Cesar Millan Will Not Train My Dog and Why I Will Not Let Him
85Dog Training
I find that there are many different methods of dog training and there are some methods that work better than others, all of which depend on the individual dog and the dog owner. I have found that some dogs work wonders with clicker training, but others just can't get the grasp of it even with a super slow introduction.
When training dogs, it's best to find a training method that works for each dog not use the same method for all dogs.
People do not all learn the same, and neither do animals, so you have to find the right method for training your dog that works for both you and the dog.
As for Cesar Millan, I will admit at first I was amazed by the stories that I had heard, so I had to get his books. The books are good and have good tips in them, but at the same time there are many flaws in Cesar's way of training.
His dog training methods are very outdated, and there are a number of more effective means of training a dog. Now, I will admit that if done correctly under the supervision of a well qualified dog behaviorist, Cesar's dog training methods can be proven effective at re-training bad behaviors, but the average dog owner is generally not able to carry out these techniques without flaws.
Personally, I love my dogs too much to listen to Cesar Millan's way of training. I will not use adverse training on my dogs by any means. Positive reinforcement is a much more efficient and reliable way to train a dog, and to the dog it is a much more fun way to train. And, there are more than one ways to skin a cat, meaning there are more than one way to positively train your dog.
Generally, you will find that adversive dog training is focused around fear and intimidation, and if you ask the top behaviorists, veterinarians, and specialists, you'll find that they will generally all agree that there are better means of training than negative dog training.
Cesar Millan Dog Training Methods
Cesar Millan uses more negative training than anything else, which is the old school method of animal training. You'll find the Cesar is known for his aversive training techniques, using flooding and punishment, which lead to more temporary behavior changes versus a permanent change.
You'll should note that Cesar Millan is known for using assertive touch, leash correction, alpha rolls, and energy draining exercises, as a form of dog training. He has been criticized greatly for his use of dominant and aggressive training techniques. Cesar has used choke collar and pinch collars on dogs with severe fears, and he has forcefully confronted aggressive dogs; both of these acts can potentially enhance the fear or aggression in the dog.
His show has even been threatened to cease airing by the American Humane Association because of his forceful training techniques. "The Dog Whisperer" is a mediocre show for adults to watch, and while Cesar Millan is attempting to give you tips at training your dog his way, he is also telling children, and adults, that it is ok to try these tactics with their own dog, potentially leading unsafe situations that they are not prepared to handle. I.E. never use punishment or correction on a dog who is already scared because fearful dogs have a high risk of biting.
Even if Cesar flat out says, "Do not try these methods without a professional," people will still try them on their own. In a way, he does give his disclaimer notice, but that is not enough to stop anyone from forcefully alpha rolling their dog or running their young pup on a dog treadmill for an hour or more.
Cesar Millan Aversive Training Techniques
Remember that aversive training is not a permanent and long-term solution for dog training. You will find that punishment-style training is a temporary fix of a solution. The dog will eventually find means to continue the behavior; he will just find a different method of doing so, in order not to get caught.
Assertive Touch: Essentially, this is what it is, assertively, and many times aggressively, touching and manually maneuvering the dog. Typically, this tactic is used to re-focus a dog from his target to you at the moment he starts to show interest, but in most cases it is a matter of timing in order to catch the dog before you lose control of him.
There are many different solutions to re-directing your dog's attention, and properly training him not to be aggressive or overly excited to whatever object he is prone to showing extreme emotion toward. Most other methods are more effective long-term.
Generally, you'll find that assertive touch can cause a dog to lose trust in you and potentially develop other behavioral concerns, especially if you do not time it properly or if your touch is too assertive for the particular behavior (IE the punishment must equal the bad behavior).
Leash Jerks: Again, just like it sounds, you are giving a quick snap of the leash as soon as the dog shows signs of bad behavior. This is a very hard tactic to learn, and the average pet owner will more than likely not be successful with it, since there is an exact moment to which the leash jerk is actually effective and at any other moment it will not work. You must use the proper amount of force at the proper angle in order to even do any good. Overall, leash jerks can cause your dog to lose trust in you, as well as develop other behavioral problems.
