The Dog Whisperer’s Motives
“The Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians (SVBT; www.svbt.org) have uniformly spoken out against the coercive, “dominance”-based techniques employed by Mr. Millan on his television show “The Dog Whisperer.”
I highly recommend Tamar Gellar’s approach to training dogs over Cesar Milan.
USA TODAY article about Caesar Milan
“A television producer is suing dog trainer Cesar Millan, star of TV’s The Dog Whisperer, claiming that his Labrador retriever was injured at Millan’s training facility after being suffocated by a choke collar and forced to run on a treadmill.”
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After seeing Episode 4 of the dog whisperer on the National Geographic Channel, I am confident that Cesar Millan’s motives are not out for the best interest of man or his best friend. I believe Cesar’s motives are out to line his own pockets.
In Episode 4, Mr. Millan is asked to train JonBee, who is considered a red-zone dog. A red zone dog is a dog that is very dangerous to society.
What Mr. Millan does to put JonBee in submission was simply horrifying, irresponsible and flat out unprofessional. And while I personally don’t agree with his approach, his actions in the face of his approach were reckless and dangerous to humans, and other animals. It was in his recklessness that I believe his true intentions were seen.
Mr. Millan (aka The Dog Whisperer) puts a noose around JonBee’s neck and forced him to the ground while literally strangulating the dog until the dog is so weak from lack of oxygen that he couldn’t fight back. JonBee, whose eyes were literally bulging, is about to pass out from lack of air when Cesar Millan loosens the noose and claims victory that JonBee submitted. That’s when Cesar Millan claims that the dog won’t get up and run because he has submitted.
The truth is JonBee was practically strangled to death, yet Cesar Millan never says he is using this technique though anyone can clearly see it with their own two eyes. The dog was forced to submit physically because he didn’t have the strength to respond without oxygen. After Cesar Millan removes the noose, JonBee just lays there in an exhausted pant. He doesn’t have the energy to even get up! The response from JonBee wasn’t due to “training”. It was due to physical, brutal abusive behavior.
Does Cesar think people believe he just forced the dog to the ground and he submitted? That is not what happens and you can clearly see it on the show.
Cesar Millan shows his intentions are not out for man or his best friend when he does NOT discuss his approach, or the ramifications. Instead, the Dog Whisper sits there and basks in his glory. This behavior is reckless and shows a lack of caring for man OR his best friend.
If a person believes that after nearly choking their dog to death — the dog will no longer be a danger to anyone –it is false — even after weeks of practice. An aggressive dog has to be taught not to challenge every new person it meets. It has to be given confidence and trust — not instilled with fear.
If a person attempts to do this dangerous and lethal technique incorrectly, they could seriously injure or even kill their dog. Doesn’t the dog whisperer care about this??? And worse than that, if the owner doesn’t do this technique exactly perfect — the owner himself faces getting potentially mauled. Where are Cesar Millan’s genuine concern for others? It was clearly lacking, in my opinion.
As a professional, or an expert — Cesar Millan owed these warnings and precautions to his TV audience and yet he didn’t give them! It shows his true motivations. It shows a lack of caring for dogs and their owners.
Dangerous dogs should not be wrangled with and forced into physical submission unless you know what you are doing — and I say you shouldn’t even do it then. It’s barbaric. We have mentally ill dogs like we have mentally ill people, and violence doesn’t eliminate the problem with either of them.
More than that, the owner of JonBee was hoping to rehabilitate him, and give him away. Cesar Millan was grossly negligent to not inform the public or the owner of JonBee that this training was NOT enough to ensure that this dog was no longer a danger to others. Clearly, there was much more than needed to be done! Sadly, the Dog Whisper said nothing.
Instead, the show continued on to show JonBee’s owner physically putting his dog into a submissive position without strangulation techniques three weeks later — where it was clear that JonBee outright feared his owner — and did what he believed he HAD TO do to survive. JonBee was not a happy, thriving dog who was trained. He was brutally forced to fear his owner.
Cesar Millan wants to be the big hero on the show who tamed this “wild” dog. He didn’t actually tame the dog, or put the dog into a corrected position with expertise or training. Instead, he physically deprived the dog of oxygen to the point the dog didn’t have enough life-sustaining oxygen to get up and fight back.
