The Rise and Fall of Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer

I’ve been an outspoken critic of Millan since the beginning.

Thirty years ago, most trainers were using similar techniques to his. Then, there was a gradual shift toward more dog-friendly methods, largely fueled by the experiences of zoo and marine mammal trainers, who had to find other methods aside from manhandling when they attempted to train animals such as whales and tigers, which are not nearly as easy to subdue as dogs. Landmark books by Karen Pryor (Don’t Shoot the Dog) and Jean Donaldson (The Culture Clash) gave us a new perspective on canine cognition and learning, and suggested new ways of eliciting behavior that did not require choking, pinching, or shocking.

There were more and more trainers coming on board until the Dog Screamer showed up on the scene (whispering implies softness and calmness, and getting pinned to the floor or hung with your front paws off the ground, to me at least, implies screaming — there are many videos showing CM engaged in that kind of “training”). The tide began to turn back, and our tears began to flow at the suffering we knew would come to dogs. Most people don’t know what “learned helplessness” is, but the type of activity he promotes encourages dogs to simply give up, which is what that term implies. (See Martin Seligman’s 1967 learned helplessness studies on shock and dogs). How much better it is to work with a dog whose question to its owner is “Did I do it right? Do I get my reward?” than a dog that must ask the person it is supposed to trust, “Are you going to hurt me this time?”

“Do it or I will hurt you” shouldn’t be a training mantra for dogs any more than it should be for kids. Look up authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting styles. Authoritative is the most successful, and that’s what clicker trainers are. Sure, there are consequences if the dog doesn’t exhibit the correct behavior. It’s just that none of the consequences equal pain. I commend Ada Simms for her desire to bring legitimate knowledge to her community. The slings and arrows she is taking for this are undeserved. The Earth is NOT flat.

I’ll definitely send the link. In general, and Ada was outside longer than I was, people either ignored the folks handing out flyers or took them and read them once they got inside. We were in the balcony, and looking down we could see people reading them.

Apparently there was one very angry man who really gave it to her with both barrels, and I think it may be on the new clips (one of us will send that link, too, when it’s up on the TV site). One woman stopped to take a flyer and praised Ada for the WAY she went about it. There was not one single moment when anyone in the protest group was critical of Millan, or did anything confrontational. We just said, “Would you like some information about local dog trainers?” or “Here is some information about dog training.” I really have to give Ada props for being extremely courteous, well spoken, and gentle in her approach. And understand, she is not a pushover kind of woman; she’s just polite and generous and understands that negativity isn’t the way to get what you want. Which, of course, is the basis of positive training. ;)

And yes, Millan took questions, and I’ll write more later, but he seemed stumped and irritated at that point, LOL.

Cesar Millan has more knowledge of dog understanding and how it works in his little pinkie than most people will ever understand. He has never proclaimed to be a “dog trainer” — he has named himself a “dog rehabilitor.” Quite a difference.

I have applied his methods many times; and although there are some dogs that need a different way, his way works better than anything else. In this age of a quick-fix society, no one wants to take the time it takes.

Most problems can be helped will lots of exercise, being able to see the subtle changes that dogs display, and not waiting till the worst happens. His newer version this year shows him breaking down his episodes so the general public will have a better understanding of what he sees.

He is so in tune with these animals, it’s scary. His track record speaks for itself. Let me see any one of you try and teach a charging pit bull to stop with a cookie. Or a click. Good luck.

No, the world is a better place for dogs because of Cesar, not in spite of him.

I think that, as usual, people just have an all or nothing attitude.

The animals that we see on Cesar’s TV show are all animals with fairly big issues and need more than the ordinary tactics. I don’t think that anything he does is inhumane — in fact, I think just the opposite. To me, it doesn’t matter that he hasn’t had any formal training. I think that he has proven himself a great dog rehabilitator. If for some reason you don’t like him or his methods, then try something different that suits you and your dog.

Does it not concern Joe Public that Millan has no positive peer reviews, that no one who is qualified and experienced promotes or supports his methods?

As ever, the “yes but he deals with ‘red zone’ dogs that would be put to sleep” argument rears its ugly head.

“Red zone” is a Millan invention. You could make any dog react in a “red zone” manner if you subjected it to the right stimuli. Millan forces dogs over their threshold before filming. This it makes good telly, no matter what it does to the poor dog.

His popularity not only means there are thousand of owners out there ignorantly ruining their dogs, but there are also hundreds of so-called trainers getting away with abuse because owners do not think to question the methods because they have seen Millan do them.

Just writing about him upsets me so much I can’t think properly…

This article hits a hot point when it mentions how people tend to be for or against, and are in far-reaching camps. Many CM followers feel personally attacked when his outdated methods are questioned. I can’t help but wonder why.

I think the man has a lot of good ideas and intentions. Walking your dog (which is shocking when you learn how many dogs never, ever get walked), the need for mental and physical stimulation (sadly, most of his mental stimulation just requires the dog to wait), not to humanize your dog, the importance of spaying and neutering (though Cesar’s dog Daddy was never neutered until he got testicular cancer), teaching people about the horrors of puppy mills, being an anti BSL person… all are great, and we all appreciate it!

He also talks and teaches a lot about dog body language. Often while working with a dog, he’ll explain that the dog is drooling excessively due to being stressed or uncomfortable. Sadly, he never equates that he is the one who is putting them into that stressful situation, and that the stress indicators on the part of the dog were brought on by himself. Viewers seem to miss this too.

In the beginning, he used to call himself a dog trainer. His goal was to become the best dog trainer in the United States. He’s said this a number of times. He’s since changed his mantra, informing us that he is not a dog trainer, but rather, he is a dog behaviorist, who specializes in dog psychology.

And all of these titles have been self-imposed. He has no behaviorist education. He has no psychology education, be it canine or human. The only education he has is from his formative years living on his grandfather’s farm where he observed semi-feral dogs.

Many other very well respected dog behaviorists and trainers (some of whom have already commented here) have pointed out that his methods are seriously outdated, and warn of the harm his methods impose. The reality of fallout from his pack/dominance theory is dangerously real.

Many of the dogs he’s worked with have not had a fairy-tale ending. Many have not stayed in their CM perfect homes. Some have even been put to sleep. Is that helping a dog and his family?

The disclaimer on the show is there for a reason. Yet so many viewers believe that it doesn’t pertain to them, and that they are smart enough, dog savvy enough, or have the “gift” to be able to try CM’s methods. Sadly, this has had some disastrous results, and has resulted in CM being the party of more than a few lawsuits.

Another wise trainer advised to watch the show but to turn the volume off, and to watch the dog, not the man. And then you will truly see what is happening.

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate the man. He just doesn’t know. But I do hate his methods. Why would you teach your supposed best friend to behave out of fear of pain or intimidation? Very sad, indeed.

