One of the most popular modern-day pet trainers is Cesar Millan, otherwise known as the Dog Whisperer. Since his show, “The Dog Whisperer” premiered in 2004, Millan has become wildly popular for his rather unconventional approach to dog training. But is his method effective, or is it all a show for television? After a decade of Millan’s training methods, some have begun to question whether or not the Dog Whisperer is really all that it’s cracked up to be. In this blog post, we will be exploring the truth behind the Dog Whisperer and determining whether Millan’s methods are effective, or if they are simply too good to be true.
He was bullied for his love of dogs
Millan grew up on his grandfathers farm in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico. During this time he became accustomed to working with a variety of animals, though he claims to have had a “natural way with dogs” from a very young age. This connection with canines was so strong that MIllan found himself being followed by dogs every time he left his home, a fact that didnt go unnoticed by the other kids. He was constantly teased by his peers, who started calling him El Perrero, which roughly translates to the Dirty Dog Boy.
Millan refused to let the bullying change his mind about his love of dogs, ignoring the negativity and concentrating on making his dream a reality from a young age. By the time he was 13 years old he had laid out plans to become the best dog trainer in the world, and he didnt want to do it in Mexico. Inspired by the immaculately well-trained performing dogs he saw in TV reruns of Lassie and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Millan set his sights on Hollywood, convinced his talents would be most welcome there.
On December 23, 1991, a 21-year-old Millan told his mother he was departing Mexico for the United States, and that he wanted to leave immediately. After realizing he couldnt talk him out of it, his father emptied out his life savings and gave it all to his son, urging him to make his dream a reality. With a total of $100 to his name, Millan made his way to a Tijuana bus station and started looking for a way to cross the border.
In an effort to follow their example, he started by closely following coyotajes (professional people smugglers who specialize in bringing illegal Mexican immigrants into the United States) and their groups. He saw one of these groups trying to cross a flooded canal, watching in horror as old and pregnant migrants were carried away to their deaths. Two weeks later, he continued to walk the length of the fence before coming across a new hole that was being guarded by a man who demanded payment before he would move aside. Entry cost Millan $100—every cent he had.
How “The Dog Whisperer” Got His Start
Cesar Millan is a self-taught expert. When he was a young child in Mexico, he started learning in the real world because he had a natural touch that earned him the nickname “the dog boy.”
Later, he worked with aggressive dogs in a grooming business in the United States. He then founded a canine academy, which attracted a number of well-known customers, including the director Ridley Scott.
The TV series Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan first aired on Sept. 13, 2004, on the National Geographic Channel. The show was a runaway success.
A bestselling book, Cesar’s Way, soon followed. And as time passed, even more shows hit the airwaves, such as Cesar Millan’s Leader of the Pack, Cesar 911 and Cesar Millan’s Dog Nation.
Cesar Millan’s training philosophy can be summed up this way: Your dog needs strong “pack leadership” from you because you are the true “alpha dog.” It’s called dominance theory.
He says dogs should be handled with “calm, assertive energy” and given plenty of exercise, clear rules and affection when the time is right.
According to Millan, your dog should be treated like a dog and not like a human.
“What people most often do is humanize the dog. And from that point on, they’re going to practice human psychology on a dog. And when they really want the dog to listen to them, the dog is not going to because this is not the dog’s state of mind,” he said in a 2009 interview.
On his TV programs, Millan seems to advocate using force to subdue an aggressive dog, including finger jabs to the abdomen, “alpha rolls,” and even choke collars when necessary.
However, Millan’s detractors contend that the exact opposite is true, and that his outmoded and ineffective training methods simply render the dogs helpless.
They say “alpha” status is essentially nonsense.
A 2009 review in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science concluded that “aggression and other behavior problems are not a result of dominant behavior or lack of the owner’s “alpha” status, but rather a result of fear (self-defense) or underlying anxiety problems.”
The American Humane Society harshly criticized Cesar Millan’s award-winning TV show in September 2006, just two years after its debut, calling some of his training techniques “inhumane” as well as “cruel and dangerous.” ”.
The group claimed that the way he restrained dogs with shock collars, by pinning them to the ground, or by tightening their collars, particularly disturbed them.
The group argued that the program sends viewers “an inaccurate message about what constitutes effective training and appropriate treatment of animals,” and demanded that the TV network cancel the program. ”.
In defense of himself, Millan asserted that he corrects aggressive pets’ behaviors with “minimum force” and that “my way is not the only way.” ”.
Several years later, the American Humane Society struck up a friendly relationship with Millan, claiming that despite “some sharp differences of view in the past,” the two organizations actually have many “areas of mutual interest.”
A 2006 New York Times piece headlined “Pack of Lies” lambasted Millan’s methods as “laughable” and “outdated.” The writer, dog expert Mark Derr, concluded:
In 2009, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior issued a policy statement on dominance theory, which didn’t mention Millan by name but denounced his methods, saying they lead to “an antagonistic relationship between owners and their pets.”
As Time magazine explained in 2010, “The debate has its roots in 1940s studies of captive wolves gathered from various places that, when forced to live together, naturally competed for status.”
The research, however, “as it turns out, was founded on a false premise… Because the young naturally follow their parents’ example, just like in a human family, the pack’s hierarchy does not involve any individuals competing to become the group’s leader. ”.
Positive dog trainers advocated for a more gentle approach in article after article.
Why did Dog Whisperer get Cancelled?
A change. More than 10,000 people signed a petition on Friday criticizing Millan’s methods and claiming that he “used the pig as a bait for the dog all for ‘entertainment’ purposes.” ” It asked Nat Geo WILD to cancel his show. … A Millan representative confirmed his remarks to People.
FAQ
Is The Dog Whisperer for real?
César Felipe Millán Favela, a Mexican-American dog trainer, was born on August 27, 1969 (/sizr mln/; Spanish: [sesa mian]). His Emmy-nominated television series Dog Whisperer, which he co-created with Cesar Millan from 2004 to 2012 and which was broadcast in more than 80 countries worldwide, is well-known.
Is The Dog Whisperer cruel?
“American Humane documented a number of instances of cruel and risky treatment that Millan promoted as acceptable training techniques, including one in which a dog was partially asphyxiated in an episode.
Why did The Dog Whisperer get canceled?
A change. More than 10,000 people signed a petition on Friday criticizing Millan’s methods and claiming that he “used the pig as a bait for the dog all for ‘entertainment’ purposes.” ” It asked Nat Geo WILD to cancel his show.
Is The Dog Whisperer in jail?
Following an episode of his television program “Cesar 911,” “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan won’t be prosecuted for animal cruelty, according to officials on Monday.