Dog Training and Cesar Millan
March 16th, 2010
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My veterinary clients often ask me how to go about training their dogs. Many of them ask specifically about Cesar Millan’s dog training methods.
Cesar Millan and Dog Training
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Cesar Millar, he is better known as the “Dog Whisperer”. The National Geographic channel carries his popular television series, “The Dog Whisperer”. In addition, Mr. Millan has several books and DVDs about dog training that are widely available and also very popular. He is in all likelihood the most well-known dog trainer in existence today, even though he actually refers to himself as a dog rehabilitator.
Cesar Millan’s Dog Training Methods
Though Cesar Millan is extremely popular and his dog training techniques are widely accepted by the public, some of his training methods have attracted a great deal of criticism from other dog training experts and veterinary behavioral specialists.
However, there are some parts of Cesar’s training methods that, in my opinion, are beneficial to both dogs and their owners. Cesar preaches that most canine behavior problems stem not from the dog itself but from the owner. This is not true in all cases, but often inappropriate owner responses to behavioral issues contribute to the continuation or even escalation of the behavior. In other cases, behaviors may actually be normal dog behaviors that we, as dog owners, perceive as problematic because they are inconvenient for us. Cesar usually focuses as much on “training” the owners of the dog as on training the dog himself, which is often appropriate.
Another of the things that Cesar emphasizes over and over again is the important of adequate exercise for a dog. In this, he is absolutely right as well. Exercise helps burn off pent-up energies for almost all dogs. A tired, well-exercised dog is less likely to misbehave. In addition, exercise is quite helpful in maintaining a lean body condition that is healthy for any dog and aids in preventing obesity, which can be a serious threat to canine health.
Another of Cesar Millan’s training mantras to dog owners is to stay calm when dealing with dogs, particularly when the dog is misbehaving. This is always excellent advise. Becoming hysterical, angry or impatient with a dog is only likely to make the training process more difficult for all concerned. These emotions are never helpful in training a dog.
The Cesar Millan Controversy
Despite the positive aspects of Cesar Millan’s dog training aspects, there are also aspects of his methods that are more controversial. Some of Cesar’s training techniques are confrontational, which not only places him, as a dog handler, at risk for injury but also may escalate the dog’s inappropriate behavior. For example, take a look at the following video:
As you can see, Cesar actually gets bit in this video. If Cesar, as an experienced dog handler, is unable to avoid injury following this type of training protocol, the average dog owner with little to no experience handling dogs is even more likely to be injured following Cesar’s advice. In addition, this dog is not likely to be more accepting of this same process the next time he needs to be groomed. In fact, his behavior may become even worse as a result. This is an example of a confrontational training method, the dog is confronted with a dog trainer intent on dominating the dog in order to accomplish his goal. Do you believe that Cesar accomplished his goal here? Do you believe that either Cesar or the dog was safe while this training procedure was taking place? Do you think you would want to attempt this type of training procedure yourself, knowing that the likelihood of getting bitten was extremely high?
In contrast, take a look at the following approach to a similar situation, involving Dr. Sophia Yin, a veterinary behavioral expert, and a dog that objects to having his toe nails clipped.
Can you see how the outcome in this video is much different than the outcome in the previous video involving Cesar Millan? This dog seems relaxed and happy by the end of the video, neither handler was bitten or otherwise injured or in danger of serious injury during the course of the training session and the dog is quite likely to be tolerant of the procedure the next time he needs his toe nails trimmed. What you have witnessed in this video is an example of training by counter-conditioning the dog using a positive reward, in this case a treat that the dog enjoys. By using a positive reward, the dog has been taught that trimming his nails is not an unpleasant experience. In fact, it appears he barely notices his nails are being cut when he is eating the treats. So, a negative behavior, lunging and trying to bite when someone tries to cut the dog’s nails, has been replaced with a acceptable alternative, sitting calmly on the handlers lap receiving cookies while the toenails are trimmed.
In summary, though Cesar Millan is far from being an evil person or an inexperienced dog handler, you should be aware that Mr. Millan’s method of dog training is not the only way to train your dog. Like most things in life, Mr. Millan’s techniques are not entirely bad, but they are not entirely good either. By doing a bit of research before beginning the training process with your dog, you may find that there are alternative methods, such as the positive reward method represented in the second video with Dr. Yin, that may be safer for you and less stressful for your dog. Why not use the parts of Mr. Millan’s training methodology that make sense to you (such as exercising your dog regularly), couple them with a methodology that will keep you and your dog safer and promote a stronger bond built of trust and affection between the two of you, and throw out the confrontational, dangerous methods that are likely to injure you or your dog?
Photo Credit: libulela/Flickr.com