Meira Frankl

I am shocked! Cesar is one of my heroes, and it surprises me that anyone would think his methods are inhumane. I’ve read his book, watched his shows and follow his website religiously. There are many reasons he has become world-renowned for his talents in dealing with dogs that have special issues… because he offers good advice, backed by years of experience with much success.

I work as an animal control officer. I admire him greatly for bringing much-needed awareness to the reasons dogs become aggressive. Many people ditch their dogs because they fail to properly understand their needs. He has given many so-called problem animals a second chance at a good life. Cesar is a dog’s best friend!

I think he is one of the best trainers I have ever seen. Funny enough, in Denmark a lot of so-called trainers protested him… and they are so-called because they only have a weekend to learn to be a trainer and suddenly they know everything.

Do I agree with all his methods? No, I don’t agree with electrocuting dogs; however, he has taught me a lot about dogs, so dear Cesar: Continue doing what you do (but please skip the shock collars).

Instilling fear or pain into any creature, human or animal will cause an effect. I do not believe in training this way whatsoever. I spent a weekend with the top trainers and behaviorists — one had to deal with many of CM’s supposed “rehabilitated” dogs months after he had used his hands on them. The owners followed through with his techniques, and many failed miserably, many with the fate of the dog finally retaliating against them — and several by having their faces bit open or severe damage to limbs.

Trish King in California is the trainer responsible for rehabilitating CM’s failures. We don’t see that on TV, do we? When’s the follow-up show coming on so we can see the progress on past dogs? Not gonna happen. His techniques are short lived, and owners still fear their dogs. Call the LA Humane Society and ask how many dogs they have surrendered or have euthanized that were one CM’s previous clients.

Any person or dog will eventually react or aggress toward behaviors that they won’t tolerate any longer. Just because it worked the first, second or third time, doesn’t mean it will continue to work. How many pit bulls have attacked people because they were treated horribly or were caused pain? Read the current report on bite statistics. All were caused by the dog’s negligent or abusive owners. Every one of my rescued dogs would be a complete aggressive mess if I used dominance training on them.

Ninety percent of dog aggression is based on fear — and he suggests instilling more unpredictable fear/pain methods to help them become balanced? Makes no sense.

I love Cesar, and I think his philosophy about rehabilitating dogs and training people is right on.

He has a very natural understanding of dogs and people that probably can’t be taught. His methods may fail more because of user error than because of not being grounded in truth. Most people do not know how to handle their pets, and they create major behavioral problems that become very difficult to remediate. Cesar works magic with animals that might be beyond the ability of most others. He has keen insight on human nature and behavior, and I think his wisdom is very valuable. People don’t like to be told they are the source of problems, and I think this is the main reason for the backlash he has experienced. He is shining a light on people’s deficiencies (albeit gentle and helpful in nature), and that makes them bristle and rail against him. I’m a solid supporter!

Most of Millan’s fans are dog owners with no education or training in the field of dog behavior and psychology, like Cesar Millan himself. So when these people say that they think Millan is right on the money, so what? These people are not authorities in this subject.

What’s important is that the actual authorities, the real experts at the top of the dog behavior and psychology fields, are saying that Millan and his methods are often psychologically harmful and even at times physically harmful and that his theories on dog behavior are often just plain wrong and not based on any science and research and are actually often the opposite of what science and research shows.

I think the whole “Dog Whisperer” phenomenon was a marketing exercise that made Cesar look like some sort of god among dog trainers, when in fact he has some good ideas and other very bad ones.

I think it is a big mistake to market someone in this way as some people begin to believe that he has the answer to everything with no real training or creditation of his own. I don’t believe “one size fits all” as every dog is different and has its own special needs in regard to training. They are as different as humans are from one another. I don’t think this is Cesar’s fault. It is the fault of people who want quick answers and solutions to their problems. There is no “silver bullet.”

Thank you Pets Adviser for noticing our silent protest of Cesar Millan in Rochester, NY. There has been so much attention to this that other cities where he is performing are doing the same. I had planned on writing my review of his show, but Joanne did such a wonderful job!

From a trainer’s point of view:

When the older yellow Lab was brought on stage, he was quite peppy, and with his tail wagging, went to go investigate the audience and appeared to be quite relaxed. The dog was brought out on a flat buckle collar by a female employee who doesn’t usually handle dogs. Cesar explained that this was the first dog that had bit him, sending him to the hospital. Once Cesar took the dog, the dog’s disposition and body movements totally changed. Cesar placed a thin 1/4″ leather slip collar on the dog’s neck. He put it as high as he could and tightened the noose-type lead. The dog’s tail stopped wagging, and being held low, his head was tilted toward the floor, ears slightly back. He did not look at Cesar’s face but for a second here and there. The dog acted emotionless. It was so sad to those of us who can truly understand dog body language. The words to describe this dog would be “defeated or sullen.” This dog didn’t want to offer a behavior, any behavior. He sat several times, and when he got up you could see (I could see since I was in the balcony looking onto the stage) that the dog had urinated twice, leaving two puddles on the floor. I see this often with dogs or are trained with force and compulsion. They give up. As we trainers describe this… the dog appeared to have learned helplessness. (You are damned if you do and dammed if you don’t. So don’t do a thing for fear of being corrected!) Why offer a behavior when the dog doesn’t know what he is going to be corrected for? I am sure the audience thought this was such an obedient dog.

In Cesar’s previous shows around the US, he has always worked with dogs that were owned by folks who would be in attendance, and they had to send a history so Cesar could pick the dogs. I guess that hasn’t been going as well as they thought. Hmmm!

Cesar stated, “Dogs don’t think. They just react!” Any living thing with a brain thinks. I wonder how service dogs do their jobs, if they just react?

At the end, questions were read by his assistant that the audience submitted. Cesar answered three of them. (See Joanne’s review for the particular questions) WHY? The answers he gave made no sense. He asked for the questions to be repeated several times. He talked in circles and gave no instruction on how to change the behavior in question. It became jibberish, and I wanted to hear something besides “be calm and assertive, be a pack leader, the dog must submit,” blah blah, blah. He appeared so confused.

I didn’t even bother writing down those repetitive “helpful hints.”

I hardly think Cesar has “fallen.” The judgment and hatred people have for him personally is disgusting. He has given so much of himself to help dogs and be a positive influence to people and the relationship with their dog, that I find the reaction disturbing. I also suspect some of it comes from him coming here originally illegally from Mexico and becoming a celebrity at what he does. I think he also gets flack for using the power of attraction, which some people may not believe in when training a dog. But who are they to discount this idea?

Yes, there is serious debate on his methods, which can and should be debated, but to attack him personally is not okay. And to say he has had no formal training is also not okay. He originally worked as a groomer and did spend time learning to “train” dogs, but then realized he was interested in dog psychology and pursued that instead. Not to mention the number of years he has under is belt now and the sheer astronomical number of dogs he works with at his center along with client dogs. I don’t think there are many that can compete with that experience alone.