Alpha Rolls: Alpha rolls are a common aversive tactic that is supposed to show submission of the dog and your dominance over him. Well, when performed by the average pet owner, it can cause detachment and an increase of bad behaviors and canine dominance. You can cause your dog to lose trust in you if you overuse and abuse alpha roll overs.
Alpha rolls should onlybe used by very experienced dog trainers and typically only as a last resort. Cesar Millan has popularized this tactic without telling anyone of the potential side effects; he basically says any time your dog misbehaves, even for a minor offense, roll him. Alpha rolls can emphasize violence with your violence tot he dog; you may cause physical and mental damage to the dog.
Alpha rolls can be very dangerous if you do them at the wrong time and on the wrong dog. You can see additional behavioral problems than what initially started. You may even see that your dog skips the natural dog behaviors that you've been punishing him for (IE alpha roll him for growling, and he may just skip to biting without the warning).
Energy Draining Exercises: Yes, in a way a tired dog is a well behaved dog, but this is no excuse for putting a 12 week old puppy on a dog treadmill and making him run for extended periods of time. Puppies need rest and should not be overworked; Cesar has repeatedly put younger dogs and puppies on a dog treadmill as an energy drainer. This is by no means a method of dog training that is approved by any reputable behaviorist or veterinarian.
You do want to walk your dog at least twice a day for 30 minutes (an hour is better), but that does not mean extended 5 mile runs three times a day and vigorous play and exercise. By using energy draining exercises, your dog will be better behaved to some degree because he'll be to tired to move.
This extreme energy draining tactic can cause physical health problems for the dog, and in all reality, it's not doing anything to correct the bad behavior because even a tired dog can and will get into trouble.
Aversive Tactics that Increase Agression
- Hitting or kicking the dog- 41% of dogs
- Growling at the dog- 41%
- Forcing the dog to release an item from its mouth- 38%
- Alpha roll (force dog on its back) - 31%
- Dominance down (force the dog on its side)- 29%
- Grabbing the jowls or scruff- 26%
- Staring the dog down until it looks away- 30%
- Spraying the dog with spray bottle- 20%
- Yelling “no”- 15%
- Forced exposure/ flooding techniques - 12%
Positive counterpart that may lead to aggression:
- Exchange an item for an item that's in his mouth instead of forcing the item out- 6%
- Training the dog to sit for everything it wants- 2%
- Rewarding the dog for eye contact- 2%
- Reward the dog for “watch me”- 0%
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Comments
the only thing I don't understand is why he would have a show yet state for us "not to try at home". I think many of us tuned in to observe and learn not only to watch and sing him praises. So the disclaimer for me defeats the purpose of his show. Still, some dogs cannot learn by positive reinforcement. He has done wonders but personally i've learned that recognizing and rewarding (even with a belly rub or paw shake) produces the best results :) great hub and nice pictures!
Having one of the most "difficult" breeds (malamutes) I totally agree - having had trainers try and foist these techniques on me with OTHER breeds already I decided a long time ago that beating up my dog was not the way to go. You can be the alpha without ever uttering a word - it is all about understanding the breed. Not that it helps at times because the frustration level can be oh so high! But I would rather earn my dog's respect rather than beat it into him or her on ANY level!
Cesar's philosophy in regards to the human condition, confidence, calm/assertive energy, and believe in oneself has been incredibly motivating for those of us that actually work daily within the animal welfare industry.
Our dogs come into our rescue facilities confused, traumatized, and many times aggressive.
We also have aided the Dept of AG on raids of puppy mills, were able to remain calm for the sake of the situation and for the dogs.
I do not see Cesar's way as "training" because to me it just isn't. It is the natural order, those of us involved for years have used methods similar for YEARs before he put them into writing.
We use a variety of methods when handling our specialized breed, that can be sharp, both to people and other animals. I find his work to be so very tied into nature, the human element, peace and calmness that we all benefit from in our organization-both the dogs and humans.
If you truly understand this work, and the work of Jan Fennell, and many others...you can provide yourself the tools to work with your particular situation and recognizing your Limitations is key. Any behavior I an not comfortable with, I will defer to our Behaviorist DVM here in Kansas City, or our Field Trainer, using other resources within the community.
Cesar is about behavior, not tricks. He doesn't teach dogs to sit, down, stay, or come. He's about energy, not methods. He likes to say that all ways are good that do not harm the dog. Cesar also says not to try his techniques without the help of a professional. Blaming Cesar for what others do is like blaming gun manufacturers for the murder rate in the USA.
