It is most certainly not worth your time or money and there are many other books out there on the subject that have far more insight into the minds and behaviors of dogs. Personally, I find this guy quite distasteful, since he charges people exorbitant fees for his so-called "professional" dog training assistance. I had a friend tell me once he was going to be in the area and when she told me he wanted $400.00 just to go listen to him at a one hour seminar, I knew he was looking out more for his bank account and less for the dogs of this world. It just goes to show that you put someone on the old boob tube and the next thing you know it goes to their head. What a creep!
If you are referring to Cesar Millan I have this to say: He may be a sell-out and have gotten caught up in the world of making money, but it can't be denied that his methods WORK. However you can NOT just imitate his actions. You have to go much deeper than that. You can't pick and choose which of this methods you want to use, you have to do it all or nothing or you will end up making the dog worse. If you engage in the entire concept of his, it really dose work, I have tried it myself and I haven't looked back. It has made a huge difference with nearly every dog I have worked with. P.S. it is NOT a training method or about training. It's about establishing communication between human and dog that BOTH human and dog understand. It's the very basic cornerstone of a relationship between the two that makes everything else from that point on so much easier, including actual training. I read his book, and I highly reccomend it, but if you can get your hands on some of his shows or DVD's, they definitely go a LONG way in helping you further understand the concept in his books. No one needs to attend any of his seminars or have him visit you privately - if you just pay attention to his books and shows/dvd's, you will learn all you need to learn from that and not have to pay very much at all. It is worth it. I may have lost personal respect for the man based on him being a sell out, but his methods and the way he's managed to make them easy to understand for most people, I will always respect.
I agree the techniques of Cesar Milan are sound, but they are not representative of any new revelations in detailing the complex relationship between canines and humans. It is good to know, Lilyrayne, that you have had success with his material, yet from what I have seen of him; he simply concentrates on aberrant human behavior which is usually the cause of all canine misbehavior and the underlying principle of all dog training. I am the proud guardian of eight, all rescued dogs, (Australian Shepard, Shetland Sheepdog, Golden Retriever, Chocolate Labrador Retriever, German Shepard and three Border Collies) and it has never been a problem for me to assert myself as the leader of the pack, while at the same time, insuring that my dogs’ physical and mental needs are always met each day. I have friends tell me many times they are simply amazed at how well my dogs behave when we go camping, on horseback rides and most especially around my livestock (horses, goats, sheep, pigs and chickens). The important things to note is that you should never anthropomorphize your dog, make certain they always know you are the alpha dog, insure they get plenty of exercise and be ever vigilant and sensitive to their body language signals and your own at the same time too, since the primary sense of all dogs is their vision and most importantly, be consistent. If you follow these simple rules, which you will find in all dog training books, then you can spend your money on dog toys, healthy dog treats and carrots instead of gold diggers using the media to advance their hidden avarice agendas, i.e., Cesar Milan.
Tobias, you make very good points. Unfortunately the majority of people don't really understand or wish to understand how important those points are. That's why I said I respect what Cesar has done for people, in helping a lot more people understand that concept than they would have if he hadn't come on scene. Not anthropomorhphizing your dog is the #1 thing I see most people having problems with. And no matter how much you beat the other stuff in their heads, that is usually the one thing they don't get. The reason I respect Cesar's ways is that he does have a knack for helping people understand WHY this shouldn't be done. You and I might have a natural knack for understanding and working with dogs and effortlessly being their leaders but it is not this easy for the majority of people.
I must admit that you are quite correct in your analysis Lilyrayne, regarding human and canine interaction for many people out there with dog behavioral issues. I will also acknowledge my frustration with those who attempt to make an obscene profit from the ignorance of others, when in reality, I believe dog training information should be provided free of charge by Humane Societies for the sake of getting the word out there to those without our innate knowledge of dogs. I guess this is only wishful thinking in our greed driven society, but it sure would be nice and a much better world if this was reality. I will continue to hope for the future though...
I think Cesar Milans programs are wonderful. They have taught me a huge amount about my own interactions with dogs.......Especially on how to walk a dog.......Its just these simply little things....Like if people have a dog which pulls they automatically tense on the lead......which just feeds to problem......Loose lead...back straight, hands down......short sharp upwards corrective jerk.....Little things like that......He makes it so obvious but people make so many mistakes with dogs by babying them and worrying about hurting these anthropomorphized 'feelings' etc....
I dont know I dont really like him to be honest. Did you read the book yet? What did you think of it?
