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Cesar Millan's methods

Hi all,

I read a post here and there in this forum suggesting Cesar Millan's methods are pretty good. So I decided to google him up.

Apparently, not all experts agree with his methods. So I'm just presenting the other side of the story, and whether or not you agree is entirely up to you, and I'm not trying to suggest/persuade/dissuade anyone. After all, the more information the better right? :) I thought it was at least worth mentioning, if you haven't seen it before.

Warning: the articles are quite long :D

http://www.dogboston.com/askjo/cesarmillan.htm
http://www.petrescue.com.au/article/282

And for those of you who don't like to read long articles, some main quotes:

"Heaven forbid if anyone else tries his methods, because a lot of what he does is not without danger." "Don't try this at home" messages are flashed throughout the show, and in September, the American Humane Association requested that the National Geographic Channel stop the show immediately, citing Millan's training tactics as "inhumane, outdated and improper."

Millan's methods rely on a theory built around short-term studies of captive wolf packs in the 1940's – the Alpha/Dominance theory. There were a lot of serious flaws in that theory. First of all, it drew all of its information about behavior from a very small portion of wolf life – then basically took this tiny portion as gospel. A lot of the behaviors and rituals were wildly misinterpreted, and for some reason, the researchers decided that that these rituals and behaviors were totally valid across species (i.e. dog-dog and dog-human). But, as Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and author, states, “Saying 'I want to learn how to interact with my dog so I'll learn from the wolves' makes about as much sense as saying, 'I want to improve my parenting -- let's see how the chimps do it!'

Fast-forward – researchers at Yale and UC Berkeley spent 30 years observing dog packs and their hierarchy. This research showed something very different: mainly, 'alpha' does NOT have anything to do with physical dominance – it has to do with control of resources, and does not include physical displays of strength. Let's take the so-called 'alpha roll' – which, by the way, is not a forced thing among either dogs or wolves. A lower ranking dog may roll over an show his belly as a sign of submission; but, in a wolf pack, a forced roll is only done to another animal if the intent is to kill it. Guess how that makes our dogs feel when we try an alpha roll? Now, guess how many people have ended up in the emergency room with multiple bites to their faces after attempting one too many alpha rolls...

I love Ceasar Milan and agree with most of his methods. There are several different schools of thought when it comes to dog training (although his is about dog psychology and not necessarily training, he trains people, not dogs). If you have read his book, his background with the pack mentality is not this research mentioned in that article but from his own experience on his family's farm in Mexico and observing the pack of dogs they had. His methods work and he has saved so many dogs from being euthanized.

I believe the best thing to do when it comes to dog training is to read about several different methods and use a combination of all of them to get what works for your dog.

If you have an aggressive dog that may bite or hurt you or others, using Ceasars methods by yourself is not a good idea, you should get professional help. For the average dog his methods work fine and do not put you in harms way. Things like walking through the door first and having them walk behind you when on a walk will not hurt you or them, it is good doggie manners and establishes you as the pack leader.

I love Caesar. I dont agree with all his methods for yorkies but I love to watch him

I've never even heard of the man.:rolleyes:

What a fantastic post, I do not agree with his methods. At all. There are so many better more compassionate trainers out there to refer to. I do not believe in all that dominance cr*p. My relationship with my dogs is based on love, understanding and mutual respect and I don't feel the need to be the 'alpha'. Perhaps i'm just a softie but I have been in tears over the way he treats the dogs sometimes. He would come near my dogs over my dead body. So basically, he's just not for me ;)

I've watched nearly all of his episodes and I see nothing wrong in his methods. No matter who is training, there will always be people who disagree. It's all up to you in the long run. ;)

You don't have to agree with everything the man does or does not do.
But face it, he does help dogs who would otherwise BPTS.
I have tried some of his tactics with Buddy on food and toy guarding
and I have to say it worked for us.
I bought a couple of his DVD's and I have not been sorry.

Never heard of this person or his methods....

I really don't like him. He may have good things to say but his methods do not work at all for us. I also don't believe that a (small in particular) dog needs to be walked an hour a day just to expect them to behave. I do think that dogs do need exercise though.

I'm not a fan but I know many are. There is something about "him" that I don't care for but I can't put my finger on it.

I like watching his shows, they are kinda entertaining but I will never let him try to train my dogs. I do not like the way its done; kind of look inhumane. If I have a big dog maybe, but no way with the small ones.

I'm not a fan.. I'd rather watch It's Me or the Dog.

I love to watch all the trainers..I like Cesar and Me or the Dog and I loved Tamar Geller's book The Loved Dog.
http://www.tamargeller.com/

I take all the advise I can get and everyone has different ideas and things that work for different dogs. I say.. bring it on.. I'll pick the options I like and what works for me.

I love Cesar and he has saved many dogs who supposedly couldn't be rehabilitated. Look how the dogs on the show treat him...Like pack leader.

I disagree with most of his methods. Look again at how the dogs on the show treat him - what I see is fear.