Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Cesar Milan: The Dog Choker - Part I

Enough with the bullies, lets talk about the most famous dipshit in the dog world, Cesar Milan. Abusive, ignorant, close minded, blind, SNAKE OIL SALESMAN. His solution to everything is to kick or choke out your dog.  Literally. He calls hysterics, fear, excitement, enthusiasm, breed traits, everything under the sun, by the same trumped up name "aggression" and he ignores real aggression/warning behaviors, because he is too stupid or ignorant to see them. I can't count how many times I saw his precious widdle baby, Daddy, give him the stinkeye or guard his food from Cesar, and he didn't once even notice. Now I'm not a trainer, or a behaviorist, but I fucking listen to my own dogs and the dogs around me, when they talk to me with their body. And I don't attempt to shove every dog into the same mold. I don't ignore and disregard manmade breed traits that are stronger than instinct.

Before you DW fans go screaming at me, I HAVE read his books. I HAVE watched his show, just about every last darn episode of it. I HAVE met Cesar himself. I HAVE met dogs that he has "fixed" -shudder-.

I don't need to slander Cesar. I don't need to make up lies about Cesar. Its all right there, on his show, for all to see.

Tell me there isn't a million things wrong with this entire clip.


In the first 30 seconds I already want to cringe, he calls the leash pulling and barking "aggression" when its very clear the dog simply doesn't know how to not pull on a leash, and is out of control excited at the sight of over dogs. This dog has just been yanked around and kicked, he has never been shown clearly what is wanted of him. He is terrified of Cesar but still has NO clue what hes supposed to be doing.

And the idiot with the tug toy-- NO. You do NOT have complete attention from that Mal. The tug in your hand has the complete attention from that Mal. Put the toy down on a table and try to walk away with the dog and I guarantee he won't pay you any mind at all.  I DO like the lovely heels and focus he is getting while he has the toy, but like food dependent training, it will only get you so far. I would rather see the dog looking at my face than at my hands.

I like that brings in low key dogs, but Cesar babbling about "energy" is just more snake oil salesman crap. Just because you are too stupid to see it Cesar, doesn't mean its invisible. Its body language, not ESP.

I love the positive attention that flirt poles got, and I definitely think Troy is probably a perfectly good dog, with no aggression at all, he just needs a working sort of owner, not the dumb soccer grandma  he has. Why do people do this to themselves? If the dog doesn't suit your personality, sell the poor thing to someone who can use it!

3 comments:

  1. Where the video should be I can only see an exclamation mark?
    Is there a link?

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  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3XrKkrAZpY&feature=player_embedded

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  3. It's a damn shame that the other trainer isn't the one NatGeo gave a show to. I realize this is just a clip and it was heavily edited for time and outcome, but I am also quite sure that the other trainer doesn't rely exclusively on telling the dog "don't" - he actually gets the dog to a point where he can reward their good efforts and train when the dog is happy, instead of mindless punishment.

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