Riley video comments
Name: Kendal Shepherd
By any commonly accepted standard, what is depicted in the Riley video (and many others) is abusive. Is it justified to create cyanosis (deprivation of oxygen) in anyone or anything in order to impose your will? I don't think so. If so, does the end justifiy the means? The end however, that of a dog which will now walk upstairs (or a person who will confess to a crime they did not commit) may, by some, be viewed as justifying being choked and dragged - in other words, torture gets the required result.
CM views his methods as working because the dog now perceives him as an 'alpha' and 'leader' when all that has actually happened is that the dog sees capitulation as the only means of being able to breathe again and survival. It is a credit to Riley's character that he did not attack CM -- but if he had, CM would have labelled him as 'dominant'. Yes, Riley might well have perceived walking upstairs again as a less dangerous prospect than refusing and then being choked, thus justifying CM's entire premise. But surely we have the brains, the understanding, the compassion and the humanity to think of better ways of achieving the same end.
Read more at
http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/kendal-shepherd.html
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Name: Kate
Comments: Riley is being forced to do something he doesn't want to do, is that right? Maybe it hurts him, he certainly wasn't happy about going hence the rushing to the top of the stairs the second time. I totally disagree with the way that he treats dogs and makes it out to be a normal or nice way to do things. I was ignorant and have now seen the light. Am an assistant ADPT dog trainer.
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Name: Layna
Comments: I was appalled to see the video of the of the St. Bernard being pulled up the stairs. I couldn't even watch the entire video.....
..........................
I'm an exotic animal trainer that uses positive reinforcement and I have been fighting a losing battle against the ignorance of Cesar Millan. I'm glad that someone has a website blatantly exposing his cruel, unscientific "training" methods. I actually used to groom Riley the Saint Bernard in Moorpark, CA and he was already a little unstable and prone to aggression. Being dragged relentlessly up the stairs was the last thing that dog needed.
Danielle
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Watching the video of Riley and CM is very disturbing. How anyone can watch that and think that the dog has actually submitted when in fact the dog simply collapsed. What a dangerous situation made worse by CM confronting the aggressive situation with violence. Of course a dog is going to fight when they are being choked. It is sad to see this type of work being used again.
Sherri Regalbuto
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Anne Springer
I have a comment on the Riley video. Forgive me if I'm missing the boat on this, because my speakers aren't working, and this is not one of the episodes I have previously seen.
However, any time that I am confronted with a large adolescent or adult dog that won't do stairs, the first thing I always ask the owner to do is to have the dog checked by its veterinarian. As we all know, hip dysplasia and other orthopedic issues don't always produce visible symptoms but can still produce pain, and dogs are often very stoic.
Also, a small percentage of hypothyroid dogs may feel anxious about stairs because they suffer from lack of hind end awareness. I don't believe that I have ever heard Cesar tell an owner to visit the veterinarian before training begins - he just labels the dog stubborn or the owner ineffectual as a pack leader. In my opinion, not only is his treatment of this dog not warranted, no training on stairs should have been attempted without vet clearance.
Anne Springer
Paws for Praise
Danvers, MA
COMMENTS IN CM'S DEFENCE
What is your problem? the thing of the stairs? come on!! You do not know how to help dogs, probably you would left it downstairs all its life. And the neck? the dog wasn't been hurt. Maybe you have only one dog, i do not know but come on!!! talking bad about people helping animals an people? get a job!
Angel
===========================================
I did watch this entire episode before and if I'm remembering correctly, the owners report that Riley no longer has problems going up the stairs. While he was fearful of them before, he now no longer is. In my opinion, if Cesar was instilling fear in Riley by his particular methods, Riley would have become even more afraid of the stairs. After watching this clip again, I first see Cesar take Riley for a run to establish some rules (stay at his side) and develope a bond between them. During this run, Riley's tail and body is relaxed. To keep that same momentum going, Cesar goes from running outside to running up the stairs in order to keep Riley's mind moving foward. After about 2 seconds of pulling backwards, Riley climbs about 3 stairs on his own. Riley then decides he doesn't want to go up and uses his usual tactics of laying down and pulling backwards with his weight. Riley weighs 140lbs. I believe it was and had learned he could use his weight to get his way. Yes, Cesar does use the leash to move Riley up the stairs but you'll notice he releases when Riley moves forward. Cesar also takes multiple tries of running from outside to straight up the stairs as Riley continues to pull back with his entire weight. Riley's tail never goes between his legs, which would show if he was fearful. On the second try Riley gets to the top of the stairs a couple at a time. I think this shows that he learned that even though he fought, he didn't win. At the top of the stairs, Cesar allows him to rest and then starts to go down slowly, talking about the safety of what he is doing-he can't run Riley too much or else he will get hot and can't tire him out too much or else Cesar would have to carry him (which he's not strong enough to do!) which would not allow Riley to learn how to climb on his own. On the third time, after Riley had made it to the top and then backdown again, Cesar did have to pull him about 3 feet across the tile floor where Riley then went up the stairs on his own. I believe this episode showed the time elapsed and total is was only about 4 minutes from start to finish. 4 minutes to get a dog previously afraid of the stairs to go up and down twice while not showing fear of Cesar or the stairs.
