goes on much more than you realize. I have read threads on Yorkietalk where people suggest hitting their dogs! So when you say the experts are against Cesar's methods, I think how could they be against all his methods? |