Some people and professionals may have valid points regarding his methods, but the bottom line is that Cesar has dealt with countless dogs that other trainers gave up on or thought should be put down. If Cesar could save a dog from euthanasia using his methods, then there is a need for him in the dog training world.

Additionally, nobody has all the answers when it comes to dogs, even though people who ridicule him act as if they do. While some critics and professionals feel his methods are dangerous, I disagree. Maybe critics should follow up with all the dogs he has worked with and find out if they have been traumatized or have become more aggressive by the time they spent with Cesar, because I highly doubt it. I read all his books and have watched EVERY show, sometimes more than once, and would recommend watching the shows before judging what others have to say.

Being a pet sitter who specializes in working with pets with behavioral issues, I find this topic interesting.

I certainly do not believe in being aggressive with a dog at all! A lot of the behavioral issues I have personally seen are simply uncorrected by the pet owner. It’s a matter of being a pack leader and an alpha. These factors are critical, and in fact what works. Simply put, it’s about respect! Respect the dog/cat, and the dog/cat will respect you. I have found if the pet has an issue, the key is trying to figure out why or what the issue is about. It may take a couple of different techniques to correct it, but if you don’t stick with it and if you let the pet continue with the improper behavior, it will only continue.

A good analogy would be to take a look at kids today. It’s apparent that kids and dogs don’t respect their owners or parents nowadays. It just goes to show, there is no discipline therefore no respect nowadays. The two go hand in hand!
When it comes to Cesar, I think eventually everybody falls out of the spotlight. The trick is knowing when to walk away before it falls down on you. In the pet industry there are a lot of different human organizations that will attack for different reasons. Nobody is perfect, and the media is the first to prove this point.

The issue here is that Cesar Millan works for television, not for the animals. The reason he miraculously “cures” these aggressive dogs in half an hour is because he very rarely takes on a dog with more than minor behavioural issues. These dogs are not aggressive, and he does not cure them; he controls them through fear. You can see the dogs are stressed and unhappy, but they are now afraid to show their true behaviours. Genius.

I enjoy watching the show. I agree with some of the ideas, such as not praising a dog for being afraid. I would not never “alpha roll” a dog or “finger poke” a dog. I would never use my foot to kick a dog while walking it. I would never “try this at home.” But I do agree with exercise, discipline, affection. I have just adjusted it to my situation and my personality.

There is a danger of people trying it at home — and doing it incorrectly, such as kicking a dog while walking it! So people should stick to basic obedience and positive methods such as clicker training.

Cesar does not show basic obedience; he shows an overall philosophy, the dominance in a pack theory. I think we can learn from him, but please do not try this at home.

At the risk of being reprimanded for smiling at a couple of stories I heard from my vet yesterday, I did want to share them with you guys in hopes that maybe a couple of you may find a way to look past your negative feelings for CM and see that sometimes things do work, regardless of what school of thought they were based on, if any at all.

I told my vet about this forum during my bulldog’s monthly checkup yesterday, and he explained that he is also a strong believer in positive reinforcement. He then went on to tell me these two stories that lightened my heart a bit:

An elderly lady, about 80 years old, brings her pit bull to him regularly since she got him 4 years ago. The pit bull had belonged to her neighbor, who never paid attention to it, chained it outside, and would leave it for days. Needless to say, Animal Control was called, and when they came to take the animal, the woman saw the dog lunge off the chain as the officers approached and they barely got it into the truck. The woman knew the fate of the dog, so the next day she headed down to the shelter and demanded that she be given that “damned ol’ dog.”

I’m not sure why this woman would have been given the dog without some form of rehabilitation first. I guess because it’s a small, rural town that is overpopulated with strays anyway, but she was. My vet said that the dog is obedient, friendly, always wears the “pit bull smile,” and goes literally everywhere with the lady. When he asked her how she got him to calm down and mind her so well, she replied, “I know how to run a family; I raised mine to be big and healthy, and never once let my husband run me over, so why the hell would I let a damned ol’ dog?” The vet asked her if she had ever hit the dog, and she replied, “No sir, I like my arms and face intact and right where my mom left them for me, but that don’t mean he thinks he can get away with being a li’l b*st*rd.”

According to the vet, she obviously dominates the dog, but he is sure she has never watched CM, nor did she ever study any outdated schools of thought. She just does what she thinks is right. If the dog starts to get too frisky when another dog walks close, she stomps her foot and says, “Sit down, your pants aren’t goin’ anywhere!,” and the dog does it. She doesn’t even put him on a leash when bringing him into the vet; she says she doesn’t need to because “he knows if he wants to make it home he will do as he’s told or she’ll just have the vet fix him up a nice li’l ol’ cocktail that will help him sleep better.” My vet had pictures of this gal and her dog, and I swear the pit’s head was twice the size of hers, but it was hard to tell with that mouth open, tongue hanging out, and big smile on its face!

The other story he told me was of a family that has a new mixed-breed, 6-month-old puppy. One day their 4-year-old son starting “tssst-ing” the puppy every time the puppy would grab one of the boy’s toys. He would say it sternly and point his finger at the dog, and the puppy would drop the toy, then go into “play bow,” and the two of them would begin playing with the puppy’s toys. Apparently the son had picked up on CM’s “tssst” on his own after watching a show, and decided to use it. The parents said that life was so much easier now that he started using “tssst” instead of “MOMMY! THE PUPPY HAS MY TOYS!!! MOMMMMMYYYYYYY, MAKE DRAKE GIVE THEM BACK!!!! I HATE THAT DOG!!!!!” Not to mention that now the child also has stopped trying to jerk the toys from the puppy’s mouth, which could get the boy nipped as the puppy thought they were playing tug-of-war.

Anyway, I thought those were two very cute stories, and I wanted to share them. Feel free to point out all the areas of concern and problems that may arise, but I’m sorry, I will still smile every time I walk into the vet’s office and see the picture of the lady and Damned Ol’ Dog, and a child with their puppy in Petco.

I read the comments, and as an outspoken Milan critic since the first episode I would like to say that he does harm dogs, BUT he has such a following, and as I don’t know him personally I don’t feel I can make a direct hit at his person, just his techniques and lack of education.

If he had been perhaps afforded all the help that Jordan Shelly was offered after his debacle on British TV (because people were horrified by the “education” Shelly had watching Milan on TV), Milan might just have been an ambassador for improving relationships with people and their dogs, let alone the dogs’ mental health. He has charisma and people like him, albeit people not educated in dogs or dog behaviour. Many many times a “professional” has told people to do something ridiculous, but because they are seen as a “professional” they must be right.

