Do people just dislike him, or are all these dog training shows (like Its me or the Dog) oversimplified and misleading?
Are his books any better than the show? Not that I want to buy them, but are those actually learning tools more than the TV show, or are those over simplified too?
Is the TV show just a big ad for his books and other programs?
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In my opinion, all are simplified and misleading. All of them. I have never read any of his books, so I cannot comment on them. And of course he is there to make money - if someone isn't making money doing what they are doing for a living, they wouldn't be doing it for long.
I personally don't "hate" him - but I think his advice is dangerous. I do like some one the things he says though, like you have to treat a dog like a dog.
And should the show be taken off the air? I REALLY want people to wake up and start thinking for themselves, instead of waiting for someone to do it for them. Any show on TV that "teaches" anything should be taken with a grain of salt - dog training, home decorating, any thing!
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- yes it is very dangerous is because he is handling dangerous dog big and small and you don't even know how is the dog going to react so that is a very very dangerous show so is other training shows.
- It should run because it DOES help people.
There is a disclaimer that says not to do it without a professional that knows that they are doing
but still people do it, and that is their fualt.
he is an amazing person and has personally helped me loads, yes, there can be other ways to help -- but it depends on the person.
just because you dislike something doesnt mean its bad, it just means you have opinions and should respect them and see them from others point of veiw - I think his show is misleading. He also advocates methods that are dangerous and outdated. Alpha-rolling an aggressive dog can get you attacked, for example.
He is self-taught, and uses methods that have long been discredited in the dog training world. He prefers to overpower dogs, which can make them more fearful and aggressive, and he uses very little positive reinforcement. He does a lot of things right; however, there's a reason that there's a disclaimer on the show. Some of his methods (picking up small dogs by the back of the neck) make me cringe.
Victoria Stillwell's program is excellent. Her methods tend to make the dog want to behave well for you (as opposed to fearing punishment in order to avoid bad behavior). She is well-versed in the latest dog training methods, and she uses plenty of treats and rewards. Obviously, since it's a half-hour show, you can't learn everything from her program, but it gives a lot of good pointers. Her methods take patience, which most people seem to lack anymore. Everyone wants a quick-fix solution. - I believe it is a combination of stupidity on his part and even more on the viewers part.
People don't seem to understand that the dogs on that show a evaluated for health and other issues PRIOR to being worked with. They know EXACTLY what the base issues are and understand what behaviors to watch for. Most novices (as well as many experienced folks) can easily miss signals that the dogs are giving off and get hurt!
The show itself is prepared for that, and if something bad happens,. it NEVER gets aired and people don't have a clue!
You are never going to stop them from airing the show and people from watching it. I wish there was just a better way to convince people to NOT try it at home.
I don't believe his books are any better because, again, it can't teach someone to read the signals that the dogs can give off. If people have problems that they need to address with a dog, they need to hire a professional trainer. A trainer not only trains the dog, but trains the owner on how to teach the dog! - I find Cesar Milan scary. Anyone who thinks they know *the answer* to every problem is nuts. And I find his heavy-handed approach barbaric and quite behind the times as far as training philosphy is concerned.
Dog training shows on TV (I like Victoria Stillwell's approach better, but still...) are entertainment as much as information and are staged to be oversimplified. The danger lies in people thinking that this is "the way to go" without really thinking it through or thinking about alternatives.
I did read the book. There was some good stuff in it, especially about being calm and assertive. I think he comes across a little better in the book than he does on TV, where he solves all problems in a 30 minute time frame, making people think he has all the answers.
Taken with a grain of salt, these programs can be helpful. If they're taken as gospel, they are a menace! - I personally do not care for the training methods of "the dog whisperer". The little bit of him that I have watched showed him dominating the dogs, not training them. His methods may work for him, but they would not necessarily work for just anyone. I happen to enjoy Victoria Stillwell's Its Me or the Dog. Her training methods are something that anybody can do with time and patience. She does not dominate the dogs, she trains them. I have used many of her ideas to help my dog and my friends and family with their dogs and have always had success. TV shows are designed to make money, that does not mean that we can't learn something from them. I pretty much disregard anything that is slanted to making money and concentrate on the parts of the show that actually teach something.
