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Poll: Love Or Hate Cesar Millan


Guest quietstorm

Do you love or hate Cesar Millan?  

748 members have voted

  1. 1. Where does he rank with you?

    • Swear by him and his methods
      152
    • Watch the show but take it with a grain of salt
      344
    • Only watch the show to see other people's woes
      39
    • Cesar drives me nuts!
      122
    • Have never watched the show
      93


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Guest GretaDad

If you didn't get a chance to see tonight's show, in the Pool Scratcher episode CM introduced us to Maude, the rescued greyhound from the track in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

I put the video of the part with Maude onto my YouTube page. Here's the link:

 

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Guest SusanP

Hey, neat video! You know, I have a question. Has anyone noticed that when Cesar Milan and Victoria Stillwell (is that her name?) are outside walking dogs who are leash reactive or pull or whatever, they don't put their hand through the leash loop and wrap it around their hand as we would? What's with that? I'd freak if someone took my dog and walked him with such a wet-noodle hold of the leash, especially if the dog had "issues".

 

I thought this was an interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/opinion/31derr.html

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Guest GretaDad

auforygirl:

I was happily surprised to see Maude in that segment. It was almost as if CM has been lurking on this forum. :lol

 

Susan:

Thanks. I think dogs can tell a strong leader from a weak one pretty quickly. I've had several occasions to help other owners with their dogs. The dogs pull hard with the owners and as soon as they hand over the leash to me...Boom! One or two corrections and the dogs become loose-leash dogs that only need a couple of fingers to lead.

 

After I hand the leash back to the owners the dogs are back to pulling hard within a couple of steps. Granted our "training" sessions haven't lasted long enough to ingrain a new behavior, but the owners do get to see the possibilities.

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Guest Judynyc
If you didn't get a chance to see tonight's show, in the Pool Scratcher episode CM introduced us to Maude, the rescued greyhound from the track in Tijuana, Mexico.

 

I put the video of the part with Maude onto my YouTube page. Here's the link:

 

 

I watch his show regularly...and do take a lot of what he is teaching with a grain of salt. But, a lot of what he does teach is spot on!! Exercise, discipline, boundaries...all work for my 3 pack and my client's packs also. I work with other people's dogs daily and have for the past 13 years.

 

Too many kids will try to copy what he does and will end up getting bitten/hurt. No amount of warnings are going to stop a young hormonally driven teen male to not try this at home!! :eek

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Cesar has definitely helped a lot of people with their dogs. Even those here who really don't have huge problems seem to benefit from some of his training advice. I do think, for the most part, that he isn't introducing anything new that can't be learned from many other trainers. What he does have is brilliant marketing and probably knowing the right people or being in the right place at the right time to build his enterprise.

 

I would really love to spend a whole day with him and see what he can accomplish in true life rather than watching his finished product.

 

I am sure he loves dogs and has many helpful techniques. One thing he succeeds at best is reaching a large audience and getting them to try working with their dogs, when otherwise, they may not even make the effort to seek help from a professional behaviorist or trainer. He is all over the internet, TV shows, commercials, live and guest appearances and of course, has a massive number of videos, books and other publications.

 

There is no way we are going to read about his failures in his books or see the portions of video that end up on the editing room floor. That would not be good for business.... http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/products/petco.php ... Fortified Water? :rolleyes:

 

Jenn

gallery_3252_2927_10878.jpg
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Guest Hokiebuck
Hey, neat video! You know, I have a question. Has anyone noticed that when Cesar Milan and Victoria Stillwell (is that her name?) are outside walking dogs who are leash reactive or pull or whatever, they don't put their hand through the leash loop and wrap it around their hand as we would? What's with that? I'd freak if someone took my dog and walked him with such a wet-noodle hold of the leash, especially if the dog had "issues".

 

I thought this was an interesting article: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/opinion/31derr.html

 

I believe part of CM and Victoria's success is, is that they KNOW dogs, they can see when the dog is overly interested in something or not. And if you look carefully, they usually have a good grip on dogs that are new, or haven't been walked by them. But wrapping the leash around the hand etc, is just setting your mind up for tension, which is communicated straight to the dog, and the owner. I do put my wrist through the handle of the leash, but its usually because there is nothing else to do with it.

