Natural History

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments

15 Responses

1. on May 4, 2010 at 3:49 pm Bets

   I can’t see wolfhound in that strangled dog. It looks wolfish though. I think calling it a GSD/wolfhound cross could give those breeds a bad rap.

   
   
2. on May 4, 2010 at 7:20 pm Jess

   If you would like some light entertainment, pick up the Dog Listener, by Jan Fennel. The training is all right, basically set boundaries, positive reinforcement, no rolling or jerking, and she depends on extinction a lot, but the ‘dominance theory’ she expounds is hilarious. For instance, she recommends something she calls ‘gesture’ eating, where the family sets the table and eats a cracker before feeding the dog. Dogs with separation anxiety are also dominant, because they believe their owners (“children”) are leaving and they don’t know where they are, so they become anxious. It was pretty amusing.

   
   
   • on May 4, 2010 at 7:26 pm retrieverman

     I tried reading it in the bookstore, but the writing was bothering me.

     I have yet to do a post on Cesar’s tail theory.

     It goes like this:

     If a dog can’t stick his tail between his legs, he can’t be anxious or afraid.

     The tail wags the dog!

     
     
     • on May 4, 2010 at 8:48 pm Jess

       How does that work with dogs that have docked tails?

       
       
       • on May 4, 2010 at 9:09 pm retrieverman

         He used it on a vizsla, which had only half a tail.

         I guess dogs with docked tails can be anxious and afraid.

         Cesar needs to work on that one.

         
         
3. on May 5, 2010 at 8:50 am Jan

   About a year and a half ago, my sister was talking to me about Cesar Milan and something that he said about dog training. Since I hang with obedience competition people and they have all spoken negatively about this man, I said to her that I hadn’t bothered to watch his show since my friends all put him down. She urged me on to watch the show. Well, all I can say is “sour grapes” and the game “telephone.”

   First of all, Cesar’s words are grossly misinterpreted. The shows that I subsequently watched were all dealing with dogs with pre-existing problems, not pups who had a clean slate. I watched him again and again and again straighten out a dog/human relationship using quiet words and what he calls “Calm assertiveness.” Cesar’s uncanny way of dealing with the human element intrigued me as much as the way he tuned right into each dog and “spoke” to them.

   I did not see or hear any of the offensive things that I had always been told regarding Cesar Milan’s training methods.

   Sour Grapes- There are a number of great dog trainers out there who wish they had coined the phrase “dog whisperer” and were making the big bucks that Cesar makes. (people have used the term but not with the big dollars)

   The game “telephone” – Gossip about Cesar Milan’s methods distort what he says and does and takes things out of context

   My Conclusion: Cesar Milan is great at human/dog relationship healing. Hooray for you Cesar for making so many human and canine lives so much better.

   My 2 cents…

   
   
   • on May 5, 2010 at 9:18 am retrieverman

     Because I’ve watched this show extensively. I would recommend very little of what he suggests. I did about 5-10 posts in mid to later part of the winter on this. It led to me losing a lot friends. It led to me gaining a lot of friends.

     I think you need to watch how he handles wild dogs. I don’t engage in telephone gossip. I’ve watched the show. And I also have the book he has which is full of inaccuracies.

     The man doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and he makes things up a lot.

     Trust me, I’m not the only one who thinks this way who comments on this blog.

     And my guess is that next to none of them engage in rumor and gossip. They’ve seen the show and read the books, and they have reason to be concerned.

     It’s NOT sour grapes. And there was a guy called dog whisperer nearly a decade before Cesar came around.

     These are real experts that think he’s a real problem:

     http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1006-ESQ100_20-21.FINAL.rev_1

     
     
     • on May 5, 2010 at 10:31 am Jan

       Maybe I haven’t watched enough shows and I definitely would not spend the time to read his books since I have such a long list of books on my “to read” list but in terms of the subject of “rehabilitation” and the shows that I watched (about 12 shows), he was successful and did not use any rough methods such as shock collars…. That’s why I don’t get all the flack against him. From what I have seen, he has taken a very simple approach with human/dog relationships. He only portrayed “calm assertiveness” and used the walking in a pack and that funny pshhhttt sound that he makes. He also looked to be big into exercise which we all know is a problem with many people who own active dogs.

       When I mention “sour grapes” and “telephone”, I am discussing what I have heard through my dog obedience group. That was not directed at you.

       
       
     • on May 5, 2010 at 10:33 am Jan

       yes, there has been more than one dog trainer who has called themselves “dog whisperer”… Cesar is the one who made money off of it.

       
       
4. on May 5, 2010 at 10:37 am Jan

   Also, I never saw him train a pup and didn’t know that he considered himself a dog trainer… I thought he considered himself a dog rehabilitator… Maybe the dozen or so shows that I watched were not the norm for him?

   
   
5. on May 5, 2010 at 10:51 am Jan

   I hadn’t looked at the link…. “duh”

   Well, not sure what you would have recommended Cesar do in the case of the “strangled” dog…. click at him? A lot of people would have given him the needle. Cesar worked though it and the dog was spared… am I wrong here?

   I mean, the dog looked like he was seeing red and bent on tearing someone apart.

   …This dominance talk means nothing to me because the word has so many different meanings to different people when it comes to dogs. I have only seen Cesar work with dogs who become enraged for one reason or another and are a threat to the owner or other dogs… Isn’t he all about these extreme cases? I don’t know what these owners were doing with this dog in their home to start with… did they have such guilty consciences that they needed to overtly pat themselves on the back for “saving” this dog?

   
   
   • on May 5, 2010 at 10:54 am retrieverman

     There are people who are experts at aggressive dogs, who have credentials, and I would recommend that all dogs with aggression have this sort of help.

     
     
   • on May 5, 2010 at 10:59 am Jan

     I just looked at the shock collar video and I would never had known that he was using a shock collar from watching this as a tv show, Now I am wondering how many shows that I watched where he had a shock collar on the dog and I was unaware…

     In the case of this dog, cat story, I don’t feel it is right to have a dog and cat in the house together if they get that upset at each other. This woman is nuts and should choose between her pets. I have cats and dogs but they were introduced to one another when one or the other was a kitten or puppy so everything is harmonious.

     I think you are educating me regarding Caesar Milan (not that I was a big fan to start)

     
     
     • on May 5, 2010 at 11:00 am retrieverman

       He’s using an e-collar incorrectly, and as someone who thinks e-collars should be an available tool (but only to people who know how to use them), I think he does the device a great disservice.

       
       
       • on May 5, 2010 at 11:08 am Jan

         Cesar seems to know how to get his desired results on very aggressive dogs. I think that the real danger here is that people will watch and try doing this on their own thinking that they have learned what he taught and wanting the satisfaction of rehabilitating an animal. I don’t trust that the TV show really portrays Cesar’s methods correctly… it puts a soft light on the methods used. The fact that Cesar is using an e-collar and not talking about it says it all.

         
         

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