- I like the show, I've used a lot of the techniques, and I'm glad their are some shows that help people understand how they should treat their dogs. Just because he presents some simple solutions, doesn't mean they don't work. Sometimes simple is best.
The man has studied dogs. Some people just have natural abilities. The fact that he has kept so many dogs from being put down should be enough for people who care at all about dogs not to be so vicious.
There are plenty of trainers and other methods and techniques available. If you don't like the Caesar's methods, then by all means don't use them. But, don't try to tear him down to people who he actually helps. - When i got my puppy i got his book " be the packleader" as a present. I really didn't help much. It has some good ideas in it but it all just seems to be written to glorify his own person. The book is full of "success" stories that were done by other people but supposably inspired by him through his tv show. great.
- Dangerous for whom? I personally like the show and I learned so much about my dog and other dogs behaviors as well from Cesar's show. Although the show always advise to not try it at home, which makes sense if you have no experience/want to do so. I don't like the other shows mentioned because they don't get to the point as much as Cesar's show. However never read the books nor I have any plans to buy them.
- The show is dangerous, because too many people get the impression from it that they can fix a problem with a dangerous and/or very large dog. To me, that is irresponsible. I also see many posters here referring to links to his training methods.
It is one thing to air a show about such an unusual situation - such as animal rescue or observing jungle animals in the wild - but the fact that any one of us can pretty much go down the street and find such an unruly candidate makes it all the more likely that someone would try things for which they are simply not trained.
His methods are not well thought of, and although I too value freedom of speech, I think some stations should use more discretion and air something less harmful. Certainly there must be more to choose from than that.
Here are some reviews by reputable behaviorists:
http://www.svbt.org/pages/CesarMillan.ht… - just a few comments on what i have seen about him
watch the sun reflections on the ground, you only see the good things and the progress, most people think that its going to be a quick fix just because one dog has been conquered in one or two days,
in reality its like one or two weeks with the dog in question,
also have you noticed that he has his own herd of dogs that he keeps as a pack. he should really be adopting them out and taking more from shelters and training them on his show, and rehoming them out,
i personally believe that he is just in it for the money. - I personally happen to like The Dog Whisperer. I don't think he is barbaric as people claim he is. We all love our dogs, and most of us treat them like family. . but Cesar reminds us that they are dogs and they understand things as dogs. When a dog is not happy with another dog, he will snap or growl. Another dog understands this behavior. In my opinion, all the chicken pieces in the world will not stop an aggressive dog from attacking other animals. Cesar works to correct the behavior of these dogs. He doesn't claim to be a trainer. He clearly says that he is a "dog behavior specialist" which I would personally agree.
I watch Victoria as well and I take bits and pieces from both. Victoria seems to work more to train dogs. Teaching them not to jump up on people, or to stay in the yard, or to come when called. Cesar seems to specialize with the more aggressive dogs. There is a reason he has been successful doing what he does, and anyone who thinks they can watch a show then pin down a Rottweiler is in for a rude awakening. I think he is great at what he does and he has a genuine love for dogs. I've never seen Victoria work with a vicious dog in danger of being put to sleep. I've seen shows where Cesar has actually been bitten, and they clearly state that the rest of us should contact a professional before trying these methods.
I foster homeless dogs through a rescue group. Most of them are puppies so I'm able to use positive reinforcement (more Victoria's style). I did end up with 1 litter of oddly aggressive older puppies. I took 3 from the litter and someone else took the other 3. After a week of working with them, they were happy & playful puppies. I did end up having to hold one of them down several times during the first few days. She would constantly attack the other puppies. She was food aggressive & snapped at my daughter. By the end of the week I could put my hands in her bowl while she was eating and she stopped attacking the other puppies. Again, this was a 15 pound Chow mix puppy. I would never try that with a full grown 60 pound dog.
We are all entitled to our opinion, but Cesar's methods helped me and all 3 puppies were adopted. Not to mention, the 3 puppies that didn't live with me for the week were still displaying signs of aggression. They couldn't even have them out at adoption day because they were snapping at everyone that came near their crate.
Again, this is just my opinion based on my personal experiences.
Bottom line, anyone who watches these shows apparently has a love for their dogs or else we wouldn't watch and try to learn. I say do what works for you, as long as you aren't hurting your furry friend.
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