Many years ago, I hosted a national talk radio show on pet care that aired on more than 1,200 radio stations. I received a lot of phone calls! By far, the most common subjects from callers were in the area of behavior and training in both dogs and cats. Of course, this is not something taught in veterinary medical school. If a veterinarian has proper and reliable advice in behavior and training, it is because they have taken the time to learn both the training technique and the medical/behavioral issues that plague our pets. There are a lot of dogs that need ProzacÆ and others that simply need solid leadership, exercise and kind and gentle input from their ìpack leader.î It is not rocket science.In fact, there is little in the way of certification, and certainly no state licensing, for animal trainers. Whenever you see this, in comes hordes of ìself-appointed expertsî who will lead you to believe they know what they are doing, and they do not have to answer to a higher authority or pass any kind of exam. So in this area, you might have heard all the controversy about Cesar Millan, TV’s top dog guru. To sum it up, he has enjoyed quite a success on television and in print, but those who have studied and applied real behavioral science to dog behavior donít like what he does at all.He got his start in 2004 with a cable TV show that then led to millions of books and videos, a monthly magazine, a website and a foundation. But today, Millanís methods are hotly debated, especially by veterinary behaviorists.You should know that Millan has no formal training in this field. What he knows about dog training began when he was a kid in Mexico, where he was known as ìthe dog boyî because he had a natural touch. Later, in the United States, he worked with aggressive dogs as part of a grooming business.The National Geographic Channel TV series ìDog Whisperer With Cesar Millanî premiered in 2004 and was a runaway success. Keep in mind, the National Geographic Channel will create a star if they are TV friendly; in other words, if they will make the network money. Whether or not the celebrity host delivers correct information does not seem to be high on the list. Millanís training philosophy in a nutshell is this: Your dog needs strong ìpack leadershipî from you (the true ìalpha dogî) in order to be healthy and balanced. Itís called ìdominance theory.îThe longer version: He says, ìYour dog is a dog, not a human, and is to be treated like one.î On the TV show, and most likely worse in real life, Millan thinks you should put your dog in its place when the dog is aggressive, using force like finger jabs to the abdomen, ìalpha rolls,î even choke collars.The real experts disagree with this and even say it will make aggression worse; and, when done by the wrong people, will lead to injury and even worse, human injury!In 2006, the American Humane Society asked producers to cancel the show, calling some of his training methods ìinhumaneî and ìcruel and dangerous.î The American Humane Society later made nice with Millan, saying that despite ìsharp differences,î the group shares many ìareas of mutual interestî with the celeb trainer. Read this as, ìWe got some money from an endorsement so weíre not as mad about it now.îBut that same year, the New York Times published ìPack of Lies,î and slammed Millanís methods as ìlaughableî and ìoutdated.î According to the article, ìMr. Millanís quick fix might make for good television, but it flies in the face of what professional animal behaviorists have learned.îAll over the country, positive dog trainers urge that a gentler approach is better, and a 2009 report in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior showed that asserting dominance over dogs actually increases aggression in those dogs. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior issued a policy statement against using the ìdominance theory.îNow, the National Geographic Channel inserts an onscreen warning every episode that reads: ìDo not attempt these techniques yourself without consulting a professional.îSo, Is Cesar Millan a bad guy?Not at all. He has done a lot of good for animal welfare, including advocating against breed-specific legislation and puppy mills; and he supports spay/neuter programs. Millan is actually right about quite a few of the more positive and gentler techniques.But I would not apply a steady diet of his harsh techniques on any dog. If dog aggression is an issue you face, I’d recommend finding a trainer who has invested the time to learn the proper techniques for correcting this potentially serious problem ó one that could even land you in front of a judge.Dr. Jim Humphries is a veterinarian and also serves as a visiting professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University. He provides hospice and end-of-life care for pets. He lives in Falcon with his wife, horses and Great Danes. www.MobilePetDocs.com