 

The "wet noodle" grip also shows the owners IT CAN BE DONE! Which is a very important aspect of their jobs. You have to show the owner in order to convince them they can do it. If the owner believes or thinks in their mind the dog won't walk well on the leash...then the dog won't. But if the owner believes it and has that "picture" in their mind, then thats half the battle.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest kineticpoet

My Dad has been employing the teachings of Cesar Milan (my brother calls him 'dr.phil for dogs') to do some dominance work on their people aggressive doberman. It hasn't worked. He bit my brother about two weeks ago. They've finally hired a trainer to come to the house. I think his methods make sense, and that he has a very good vibe about him but that his methods cannot work for every dog.

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Guest TexasGreytMom

I'm neutral about him - don't feel strongly one way or the other.

 

But, I do like that he constantly encourages parents to walk their pups daily.

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Guest GretaDad
My Dad has been employing the teachings of Cesar Milan (my brother calls him 'dr.phil for dogs') to do some dominance work on their people aggressive doberman. It hasn't worked. He bit my brother about two weeks ago. They've finally hired a trainer to come to the house. I think his methods make sense, and that he has a very good vibe about him but that his methods cannot work for every dog.

 

This is one of the reasons CM recommends to always consult a professional and don't try this at home. I hope your brother wasn't hurt too bad.

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Guest shelbygirl07
My Dad has been employing the teachings of Cesar Milan (my brother calls him 'dr.phil for dogs') to do some dominance work on their people aggressive doberman. It hasn't worked. He bit my brother about two weeks ago. They've finally hired a trainer to come to the house. I think his methods make sense, and that he has a very good vibe about him but that his methods cannot work for every dog.

 

Yep, most people think they are "pack leader" and that they can act aggressively to a dog when ever they feel like it without the consequences biting them in the face. Truth is, they're not! It happens more than you can imagine. Week one of training classes, I tell people to NEVER EVER use Cesar's Alpha methods on their dogs. I go through that because I've had students do that in the classroom and it set every other dog off into an aggressive reaction. I get so many questions about him and his methods and I answer them based on my own experiences.. To be honest, Cesar has the correct energy to deal with problems in HIS way but 95% of the general human population, lack that energy although they believe they possess it. It saddens me to think that people are that niave...

 

 

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Guest tumeria33

I prefer Victoria Stilwell over Cesar and use her training methods. I am actually studying now to be a professional dog trainer and the school that I am attending (ABC- Animal Behavioral College) is the same school Victoria graduated from. I believe in positive reinforcement methods- rewarding good behavior, ignoring bad behavior so as not to reinforce it. My Isis has no behavioral issues.

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Guest carolxi

I used to watch his program religiously. Bought one of his books too and liked it. He has some good advice, like taking your dog for a good 45 minute walk,etc. I don't think the agressive stuff he does is good for greys. Greys are considered 'soft' dogs. I've also never seen or heard of a grey having a temper tamtrum, which I saw on one of his programs. What I see mostly are people that have done crazy things with their dogs - feeding them all the time, letting them behave badly and then rewarding them for it. I also like Stanley Coran, the Canadian guy. They all have useful info; I don't like end of my leash - its kind of trashy

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest pipersadream
if nothing else, he's at least gotten a lot more average dog owners to think about training and/or exercising their dogs.

 

 

 

I agree, he has put a spotlight on owning dogs, and explaining to people about the way dogs think. I think he has done a great dog at showing how people are the problem, not the dogs, and how, given the right direction, any dog can be a great dog.

 

I think too many people do consider their dog their children.....not a great set up if you want your dog to behave.

 

 

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Have you guys seen the last few episodes where the dog owners in the initial interview state how they watch Cesar's show religiously but haven't figure out how to apply it to themselves? And when Cesar gets there, of course the solution is....

