So, I know Cesar Milan is shitty, but since as a young girl wanting to get into dog training he was the first "trainer" I was exposed to, I was wondering if anything he preaches is correct, or if it's all wrong? Like, the calm, assertive attitude? And does your dog think of you as a pack leader, or because they understand we're not also dogs, do they have a different social order with us? Is using touch to "change a dogs mindset" total bogus or is there any basis to it? Thanks!
I mean, in general Milan is a load of horseshit but I would be lying if I didnât say there wasnât some truth to what he does. Thatâs the problem I have with most TV trainers- they all suck, but they all wrap their shit up in some amount of good, and thus it creates a lot of confusion for the general public. The only TV trainer I donât have a poor opinion of is probably Jackson Galaxy- I donât much like his adopt-donât-shop rhetoric, but the rest of itâs been great and I hope his show continues forever. Also note that heâs a cat trainer, not a dog trainer.
There is some truth to dog training being more successful when the handler is calm, patient, and confident. What Milan calls âcalm, assertive energyâ is nothing more than that- patience, confidence in yourself and your dog, not losing your mind if the dog does something incorrectly, showing kindness and understanding when the dog struggles. There is some truth to asking an overstimulated dog to take a calmer, more relaxed position such as a down- but forcibly manhandling your dog into that position will not accomplish the same mindset as the one youâre seeking. There is some truth to the existence of dogs who will push a weaker, meeker, more mild owner around just because they can- but the proper response to these dogs is not (usually) confrontation and threat, but a consistent presentation of rules and the ability to outlast a temper tantrum with minimal injury.
A few days ago, a dog I know personally went after Creed. There was no need to establish myself as some sort of alpha, there was no need to scream, there was no need to panic. There was no fight or confrontation with this dog. There was an expectation- you will not bite my dog, and you will not bite me because Iâm not letting you reach him either. I was very clear and consistent with this expectation. When this dog struggled to calm down, I made it easier by asking for a calmer behavior, one that would conflict with fence-fighting with Creed. The situation took about a minute to diffuse. There was no threat that needed to be issued. I certainly didnât flip this dog onto its back to force it to submit to my will.
Creed is a bully- he will push a more passive handler around, something Iâm very aware of with him. The way we have such a good working relationship is not through me continuously forcing him to âsubmitâ to me- itâs through remaining firm in my rules and boundaries while letting him enjoy just being him, understanding his strengths and weaknesses, knowing when to step in and when to let him work something out himself, and him always knowing where he stands with me. There is no alpha in this situation- we are partners, not enemies. There is no conflict between us.
Dogs know we are not dogs. Dogs do not see us as other dogs. Alpha theory is bunk- has long been debunked for both wolves and dogs. I do believe dominance is certainly a factor that comes into play in interactions with other dogs- but this is not something that is a sold thing for only one dog. The loud and aggressive dog is frequently not the dog that is the most respected in the house, but may be the most feared. Creed is a bully and a bit of an asshole, but freely shares with everyone, allows dogs and people alike to snatch things out of his mouth, takes personal confrontation as a personal slight, and seeks to resolve most conflicts between those he knows through play and peaceful behaviors. And yet he does not roll onto his back unless he is alone with me, and certainly will not offer it for any dog regardless of his relationship with them. He is possessive and would prefer that I or anyone else not touch his things, but does not guard them either. The problem with labeling each behavior as either âdominantâ or âsubmissiveâ is that dog behavior is complicated, complex, and never ever that easy to deduce.
Milanâs a quack. Soâs Stillwell and the rest of them. But they all have some form of truth to their words, and it would be wrong to say that there is nothing worth repeating that comes out of their mouths⊠though much of it must be edited and clarified.
(If you would like to follow a popular dog trainer that I donât think is a quack, look up Denise Fenzi and Monique Anstee.)
andulkaphoto
kianamaiart
jbbartram-illu
