This started out as a comment on Cynthia's Blog but it got so long I decided to post it here and track back to her.
A while back I had an opportunity to see Cesar Millan in person .. to tell the truth, I think his wife is the one who pushes him to market himself.. he just wants to help dogs.
Yes, his original series of shows I have serious issues with, and yes he does a lot of flooding and making dogs do things because he "says so".. not because they want to.
I do not recommend his books to new handlers. I agree that there are definatlely better ways to handle things...
That being said:
We are a society who believes in band aids and quick fixes.. take the magic pill and fix the problem...
Fix my dogs in ten minutes or I'm getting rid of him.
ick.
Ideally, I would like to see more shows like "It's Me or the Dog" with Victoria Stillwell.. shows that emphasize working with your dog.
What Cesar has done is brought awareness to people that dog behaviors can change... given opportunity.. his methods.. well.. they can be overwhelming for the wrong dog. I always took issue with his lack of praise and reward. I would watch his show and find myself saying "good dog" outloud.. like I do when teaching people how to praise their dogs.. (I say it with the right timing so the handlers start to figure out when and how to praise)
I just watched his more recent shows and he worked with praise, treats and easing a dog through a situation. I was very pleased to see the changes.. now that he has an audience, maybe people will start looking to use more of this type of training and less of the "do it because I said!" training.
And of course, all TV shows are editted all to hell to get the "best" and most magical bits for TV. Who knows what really happens with those dogs.
Overall, the guys heart is in the right place.. he genuinely loves dogs. He also comes from a culture in Mexico (in his own words) that does not cherish the dogs like we do. They are part of the society, not part of the family.
He is changing his techniques and opinions... slowly, but they are changing.. and I have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to change... It's an opportunity that we offer to our dogs. I'm willing to offer the same opportunity to him.
Oh, and by the by.. don't waste your money on the Illusion collar.. it's a gimmick. Go with the Volhard Snap around by handcraft collars instead. And find yourself an Volhard Motivational Method Trainer
I am very conflicted about Ceasar myself. I think he does alot in showing that no matter how bad a problem seems, there is always hope. While some of his methods may seem extreme, his heart is in the right place. i think most people need to realize they can not be like ceasar in 20 minutes by just watching his show. I dont have National Geographic Channel so I can’t watch his show anymore. Its been years since I have seen it. But I do know he can sure get people’s hackles raised.
I agree… he’s seems to raise either complete devotion or complete disgust.
If nothing else, he’s gotten people thinking. He was very engaging to listen to.
hey Jen, excellent post thanks to linking back to me too. I have not watched the latest Cesar Millan shows. I will have to. If he is willing to learn and change, that is admirable for sure. I would love to see his methods grow and develop.
He did flood the dogs in the episodes that I watched and I did not agree with that at all, Pushing a dog over threshold can be dangerous for both people and dogs.
Having a love for the dogs is great. I did not see that in the episodes I watched, but I believe you that he has it. The ‘touch’ he has with the dogs that I saw was not one I would want myself, but hopefully with time and education he will be open to different types of training as well.
I hated the flooding episode. The great dane on the shiny floor right?
Recently, he had a show on a dog who was afraid of storms and noises..
He spent weeks building trust and then introduces small noises, and rewarded the dog every time. Going in the pool became the reward, because the dog loved it.. he would ask the dog to control himself while the noise was happening and then say ok! Lets go in the pool! And they would run together and both of them jump in the pool together… clothes and all.
He eventually build a trailer to simulate a storm. Rain, thunder, lightning and everything.. and put a treadmill in the middle of it..
then he trained the dog to the treadmill with no noises at all.. and slowly introduced each element.. a little at a time. and then RUN to the pool!
After months of work, the dog was able to walk on the treadmill during a full on “storm” in the trailer.. and be ok with it…
I was impressed… Shel and I sat there saying “wow.. so his techniques are changing”