Hi Whitney, Isn’t it just sad that people will take on attempting a skill they do not accurately understand? Statistics for 2005 showed that 6 million 430 thousand some odd people got in accidents with their cars because they overestimated their skills or underestimated the conditions they were driving in.
Cesar's way is like that.
Also Cesar would agree with you 100% and has actually said many times that the LOWEST energy that was effective should be used to change dogs behavior and for training.
What is not accurate however is that it does not take a profession to use most of Cesar's solutions for problem dogs. I own a yahoo email list that is around 3,100 current members (another over 20,000 have come in solved problems and left our high volume list over the last 4 years). These people work together to help dog owners understand how to correctly safely and appropriately apply Cesar's solutions with other solutions to fit their unique environments, knowledge, skills and problems.
I also have movies up on my youtube.com/cjanderson of most of the 40 last chance dogs destined to be euthanized before some rescue pulled them to bring to me because local trainers could not or would not help here in Arizona.
Who am I? A 55 year old, weak, overweight college teacher of safety, health and environmental risk management who has taught adult learners for 33 years. I'm nobody in the dog world except someone who stepped up to learn how to correctly, accurately and safely apply these techniques to save dogs who were going to be killed.
Because of my work with others, I have had the opportunity to watch the filming, the editing, and spend time with the man and his wife. He is the real deal. The show is real, including the timing of the fixes which are documented in the show, the follow-ups that were done years later, which anyone can read about in the Dog Whisperer Season 1-3 Episode guide, (Season 6 starts next month).
I also would respectfully offer that for something to be "outdated" means that it doesn’t work any more, can't be used anymore, isn’t fashionable or in style... lol, none of those definitions can be applied to what is happening with Cesar's Way.
LehahKimball, I must also respectfully correct that Cesar is absolutely NOT one way, "my way or the by-way". He as said many times in many conditions - "ALL ways are good that do NOT harm the dog"! If it harms the dog it is NOT Cesar's way no matter what others say about their efforts.
In fact, a very important element that you bring up that I wish more people would listen to, is how important it is to consult a dog professional to both jump start behavior changes that the owner can continue, AND to make sure one IS using the correct application solution for the correct problem. Most people don’t know the difference between fear biting and true territorial aggression, for instance.
Hey Lonely Hubber, age is definitely a factor! Do you remember how much endless energy you had as a teenager? Most people do NOT spend enough time draining energy from their young dogs with fast pace walks or game activities! Gee, right now I have 4 foster dogs. I start them on treadmills (I have three) of 2-3.5 mph for not less then 30 minutes for the beagle, to 90 minutes for the greyhound lab 2 times a day! You can see that ALL my dogs are leash less treadmill dogs at YouTube. They LOVE it. THEN I work with them with training and obedience when they no longer have all that starch in their collar! I have two more last chance rescues who are now Therapy dogs for at risk kids and hospice!
Thank you Whitney, for providing a place where we can calmly and respectfully discuss these points!
I watched CM once...I was not impressed...Somehow, I never used any of his methods, but my dog and dogs have never even taken a scrap of food they weren't supposed to...they bark when necessary to protect me, and have great doggie mannerisms....no jumping, whining, biting, and obedient...It doesn't surprise me about his show...as I said, it didn't impress me at all...Great hub here!!!
So, I've listened to both arguments, and agree---there seems to be a happy medium between both types of training.
With that said, what would you guys recommend for a dog that wants to yip yip yip all day when kenneled. I'm working with a squirt bottle when he barks and positive reinforcement when he's quiet. But he's still doing it. Please let me know what you think...
When the dog doesn't react, praise him and make known he did well. If he acts ugly, you can't completely ignore that, as he has no clue he did wrong. You'll need to focus on obedience at this point. You can't take a dog that's being protective and potentially acts ugly to a dog park or a pet store where the dog will more than likely have an incident, in this case, you're setting the dog up to fail. In severe cases, you'll need to be firm, but that doesn't mean jump the dog and pin him till he gives in. At the moment he shows sign of misbehaving, firmly tell him no, this is going to mean you're going to need to be very alert when walking the dog and when other dogs are in sight. The first sign of a snarl, you'll need to act then. It'll be a long process, and without proper training, you may have complications if you do not time properly.