I have been in veterinary practice for 25 years and a qualified behaviourist for 10. I spend a load of money getting an education, qualifications and gaining experience so my clients can feel safe, and I actually know what their dog needs. It’s a shame that Dr. Dunbar, Jean Donalson, Paul Owens and their like didn’t get the TV contract; things would be so much different today. But I see it as a positive. OK, Mr. Milan has done damage, but folks are talking about their dogs and looking for help now instead of filling shelters and graves. OK, he gets booed, but people are now asking why? Why are his methods harming dogs and the relationship they have with their owners? And that is all a positive in my mind.

I tell them yes, there other ways; if his doesn’t feel right to your conscience let me show you how I would help. It’s no good getting angry and belittling another “professional,” no matter how stupid and self-publicizing they are. It doesn’t do your reputation any good. There will always be the type of owner who likes being dominant and controlling. Use Cesar Millan’s popularity to get people thinking about how they can be turned from the dark side.

For those of you who haven’t read any of my posts, I am participating in this forum to become better educated. I have taken the advice of many on here and rented DVDs from Tawzer Dog (which I haven’t yet received), ordered books by Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, and a few others I can’t remember off the top of my head, and also borrowed two of CM’s DVDs from the library (I know that is the last thing you would want to hear, but since I had only watched a few episodes of Dog Whisperer, I wanted to make sure my memories of CM were correct).

Patricia McConnell’s “The Other End of the Leash” arrived this morning, and I am about 1/4 of the way through it. I have to say it’s too bad this gal didn’t get offered a show, but I assume I will say that about Mr. Dunbar too, if not all the others I am getting ready to study!

I have noticed something while reading the book, and at first I thought I should wait until I finish the book to ask the question, but decided that it may help me more if I ask it now, before too many examples overwhelm me.

So, here it goes. I watched CM’s videos last night, and there were a few instances where I easily picked up on what most of you are saying, instances where positive reinforcement should have been used and wasn’t. But although his technique when actually working with the dogs was outdated, he also mentioned how owners could have prevented the behaviors in the first place, and I don’t know that I disagree.

In one part an owner was having trouble with their dog not listening, tearing things up, and destroying everything in its path. CM simply asked, “When was the last time you walked him?” He then spent time explaining that a bored dog with energy is a dog who will get into trouble and just having a fenced backyard isn’t enough, they need to walk, to “migrate,” as he put it. That seemed like pretty good advice to me and I had to wonder how many people were watching that episode on a torn up couch, with their cute little tornado running around eating their leather shoes, and were thinking, “Son of a b*tch, duh, he’s just bored, not stubborn! Let’s go for a walk and see if it helps.”

He also talked about paying attention to yourself when asking your dog to do something. He mentioned that a dog will listen to someone they trust as a leader, but is less likely to listen to someone if they aren’t convinced that person knows what they are talking about. McConnell made the same point in her book, but since she doesn’t have a show, isn’t it good that CM explained that to pet owners?

I am trying really hard to dislike CM and everything he teaches on his show, but after watching the videos and making it 1/4 way through McConnell’s book, I am wondering if the similarities in his beliefs and many of yours about how to raise a well balanced dog, aren’t being overlooked or just ignored. Is it possible that some good will come out of CM explaining to people that dogs need walked, owners shouldn’t try to sooth every whine with love and comfort, that dogs don’t have the vocabulary we have so we should be consistent in our words to them, and to make sure we are strong, confident leaders so our dogs can trust us? Those of you who are trainers or other types of professionals in the field already know this information and probably take it for granted, but I doubt your average person with an unruly dog had ever really considered that dogs are dogs, not humans, and shouldn’t be trained the same, until CM pointed it out.

I’m also curious about how many pet owners could actually use many of his dominance techniques. I watched a documentary where they monitored a human’s brain activity when seeing pictures of different objects, babies, adults, and dogs. The part of the brain that was stimulated when seeing the baby was also stimulated when seeing the dog, so the scientists concluded that, basically,humans get all cutesy with dogs because our nurturing instinct is triggered, same as it is with babies. If that is true, then I can see pet owners remembering certain messages CM sends out, like walk your dog and he won’t be bored, but probably cringed while watching poor Shadow, even if they didn’t realize it. Maybe I’m abnormal, but I know when I watched that clip all I could think about was my dogs and how I will never let them get to the point that anyone would even think that technique was needed.

I’m going to go back to the book now, but if any of you have any insight that could be nicely pointed out as to why CM’s theories of PREVENTING behaviors are different than McConnell’s or others like her, please let me know. I’m sure that I am missing something and it’s driving me crazy trying to see it. And please don’t tell me it’s because CM wants to be “dominant” where McConnell want to be a “leader”, someone else already tried that but then couldn’t explain to me why it’s okay for McConnell to stand tall and squared, but when CM does it he is using an outdated technique. I’m looking for real answers here to help me, not emotional opinions.

Thank you in advance!

Sorry I wasn’t going to comment further because it’s obvious that most people posting here have made up their minds about Cesar Millan. However when I saw this comment, “Oh, and by the way, mother dogs do not bite their pups and hold them by the neck the way he insists they do, and they never pick them up by the scruff. As usual, he is making this stuff up as he goes along.”

My question for the person who wrote this is, “Have you ever been around a mother dog moving her puppies from one location to another?” My guess to that question would me NO you haven’t. I have though and have seen it happen more than once. Does that mean I’m delusional? Does that mean that I’m seeing something that isn’t reality? By the way you are right mother dogs do not ‘bite’ their pups on the scruff of the neck…they use their teeth, because they don’t have any other means, to hold the puppy by the scruff of the neck AND if you would’ve ever seen this done you would have not seen the puppy struggle in the very least. When the mother does this the puppy automatically relaxes which by the way is what Cesar is accomplishing through this canine way of handling the dog.

I understand that many people want their dogs to be little four-legged humans, children if you will, and that anyone suggesting that a dog has their own method of communication or should be treated like a dog in order for it to live a fulfilled happy life as a dog is surely going to be pooh poohed. However wanting our dogs to be our own personal provider of unconditional love without our having the courtesy to learn what a dog needs and to provide it is cruel in my personal opinion.

As a pit bull advocate I have the the unfortunate task of trying to educate many anti-pit bull people who are on campaigns against pit bulls. Their reasoning is often very askew and when faced with a fact about pit bulls they will often retort with some fairly strange and twisted answers. Some of the arguments I’ve seen here against Cesar Millan’s ways are quite reminiscent of the comments from those people who fear and hate pit bulls and will stop at nothing to be ‘right’ when in the end the common goal of everyone should be to keep the public safe. I’d like to think that at some point, as I suggested before, everyone who is so passionate about the humane treatment of dogs in respect to how we humans ‘manage’ them (because we do manage them; if we didn’t no one could have a dog in their home) will realize the common goal and will be able to concede that there are many humane ways.

