zak said:
"Debra Horwitz, president of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, said that the major benefits of The Dog Whisperer are that it makes owners aware that they are not alone in the problems they have with their pets, and that it provides good advice on the need for dogs to exercise and have rules. But, Horwitz adds, the show also has the major drawback of attributing behavior problems to dominance when the dog may be misbehaving because it is fearful or anxious.[50] Pet columnist Steve Dale said in a July 2010 newspaper column that while he believed Millan was "blessed with an amazingly intuitive understanding of dog behavior," some of the methods shown on the program, particularly those related to dominance, were inappropriate and not substantiated by science.[51]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Whisperer_with_Cesar_Millan
"So I'll be checking out Susane Clothier for guidance", "But I will have a talk with the behaviorist about it, and we'll see.." it's a good idea Miss.K, good journey with Byron if you adopt him.
The big thing ,Cesar Millan wants to educate people and children to be the leaders of the pack, or even worse just to be the pack that will follow a leader!
www.millanfoundation.org/humane-education/
It sounds great "empathy", "compassionate citizens", but without the knowledge and the understanding of the psychopathy, it's like to give a whip to be whipped.
https://cassiopaea.org/forum/Smileys/default/ohdear.gif
I do think a LOT can be learned from Cesar Millan, Seeing a bit of what can be found on youtube of Suzanne Clothier, I think they are in many ways coming from the same place, but perhaps his way is the masculine and hers the feminine. Where I disagree with him, (or where it doesn't feel as it would be right for me to do the same thing) is for example the "ignore your dog when it's scared or in pain, or you will nurture that feeling and traumatize it" that Cesar teaches. And he's right from the point that if the human start frantically petting the dog and with hysterical pity voice go "oh your poor thing bla bla bla" that will make the experience worse for the dog, But animals don't ignore each other or their human when someone is in pain or scared, as Suzanne Clothier correctly (IMO) states.
I remember the first time my former cat heard me shout in anger (an argument with former boyfriend) and came running in to see what happened, with the same disturbed expression on her face that I would have on my face when I heard her scream in anger from outside sometimes when she was fighting with a cat entering her territory, which would make me run out to help her.
(she didn't have to hear me shout like that many times as I left and took her with me a few months after, I mean one thing is to stay in an unhappy relationship, but it's not OK when it affects the children, which for me was the cat, so I left when I realized I wouldn't be able to stop shouting in anger regularly)
Animals, specially dogs (or at least some dogs) will sit beside the sick person in the room. And being very calm one self, and putting a calm hand on an animal that is scared or in pain, helps it relax in my experience.
To me ignoring the animal feels wrong, but it is still a lot better that going "OH-MY-GOD-YOUR-POOR-THING" as some people do. (it is pretty simple, one just have to put one self in the shoes of the animal, if you have a headache, a calm person putting a calm hand on where it hurts can help a lot, but you wouldn't want someone to talk to you about how sorry they feel for you, so you would have to deal with their feelings as well as your own pain)
It seems to, that it might be that Cesars way works better for a man, as for many women I think it goes against their nature, and so they will feel pity while they ignore (and ignore against their instinct, because they think they are supposed to) and so as the dogs are masters in reading energy, the dog will feel that the owner feels something is wrong and is avoiding the dog, but when Cesar does it, he don't feel pity, but transfers his feeling of being strong and macho like which helps the dog to feel strong. (and also feel protected by a strong leader)
I saw a documentary about Cesar Millan.
From being illegal immigrant sleeping under a highway bridge, he started to walk dogs for people, and as he is so good with dogs, he could walk a whole pack of them which made a journalist make an article about him, which lead to the offer of making the Dog whisperer.
Then after being everybodys hero and earning gazillions of money, he somehow lost his money, his wife divorced him, his best dog died, and he tried to commit suicide, (his kid found him) and the show got cancelled and a lot of critique of his methods started, (I'm not sure the events of his fall is in right order here)
He got better again, married again, and started the Pack leader show, that is much less known.
My thoughts were that (apart from that it is really tough to be famous), that he had used new age thinking to shove his feelings under the rug, but must have been very unhappy for very long (his smile is also rather forced at times, as trying to be the zen Dog wisperer, but not being happy)
Also I had the thought that when the people all of a sudden decide to make someone their hero and there is no end to the praise; When he falls, a similar madness of disapproval happens, and also -what is it called that thing when you after something has changed your view of something, then tell yourself and everybody else that you always felt that way- (it has a term in one of the thinking books on recommended reading list).
I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, in his case. He really has some good skills and ideas.
I think he is a good dog person, and I don't agree with those that call it abuse what he does. I disagree with him on some things or would do them different myself, but still think he's pretty amazing, and that any dog would be glad to live in his pack (and also some of his methods can be used with ones own feelings, as imagining that ones feelings is a pack of dogs, and how to be their pack leader)
So he would be allowed to babysit my dog anytime, no worries there.
But I won't get a dog this time, as the only way of getting him, is if I stay in the city at least for 3 months maybe longer, as they don't dare to let anyone adopt him unless the behaviorist can follow the progress closely, and I really think I should get out of here ASAP
)
BTW does she/he already have a real name?