K. get it that Milan's methods can be construed as harsh. Though following the seasons, the technique has been muted.
quick question, with pos/rein method, how do I get the weiner to stop going ballistic every dog he sees? ignore that, and on the maybe occasion another dog passes and weiner does net react, give him a treat? seriuos. do not get how that method works for when weiner goes devil.
That is good. Positive training has been proven much more effective than adversive training.
Lately actually I have tried postive alternatives and it is really working! Although I haven't totally given up on Cesar's Methods.
You might not agree with his training methods, but the bottom line is that they often work. They've been working for centuries and are modeled largely on the pack mentality of dogs. My only problem with Milan is he sometimes markets his training like he invented them.
Personally I want a dog that obeys, and I believe this is true of most people. Whether the dog obeys out of "love" or "fear" it doesn't much matter. As long as it obeys the voice of its master without even a split second of hesitation.
From everything I've read, the argument can go both ways. Whenever someone says that they see Cesar train dogs with positive reinforcement on his show, you always respond with your argument that "the show is edited and you don't see everything that happens." What you fail to realize is that same argument can be used against you. How do you know alternative training and positive techniques aren't used off camera? Then there are people who say that his techniques are outdated and nothing new or that he has "no real credentials" and no "degrees" whatsoever. If something works, it works. It's like telling someone they don't truly know how to cook because they're not a real chef with no degrees from culinary school. Or telling a musician he's not legit because he doesn't possess a degree from Berklee.
Arguments about Cesar Milan seem to mostly go on the two extremes. On one side you have people who say his technique is wonderful and perfect. On the other are people who say his technique is horrible. I especially love reading about people who say, "I've trained dogs for years now and I don't use any of his techniques." That's great and you can keep on doing that. It's like saying there is only one correct way to raise a child- either through positive reinforcement the whole time or punishment.
The bottom line is the public will never truly know how Cesar trains. Perhaps he changes his technique depending on the dog. Perhaps he favors one type over another. There is way too much going off camera to really ever know what's going on.
And please, don't quote every single thing he says on the show. Just because he says uses a certain technique or says to do something, don't assume that it applies in all cases and for every dog. People stupid enough to follow every single piece of advice thinking it applies to them is the reason why TV shows have to put the warning "Do not try these techniques at home."
why do people like to argue..really it doesnt matter as long as the dog is trained (if a dog was going to be put down becasue of aggression it would not matter how it was trained as long as it is trained and gets a second chance! duh!)
ok, then i would like to see you have atleast 20 to 30 in the same place at one time and feed them....fights could break out fast...cesar millan teaches the dogs the way they would be taught in a pack...and if you would take time to watch your dog then you would see...(there are diffrent ways of training but with his training you dont need anything special..like a clicker) daddy seems to be very happy with the way his life is and he respects cesar and so does the 50 other dogs he ownes..they sleep right by each other and look so happy..people try to look at there body language "oh they look so scared" but there not..try looking up body lanugage in dogs...ive learned alot from cesar.(my poodle was just barking at the door when i let my puppy out so i went inside and pushed him very easy..he didnt lay down so i did it twice and he layed down and rolled over..then i went back outside and he waited patiently at the door until we came back in)Plus (our poodle and our border collie hate each other and i got both of them to walk beside each other with out a fight or growl...cesar is a good dog trainer his dogs are happy..and thats all that matters)
Wow... I liked the Hub, but the comments! I think you are right on Whitney. You defenders of CM need to realize that the only dogs that need to be corrected by asserting your dominance are dogs that are being aggressive toward YOU, the owner. And yes, that can be dangerous and shouldn't be done in cases where one might get hurt. I personally don't think that my dogs should have to submit to anyone who isn't considered family, though I also don't think that they should be aggressive. That's all about socializing and handling and can easily be done with positive methods. The job of actually training a dog is always going to be best done by positive reinforcement, and never by negative methods. Stopping bad behavior is also best done by positive reinforcement. It requires a lot more work and attention, but you need to realize that the dog won't necessarily process complex concepts. Say it's barking at something... It may not understand that you're trying to correct it for barking, since it's barking for a reason. Different breeds won't respond the same to one type of training. You don't want to try the same methods with a Lab and with a JRT. They're both working breeds, but their instincts, temperaments, intelligence and social behaviors* are completely different.