I agree with everything Cheryl said.  Cesar has helped so many dogs & their families. His method is commonsense & the dog respects & loves you for letting him/her be a dog. I have used his methods & they work very welI. I also use lots of positive reinforcementy & shower them with love.  There’s nothing wrong with using more than one method.  People shouldn’t be so down on Cesar & his methods. Everyone has the right to choose. Now, if everyone would devote all this energy to help dogs who are really abused like those who are made to fight or used as bait.

I’ve learned a lot from caesare and I have a healthy, 6 year old lab that is perfectly trained using his methods which are not mean or destructive.  The same people who have this liberal metality to training dogs are the same people who think that children should not be disciplined or teachers should not grade papers using red ink.  Or that scores should not be kept during soccer games for little kids.  It’s all bleeding heart, tree hugging, bunny loving liverals that have to mess with everything to try to show that they have compassion.  They are frauds, Caeser is real!

I think that most trainers might be jealous of him because he is rich & has a place for dogs that most of us would kill to have.

Even of he is discredited, he’s made enough money he doesn’t need to work anymore for the rest of his life LMBO .

I’ve watched a ton of Dog Whisperer shows. Never have I seen any of the brute force people are talking about. He explains every time that he’s using a light tough whether it’s with his fingers, or his foot yet, people still claim he is kicking these dogs. Someone mentioned hanging on here, and again, where is it? Do you mean when he was holding the leash away from him, keeping distance from the dog that was trying to attack him? You really can’t get your treat out, and ask for a “sit” and “stay” at that moment. Something else mentioned a lot is the, Alpha Rolls. If you watch the shows, he doesn’t pin these dogs down on their backs and hold them there or use intensive force. I’ve seen people do true Alpha Rolls and it’s not the same. It really seems people are taking away from his methods, and putting their own brutal twist on them. Talking about Cesar, a man who is trying to do so much for dogs, and making him out to be something sinister, really tells a lot about the character of the people making the disparaging comments. I’ve used his methods, with 100% success. There is nothing rough, forceful, or inhumane about his methods. It’s mostly common sense that the average person fails to understand or properly attempt. People are so out of touch with reality that common sense is falling by the wayside in really all aspects of life these days. That is why he must put a disclaimer at the beginning of each show. I trained horses for almost 30 years, and there’s a similar debate with training methods in the horse world. People like to pick one why and then claim it’s the only way, which is wrong. You do what works, and what is safe for you, and the animal, to achieve the end goal. I’ve used some of Cesar’s methods on my horses before they were even known as Cesar’s methods. If you don’t agree with his methods, then simply don’t apply them, but to start blogs, social media pages, etc. (which is libel/slander), filled with hate for the guy, and anything he does is just over the top ridiculous. He’s helped 400 dogs/owners on the show alone, brought positive awareness to the Pit breed, started the Millan Foundation and more! What have the criticizers done other than be mean to others and bully? 

Cesar is right: To understand dogs, you need to understand dominance. It all begins there and, while other things are important, nothing is more important than dominance.

Just my opinion. I am familiar with Natural Horsemanship in the horse world. It works and yes you are using “Natural Horsemanship” to gain leadership and dominance over horses because you wouldn’t want a 1000 pound hoofed animal to stomp you into the ground because he’s the boss. So you have to become the boss right off the bat. Sometimes that entails spanking a horse with a stick and string to get him to move his feet(simulating a kick from another herd mate), well that is nowhere near the amount of force another horse would use to get that horse to move his feet. Other horses will bite chunks out of another horse and kick open the hide of another horse just to get him to move his feet and gain leadership over that horse. I think Cesar is using “Natural Dogmanship” to communicate the way dogs do to gain leadership and dominance over one another. When you are familiar with Natural Horsemanship and with Cesar’s ways you will see that they are very similar in their “NATURAL” way of communicating with the animals and speaking their language and it is very successful and a more and more popular way of training animals today. It only comes down to one thing, It Works! You are understanding how the animal thinks and how they communicate with each other and using that psychology to be able to successfully interact with them and make them a part of your family and your life. Nothing wrong with that at all. Also with 7 years of experience as a small animal veterinary technician, we get very aggressive animals that come in and need medical attention that act the same way that dog did on Cesar’s leash. You can actually just stand there and hold that leash like Cesar was doing and the dog creates that tension in the leash and the fighting like what was happening in the video. I’ve been there in that situation dozens of times. We are not choking or hanging the animal, it’s a form of restraint to keep us from being attacked, until the dog calms down and lets us get a more proper restraint on him. There are a lot of forms of restraint on an animal that us trained professionals (by veterinarians) use to keep us and the dog safe, or cat for that matter. That may look bad and abusive to the viewer who has no experience, when it actually is not bad or harmful. We’re not hurting the dog and do you think if we wanted to cause physical harm on an animal that we would be in that field of wanting to help them? I don’t think so. I think Cesar is doing an awesome job and he is very gifted at what he does. Wish I had that kind wisdom to help me deal with my 2 year old German Shepherd Dog’s issues that I know I created, but since I don’t I’ll just keep reading and watching Cesar and do the best I can! It could be much worse without him :-)

IMHO, with the numerous comments below supporting cesar, this article should be aptly titled the rise and rise of cesar millan

I’ve tried Cesar’s methods with my dog. I was able to retrain a 2 year old Golden Retriever. No where does the Calm-Assertive theory indicate or propagate violence against dogs. Cesar’s methods have helped me retrain my parents too. And no I don’t shock either of them. His insight is unique and on the spot. At the end of the day it’s different strokes for different folks. Cesar works for me. Long live the king.

Before attacking the protestors to this method. Take a look around the internet and check out his success rate. The real success rate. See how many of these so called “rehabilitated” dogs were given away to shelters or rescues. see how many were euthanized because the behavior problem came back multiplied. I know my little blurb here wont change your minds, u are set on this path of pain. Hopefully it will however open your minds to the future! Dogs don’t have to hurt to train. Before you wonder, yes I have trained my dog. She is wonderful and full of love. She was a rescue with behavior issues, and by paying attention to her needs and my own, i taught her without hitting, poking, shocking, or tackling her.

I don’t have a problem with him and to expect perfection from the man is ridiculous. It’s up to each individual to research information, consider it, and do what they think is best. Everyone can learn something from someone else, but ultimately it’s a personal decision and the individual’s responsibility for the decisions they make. Americans have become the most helpless, narcissistic, controlling, exasperatingly whiny people on the face of the earth and blaming other people is the game. Grow up. Your problem is your responsibility – as is finding a solution that works for you.

Having rescued & rehabilitates over 600 chained dogs, mostly pit bully breeds, I have found his methods work. Without learnong dog behaviour & rehabilitation from his work more than 600 dogs wouldnt be happy, healthy, and balanced in the right homes.
I also wouldnt be able to run a healthy,safe household with 4 pit bullys and a
child. (My son, 5, has been raised with them and has never had any issues.)
His methods are safe & harmless. His metbods have rehabiitated thousands of dogs by educating many people…. and the numbers keep growing Thank god for him.

