Dog Whisperer

[cinderbird]

Just want to say - clicker training, if done properly does NOT require a clicker to mark the behavior the rest of the animal's life. My dog was clicker trained, and always gets compliments on how well she's trained.

Part of proofing the behavior is phasing out the clicker.

We also crate trained her from the moment that we brought her home, which I believe is a MUST for a positive relationship with your puppy. If you don't set them up for failure when you aren't home, then you're not going to come home to various items torn up, or pee and poop around the house.

She "graduated" from her crate at about 1.5-2 years old, with short sessions out of the crate while we were gone. She now no longer has her crate, but when it's pulled out for visiting dogs (Canine Assistants) she still enjoys going in it and napping in it.

We also were there to re-direct her when she was out of her crate and grabbing something as a toy that wasn't a toy (a shoe for instance) that we removed from her and gave her an appropriate toy instead.

And we set up clear rules for her, most of it was just intuitive to us. We knew what we considered acceptable behavior and didn't allow any less.

This is a dog that has never had any physical punishment or corrections.

Exactly. Most dogs are very eager to please. They don't destroy things or eliminate in inappropriate places to "get back" at their owners, they do it because they don't know any better or they aren't given a proper outlet. There are a lot of people who expect puppies to be perfectly trained right out of the womb and just don't get it when they dont behave perfectly, or are willing to hit their dogs.

i trained my CATS. They both sit before getting their food, allow their claws to be trimmed by a single person in a single session, allow me to clean their ears or teeth (teeth are a little more of an issue, but they put up with it well), i can touch them wherever i want to examine them if i need to or if a vet needs to, etc. and they are cats, they don't respond the same way dogs do.

When my boyfriend and i get a dog or dogs, they will be better trained than most peoples children because i won't accept anything less and we are more than willing to work with the animals to get them to that point. it will make us a happier, healthier pet home for it.

Going back to the topic, i DONT agree with Caesar's training methods. They are old and outdated. There are much better (in my opinion) methods of training dogs that don't involve alpha rolling or that kind of aggressive dominance. Making an animal fear you is a recipe for disaster. Fear causes a lot of terrible behaviors and reactions, positive reinforcement, clicker training, crate training, etc are more appropriate ways of training dogs.

[Repfanaticlady28]

This is a thread from a different dog forum about him. I didn't agree with his methods before I read this. I'll stick with Victoria after reading it.
http://therealpitbull.proboards.com/...play&thread=81

[FrostFell]

I loathe him. Every single thing he does and preaches is blasphemy to me. He bullies, beats, chokes, abuses, floods, and intimidates dogs into a catatonic state of utter and complete defeat. I'm sorry, I like dogs, not pet rocks! If I wanted something "calm and submissive" with no personality and no breed charactaristics I would get a stuffed animal.

[BPelizabeth]

I don't like him at all. I do like Victoria better.

But I have to say.....I am at fault for treating my dogs like ppl. They are not trained very well at all. They certainly do not have accidents in the house...they do know who the bosses are here....and they know how to sit...and to not get on the furniture. They also know where their beds are. They do know their place and understand that my 9 year old son is boss as well. BUT......that is about it. The worst that they do is chew on trees, bushes and our drip system. I know that I need to nip this one in the butt. Have tried a few things but ...ugh.

My German Shepard mix is a weirdo though. He is very stubborn and hmmm...I guess a spoiled brat. Don't know how else to put it. Before we got the auto watering system he tipped his water bowl one day. Since he did not have water for a couple of hours....he chewed the hose in half and put it in front of the door. He also does some other stuff like that....like if he doesn't get his own way....he will chew a bush and put the limb in front of the door. lol

So I guess I really have no right saying I don't like him....because I am at fault for not training my dogs enough.

[JLC]

So I guess I really have no right saying I don't like him....because I am at fault for not training my dogs enough.

LOL...that's kind of like saying you have no right to be critical of abusive parents because your own kids can be bratty sometimes. Not that I put Caesar on the same playing field with abusive parents...but the logic is about the same, I think.

Dogs will be dogs, for sure, unless you break their spirits. Some are just more energetic and imaginative than others. It sounds to me like your dogs are better trained than the majority of dogs in this country...certainly looks that way if you go by all the dog-training shows on Animal Planet.

[rebel750]

Wow I didnt realize some of you thinks he abuses and chokes the dogs. If you dont make you dog submissive then you are not the owner, the dog is. I go at it with my parents all the time because their 2 mutts run their house. You're right though if you want something calm and cuddly get a stuffed bear. At least it wont piss on your floor.

I have had some of the best behaved dogs EVER by using most of his methods. I modded them to fit my homes needs. But he is spot on. What most people dont realize is that most of it is nothing special. It's ALOT of common sense things. My female Dobe is 95% voice activated. She know our tone of voice and what it means and what she is expected to do.

[snakey68]

I dont think you will get a definitive answer where Cesar is concerned as people will always be divided on whats best for a dog or any animal for that matter.

What I will say is he is obviously passionate about what he does and truly believes what he does is best for him and the dogs he works with.