*between them and other dogs, other terriers and humans...
First of all he doesnt teach harmful techniques, poking a dog and pulling a leash doesn't hurt the dog. Second of all he isn't disciplining the negative behaviors, he is just stopping the behaviors by making a noise. Poking or pulling isn't being negative, it is getting there attention. it is actual more benifical to train your dog with his techniques, they will respect you, and will be able to enjoy life instead of always being yelled, which I'm sure you do, as well as many other people do too. If you ask dog physcologist, these methods are better for the dogs mentally. But if you want the dog to be un-happy ok. i hate it when people like you post these things, with lies all over them. You may not like the techniques yourself, but they work. You are another critic yes, but like many bad critics, and by bad i mean people who lie and tell bullshit to others, you consider more of the bad than the good. Any good critic could tell you that if anything is bad you need to think of how bad it is, and if it is good to what point is it good. whether you believe his ways are outdated means nothing, with time dogs just get it. They are not as stupid as you make them seem. You may never like how he does it, but you don't have to disrespect what the man does. Putting him down for his techniques is doing just that, grow up. stop posting this shit for attention, and grow up.
I dont' really care who the next dog whisperer is if he/she trains like Cesar does.
Yeah I think a lot of people are busy these days. And your right he prob. hasn't changed. But I was wondering, when he gets too old to go to peoples houses and stuff, who will be the next dog whisperer? I don't know. I guess I am just trying to make confersation...:)
I don't have time to keep up with what he does. I'm sure in 2 months, he hasn't changed much though.
So have you done any recent research on Cesar Millan?
- Random Person
I have heard about her, but not actually watched the show. I have heard great things about her though.
Great hub! (I think I've already commented on it, but I'm too lazy to check.) I just had another thought. I'd like to know what you think about Victoria Stillwell, who airs on the same channel but has a less forceful (certainly less physical) approach to training. She teaches less that dogs need to SUBMIT than that they need to... listen? I dunno.
I'm sure you've heard of her, but I highly recommend Patricia McConnell's books on dog behavior. Hands down best, most readable, most easily implementable advice about dogs and their behavior I have ever seen.
We watch the Dog Whisperer regularly and get a lot out of it. My wife is 130 pounds and she could not walk our dogs together before watching his show (we have two Aussie/Collie rescue puppies, and together they are 135 pounds). Applying a few things he teaches really turned it around. She can walk them anywere, take them anywere, and they really get a lot out of it as well. Funny that one of the main things we saw was that going to a slip lead would make a difference - we used harnesses before and it was a mess. Immediately after we put the slip leads on they changed. We never went back. And I think the communication between me and my dogs is better with the new leads. They rarely pull on them, and its kind of amazing.
I thought it was pretty obvious about dogs and exercise, but Cesar Millan says something like 45 minutes per day, which I think it correct for my dogs. I try to take me dogs out for AT LEAST two 15 minutes walks per day. Normally its about 45 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night. They really benefit from this. I think its cruel to keep a dog locked up all the time. We live near a green belt, so we practice a one-mile walk on leash, then off-leash walk for 15-30 minutes in the woods. Sometimes we'll make them walk behind us, sometimes not. We give them commands when then can walk free. I'm actually a big believer in giving the dogs some off leash time to just explore. But they even get a lot out a 10 minute walk. They relax so much after a walk and a chance to get out and stretch their legs.
So another thing I got from his show is that each thing you do is an exercise. Example: opening the front or back door. I used to open the back door and they would scream out of it, yelping and scrambling, knocking things over. Now we practice waiting for about 30 seconds with the door wide open, I walk out and invite them out -- they just trot out and up the hill. Same with the front door. They used to walk out the front door on to the porch when I opened it (I let them do this), but now I claim the space, ask them to wait, then open it. Its just a totally different experience.
They still do all the other stuff they always have: sleep on the bed at night, cuddle while we watch TV, etc.
There has been some comments about watch what you do (like alpha rolls, etc.) and I totally agree. You really do need to take baby steps on this stuff. We took steps to correct specific behaviors - in retrospect I see that they were taking advantage of us letting them run over us in some areas.
