[P-did]

Cesar pretty much preaches a NILIF approach. Most of what he teaches falls within the lines of modern training techniques; there are just a few methods he uses that are considered outdated; but his methods work for him, so his training style can't be completely discredited. There is a reason not every trainer has his/her own show: few trainers have rehabilitated as many dogs, saving them from termination, as Cesar Millan. You don't get your own show, and build a clientele of high-profile clients, without consistently getting results at a greater rate than the vast majority of trainers.

Cesar has helped us out greatly. Although I wouldn't recommend some of the methods he uses with extremely aggressive dogs, repeatedly keeping his core teachings (providing the dog with exercise and leadership) in mind has led us to having a very calm, sociable, and well-behaved dog. Countless others report the same positive results from watching the show.

Trainers who wish they had their own show will always be quick to criticize any move that Cesar makes that does not fall in line with current training-style trend, but we must all remember that Cesar is often dealing with extreme situations that your average trainer has never experienced.

Even if you don't agree with all his theories, there's so much we can all learn from somebody like Cesar, who has natural abilities to communicate with dogs.

For example, he makes a great point about training reinforcement: using verbal praise gets a dog's excitement level up and is not ideal for creating calm and controlled behavior. That's why the clicker is superior, for most dogs, to using a "good boy!" When trying to get a dog to concentrate, don't raise energy levels by showing verbal excitement.

There are countless other useful tricks that we picked up from the show over the first few seasons. So even if you don't agree with the dominance theory, I believe everybody is better off by absorbing Cesar's great understanding of dog psychology.

And although I can see why people disagree with some his psychology tricks, Cesar has possibly saved the lives of millions of dogs by making the public aware of what dogs need to be healthy and stable.