Cesar Millan's methods questioned again
A Dog's Life, by Nancy Freedman-Smith, dog trainer
January 08, 2008
To date my "Can't take it anymore" blog about owners taking dog training advice from self proclaimed dog behaviorist Cesar Millan has gotten the most web hits and sparked the biggest on line debate of all my blogs. Many of the commenters were not very nice and a few were deleted for being downright nasty. So why then you may ask, am I revisitng the Dog Whisperer issue again?
Recently a trainer friend of mine commented that if you put three trainers in a room with a problem dog the only thing they will agree on is that the other trainer is doing it wrong. I strongly disagree with this.
Yes of course there is more than one way to get an end result. But, we dog trainer types live basically by the same creed that doctors adhere to:
"First do no harm".
When we see harm being done, we must speak up.
The puppy owners that I wrote about yesterday all had to some degree taken advice from the show and run in the wrong direction. It doesn't matter that the show is for entertainment purposes only, and there is a warning to let us know such. Mr Millan makes problem solving look easy and many watching the show do follow his examples. Many viewers think having a great dog is as simple as these three steps that he deomostrates over and over again:
1-make a dog walk behind you
2-pop the leash
3-roll and pin your dog
None of this makes any sense at all.
And guess what? I am not the only one who thinks so. In what is probably the best article written on the subject in a long long time, Dogtime.com has published a wonderful overview of training methods. The ones that work, the ones that don't and the hows and whys that go along with it all.
Don't take my word for it. Click here and go read it for yourself.
Just in case you don't feel like clicking it, I cut and pasted the entire sidebar below. But there is plenty more to read on the web site.
Sidebar:
The trouble with Cesar
While television star Cesar Millan is credited with placing dog training on the public radar, the field's most respected behaviorists and trainers are concerned that many of Millan's ideas are unfounded. As for his methods? A few are downright harmful.
Putting your dog in his place
Cesar's way: Dogs assume either a dominant or submissive role in their "pack." If he doesn't get off the couch when you ask him to, it's your dog's way of telling you that he's dominant and you're submissive.
Why he's way off:
The notion of a rigid pack hierarchy with fixed roles between humans and dogs is largely a myth. Dogs are most likely to do what we humans ask when they clearly understand what we want - not as a sign of submission. Patricia McConnell explains: "So many issues - sitting on the couch, coming when called - have nothing to do with social status, any more than how you do on a math exam reflects your social status. A dog who doesn't sit when you ask him to sit - in most cases - simply doesn't understand what you want."
The truth:
In groups of canines, roles among individual members are both fluid and give-and-take.
Treating fear with fear
Cesar's way: You can "cure" a dog's fear by overwhelming him with the very stimulus that terrifies him.
Why he's way off:
Imagine treating a human's acrophobia by dangling him over the edge of a skyscraper. This technique, called "flooding," actually leads to further psychological trauma in the form of learned helplessness: An animal learns that resistance is futile - his spirit is broken and he ceases to assert himself.
Trish King, Director of the Animal Behavior & Training Department at the Marin Humane Society observes: "In some of his shows, Cesar tells the owner how 'calm and submissive' a dog is, when to me, the dog looks shut down and fearful."
The truth:
It may take weeks or months for your dog to truly overcome deep-rooted fear - and setbacks along the way are to be expected.
Snapping the leash or rolling the dog
Cesar's way: Physical corrections - such as snapping a dog's leash or forcefully rolling him onto his back - are an effective way to garner good behavior.
Why he's way off:
Physical corrections add to your dog's stress rather than offer instructive information. You may temporarily stun your dog into obedience in the short run, but in the long run, the use of physical force increases aggression and, ultimately, your behavioral problems.
"You can lead with force, like Saddam Hussein, or you can be a benevolent leader to your dog by choosing a style more like Gandhi," says Tamar Geller, trainer to Oprah Winfrey's dogs and author of The Loved Dog. "Your approach will determine the type of relationship you have - and whether your dog acts out of intimidation... or respect."
The truth:
Rewarding for the behavior you do want, as opposed to punishing for any number of behaviors you don't want, clearly communicates to your dog what's expected and is far more likely to generate confident, appropriate behavior.
Posted by Nancy Freedman-Smith.