A lot of what Cesar Millan talks about is energy, and how your energy is transferred to your dog. Also that dogs live in the now and we should take a bit of that to heart.
I also agree that there are many ways to train your dog, I just wanted to say that we get a lot from watching his show.
Mark
Thank you for posting the positive alternatives.
"Dogs do things out of love and respect. They are happy when you set rules, they are happy when your happy." Perfectly sums up a happy dog for sure when the owner follows this.
Things that you should learn:1) Alpha role (aka, dominance, aka leader, aka mother or father) - This role is to set rules and boundaries, as if you were dealing with a child. It has nothing to do with aggression, hitting, kicking, growling, or any negativity. It has to do with respect and learning. This can be done in many positive ways. 1)Eat before your dog does ( I like to pretend I am eating his food, then I place it on the ground and make him wait before jumping on his food, I say eat up and say good boy). 2) Make your dog wait before stepping outside and you lead the way. 3) teach your dog to roll over, but not all the way, just to his back, praise him and rub his belly for awhile, make it fun and in the end his mind triggers submission. Now is that abusive alpha role. I don't think so.Touch and TapSome times dogs are just to fixated on there obsessions and you need to snap them out of it. A little tap wont hurt or make them more aggressive (I do not recommend this for amateur trainers if the dogs are already in an advance aggressive dominate role).Leash or pinch collar (aka choke chain)When training on a leash. We are looking to use it as a tool for direction and correction. Remember, there are leaders and there are followers, If your dog is buying his own food, his own doctor bills, then he is the leader, if not, you better lead. Keep your dog next to your side or behind you, as you are leading, not the dog. The choke chain is a very bad name. As that is not the purpose. The purpose of the choke chain is to create a slight pinch for correction purposes. The choke chain should always remain very lose around your dogs neck and only be used for corrective purposes. Remember, good dogs dont pull or attack, so it should remain comfortable around his neck.Remember this:Dogs do things out of love and respect. They are happy when you set rules, they are happy when your happy. They do not need treats or a clicker, they need to earn from learning and behaving well and in-return they are reward with love. Its that simple.
First, I love a good "clean" debate.
Second, any knucklehead who watches a reality show, especially when it specifically states "do not attempt these methods at home", and still tries them on their own is beyond stupidity. People may still want to blame the show for the idiots who think they can do this on their own, and I have to say that that isn't fair to Cesar.
With that said, I believe the answer lies in the middle as it usually does with extreme opinions. I love The Dog Whisperer, and I love that Cesar makes dog owners see that it is their behavior that is the source of the problem. The show has proven time and time again that there are A LOT of lazy dog owners out there, just like there are A LOT of lazy parents out there. But even though I am a HUGE fan of the show, I wouldn't recommend his method be used by anyone who isn't in tune with their dog, which means that most people shouldn't use it. Most people can't be calm-assertive with other humans let alone with a dog. And I honestly believe that people need to try all of the positive methods first before trying other methods.
But I really do believe the thousands of Cesar critics out there who post comments are really being unfair. They only focus in on a few episodes and are always saying "you don't see what goes on behind the scenes" when the people who post aren't behind the scenes either. No one mentions the episodes where he has brought in dog trainers, or the episodes where dog professionals have actually called him for help...and yes, those episodes do exist. Neither does anyone talk about how often people on the show were given advice by their vet, their trainer, etc. to euthanize their dog. I remember one episode where an owner went through 8 trainers and nothing worked. By the way, I'm sure negative things happen behind the scenes in DogTown as well.
Again, I truly believe that the answer is in the middle of the road. I don't think anyone should attempt to submit a German Shepherd or even a Dachsund if it bites unless you are VERY experienced. Even if you think you are experienced enough, if it doesn't work after one time or two...you shouldn't do it. CALL A PROFESSIONAL. What the heck is anyone thinking that they could do something like that on their own? And if anyone comes away from watching the show thinking that they need to exercise their dog to death, or "kick" him, or "submit/alpha roll" him every time your dog does something wrong is just watching the show with "idiot" eyes. Come on folks. Common sense.
But what I think I find most disturbing about his critics is that they condemn him/his methods wholeheartedly while Cesar has never once told anyone that they shouldn't seek the advice of a trainer, that they shouldn't use positive methods, that they shouldn't seek other methods other than his own. I'm always wary of any opinion that goes to such an extreme as his critics do.
