Are the Dog Whisperer's methods safe?

I say do what works. Sometimes you have to step out of the box with things i hate how everyone has to be so PC all the time. Some dogs positive reinforcement works, some it dosent. I think all these so called experts are just jealous that the guys method works and is different from theirs. And they are jealous that he has a TV show and they dont. lol, just my thoughts.

 

I got no problem with either positive or negative methods, this really isn't about either. The man bases his whole concept of dog behavior on a wolf pack study that has been proven now to have huge flaws and little to no correlation to how wolves really behave in the wild, let alone how the domestic dog works.

Even some of the strongest trainers who use negative reinforcement training have made comments about this guy simply doing more damage than good because he just doesn't have the needed knowledge about canine behavior to be doing the job he does.

I think some of the advice he gives people is solid, but his training methods are not. Example - I love that he tells all the yuppy folks watching TV that a dog is an animal and needs to be first and foremost treated like an animal. I like that he puts it into people's head that a dog wants to work first and then worry about "love" later. Beyond that is where he and I tend to disagree on a lot when it comes to actual methods.

I think if he tried his "dominance based" techniques on a truly dominant dog and not a dog that was just bluffing, he'd probably get his ass handed to him. I'd love to see the man go toe to toe with a truly pissed off male Akita.

 

I agree, his methods work!!

He has been bitten by many dogs. There has to be a balance not ALL dogs respond the same, Lets face it DOGS are SMART and if they can get away with SHIT, they will do it. They sometimes need a FIRM hand to remind them who is BOSS!! You. the provider..............................

I SAY PHUCK all these YUPPIE SUCKAS and EXPERTS!! and REMEMEBER THIS.............."THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD!!!!"

YOU CAN BULLSHIT PEOPLE and make legitimate arguments but some of these so called experts only speak because of what they have READ on a BOOK, but not actually been out there on THE FIELD!

MY .02

P.S. and also SEEK professinal HELP

 

I like how people think what they see on TV works because the little montage tells you so. There are so many complaints made that once he leaves, all the problems start again or return even worse than they were before.

Trust me I believe in some methods that most would call harsh - for example I think a lot of the training techniques from the Koehler Method work great. I just don't think this man is a "Dog Whisperer" he just forces the dogs into temporary submission through force exhaustion and fear. It really is not leaving any lasting fix.

 

Short answer yes they work.

It's all about speaking your dog's language and telling them what you want them to do nonverbally. Do what work's
A lil of this and lil of that and love your bulldogg and spend time with him/her that's the only way to train them, through a bond. That's basically what the whisperer's method's are.
There's no sure fire one method but his techniques are nice tool's to have in the arsenal.

 

Yep, i agree with u ADM i see no problems with what he does hey if it works for him that's great everyone uses different methods the man truely loves animals and loves his job and hey he does bring some positive light to the APBT to the general public i can't really hate on the man but to each his own that isn't really my personal method of training one of my dogs bulldog or any other i have ever owned and i honestly think alot of the people talking shit on the man are jealous no doubt but at the end of the day i could care less LOL imma do me and everyone else is gonna do them

 

I agree with what you posted here - the basis of his techniques when you simplify like this are fine. My only issue is his concept of dominance is totally based off a flawed study of wolves. It simply doesn't work like this with truly dominant dog breeds, you create a resentful time bomb if you discipline certain breeds incorrectly, and he simply applies a one method fits all approach which I don't like.

This man thinks you can train dog aggression out of a bulldog by "dominating" the shit out of it. He also has stated that dog fighting dogs are traumatized and trained in order to make them fight... he spreads some seriously bad info.

 

If i did have anything bad to say about the man it would be this he doesn't know much about how the real dog game goes as far as a legit dog man and how they really work there dogs. he pretty much just knows of the inner city bullshit

 

Ok, I under stand what your saying... however, if you have a dog, especially a dominant powerful dog, you must at all time's be in control.

So again I understand the passion and I can see where you might disagree with him(Cesar), but you do agree that you have to be in control and your dog's leader at all time's tho?

 

I used to treat Cesar's word like the word of God when it came to dog training and behaviour... Then I decided to do some research, buy some books, talk to some people. I've found that the Koehler Method, IMO, is the best method for dogs, and while Cesar is right about the fact that dogs should be treated as DOGS, and not little fur babies, I disagree with his overly aggressive dominance techniques.... I also detest the fact that after watch him, people think that it's 'all how your raise 'em' when it comes to APBT's and that if you're a 'dominant leader', you can own full out DA bulldogs and never have a fight, and they can be loose around eachother. :rolleyes:

 

Ok, well I would hope no one would be silly enough to believe that. :dogdrink:
That's some dangerous (yard accident flavored) Kool Aide

 

Although I use modified Koehler and have for years, "best method for dogs" is a little bit of a stretch. If you want to talk about some damned dumb and dangerous methods for you and your dog,...think Koehler. With that said, there's a lot of useful info in his books, but dog training has come a real long way since old Bill wrote those hundred pages of affadavits in front of his books telling you how "safe" his methods were (major clue right there). In the opinion of an ex-millitary trainer friend of mine speaking on methods and dogs he trained for various uses- "my dogs are too valuable to try that Koehler shit on them."

 

Oh, trust me, I've spoken to people who actually believe this! Also the same people who do Cesar's 'Tssshh' thing all the time. It's quite annoying.

I can definitely see what you mean... I guess it could be viewed the same way as with Cesar's methods; he's got the right idea in mind, he just isn't doing it the best or most efficient way. Granted, compared to most people on this forum, I've had barely any experience with training and modifying behavior [just with a few dogs], but I'm definitely more a fan of a healthy mix of negative correction and positive reinforcement, rather than just positive 100% 'clicker' type training.

 

I beg to differ, STUDIES SHOW that WALKING and I am only TALKING ABOUT WALKING!!!!! solves 90% of ALL behavioral issues. That's the secret!!! walk your dog.........

 

some people have the 'gift' of understanding the CM non-traditional method and therefore can apply it effectively, some must necessarily follow more orthodox methods based on systematic behavior modification because of their inability to do away with humanizing dogs, neither is better its just a matter of an owner finding a method that they are comfortable with. I don't use any one method specifically or on purpose, I use what works for each dog I have had

 

My only real question is how do u become a dog psycologist lmao I think cm is more of a dog psycologist than anyone who has a phd in it... Most of the dogs ive seen on the show were either a. Rescue dogs or b. The owner had let a certain behavior continue and then wanted it to stop

 

He isnt going and taking "gamedogs" n letting them run loose together he takes da dogs n reforms them in a sense ive even saw it where some dogs he kept n gave the owners a new dog if he couldnt "fix" the dog in a timely fashion... I personally dont have those problems because I instill it in my dogs from pups the dos n donts

 

Just watched a video of him last night another member here posted and it was sickning.The dog was a HA,non DA cur and should've been put down and all that could be said was the dog was probably being trained to fight is what made him mean. Ceaser Milan is a horrible ambassador for this breed IMHO. He needs to stick to chihuahua and poodles.Even then a HA one just needs a bullet.