Tiffany Allen
---------------------------------
How are you suggesting Cesar hurt the dog? By making him go upstairs to see that there was nothing to fear by going up them? Would you have preferred that Cesar carry the dog up or bribe him to go up the stairs? As you could see on the clip, the second time around, Riley wasn't nearly as frightened as he was the first time. Cesar proved to him that nothing bad was going to happen if he went up those stairs. And again, the dog was not hurt physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, or any other way. True, he was made to face his fears. And he was made to see that his fears were groundless and baseless. Once Riley understood that the stairs wouldn't hurt him, his fears vanished and he was able to go up and down stairs with no trepidation. Not showing the entire episode was, perhaps unintentionally, displaying Cesar in the worst possible light. {This site is not responsible for the clip being short - Ed.}
Just as a parent cannot allow a child to have his own way under all circumstances {The only reason the dog was forced upstairs was so that a child could have her way and have the dog sleep in her room!}, so a dog handler cannot allow a dog to have his own way under all circumstances. Sometimes things look harsh to an onlooker who doesn't understand all the circumstances, but that doesn't MAKE the action actually harsh.
Kaelinda Kaelindaria
----------------------------------------------
After only 12 minutes of stress, Riley will live the rest of his life without the stress of being afraid of the stairs. As Cesar says in the episode, this is a technique that should only be used by professionals to ensure the safety of the human and the dog. As you can tell, Cesar only wants what's best for the dog. He is encouraging the dog as they go up the stairs and thinking positively. The practice Cesar is using is called exposure by human psychologists. In fact, it is considered the best treatment for phobias in humans. When a dog is afraid of stairs and backs away from it, he experiences relief. That feeling works as a reward, so the dog is actually teaching itself to be afraid of the stairs. By allowing the dog to continue that behavior, we are only reinforcing that message. Dogs live in the moment, so it is even easier for them to let go of a phobia if someone helps them to work through it, which is why cases like Riley's are often overcome so quickly. To say he was almost strangled is simply not true. The dog was never struggling for breath or exhibiting any other symptoms that would be present if he was being strangled. Additionally, the dog was in fine physical shape at the end of the episode. Also, prior to appearing on the show, every dog must first go to a vet to ensure that the issue is not physiological and that the dog is in good physical condition. This is just another level of care that Cesar takes to ensure his methods are safe. The dog was not physically injured, but he was psychologically cured! Now, Riley goes up and down the stairs without experiencing any anxiety, and he is able to spend more time with his family.
Carol Shows
---------------------------------------------
By any commonly accepted standard, what is depicted in the Riley video (and many others) is abusive. Is it justified to create cyanosis (deprivation of oxygen) in anyone or anything in order to impose your will? I don't think so. If so, does the end justifiy the means? The end however, that of a dog which will now walk upstairs (or a person who will confess to a crime they did not commit) may, by some, be viewed as justifying being choked and dragged - in other words, torture gets the required result.
CM views his methods as working because the dog now perceives him as an 'alpha' and 'leader' when all that has actually happened is that the dog sees capitulation as the only means of being able to breathe again and survival. It is a credit to Riley's character that he did not attack CM -- but if he had, CM would have labelled him as 'dominant'. Yes, Riley might well have perceived walking upstairs again as a less dangerous prospect than refusing and then being choked, thus justifying CM's entire premise. But surely we have the brains, the understanding, the compassion and the humanity to think of better ways of achieving the same end.
Read more at
http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/kendal-shepherd.html
---------------------
Name: Kate
Comments: Riley is being forced to do something he doesn't want to do, is that right? Maybe it hurts him, he certainly wasn't happy about going hence the rushing to the top of the stairs the second time. I totally disagree with the way that he treats dogs and makes it out to be a normal or nice way to do things. I was ignorant and have now seen the light. Am an assistant ADPT dog trainer.
-----------------------
Name: Layna
Comments: I was appalled to see the video of the of the St. Bernard being pulled up the stairs. I couldn't even watch the entire video.....
..........................
I'm an exotic animal trainer that uses positive reinforcement and I have been fighting a losing battle against the ignorance of Cesar Millan. I'm glad that someone has a website blatantly exposing his cruel, unscientific "training" methods. I actually used to groom Riley the Saint Bernard in Moorpark, CA and he was already a little unstable and prone to aggression. Being dragged relentlessly up the stairs was the last thing that dog needed.
Danielle
------------------
Watching the video of Riley and CM is very disturbing. How anyone can watch that and think that the dog has actually submitted when in fact the dog simply collapsed. What a dangerous situation made worse by CM confronting the aggressive situation with violence. Of course a dog is going to fight when they are being choked. It is sad to see this type of work being used again.
Sherri Regalbuto
------------------
Anne Springer
I have a comment on the Riley video. Forgive me if I'm missing the boat on this, because my speakers aren't working, and this is not one of the episodes I have previously seen.
However, any time that I am confronted with a large adolescent or adult dog that won't do stairs, the first thing I always ask the owner to do is to have the dog checked by its veterinarian. As we all know, hip dysplasia and other orthopedic issues don't always produce visible symptoms but can still produce pain, and dogs are often very stoic.
