One difference between Zack and Cesar is that Cesar deals with behavior issues and Zack is truly a trainer. Cesar would go in where dogs were having behavior issues and try to correct them. He would call in a trainer if a dog needed to be taught obedience. As I said I only watched the first 2 seasons of the Dog Whisperer show and they did not get into this dominance thing so much at that time. I don't think the show would ever have become so popular if they had shown things like the Holly video very often.
I do believe a dog feels much more secure when they know there is a leader. Teaching basic obedience with positive reinforcement gives the dog direction and a dog that tends to feel like it must control situations will realize that the owner is giving it signals on how to react. However, being domineering is a whole different issue and it sickens me to see that.
Zack seems to love his dogs and thinks of them as friends while Cesar seems to want to deal with a dog as an opponent. Maybe Cesar has spent too much time trying to be on top and has lost the concept of "whisperer." The very idea of a "whisperer" is to communicate with an animal without cruel and excessive behavior. A "whisperer" would watch for reactions and work with them rather than against the very nature of the animal. I am just amazed that he put a shock collar on a dog! He must have lost his mind completely!
Zack has also stated that he is against many of the traditional training methods that people use that involve physical punishment and loud verbal abuse. I agree. I have seen some trainers that hate Cesar's methods and yet they are doing the same type of thing only using choke collars and other methods of domineering the animal.
Right now I have the smallest dog I have ever had and yet she has the biggest personality that I have ever dealt with in a dog. We have had our issues concerning who is in charge in the home when she was a youngster. While it was a challenge to deal with there was never any need to bully her. She did need lots of exercise and training. Things to keep her mind stimulated so she stayed out of trouble. One of the things I see that owners of terriers do not realize is that the dogs have a strong need to have a purpose in life even though they are small. The energy level needs an outlet and if it is not dealt with properly the owner is going to have problems. Many people buy small dogs because they want an "easy" dog that is not going to require a lot of time and energy. A terrier is not the dog for that kind of person. Cesar's aggressive techniques would not have worked in my home though I do agree with the walk and other exercise requirements for a dog.
It is frightening to me to think of thousands and maybe millions of people watching Cesar on TV and thinking they should treat their own pets like he is doing. So many dog owners are already so clueless about dog behavior to begin with. |