 

exercise

 

discipline

 

affection

 

Duh. How hard is that REALLY? Especially the exercise part. There was one lady who whined that she watched all the time but doggy was out of control... she never walked him. I wanted to reach through the tv and slap her.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest sardino

I personally think that Victoria Stillwell takes the cake in being a rolemodel for dog training. I'm sure Cesar's methods work for him, but it's almost dangerous for the average dog owner to try and apply his techniques without knowing what they are doing. He's also a BEHAVIORIST...he is trained in picking up on a dog's cues, whereas the average owner is not.

 

On a personal note...he ran into my mom as she was walking our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and our long-haired Chihuahua. He correctly identified the spaniel, but then totally failed when he complimented our "Papillon." For a dude who works with dogs, that is a little disappointing.

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Guest GretaDad

I agree that all dog trainers should be Jaguar driving, attractive females with long legs and tight outfits. I especially like it when Victoria makes her clients get down on all fours and bark like a dog. ;)

 

Seriously, VS uses the same basic philosophy of canine behavior modification as CM, though delivered using different words and slightly different methods. Also, CM does give the owners the cues to look out for, or homework to work on. Many of the episodes have nothing to do with dog aggression. Following his suggestion is what helped me teach Frannie to jump into the van (although I will admit that I did employ the technique of keeping Frannie moving forward without first consulting a professional). :lol

 

Unfortunately, the producers of the DW show can only offer the suggestion to not try any of the techniques shown without first consulting a professional. They cannot force each viewer to seek out a professional's help.

 

How did CM treat your mom other than making a mistake with a dog breed? Was he friendly and personable or cold and stand-offish? Was he told he was being tested? :rolleyes:;)

 

Which is which?

 

U_00038Img_LonghairedChihuahua.jpgpapillon.jpg

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Guest sardino

Neither one of those dogs fits the standard, and the sheer size difference between the two breeds is a giveaway, which is obvious in real life but not from pictures. By the way, the one on the left is a chi. Cesar was polite; I never said he wasn't. But knowing the correct breed makes a HUGE difference if you are evaluating temperament and behavior, and generally chihuahuas are feistier than papillons.

 

The point I was originally making is that I have never seen Victoria deal with an aggressive dog (and yes, some of the episodes do feature aggressive dogs) by wrestling it to the ground or correcting it with her foot. The philosophy might very well be the same; indeed, many posters already pointed out that most problems are solved by more walking and more consistent training, but to discount the method of delivering that philosophy is ignorant. I prefer Victoria's delivery over Cesar's.

 

By the way, tight pants are the mark of a true trainer. Duh.

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Guest GretaDad
By the way, tight pants are the mark of a true trainer. Duh.

 

So is making your client get down on all fours like a dog. :rolleyes:

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Guest Judynyc
Unfortunately, the producers of the DW show can only offer the suggestion to not try any of the techniques shown without first consulting a professional. They cannot force each viewer to seek out a professional's help.

 

Yes, and here in lies the rub. :angry:

For those who watch CM and do not actually know what they are doing, think that they now know how. :(

 

I've recently been witness to one person who is off mentally and "off her meds". She was left to watch a friend's cocker in our local dog run. The dog growled and she threw him down on the ground and kept screaming at him and pounding him into the ground. :angry: She repeated this a second time...and when approached, she screamed that she was shown how to do this by a trainer..... :rolleyes: and it wasn't even her dog. Yes, she did admit that the trainer was CM on TV.

 

Dogs who rollover/submit, do it voluntarily...it is not a forced act...or it shouldn't be anyway.

I wish that CM would stop showing this alpha roll on his show!! :angryfire

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Guest auforygirl

The alpha roll thing though is something that stupid people without training would do regardless because it was around before CM and will be long after... and can we really say CM is at fault because a crazy lady and stupid people can't handle their dogs correctly.

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Guest Judynyc
The alpha roll thing though is something that stupid people without training would do regardless because it was around before CM and will be long after... and can we really say CM is at fault because a crazy lady and stupid people can't handle their dogs correctly.

No, its not his fault.....but he is now teaching a whole new generation of dog owners and potential owners that its OK to alpha roll a dog when its not ie:"here's how to do this"....and that is not OK. :blink:

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