Whitney05, I appreciate that you opened the discussion, and even though you say you aren't attacking Cesar as a man, you do have to admit when you title your discussion, "Cesar Millan Will Not Train My Dog and Why I will not Let Him", it sounds a little bit personal.
I'm looking forward to reading more posts.
What you don't see is what is not on film. What about the reports of choking? Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.
Dogs don't think like humans, nor do they have the same mentality, so in many cases flooding can cause the fear to worsen. Same with people. You have to be very careful when using flooding, it can backfire something fierce
I believe that there is more then one way(cesars way) of training a dog. But also, if you ever watch his show, at the moment I can not think of any dog that has not been changed for the better by him. Only one episode shows the owners coming back to get the dog and the dog ends up attacking Daddy(cesars pit bull) because that is what the dog would usually do when it was around its owner. Cesar then recommended that the dog stay with him because he was really concerned about the dog and wanted the best for it.
I dont believe Cesar abuses any dogs at all, but I also do not know him personally so I will not say that he doesnt. Unlike you, who accuses him constantly of 'choking' and 'flooding' dogs.
He doesnt choke anybody. He has a cheap leash that he holds with his two fingers. And about the flooding. Some people who for instance are afraid of heights, believe that the best way to get rid of that fear is to face it head on. So why would that not be ok for dogs? Would those humans be abusive because they dont want to live with that fear anymore?
Finally someone who doesn't agree with Cesar Millan! I LOVED your hub!!! I love my Pitbull's too much to follow Cesar's unresponsive technique. You are totally right about everything and I totally agree about how abusive his techniques could be. I think he is given tooo much credit. I think it is finally time for people to realize how outdated and false Cesar's technques are. You are right on Whitney!
Hey Hi and Howdy! Great hub! I love my pup too much to act aggressivley towards him - if I wouldn't do that to my children - why would I do it to him? Truthfully - I think badgering a pup into submission is cruel -
as well on a lighter note - Mitche Hedburg said this:
"People teach their dogs to sit. It's a trick. I've been sitting my whole life, a dog has never looked at me as though he thought I was tricky."
I've never been a fan of the man, and it's about time someone starts questioning his methods.
Interesting hub. Very interesting comments. I've never been a Cesar Millan fan, personally. To me, it has always seemed he takes the "this is the *only* way" to train a dog stance. Standardized testing doesn't work in schools for a reason; dogs are no different than children. I prefer Brian Kilcommons as a dog trainer.
He is only being bad mouthed, as you put it, because his methods have been proven outdated years before he started charging hundreds to train a dog, before he started his show and years befor he started using them.
I have nothing against the manm just his techniques. Which as I've mentioned before if anyone else publicized their techniques, his/her name would be in this hub as well as Cesar's.
I read the article you recommended as well as several articles that it recommended. WOW, there are more Cesar Millan bashers out there than I realized. If you believe the information posted on those web sites I can understand how you came to your conclusions.
My sense of the man and his methods (which I practice with my own pack of 3 dogs) are that he is spot on. My dogs are happy, healthy and balanced. They are disciplined but never punished. I try to practice what he teaches, calm assertive pack leading. These other folks are calling it dominance and submission. He makes a huge distinction between discipline and punishment. Discipline is setting the boundries and limitations and enforcing them. Punishment is done out of anger or frustration not calm assertive energy.
The lady who wrote the article you recommended seems to go out of her way to disprove everything Cesar says and then agrees with him in her conclusion.
“Is exercise important? Absolutely! Do dogs need rules and boundaries? Certainly! Do humans need to stop equating dogs to humans and gain a greater understanding of dog behavior? Definitely! But how these goals are accomplished are of equal importance.”
I have never heard Cesar Millan bad mouth any training method or philosophy, why are so many expending so much negative energy to bad mouth him?
If you watch the show you can see all the good he does. So I ask myself, why so much negativity about such a positive loving guy?
I don’t get it.
Maybe I should just shut up here and post my own hub called Cesar-Milan-is-GOOD
Sorry I misunderstood you.
Please read this article that I posted earlier about the pack theory and how it is not correct.