This is why americans are so stupid. Leave this guy alone, why don’t you protest tobacco companies instead? oh, right, they can put you down quick.

you are really the best Dr. Antogai i have ever see since my husband left me and my kids i have been trying different online spell caster and i did not see any result until a friend of my gave me your contact number that i should call you that you are going to be able to help me. The first time you told me what i have to do i thought you were the same as the other so called spell caster but i just have to give it a trier which i did and after you have done the casting of the spell i start seeing changes as my husband send gift to my kids and also wrote a letter that he was going to come back home very soon i was so surprise and now we are back together again thank you. antogaispelltemple@yahoo.com

His methods work and they are very humane. I have used these methods before they had names, and Cesar was involved and they WORK. E collars,,pinch collars, slip collars all have their place when necessary. All the goody two shoes need to wake up and realize this. Leave him alone and let him do his work, So many PETA people and other groups turn people off because of their over zealous mamby pamby attitudes about real and serious probles with dogs that cause them to be put down and many people to get hurt or killed in the mean time. Keep up the good work Cesar

Anyone who claims ceaser is “cruel” to animals is an ignorant fool! Yes thats right, people who know nothing about dogs. A correction is NOT animal cruelty… Dogs CORRECT Dogs in the wild…

Cesar is right, he helps me to understand the dog’s mind. If it doesn’t work for others then don’t use it. People can’t blame the dog for misbehaving just like they can’t blame Mr. Millian for not being calm and assertive! If a child is out of control and allowed to void their bladder anywhere at anytime at a young age. It’s over looked ,but what if that child is now 4, 8, 10 years old and doing it only because he/she hasn’t been taught? The child is not mental or physically incapable of learning where the boundaries or limitions of proper restroom etiquette. So who needs to stand in their own truth? The guardians of the child. So does this hold truth to animal owners. Why should is be acceptable for dog to have “accidents” ,yet get punished when he/she doesn’t understand what you are mad about? Who’s fault is it he/she hasn’t learned? Some of the touching and “bitting” (Cesar uses his hand like a claw to resemble a bite) is to help communicate with the dog to understand what is expected of him/her. Yet, if one can not first be calm/assertive then how can they blame said dog or Cesar? Then if this person tries to correct the dog with disappointment , tenseness , and doubt once again one can only blame themself.
I suffer from a psychiatric disability and I am currently training my own service dogs. I have two puppies that with the calm and assertive energy I provide them. They are well on their way to being balanced.
Sure you can train any dog on a leash ,but you have loyalty when they respect you without one.
My pups are only 6months young but not only does Cesar’s methods help me train my dogs , they have helped me with my disability.
When my dogs won’t respond to my command after I ask twice I then question ” How am I feeling?” Do you know that it is me! I have prevented or controlled the severity of my anxiety along with panic attacks. That normally render me not just mentally disabled but physically frozen! My pups are connected to me they naturally know if I am in distress but if I am not aware of this how can they help me by being robotic? See its like a guide dog that learns NOT to obey a command that would harm him or his owner.
I am under state laws allowed to train my own dogs ,but each state is different. The ADA is also in my corner ,but I would never recommend anyone to attempt to use a dog that is not in control or respects their owner. I do have two dogs that will both be trained ,however only one will be my service dog. I thought that training a puppy would be hard and it’s not easy, it’s a wonderful experience. I have Cesar’s book How to raise the perfect dog & he touches on so many things that have a great impact on my mind set.
I truly believe that Cesar is not training dogs but us humans to help communicate with dog so that we all can live healthy balanced lives!

I have never seen Cesar do anything but help. He is a once in a lifetime guy and I think he is great. I guess some people prefer to have their dogs pull them down the street, act aggressive and have generally poor behavior. Cesar fixes these things with ease. He never uses too much physical force. remember a dog is a dog and has needs that are specific to dogs and these needs must be met. Cesar teaches us how to correct these things. He’s a very special man and I wish him the very best.

Cesar Millan said “I am not doing dog training, I Train People, I rehabilitate dog.” and just wanted to share that, for my case i do have two dogs, before i was afraid to approach my labrador dog mix because it was a very aggressive dog, not just that, since then, i wanted to train my dogs but, It seems so difficult to train dogs cause it will took a lot of time to learn how to train dogs BASICALLY. But by this method of rehabilitating dog then training them it only took me 1week to train my dogs basically. and how is that compare of any methods? ^.^
GOD bless everyone..

Cesar is doing a great job at training dogs. He is an excellent dog trainer. Dogs learn through dominance not drugs or timeout. If a dog is acting aggressive we train them or if a person does not know how to train an aggressive dog they put them to sleep. When a human acts aggressive we lock them up and restrain them.
When we run a red light we get a ticket or go to jail which is a correction for not doing what we suppose to do. Even when we were kids and your mother told you not to touch the hot stove but you did anyway and got a correction from the stove being hot and didn’t touch the stove anymore. When a dog gets a correction from misbehaving he learns not to do the act anymore. This is how the mother teaches her pups through correction and dominance. She does not speak softly to her pups nor does she put them in timeout when he is doing something wrong. We need to get over ourselves and let professionals be professionals Just because someone is a better dog trainer than you don’t HATE on them. Cesar is one of the best Dog Trainers out there today.

My dog is my dog and I never confuse my dog with human beings. I treat my dog as a dog and my dog appreciates that and understands it. He is not a human being and I think he would be insulted if you were to treat him as one. Cesar works with dogs that have been confused by all if the “my dog is my baby” and I will treat him as a human baby/child fanatics. The dogs don’t speak “human.” They speak “dog” and abide by innate pack intelligence. Might does make right in the dog world. Respect, fear, and dominance do guide pack placement and behavior. If humans try and reside within the structure of a wild pack of dogs (or other wild animals), they must adapt themselves to the behaviors and structural rules of that group. Stop confusing animals by treating them as people. Go and water your pet rocks…. Allow animals to be what they are- Animals.

Seems to me like a classic example of jealousy… I have had dogs all my life. Now a Doberman and a Rottweiler (adopted from a dog asylum). I do not need to have a degree in an “inexact” science to have credibility. My dogs are well educated and liked in a community generally fearful of the races I have. I would say 99% of what I have seen from Cesar is consistent with what I see works and also keeps animals balanced and happy.

All these “pseudo-experts” are pathetic and a sad trend of our society, i.e. to vilify success

Other so called dog experts only blast Cesar out of jealousy! He is famous and they are and will always be a bunch of nobodies!

I love all animals and I find it very difficult to understand MOB mentality against anyone who has dedicated their entire life helping not only the dogs but the owners of those dogs. These protests would be much more productive aimed at factory farming, dog fighting organizations, the cruel treatment of research animals, the slaughter of the seals, whaling … must I go on? I find it very irresponsible of this website as well as the “animal behaviourists” quoted or represented here to be spending all of this energy and attention against a dedicated defender of any animal. Maybe Caesar Milan is not perfect…so what…he has invested a lot more positive influence and awareness and has walked the the talk. He has managed to make money with his “passion” which is the ultimate American Dream .. is it not? Reading this website and the so-called “educated” behaviourists it comes across as misguided jealousy instead of something that is worth all of this organized negative attention.

