When I was young and naive, I believed a lot of things. I believed in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and that Cesar Milan knew what he was doing.
I remember watching The Dog Whisperer and thinking "wow. That guy knows his stuff." I remember "tsssssstttt-ing" at my dogs when they did something "wrong." And, sadly, I remember alpha rolling one of my dogs because he was being a jerk (Gizmo--a Shiba Inu--who HATED being put on his side for any reason. You can imagine how that turned out for me.) As I got more into dog behavior, I realized how mislead I had been. So, here, in a nutshell, are the reasons I dislike Cesar Milan.
I have many other reasons to dislike him, but these are the big ones. If you want to look into a good quality, force free trainer on television, check out Victoria Stilwell and It's Me or the Dog. You can also read her books. Or you want to read up on some good force free methods, research Sophia Yin, Patricia McConnell, Susan Garrett, or Ian Dunbar. There are so many great trainers that will help your dog reach its full potential without creating fear. When in doubt, ask around the dog community. They can point you in the right direction. Please, if you see someone advertising dominance techniques, the use of prong collars or e-collars (exclusively) or any other forceful methods, look elsewhere. You want a dog that loves to work and train. A dog that looks forward to the next session. Once you get that, all the pieces will fall into place.
I remember watching The Dog Whisperer and thinking "wow. That guy knows his stuff." I remember "tsssssstttt-ing" at my dogs when they did something "wrong." And, sadly, I remember alpha rolling one of my dogs because he was being a jerk (Gizmo--a Shiba Inu--who HATED being put on his side for any reason. You can imagine how that turned out for me.) As I got more into dog behavior, I realized how mislead I had been. So, here, in a nutshell, are the reasons I dislike Cesar Milan.
- Even though it says "don't try these techniques" you know people are going to try them. And get hurt. Or their dog will get hurt.
- He is all about "dominance" and forcing dogs into "calm submission." That is impossible, in my honest opinion. You can't force anyone into calm submission. Imagine throwing temper tantrum and someone holds you down until you stop. Are you going to stop because calm suddenly washes over you or are you going to fight back? Are you going to eventually give up fighting out of exhaustion? Whatever it is, it won't be calm. And "submissive" behavior is offered freely. Gracie rolls over on her back to every approaching person who wants to pet her. Garmin grins at people. They aren't forced into it. They offer it freely.
- The methods he uses are dangerous. I have seen him flood dogs to the point of shutting down (which he labels as calm) and stare a dog down who was guarding food (all while invading her space). I have seen him let a dog throw such a tantrum on a leash while holding it up that the dog nearly choked out (resulting in, of course, calm submission). I have seen him hit and kick dogs (he calls them "taps," but they are forceful. He likens it to a bite that a dominant dog would give. My dogs know I am not a dog, so I am pretty sure that idea is moot.
- He gives owners unrealistic expectations. He shows dogs going from dog aggressive to able to be with other dogs in a matter of 45 minutes. Sure, it probably took longer than that, but he shows it in 45 minutes. So, when you have a dog that has an issue you think "well, I can fix it in 45 minutes." You can't. Unless it is that your dog doesn't know "sit." Then, maybe, you can.
- I can't deny he gets results. But at what cost? And for how LONG? He creates dogs that comply because they are afraid of what will happen if they don't. Put it in context this way: Your boss sees you taking a break to run to the bathroom. Your boss corners you, yells at you, belittles you in front of your colleagues and threatens to fire you. He doesn't take into account that you haven't taken a break in 4 hours because you have been working hard. Instead, he hones in on the thing you did "wrong." How are you going to feel when you go back to work? Or how about the next time you have to use the bathroom? Won't you be so stressed that you just fight through it, hating it the whole time? Are you more likely to have a breakdown? More likely to lash out at others because of your stress? Well, that is how I view punishment based behavior. It relies on correcting the "bad" or undesired behaviors instead of focusing on the good or wanted ones. What if you got up to use the bathroom and your boss stopped you and said "It's about time you take a break! I saw you working away over there. Great job." Aren't you more likely to work harder if you knew that your work is acknowledged and you get a little praise? You may even be excited to get back to work to possibly get that praise again. And I would bet you wouldn't feel like lashing out.
I have many other reasons to dislike him, but these are the big ones. If you want to look into a good quality, force free trainer on television, check out Victoria Stilwell and It's Me or the Dog. You can also read her books. Or you want to read up on some good force free methods, research Sophia Yin, Patricia McConnell, Susan Garrett, or Ian Dunbar. There are so many great trainers that will help your dog reach its full potential without creating fear. When in doubt, ask around the dog community. They can point you in the right direction. Please, if you see someone advertising dominance techniques, the use of prong collars or e-collars (exclusively) or any other forceful methods, look elsewhere. You want a dog that loves to work and train. A dog that looks forward to the next session. Once you get that, all the pieces will fall into place.