It is a sad time for dog training

Sadly after all the hard work done by trainers and behaviourists in the UK to promote more up to date methods which do not cause pain or stress to dogs, we are now facing a new threat. That threat is Cesar Millan, the so called 'Dog Whisperer'. He is now alpha rolling, jabbing and jerking his way into our TVs, radios. magazines and newspapers with his 'Way' and setting dog training methods in modern day UK back to the old days.

In our celebrity obsessed culture we now have CM fans who adore this little man, hanging on his every word and wowing at his magic touch with dogs. His methods include finger jabbing dogs in the neck to 'get their attention'; hanging them up by their leads and collars until semi-asphyxiated then claiming that they have calmed down and 'submitted' when in reality they are in shock and fighting to get their breath back!; 'alpha rolling them and pinning them to the floor (normally after muzzling them first) to show the viewers how to 'dominate' their dogs and so on.

It depresses me even describing his antics and it depresses me even more that there are so many pet owners being taken in hook, line and sinker by this dog wrestler!

Think about it folks! How many actual respected dog trainers and behaviourists in the UK and in the USA do you see applauding his methods? The American Humane Association themselves condemned his methods back in 1996! Many other professional bodies have also expressed their concerns at this mans popularity yet still people faun over him like he is some sort of demi-god!

Educate yourselves people, for dogs sake!

http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/index.html

Are the dog whisperers methods harmful?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpcNOwbRyOE&NR=1

http://www.dolittler.com/2009/03/16/Why-veterinary-behaviorists-cant-stand-Cesar-Millan.html

An aggressive and frightened dog muzzled, repeatedly jabbed then held down forcibly. Is THIS dog training???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUeD4oxGLs&feature=channel

http://www.drsophiayin.com/dominance.php

http://wbx.me/l/?p=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Ffun4fido.posterous.com%2Fandrew-luescher-dvm-on-cesar-millan

Here he not only kicks and jerks the dog to start it off, he then hangs it until it can't breathe too! Is this 'dog training' to you???
http://c1.libsyn.com/media/729/05198_11_Working-with-a-W_006.m4v?nvb=20091128192010&nva=20091129193010&t=0da986aa95dfb000d1a0a

The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors has released a press release expressing concerns.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/cesar_millan_tour_concerns

I have trained hundreds of people with their dogs. Some of those dogs I have seen privately because of their extreme aggression. Not once in all the time I have been working with dogs have I ever pinned one down, jabbed at it, kicked it or choked it so that it couldn't breathe. Yet through hard work and commitment by their owners, these dogs were rehabilitated and overcame their problems! Go figure!