I think it is obvious to me that this author knows that Cesar’s methods are not about “old dominance theory”. Actually, he often use “positive associations” and many other methods depending on the situations. What’s old is the protest against Cesar. If you really watch his show, not 45 second clip of his YouTube, you can’t miss his gentleness and patience towards dogs. The only reason why these websites are writing about Cesar very negatively is to get more attentions on this website. More negative the articles against Cesar, more his fans would write their comments. More traffic and more money, right? If you look any other articles on this website, there aren’t many comments at all.

Here are facts you can judge him yourself;

1) currently more than 1000 shelters are working with Cesar to help new adapters
2) Yale university is working with Cesar to develop children’s programs where kids work with dog to gain self-confidence and compassion. More than 60 schools are implementing his program.

He is the worst thing that happened to dogs.Don’t know how he can live with himself.

His training method saved my dogs life!

Clicker training and ‘positive’ techniques work most of the time. What one sees on his show is not actually indicative of how an average case or the case of a puppy would be handled. He is working with broken animals, broken by poor ownership or circumstance, who need to have a behavior reset or face dire consequences.

Also, I have no idea why there is this tendency to assert that dominance and aggression are the same thing. Observe truly dominant dogs, they are calm, laid back, they know their place in the world. It’s mostly the insecure that go the way of aggression. It’s true in humans as well. While dogs cannot be held to human behavior a lot can be said for parallels in dog behavior and basic human behaviors.

Some people just have to have a cause, they can’t agree to disagree. Milan is a good man. And what’s this BS outrage that he’s not ‘certified’?

Haters will find any reason to hate. Cesar, keep doing what you do boo.

The host was very negative toward Cesar. He should have shown the video of what he claimed was Cesar “punching” a dog in the throat, rather than repeatedly asserting that he did.

This article is written obviously by somebody who is jealous of Cesar’s tremendous success! Cesar is the EXPERT and you don’t need to have a Doctorate’s degree in dogology to figure that one out!

My daughter and I have owned, trained and competed dogs in conformation and agility for years, and I currently have 8 retired show dogs, and a 2 year old German shepherd I’m training for service. I have learned a great deal from Cesar, especially in noticing and interpreting dog behavior before it accelerates, and have found that his methods work very well for me. I have watched most of his programs, and have NEVER seen him use a collar, other than an E collar which emits a very mild vibration, or HOLD a dog down. The pokes with his fingers are in the shoulder, NOT abdomen. I have taken many obedience classes and read many books, and have learned from all of them. I feel an owner should incorporate as much knowledge from a variety of experts as they can, into their methods, form their own ideas and then be consistent. I feel Cesar is respectful of the dogs and their owners, is patient–even with “challenging”owners– and explains and demonstrates his methods very well. Some of the criticism has been exaggerated, and I suspect is the result of jealousy on the part of some other trainers.

Jealousy,period. Milan is a saint and does what is needed and no more to rehabilitate and save a dog. Some people think because they have read a book or two and have a bully pulpit, that they are “expert” in what they write about

Mr Milan has nothing but the best interest of the animal and its quality of life in mind. There are always going to be nay-sayers in the world, and in this case, they are just plain old jealous of his popularity. And as far as Dog training certification, i believe it is maybe the single most foolish use of a piece of paper im aware of!

I know that Cesar saves the lives of dogs that are to be put to death. There is nothing wrong or inhumane about the methods he uses. The people that have a problem with Cesar’s methods are just pissed that he got to where he is without the certification that they think is necessary. Well, Cesar has done this since he was a small boy and has had more success with his methods and saved more lives than any of the protesters put together. I say to hell with them and good for you Cesar keep up the good work. You are the man who takes the time to rehabilitate these dogs, can’t say that for any of the against Cesar movement. So I say carry on and help as many more as possible. You are good guy – degree or not you have life learning and that is more important. My hat is off to you dear Cesar you go for it.

People need to harden a up a little dog are a lot harder then people think that’s why a lot of dogs end up being aggressive. Game dogs and such are always going to push the boundaries. Look at people like farmers and working dog trainers, they treat there pets like dogs and they are some of the happiest dogs on this planet they have a purpose and position in life. I’m not saying every dog needs to be treated as a working dog but some breads need a harder line. People need to remember that all a dog wants is to be is a dog only us humans think other wise and no one here can argue with that. So all the cesar haters out there you jump in a cage with a hard as nails game dog and turn it around and survive ill be seeing you on TV next.

Cesar Milan’s techniques are not designed to rehabilitate dogs. They are designed to “break” dogs. Forcing a dog onto it’s side and forcing the dog’s head down only achieves one thing. It “breaks” the dog of it’s natural drive. Which is just plain dangerous.

All dogs have been designed by mankind to do a job. While Cesar pretends to embrace that belief, his training methods prove otherwise.

Read any book by Richard Wolters and you will understand fully why Cesar is a reckless “expert”.

Wolters was a pioneer in the ART of training hunting dogs. He would have spit in Cesar’s face.

Follow Wolters and your dog will channel it’s natural drive in a healthy and fun loving way. You will have a
strong-willed and obedient friend.

Follow Cesar and you will have a timid bombshell waiting to explode.

Leave the guy alone he knows more than the in-humane society for sure. Like he says its a dog not a child for Gods sake.

Cesar rehabilitates dogs, and trains humans. People shouldn’t confuse themselves. I come from the Philippines and I have been wishing for Cesar to have a tour here in Cebu, especially since he went to Singapore already. Animal laws here are outdated and I believe that we should raise more awareness to people. I, myself am a member of an animal rescue group called Island Rescue Organization. We are the only animal rescue here in Cebu, Philippines. We have been having a hard time maintaining our shelter due to lack of finances and having our dogs adopted. It is very sad that people choose to have those expensive kind of dogs. I for one rescued a stray puppy before and that’s how I got involved with the organization. Someday, we hope that Cesar will visit our organization here. Our goal is to resuce, educate people on responsible pet ownership and advocate for those who cannot speak. We have been doing fundraising eversince 2010. We really hope that more people will get involved and will help us as well. And to end my litany, for those of you who can read this post, please check out our website and on facebook and help us in any way. If you can donate, then please do so. But if you are in Cebu, please volunteer because we need you. Thank you and God bless! :)

I am a Cesar fan; his methods work. I use them, they are humane, and dogs respond positively and learn to follow for their safety, and the safety of others. There are breeds of dogs that are naturally submissive, and may never need the Cesar method; but most working breeds, northern breeds, and guardian breeds need a clear message re who is the boss, and what is permissible. It is not cruel, ir is more like an instant time out; that gives the animal a moment to re focus control.

