Comments on the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan

By: Thomas A. Beitz, Canine Behavior Specialist and Dog Trainer

      Cesar Millan, better known as the Dog Whisperer has become the talk of the nation for the past several years and seen on the National Geographic cable channel. Much of this talk pertains to Cesar’s perceived controversial yet very effective training methods. The reason I say “perceived controversial training methods” has everything to do with a general misconception about dogs in general. To put it in Cesar’s words; it is the “humanizing of a dog” that has significantly contributed to this misconception resulting in the controversy.

      Many well meaning and compassionate people make the mistake of treating their puppy or dog like a child and actually reinforce the very behaviors they are trying to eliminate. I have been telling people for years that if “they treat their dog like a child, their dog will treat them like an animal.” Although dogs and people have some things in common, they also have many differences. If we fail to make the proper distinctions, we will confuse our dog and actually be teaching them inappropriate behaviors. In time, the dog will become an out of control problem requiring rehabilitation. “Permanent dog rehabilitation can only occur with a calm assertive, stable, pack leadership from a consistent owner, Cesar says.”

      Recently, I attended a dog training convention and while waiting for a flight to my next destination I was killing a little time looking through the bookstore at the airport. I came across a coffee mug with a statement obviously written by some motivational business minded person which said it all. “Leadership – The vision of the leader is the hope of the pack.” In a nut shell, this is Cesar Millan’s philosophy along with hundreds of other traditional professional dog trainers. By leading your dog, you will establish harmony in your dog’s life and in your home. Failure to lead your dog will result in unwanted behavior problems which may go on for years unresolved.

      Providing your dog with calm assertive pack leadership will result in effectively communicating everything your dog needs to know. Failure to provide strong, stable pack leadership will often result in a dog developing erratic behaviors such as anxiety, fear, and phobias, aggression, pulling on the leash, jumping up or other inappropriate behaviors leading to disobedience and destructive behavior. If your dog has these behaviors which we affectionately refer to as “issues,” you will benefit from Cesar Millan’s approach to dog training. While many of the popular “fad training methods” require months if not years of training offering dismal results, Cesar’s approach to training is fast and effective. Even the “puppy school drop out” can blossom into a well behaved obedient companion.

      Most dog trainers who have worked addressing these types of behavior problems have learned many owners assume the dog is the problem and are looking for the trainer to help “fix” the problem. Cesar’s approach is to help people understand “that their own behavior has a powerful affect on their dog, and offers them suggestions for re-training themselves to be calm assertive pack leaders.”

      There are three major ingredients to Cesar’s approach as well as with other traditional dog trainers. First, your dog needs exercise, then discipline and finally affection. The order is very important. Most people put affection first and neglect exercise and discipline. If a dog is not confident in your leadership abilities, many of the issues discussed earlier will grow into seemingly impossible behavior problems which may go years without ever being resolved. A confused dog develops anxiety which translates into nervous energy. Nervous energy can manifest into destructive behaviors or an extremely high energy or what some dog owners refer to as a psychotic dog.

      Taking a dog for a walk may be exercise for you or me, however some dogs because of a breed specific characteristic, (hunting dogs or terriers for example) may require far more exercise than we would ever imagine. Running a dog on a treadmill for 20 to 30 minutes per day will help to resolve some of the behavior problems by burning off some of the nervous energy. Exercise alone will not solve all behavior problems and that is why discipline is so important. A dog that has rules, boundaries and limitations both inside and outside will better understand who the pack leader actually is. Read my article called “Boss Dog” found on my web site at www.smartdogtrainer.com which will help to give you some basic guidelines on establishing rules in your dog’s life.

      Once you have established a routine of exercise as well as setting boundaries and limitations, then you need to give your dog affection. This is usually the easiest thing for a dog owner to do because it is “a reward to our dog and to ourselves.”  However, it is far more effective to give your dog affection as a reward for calm, submissive, compliant behavior. As your dog begins to associate the affection he is receiving with his own behavior, you will be cultivating a “calm submission in the pack.”

      “Dogs are not appliances that can be fixed,” Cesar says. By putting the 3 different ingredients together in the proper order; exercise, discipline and affection, you will be well on your way to having a more meaningful relationship with your canine companion. When your dog learns to respect your leadership, he will bond more strongly with you and show you more affection than you would ever have imagined. For more information about Cesar Millan check out his web site at www.cesarmillaninc.com .

 Thom Beitz is a Canine Behavior Specialist and a Dog Trainer. Thom is the owner of the Academy for Puppies and Dogs and an Authorized Dealer for the Pet Stop Hidden Fence Company. Thom specializes with challenging dogs that have “dropped out” of previous training and containment programs. He also works with younger puppies getting them started out on the right paw so as to prevent bad behaviors from developing. Dogs that have had long standing behavior problems can be rehabilitated with a little bit of hard work and effort. Thom can be reached at (716) 628-0651 or found on the web at www.smartdogtrainer.com .