Also, a small percentage of hypothyroid dogs may feel anxious about stairs because they suffer from lack of hind end awareness. I don't believe that I have ever heard Cesar tell an owner to visit the veterinarian before training begins - he just labels the dog stubborn or the owner ineffectual as a pack leader. In my opinion, not only is his treatment of this dog not warranted, no training on stairs should have been attempted without vet clearance.
Anne Springer
Paws for Praise
Danvers, MA
COMMENTS IN CM'S DEFENCE
What is your problem? the thing of the stairs? come on!! You do not know how to help dogs, probably you would left it downstairs all its life. And the neck? the dog wasn't been hurt. Maybe you have only one dog, i do not know but come on!!! talking bad about people helping animals an people? get a job!
Angel
===========================================
I did watch this entire episode before and if I'm remembering correctly, the owners report that Riley no longer has problems going up the stairs. While he was fearful of them before, he now no longer is. In my opinion, if Cesar was instilling fear in Riley by his particular methods, Riley would have become even more afraid of the stairs. After watching this clip again, I first see Cesar take Riley for a run to establish some rules (stay at his side) and develope a bond between them. During this run, Riley's tail and body is relaxed. To keep that same momentum going, Cesar goes from running outside to running up the stairs in order to keep Riley's mind moving foward. After about 2 seconds of pulling backwards, Riley climbs about 3 stairs on his own. Riley then decides he doesn't want to go up and uses his usual tactics of laying down and pulling backwards with his weight. Riley weighs 140lbs. I believe it was and had learned he could use his weight to get his way. Yes, Cesar does use the leash to move Riley up the stairs but you'll notice he releases when Riley moves forward. Cesar also takes multiple tries of running from outside to straight up the stairs as Riley continues to pull back with his entire weight. Riley's tail never goes between his legs, which would show if he was fearful. On the second try Riley gets to the top of the stairs a couple at a time. I think this shows that he learned that even though he fought, he didn't win. At the top of the stairs, Cesar allows him to rest and then starts to go down slowly, talking about the safety of what he is doing-he can't run Riley too much or else he will get hot and can't tire him out too much or else Cesar would have to carry him (which he's not strong enough to do!) which would not allow Riley to learn how to climb on his own. On the third time, after Riley had made it to the top and then backdown again, Cesar did have to pull him about 3 feet across the tile floor where Riley then went up the stairs on his own. I believe this episode showed the time elapsed and total is was only about 4 minutes from start to finish. 4 minutes to get a dog previously afraid of the stairs to go up and down twice while not showing fear of Cesar or the stairs.
Tiffany Allen
---------------------------------
How are you suggesting Cesar hurt the dog? By making him go upstairs to see that there was nothing to fear by going up them? Would you have preferred that Cesar carry the dog up or bribe him to go up the stairs? As you could see on the clip, the second time around, Riley wasn't nearly as frightened as he was the first time. Cesar proved to him that nothing bad was going to happen if he went up those stairs. And again, the dog was not hurt physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, or any other way. True, he was made to face his fears. And he was made to see that his fears were groundless and baseless. Once Riley understood that the stairs wouldn't hurt him, his fears vanished and he was able to go up and down stairs with no trepidation. Not showing the entire episode was, perhaps unintentionally, displaying Cesar in the worst possible light. {This site is not responsible for the clip being short - Ed.}
Just as a parent cannot allow a child to have his own way under all circumstances {The only reason the dog was forced upstairs was so that a child could have her way and have the dog sleep in her room!}, so a dog handler cannot allow a dog to have his own way under all circumstances. Sometimes things look harsh to an onlooker who doesn't understand all the circumstances, but that doesn't MAKE the action actually harsh.
Kaelinda Kaelindaria
----------------------------------------------
After only 12 minutes of stress, Riley will live the rest of his life without the stress of being afraid of the stairs. As Cesar says in the episode, this is a technique that should only be used by professionals to ensure the safety of the human and the dog. As you can tell, Cesar only wants what's best for the dog. He is encouraging the dog as they go up the stairs and thinking positively. The practice Cesar is using is called exposure by human psychologists. In fact, it is considered the best treatment for phobias in humans. When a dog is afraid of stairs and backs away from it, he experiences relief. That feeling works as a reward, so the dog is actually teaching itself to be afraid of the stairs. By allowing the dog to continue that behavior, we are only reinforcing that message. Dogs live in the moment, so it is even easier for them to let go of a phobia if someone helps them to work through it, which is why cases like Riley's are often overcome so quickly. To say he was almost strangled is simply not true. The dog was never struggling for breath or exhibiting any other symptoms that would be present if he was being strangled. Additionally, the dog was in fine physical shape at the end of the episode. Also, prior to appearing on the show, every dog must first go to a vet to ensure that the issue is not physiological and that the dog is in good physical condition. This is just another level of care that Cesar takes to ensure his methods are safe. The dog was not physically injured, but he was psychologically cured! Now, Riley goes up and down the stairs without experiencing any anxiety, and he is able to spend more time with his family.
Carol Shows
---------------------------------------------
