The Dog Whisperer...

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Permalink Reply by ElsiesAttic ~ CEO on July 26, 2011 at 12:37am

I have to say that even before we got our Molly a few weeks ago we watched his show. It's never the dogs that are the problem... it's always the way the people behave that causes the issue. If you have not seen him at work .... you will be amazed.

Permalink Reply by MTippingAtelier-Admin on July 26, 2011 at 7:49am

I also highly recommend Victoria Stillwell's "It's Me or the Dog", on Animal Planet.  I have learned so much from her.  I am leery of Cesar Milan--I have seen him bully dogs into submission and I am completely put off by his physical, "pack theory", tactics, (especially as regards Basset Hounds, who, as I know all too well, are notoriously stubborn, er...independent thinkers;) LOL.  Any training method requires tons of work--and consistency, but there are other schools of thought...  

A lot of folks swear by Cesar Milan's methods but I don't subscribe at all to his training methods of growling at the dog, staring the dog down, and the ridiculous "alpha dog roll".  All of this will almost surely elicit an aggressive response from the dog!!  And if it doesn't, there is something wrong with the dog, in my view;)  Using body language and positive rewards are very effective ways of showing your dog that YOU are in control;) 

A wonderful book which I would very much encourage dog owners to read is Jean Donaldson's "The Culture Clash", which turns the "accepted"  training method(s) on its head, thank doG!   http://hubpages.com/hub/The-CultureClash

The problem is that human beings have utterly unrealistic expectations concerning dogs--they are not just little people in fur suits.  She helped me enormously to understand my Basset boy, Leo, who was extremely aggressive to my middle boy, Biggs, when we brought him home to foster.  His attacks were so horrid that we had to keep him separated in the house from the other two for nine months.  It's the Peaceable Kingdom now, but not without a lot of tears, toil and reading.  Donaldson's book helped a lot...

Anyroo, off my soapbox now!!:)  Just my two dollah, which may get you a latte, these days;) 

Arooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo,

Mary

/..\

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.  You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~ Unknown

Permalink Reply by CDChyld on July 26, 2011 at 2:40pm

I was just watching an episode of this :)

And yeah...like ElsiesAttic said...it's almost always the people. And how the dog was/is treated/raised.

I have a friend whose boyfriend just had to get this dog...and well...a couple years later this dog rules the house. Her boyfriend is harder on their cats then he is on the dog.

I've used some of the things I've seen Cesar do when I'm around the dog and he reacts really well. Now if her boyfriend would only do it.

Because to that dog, her boyfriend is his 'mama'. My friend is the 'alpha' because that dog listens to her...but as soon as the boyfriend gets home from work, it all goes out the door with him.

It's kind of like raising a kid where one parent is the one that disciplines the kids and the other parent lets them do whatever.

Cesar needs to come visit them lol :)