Comments
Thanks so much for this, Nancy. I am so tired of my friends (Cesar Millan fans) giving me their insistant advice that my dog is "alpha" and I have to keep doing the "alpha roll" or I will have a confused dog. I don't want a dog if I can't cuddle with it on the couch; and I don't want a dog if I have to continually pin it on the floor. My friends say that I shouldn't have a dog if I'm not willing to do these "alpha" things and force the dog into "submission." Ridiculous!
Posted by Sarah
January 8, 2008 01:23 PM
As a fellow dog-trainer for more than 25 years (and definitely a non-supporter of Cesar's philosophies and methods), I was dismayed to see IACP's website acknowledging him as an Honorary Member and advocating viewers to check out his "tips". See link: http://www.dogpro.org/. Frankly, I think he's set positive motivational training back 30 years and resurrected Koehler's methods all over again.
Posted by Donna
January 8, 2008 05:44 PM
"The truth: Rewarding for the behavior you do want, as opposed to punishing for any number of behaviors you don't want, clearly communicates to your dog what's expected and is far more likely to generate confident, appropriate behavior."
That was said by C.W. Meisterfeld 30 years ago. Why was has his advice been ignored? He was saying that years before any animal behaviorlists existed.
Posted by james
January 9, 2008 08:52 AM
Cesar's way seems to me that you break the dog's spirit, in a way. I can't imagine that within a short amount of time you're suddenly healing unwanted behavior. I think that by believing in that, people are marginalizing their dog's intelligence. I have worked with Nancy for about a year now with my reactive, hyperactive lab/terrier mix, Lemmy. Through patience, diligence, and hard work he is becoming a better canine citizen who is beginning to exert actual self control. If I had chosen Cesar's method of training, I know I wouldn't have the charismatic, happy and ever willing to please dog that I know. There are no quick-fixes, which is what Cesar teaches. If a person is not willing to put the time and effort into a dog, then they shouldn't be dog owners.
Posted by Kate
January 10, 2008 10:53 AM
...if you look closely at dominance theory as Cesar and others like him apply it to dogs, it is incredibly anthropomorphic, applying very human-like motivations to the most basic dog behaviors like jumping or pulling on leash.
There is a great book that covers the most recent developments in our understanding of psychology and nueroscience in dogs. This scientifically tested and proven information, not the interpretation of one man. The book is "For the Love of a Dog" by Patricia McConnell, PhD.
Unfortunately, the show does not represent dog psychology, but pop psychology. If it helps some dog owners without causing problems, then more power to them. But what Nancy and thousands of other professionals like myself are saying is that it is not only not helping all dogs, but is creating very serious problems in many, many others. The kind of problems that silently land dogs in shelters, facing euthanasia as a result of ignorance and misinformation.
Posted by sacdogtrainer
January 10, 2008 02:02 PM
Ahh the old debate. What I don't understand is why so many people listen to him, a man who has NO real training in dog behavior or training himself? He admits he is self taught. (and did you see the episode with the dalmatian when he had no clue how clicker training worked?) Would you go to an untrained doctor? Lawyer? Dentist? Psycologist? Why aren't poeple asking about HIS training? Why doesn't he go to seminars to learn more? Good trainers CONTINUE to learn and grow. NO ONE knows everything in this field. Especially someone working only from his own observations. I watched my parents drive for years and still needed lessons before driving myself. I've owned cars for years, it doesn't make me a mechanic either though does it?
Being a good handler is not the same thing as being a good trainer either. (for those that think he is good with dogs) Try watching his show without sound sometimes and read the body language of the dogs he is working with. Yikes!
That said he does make SOME good points. Like dogs aren't people in fur coats and need structure or rules and exercise. For the record I was taught in both methods of training and even used force training for years myself. (I switched to positive after my apprenticeship.) Not all of it is bad IF applied appropriatly. But he isn't. Not if he thinks alpha rolls are ok to do. (read The other end of the leash by Patricia McConnell PhD in animal behavior on why this is wrong AND why it was recanted by the people who came up with it in the first place.)
Once you know better you do better. I only wish I found it sooner. It turns out that akitas, a sometimes very dominant breed, do MUCH better with positive methods. My current akita is even good with other dogs. Hmmm so much for needing to be physically dominant with them.
I could go on but I won't. I just wanted to jump into the fray for a sec I guess. I also get the clients who tried his methods and now need to fix what they ended up with out of it. Makes me fustrated.