Neither did I accuse you of being an Idiot nor did I mean to accuse you of talking to your dog like an idiot. I was going more for talking like your dog as if it were a human child. Sorry to offend. I think you are just missing the point. Cesar Milan does NOT train dogs. While you are not niave when it comes to dogs, Cesar has an innate ability to read and understand dogs, their moods and their problems (almost all of which are caused by people who don’t understand dogs). What you are calling aversive training is no such thing. He is simply using the same tools a pack of dogs would use to maintain a healthy balanced pack. That is the language they understand. That is what they want and need. Dogs will take on the alpha role if no person is telling them in their language who the alpha is. A dog in the alpha role in a pack that includes people is a frustrated dog. People keep breaking the pack rules by going to work and trying to tell them what to do.
You seem quite intelligent so I can only assume you have only looked at Cesar Milan’s work from one prospective – the typical dog trainer prospective. The mistake there is that Cesar Milan is not a dog trainer. He says it at the beginning of every show. “I don’t train dogs, I train people, I rehabilitate dogs.) The way you bashed his so called “training technique” in this hub is one sided and narrow minded unlike most of your hubs I have read.
The only reason I have commented here is to try to show the others who read your hub that Cesar Milan has a love for dogs that goes far beyond yours or mine for that matter. If I had read your hub before being exposed to Cesar in any other ways I might not have seen his true genius and passion for dogs and helping people take better care of their dogs.
I have enjoyed every other hub of your I have read but this one is way off mark.
Not many people are able to accomplish aversive training styles, making it very dangerous. No dogs are supposed to be hurt, but it happens, hence the allegations in the links above as well as other situations, I've heard of but couldn't find much less have time for.
Do not accuse me of talking to my dogs like an idiot. I am not an idiot, and I am not niave when it comes to dogs.
Cesar Milan trains people, not dogs. He rehabilitates dogs. He teaches people what he has learned from dogs - not from dog trainers. Almost every technique he uses he learned from watching how dogs treat each other and how they maintain a healthy balanced pack. His teachings are about energy (which he also learned from dogs). Everything is energy and you can control your own energy vibration by controlling your focus. Dogs are very sensitive to this energy and respond to it.
Most people do not understand the needs of dogs. They get dogs to fulfill their own needs then treat the dogs like humans. That is what damages most dogs. A dog that is the alpha (in its own mind) within a pack containing humans is an unhealthy dog.
A dog that is a subordinant to a calm assertive pack leading human can lead a very long, healthy and happy life. Cesar teaches PEOPLE how to accomplish this. He works with dogs to heal them abuses humans inflict on them (mostly through ignorance).
His techniques work if the human truly understands and follow his teachings.
No dog is harmed, damaged or even offended by his techniques. They understand him because he is just talking to them in their language. You on the other hand probably talk to them like this - oohhbabyggooggaagaa now sit (please).
2000 years ago many people were very critical of Jesus Christ's techniques too - but like Cesar's they work.
Three-Legged Dog, I'm surprised you haven't heard of him. I'm sure it didn't hurt you not to know. :-)
droj, sorry i didn't clear anything up for you, but glad someone was. I don't plan on adding any links. And, you didn't say anything bad about my style of writing, just that you didn't understand why I believe what I do and why I didn't add a counterpart, which doesn't bother me at all. I wrote the hub as I did to express the potential flaws in a training style; if any other trainer had been using the style, he/she would have had his/her name in the hub too.
Lonely Hubber, there is no age limit to training a dog.
Jeremy, you are very correct dogs don't plan out their actions ahead of time.
eastcoastone says:
3 weeks ago
As a dog groomer I see many dogs. The thing is it does not matter that Cesar Millan has a show. It does not seem to matter that there is an animal planet channel. I see untrained dogs way more often then trained. The smaller the dog the less chance it is to be trained. What it comes down to, is doing your homework before you buy the dog. Then beginning a training regiment the minute it gets home.
I believe in the positive approach. Unfortunately many people that get a dog are just too lazy to do the work. I give tips all day long for different problems. Dogs are creatures of habit, make sitting and staying a habit. This is not a complicated scenario. What I seem to find is the owners don’t want to do it themselves. I give them tips and they want the number to a good trainer. As if just having the trainer come in once a week, with no reinforcement by the owner after the fact, is going to do anything.