The Energon Pub

I've just recently become a fan of "The Dog Whisperer". I admit I've known of the show for a few years and thought nothing of it. Before watching the show, I saw Cesar Millan parodied on South Park. However, after watching several episodes(I was putting together a Gundam model and had it on the TV for background sound), I'm hooked. I think that Cesar Millan has a very unique method in terms of treating dogs like dogs and not like humans.

A lot of "experts" apparently criticize his methods but I can't help but get the feeling that they're basically politically correct, book educated, theorists who have little practical experience with dogs exhibiting problem behaviors. One of my uncles breeds and trains dogs for people and he uses similar psychological methods such as asserting leadership and it works for him. He, like Cesar Millan, do not harm the dogs but it seems like people would see a firm tug on a leash, with or without a choke chain(which the term itself brings negative connotations) as an attack or assault on a dog...I don't know, I just don't get it. A 100 pound dog, mainly muscle, is not going to be concerned with a firm tug on a leash. It's not harmful to them as far as I've seen but it's enough of a sudden physical act to get their attention, which is the point of that method. Cesar is establishing that by the tug, the dog must focus on the "pack leader".

Cesar's methods and reasoning behind his methods make sense to me. Dogs are pack animals and no matter how domesticated they are, they are not humans. They have human like behaviors at times but for some reason people want to see everything in human terms.

Now I'm no dog expert, I've never owned one, and my only exposure to them are the pet dogs of my friends and family members. However, I've seen many cases where dogs who behave poorly are being coddled by their owners or unreasonably punished(isolation by putting them out in the back yard) as methods to try to adjust their behavior. It's obvious that if it doesn't work the first 1000 times, it's not going to change a dog's behavior and attitude.

So I ask any of you with dog experience, how do you view Cesar's methods and why do you think they are valid or invalid for adjusting dog behavior?

I have to agree. Some smaller breeds (like pugs) this might be the wrong approach to take but for like German Shepard (for example) it might work, if nothing else does.

I really like the attitude that Cesar has towards dogs. Even with human children you should not treat them like they are made of glass. People put children into bubbles these days it is not suprising that they do the same with dogs. I do not like the idea of choke chains but I do believe a tug that is enough to control a dog is necessary. You must find a way to snap them out of the frame of mind that they are in. Cesar often pulls to the side turning the dogs head away from what ever may be triggering the aggressive state. This is not a nasty thing. I have seen people use shakers that work on the same principal. As a dog owner you are responsible for the dog and it's behavior. You must lead the pack. At the end of the day which is worse for the dog, a little tug on the lead or being a threat to others resulting in being killed for being a dangerous dog. Discipline is showing that you care for them. Dogs and humans alike. You must be cruel to be kind.

I think that a large flaw of the relationships between humans and dogs as well as other pets is that humans treat animals as if they are humans in another form. Cesar always advocates treating dogs truthfully as animals in order to properly fulfill the dog's needs. Cesar always speaks of rehabilitating dogs as well as training humans. He also often says that the dogs are not in the wrong, it's that the humans who own them are not providing a proper environment and lifestyle that fulfills their needs so that the dogs do not act out in the first place.

A lot of critics of Cesar do not like the "alpha leader" or "dominant leader" philosophy but isn't that how dog social structures work? There's a leader and then there are followers and this isn't unique to dogs or wolves. We see such behavior in other pack animals.

Cesar's use of choke chains are not for every dog he rehabilitates and the fact of the matter is that the dogs he helps are trouble cases. He uses choke chains or collars higher up on dogs simply to be able to provide more control and he never "chokes" a dog, he gives a sudden firm tug but not to the degree that he yanks a dog around. People say he "kicks" dogs but he taps them with his foot or he sometimes uses his shin to "block" a dog from going around him because he advocates that a dog should always be at the owner's side and not in front because a forward position denotes pack leadership, which is important in a dog's mind.

I could go on about how other techniques he uses like the alpha roll are decried as old fashioned and cruel by "experts" but I can't see how any of his methods hurt dogs or harms them. Also, he rarely uses such methods as most of the time, he can adjust dog behavior by simply establishing a good relationship when he first meets the dog. Often, "bad" dogs behave well around Cesar when they first meet because of how he understands their senses and modes of behavior. He doesn't make eye contact, doesn't verbally greet the dog, or touch the dog upon initial meetings. He lets the dog get his scent and become comfortable with him. Also, by not immediately acknowledging them, he shows them that he will greet them under circumstances of his own choosing, and therefore he establishes that he is dominant. Too many people think that the use of "dominant" and "submission" is purely negative when Cesar simply uses the terms to explain social order in a pack.

To be honest, Cesar views dogs with a lot of respect and admiration because he sees that dogs are more open than humans. To him, dogs are fine in a relationship, it's the human that messes the situation up and are the cause of issues.

Cesar doesn't present himself as the end-all and be-all of dog behavior treatment. He always suggests that people seek out local professionals for advice and assistance. He also has said that he's always open to methods that help dogs. He knows what works for him but he acknowledges that his way isn't the only way...unlike how many supposed experts who are so dogmatic about their opinion on interaction with dogs.

I've never been fond of dogs. I've always been sort of confused by them, I could never "get" dogs and how they think and behave. Thanks to Cesar's TV show and his way of educating people about dogs, de-mystifying these animals, I actually feel like I'd like to adopt a dog some day now that I'm confident I understand, to a degree, how to provide a good environment and home for such animals.

I am a big fan of the show. I have seen shows where people have taken their dogs to vets and trainers just to be told their dog needs to be put down. He will come in and work wonders with the dog. How can that be cruel to save a dogs life?