I like how people assume that dogs should be treated like humans and that Cesar
Millan’s technique of dominance and submission is cruel towards dogs and that he doesn’t express love to them at all. Reality check, Dogs are dogs and not humans, however, there is nothing wrong with expressing your love to your dog as long as they know where they’re standing.

Dogs tend to have different mentality than humans and I think that Cesar Millan’s technique helps establish the order of things in the family or group where the dog is suppose to be below YOU and you not being the slave driver. Before you know it, your dog is not going to listen to a single crap you try to spew at him/her and will end up being uncontrollable. This is how the world works, not a fairy tail, not disney, and I think Cesar is just showing the world what dogs are.

I feel like I am listening to a pop-psychology critique of Cesar’s methodology. His methodology is criticized just like modern methodologies criticize any form of discipline for children. What do we have as the result? A culture full of children and many adults who live with an entitlement mind set in everything they do.and have no tolerance for being told no. I believe in being gentle and yet firm with dogs, and children. The key is balance and if one extreme or the other gets out of balance things go awry. Cesar is dealing, in most cases, with dogs that have been treated in an “out-of-balance” fashion and as with anything else, in order to bring about balance the pendulum will need to swing too for in the other direction in order to correction and balance to be achieved. Unfortunately, most of us in our society are do consumed with our own “ego-centered” world that we do not take the time to listen and meditate in order to strike the vital balance…..Brian from Michigan

Sounds like someone is pissed that he didn’t pay them a lot of money for some phony piece of paper stating that he is a “CertifIed” trainer. Give me a break for gods sake, his methods work and one thing he says, above all else, should be ingrained in the heads of all dog owners is “it’s A dog!!! not a human!!!”

First thing I taught my rescued unadoptable dog was calm and wait. Then I saw Cesar and his techniques. They work and truly helped me to have a calm submissive alpha dog. It makes the dog think and respond mentally and not just physical, for a treat, or out of fear. I do use a shock collar, wish I would have way sooner, its more humane and they respond way faster. Just don’t put it on high and let them freak out. I set the level 1-16 at that which relates to his state of intencity. I get complimented on how well my 11 month old dog behaves and responds to commands with a snap of a finger. He nows what shhht means and a finger, and this is the first dog that truly is a dog and himself( he hasn’t lost his spirit as all other methods do)I am also able to control strange dogs as Cesar with my calm assertive energy, a snap and shhht and I’ve got there attention.This is my first truly spirit filled balanced dog I have ever had and I’ve had 6 including trained protection dogs that I’ve trained with certified trainers. Current dog is a Catahoula Bulldog.

On Cesar’s program he is generally working with “problem” dogs. Dogs that their human masters have allowed the dog to get out of control. A dog that becomes aggressive when someone touches their food is potentially dangerous. Are there other possible ways to address the issues, certainly. Go to any human “shrink” and you will find different solutions for humans and their behavior issues. Cesar’s methods do work in “rehabilitating” problem & potentially dangerous dogs.

my disclaimer: I will never. ever. EVER. use a clicker. I find it the single most ridiculous thing ever-and I admit I find the sound just annoying. Humans don’t communicate in clicker. They use their voices. So I’ll take an honest “tss” over ‘click..click’ any day of the week.

I find CM training methods MUCH more doable. No special equipment, no foolish liver treats, nothing….and not once has anyone mentioned that the best way to train your dog is to the one you use consistently. Period.

If you understand Dominance/submission as polar opposite (not to mention dominance “good” and submission as “bad”) we’re going to have this debate until the end of time. In a pack, every animal has a role. Leader, look out, play mate, etc. Their role isn’t “minimized” because they aren’t the “leader”-that is not only a human thought process, but a western cultural perspective as well. Animals are not “biding their time” to become the leader-some of them don’t even WANT to be the leader. Weirdly, I find most owners can’t even “read” their dogs signals. Some want to chastise a dog for simply growling; others wait until their dog is on top of another-with the second dog’s tail between it’s legs…and then wonder why on earth we had a dog fight? If CM only accomplishes one thing-I hope that its Americans stop treating dogs like four legged humans.

They. are. dogs. not babies.

I absolutely love this man and his methods. I have used them on my three dogs starting as puppies and they are beautiful, happy, well-balanced dogs! This is the kind of controvesy that happens when people are not intelligent enough to understand the training. You cannot watch one show and have his methods under belt. It really is more of awareness than it is a training method and because of that I doubt some people will ever understand it! Not with themselves or with dogs!

I love cesar millan and i think most of people like him to . but not because his best dog psychologist but because his good man with a good heart . sorry for poor English . Best Wishes

Hilarious paper on “The Dog Whisperer Controversy”. People can make their own judgement on this paper but it appears highly selective in its discussion of the show and is not accurate when discussing it. What I feel completely voids their whole paper is the conclusion which ultimately advocates training techniques/philosophies identical to to Ceaser’s without them even realising. If they had opened their eyes and actually looked they would have seen they’re on the same page regarding their fundamental approach(handling dog and human equally, excersize etc. The only time Ceaser’s techniques will fail or any dog trainer for that matter is they dont know what they are doing and therefore cannot execute what they are attempting resulting in failure and blame allocated to the patient (dog) or the operation and not the operater. Its a sad world when people who should know better attack someone for helping so many. Is it jealousy. It reminds me of a carpenter many years ago who some didnt agree with his
techniques and ideas.

Cesar Millan’s methods work. He definitely knows what he is doing! Thanks to Cesar, the lives of many dogs have been saved which would have otherwise been put down. What we have now is a bunch of jealous “self-proclaimed” certified experts crawling out of the woodwork trying to line their pockets by critizing Cesar. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Cesar’s techniques have saved several dogs belonging to myself as well as serveral my friends and, as they say, the proof is in the pudding! Hang in there Cesar; you are the man (are should I say – THE DOG WHISPERER)!

Some people forget that scientifc methods on human ciences (like law, psychology, behavorist) is just a way to prove that some theorys actiualy can work (behavorist x freud; racionalistis x empirics). In the same way, the dog training skills arent absolutes laws of the dog behaviors. There are so much things we dont know about so much things about living creatures in general, that anyone whos says have the right answer is only a sad little person too afraid to expand his horizons. (Sorry about my “engrish”, im from Brazil)

I’ve gotten great ideas from Cesar and have rescued five dogs over the past 12 years. Of the five we still have four and Cesar’s methods have helped me greatly.

Cesar is great, I love you Cesar you are awesome no matter what ppl can say about you, you are a wonderful human being. Keep up the good work.
To all those critics, you should be ashamed of yourselves, ’cause you can’t rationalize the vibes and the connections human-dogs can feel, and that’s wahat cesar does. Stop being such an envy pack.