Posted by Marie
January 10, 2008 02:44 PM
January 08, 2008
To date my "Can't take it anymore" blog about owners taking dog training advice from self proclaimed dog behaviorist Cesar Millan has gotten the most web hits and sparked the biggest on line debate of all my blogs. Many of the commenters were not very nice and a few were deleted for being downright nasty. So why then you may ask, am I revisitng the Dog Whisperer issue again?
Recently a trainer friend of mine commented that if you put three trainers in a room with a problem dog the only thing they will agree on is that the other trainer is doing it wrong. I strongly disagree with this.
Yes of course there is more than one way to get an end result. But, we dog trainer types live basically by the same creed that doctors adhere to:
"First do no harm".
When we see harm being done, we must speak up.
The puppy owners that I wrote about yesterday all had to some degree taken advice from the show and run in the wrong direction. It doesn't matter that the show is for entertainment purposes only, and there is a warning to let us know such. Mr Millan makes problem solving look easy and many watching the show do follow his examples. Many viewers think having a great dog is as simple as these three steps that he deomostrates over and over again:
1-make a dog walk behind you
2-pop the leash
3-roll and pin your dog
None of this makes any sense at all.
And guess what? I am not the only one who thinks so. In what is probably the best article written on the subject in a long long time, Dogtime.com has published a wonderful overview of training methods. The ones that work, the ones that don't and the hows and whys that go along with it all.
Don't take my word for it. Click here and go read it for yourself.
Just in case you don't feel like clicking it, I cut and pasted the entire sidebar below. But there is plenty more to read on the web site.
Sidebar:
The trouble with Cesar
While television star Cesar Millan is credited with placing dog training on the public radar, the field's most respected behaviorists and trainers are concerned that many of Millan's ideas are unfounded. As for his methods? A few are downright harmful.
Putting your dog in his place
Cesar's way: Dogs assume either a dominant or submissive role in their "pack." If he doesn't get off the couch when you ask him to, it's your dog's way of telling you that he's dominant and you're submissive.
Why he's way off:
The notion of a rigid pack hierarchy with fixed roles between humans and dogs is largely a myth. Dogs are most likely to do what we humans ask when they clearly understand what we want - not as a sign of submission. Patricia McConnell explains: "So many issues - sitting on the couch, coming when called - have nothing to do with social status, any more than how you do on a math exam reflects your social status. A dog who doesn't sit when you ask him to sit - in most cases - simply doesn't understand what you want."
The truth:
In groups of canines, roles among individual members are both fluid and give-and-take.
Treating fear with fear
Cesar's way: You can "cure" a dog's fear by overwhelming him with the very stimulus that terrifies him.
Why he's way off:
Imagine treating a human's acrophobia by dangling him over the edge of a skyscraper. This technique, called "flooding," actually leads to further psychological trauma in the form of learned helplessness: An animal learns that resistance is futile - his spirit is broken and he ceases to assert himself.
Trish King, Director of the Animal Behavior & Training Department at the Marin Humane Society observes: "In some of his shows, Cesar tells the owner how 'calm and submissive' a dog is, when to me, the dog looks shut down and fearful."
The truth:
It may take weeks or months for your dog to truly overcome deep-rooted fear - and setbacks along the way are to be expected.
Snapping the leash or rolling the dog
Cesar's way: Physical corrections - such as snapping a dog's leash or forcefully rolling him onto his back - are an effective way to garner good behavior.
Why he's way off:
Physical corrections add to your dog's stress rather than offer instructive information. You may temporarily stun your dog into obedience in the short run, but in the long run, the use of physical force increases aggression and, ultimately, your behavioral problems.
"You can lead with force, like Saddam Hussein, or you can be a benevolent leader to your dog by choosing a style more like Gandhi," says Tamar Geller, trainer to Oprah Winfrey's dogs and author of The Loved Dog. "Your approach will determine the type of relationship you have - and whether your dog acts out of intimidation... or respect."
The truth:
Rewarding for the behavior you do want, as opposed to punishing for any number of behaviors you don't want, clearly communicates to your dog what's expected and is far more likely to generate confident, appropriate behavior.
Posted by Nancy Freedman-Smith.