I find myself raising the odd eyebrow when he is doing his thing but being a dog owner for most of my life I see alot of stuff that makes a lot of sense on his show as well. He has a very good understanding of dog behavior for sure and personally I wish more people did train or look after their dogs properly.

It amazes me when you see a dog on a lead pulling like crazy outside and the owner just falls behind trying to hold on , or dogs going crazy at a window when you walk by.

My biggest annoyance here in the uk I dont know what it is like anywhere else but alot of the people round my way just let their dogs crap all over the place on paths and roads and don't clean up after them.

As far as Cesar goes I would rather people who own dogs follow his principles than none at all but I truly think that you should find the least invasive softest way of working your dog rather than the constant dominant nature that cesar professes is best for every dog.

I do see the logic behind the pack leader mentality as they are pack animals but they are very domesticated over hundreds of years as well and are not completely in tune with their ancestory IMO anyway as far as behavior goes.

You can dissagree with his methods for sure its everyones right but I think overall the fact that he is so popular and raising dog awareness and debate about it is a good thing and he should be commended for that at the least.

He is coming near my town here in Scotland in March 2010 but he was sold out everywhere before I could even get a sniff at a ticket.

[WesleyTF]

I disagree with a large portion of his methods. I think a lot of the behaviors he uses are NOT the way to the top of the pack--his methods mimic those of a beta wolf, not an alpha. Alphas tend to rule by ignoring, not by direct aggression. Besides, the life we want our pets to lead is not parallel to one of actual wild animals. His techniques are band-aids, not true solutions. They are based in anecdotal experience and I think there are much more effective ways for most dogs to be trained.

Someone mentioned patricia McConnell--she's a trainer that I can really get behind. We used her techniques with our two alaskan klee kai and people cannot believe how well trained they are--NO barking--our neighbors think we drug them--and that's from a breed known for being loud. There is no way they do not know who is in charge... You can be firm without imposing physical methods in training.

[FrostFell]

Wow I didnt realize some of you thinks he abuses and chokes the dogs. If you dont make you dog submissive then you are not the owner, the dog is. I go at it with my parents all the time because their 2 mutts run their house. You're right though if you want something calm and cuddly get a stuffed bear. At least it wont piss on your floor.

I have had some of the best behaved dogs EVER by using most of his methods. I modded them to fit my homes needs. But he is spot on. What most people dont realize is that most of it is nothing special. It's ALOT of common sense things. My female Dobe is 95% voice activated. She know our tone of voice and what it means and what she is expected to do.

I think he chokes out and abuses his dogs because I SEE him choke out and abuse dogs. A chow laying flat on the group with its mouth gaping and tongue hanging, unconsious, is not "training".

His methods are nothing short of tough guy intimidation and bullying.

ALL my dogs are the most well mannered polite "after you no after you!" dogs you could ever hope for, and they are ALL completely voice trained. I have never touched my dogs (of any of the dozen breeds I've owned), ever, in training them or getting them to do what I want. Hands on my dogs is petting only. I have never resorted to "training collars", slapping pushing pulling positioning or scruffing. These methods are barbaric, disrespectful and unnessicary.

If someone asks you to have a seat in a chair and points to it, you do so willingly and will all speed

if someone grabs you by the collar of your shirt and starts to manhandle and strongarm you into anything, you are going to get angry. hey! why you gotta get rough, Im a reasonable guy, why dontcha just ASK!

[rebel750]

I think he chokes out and abuses his dogs because I SEE him choke out and abuse dogs. A chow laying flat on the group with its mouth gaping and tongue hanging, unconsious, is not "training".

His methods are nothing short of tough guy intimidation and bullying.

ALL my dogs are the most well mannered polite "after you no after you!" dogs you could ever hope for, and they are ALL completely voice trained. I have never touched my dogs (of any of the dozen breeds I've owned), ever, in training them or getting them to do what I want. Hands on my dogs is petting only. I have never resorted to "training collars", slapping pushing pulling positioning or scruffing. These methods are barbaric, disrespectful and unnessicary.

If someone asks you to have a seat in a chair and points to it, you do so willingly and will all speed

if someone grabs you by the collar of your shirt and starts to manhandle and strongarm you into anything, you are going to get angry. hey! why you gotta get rough, Im a reasonable guy, why dontcha just ASK!

I kinda agree with you but remember these are not social dogs he deals with. They are already aggresive and a danger to other dogs and people. Drastic measures are often needed to change a dog. I wont "choke out" my new puppy but I will use the submissive technique just as I did my adult Dobe and she knows her place as well as the new pup will know his. BUT they had a clean slate to begin with. They were not endangering anybody to start with so more aggresive actions were not needed.

His methods work for many and many it does not. And no he has never rendered an animal unconsious on national TV. You think he would have a show still honestly. PETA would be all up in his junk. If he did do that to a dog Im sure they would edit it out. The techniques have worked for me as asking your dog politely may work for you.

I spank my kids, so now Im a bully and act barbaric. But at least my kids dont act like satans offspring in public like countless kids I see everyday. Dogs sadly enough are not too much different.