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[superlib]

A few people I know enjoy watching Cesar Millan and insist that his methods "work very well".  I am not a trainer, and don't watch TV - so I really can't comment.  However I know a lot of the trainers here are very adamantly against what he teaches.  Can anyone sum up why so I can point these people to this post, instead of arguing about something

Comments

[magnoliafly]

This pretty much says it all - New York Times Article, Pack of Lies by Mark Derr

[papilio_luna]

Here's another excellent summary, with references to papers both popular and academic, and links:

http://www.4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm

[miss_teacher]

I haven't seen that link before, thanks!!

[cottonmanifesto]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE that link. i saved it in my lj so i can just point to it when people ask "what's so wrong with cesar millan?" i think it sums up everything perfectly.

[superlib]

Agreed. It also isn't nearly as negative in tone as the NYTimes article, which made one of my aquaintences very defensive.

[miss_teacher]

Check out cesarmillan. There are some good arguments there.

Here are my thoughts from 2 years ago: http://miss-teacher.livejournal.com/40874.html

I'm sure it would be a bit different if I wrote it now, since I have seen more of his shows. I still do not agree with his methods.

[papilio_luna]

Another thing to point out (sorry for the multi-post) is that "work very well" has different definitions for different people and situations. Most regular ole dog owners don't realy sit down to define their goals as far as what they want from their training program. I don't mean specific obedience commands but deeper, how they want their dog to approach things, what they want their dog's mental state to be and how that plays out in the many areas of a dog's life. They just want the damn dog to stop barking or to sit when told to sit. There's a lot of ways to accomplish those tasks, but they do not have equivalent end-states for the dog.

I've been told that hanging a dog until it passes out from lack of oxygen is also a technique that "works very well" if by "work well" you mean "make the dog compliant". But it may not work so well to create a dog who is excited about learning, exuberant, outgoing, and happy.

[thomask]

I think you make a very good point. As in many things in life, there are many different ways to accomplish simple goals. but the future consequences of those methods can be unexpected.
You can beat your dog senseless every time it does something you don't want it to and that will "work well" in that it probably will learn not to do that. But I can't even fathom how much psychological and emotional damage you are doing to the dog and everyone else involved in its life.

[satinesparkles]

He was recently investigated for the death of a client dog at his facility. I dont know all of the details, but I heard something about a dog being over-worked on a treadmill.

[papilio_luna]

Settled out of court.