Comments
Thanks so much for this, Nancy. I am so tired of my friends (Cesar Millan fans) giving me their insistant advice that my dog is "alpha" and I have to keep doing the "alpha roll" or I will have a confused dog. I don't want a dog if I can't cuddle with it on the couch; and I don't want a dog if I have to continually pin it on the floor. My friends say that I shouldn't have a dog if I'm not willing to do these "alpha" things and force the dog into "submission." Ridiculous!
Posted by Sarah
January 8, 2008 01:23 PM
As a fellow dog-trainer for more than 25 years (and definitely a non-supporter of Cesar's philosophies and methods), I was dismayed to see IACP's website acknowledging him as an Honorary Member and advocating viewers to check out his "tips". See link: http://www.dogpro.org/. Frankly, I think he's set positive motivational training back 30 years and resurrected Koehler's methods all over again.
Posted by Donna
January 8, 2008 05:44 PM
"The truth: Rewarding for the behavior you do want, as opposed to punishing for any number of behaviors you don't want, clearly communicates to your dog what's expected and is far more likely to generate confident, appropriate behavior."
That was said by C.W. Meisterfeld 30 years ago. Why was has his advice been ignored? He was saying that years before any animal behaviorlists existed.
Posted by james
January 9, 2008 08:52 AM
Cesar's way seems to me that you break the dog's spirit, in a way. I can't imagine that within a short amount of time you're suddenly healing unwanted behavior. I think that by believing in that, people are marginalizing their dog's intelligence. I have worked with Nancy for about a year now with my reactive, hyperactive lab/terrier mix, Lemmy. Through patience, diligence, and hard work he is becoming a better canine citizen who is beginning to exert actual self control. If I had chosen Cesar's method of training, I know I wouldn't have the charismatic, happy and ever willing to please dog that I know. There are no quick-fixes, which is what Cesar teaches. If a person is not willing to put the time and effort into a dog, then they shouldn't be dog owners.
Posted by Kate
January 10, 2008 10:53 AM
...if you look closely at dominance theory as Cesar and others like him apply it to dogs, it is incredibly anthropomorphic, applying very human-like motivations to the most basic dog behaviors like jumping or pulling on leash.
There is a great book that covers the most recent developments in our understanding of psychology and nueroscience in dogs. This scientifically tested and proven information, not the interpretation of one man. The book is "For the Love of a Dog" by Patricia McConnell, PhD.
Unfortunately, the show does not represent dog psychology, but pop psychology. If it helps some dog owners without causing problems, then more power to them. But what Nancy and thousands of other professionals like myself are saying is that it is not only not helping all dogs, but is creating very serious problems in many, many others. The kind of problems that silently land dogs in shelters, facing euthanasia as a result of ignorance and misinformation.
Posted by sacdogtrainer
January 10, 2008 02:02 PM
Ahh the old debate. What I don't understand is why so many people listen to him, a man who has NO real training in dog behavior or training himself? He admits he is self taught. (and did you see the episode with the dalmatian when he had no clue how clicker training worked?) Would you go to an untrained doctor? Lawyer? Dentist? Psycologist? Why aren't poeple asking about HIS training? Why doesn't he go to seminars to learn more? Good trainers CONTINUE to learn and grow. NO ONE knows everything in this field. Especially someone working only from his own observations. I watched my parents drive for years and still needed lessons before driving myself. I've owned cars for years, it doesn't make me a mechanic either though does it?
Being a good handler is not the same thing as being a good trainer either. (for those that think he is good with dogs) Try watching his show without sound sometimes and read the body language of the dogs he is working with. Yikes!
That said he does make SOME good points. Like dogs aren't people in fur coats and need structure or rules and exercise. For the record I was taught in both methods of training and even used force training for years myself. (I switched to positive after my apprenticeship.) Not all of it is bad IF applied appropriatly. But he isn't. Not if he thinks alpha rolls are ok to do. (read The other end of the leash by Patricia McConnell PhD in animal behavior on why this is wrong AND why it was recanted by the people who came up with it in the first place.)
Once you know better you do better. I only wish I found it sooner. It turns out that akitas, a sometimes very dominant breed, do MUCH better with positive methods. My current akita is even good with other dogs. Hmmm so much for needing to be physically dominant with them.
I could go on but I won't. I just wanted to jump into the fray for a sec I guess. I also get the clients who tried his methods and now need to fix what they ended up with out of it. Makes me fustrated.
Posted by Marie
January 10, 2008 02:44 PM