For the longest time I had heard people talking about Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer and this great show on the National Geographic channel. I didn’t pay it much attention at first but when some of my clients started telling me “I watch the dog whisperer and this is how he says you should correct this behavior", I figured I needed to do some research. I viewed his shows, his website and read his book entitled Cesar’s Way. Milan is a person who has a way with dogs. He gets results. However he is not a dog psychologist or dog behavior expert as the show suggests. I am not a dog psychologist or veterinarian with a specialty in animal behavior. I am simply a dog lover, dog trainer, dog breeder and a person who has personally studied canine behavior as well as worked through formal courses to earn the designations they offer. Essentially I am what Milan is.
This article consists of my opinions only. I have tried as best as possible to back those opinions with written research. The sources are documented so that you can read more and formulate your own opinion. My goal is to prove that Milan’s pack theory tactics are not the best or safest way to train a dog and often cause the dog undue pain by placing it into a state of stress. I truly believe that my words may save some unsuspecting viewer from causing his dog undue pain or adopting a dog that they will use these techniques to “rehabilitate". As the victim of an accident that left me with the remnants of second and third degree burns all over my body I understand the difficulty of looking different. At the end of this article I will present the statistics on dog bites in this country. Milan has written what he believes are the main causes for this epidemic. The one area where we disagree is that I believe his tactics if not used by a strong leader can lead to more of these attacks. Read on and decide for yourself.
Milan’s training premise is based on the fact that the distant ancestors of the domesticated dog lived in packs and that there has to be a pack leader. Unless we prove to the dog that we are the pack leader it will not obey us. Milan teaches his clients to use techniques that will allow them to become dominant over the dog. The advent of such methods occurred during World War I when dogs were first used in combat. Canine casualties led for the need to have dogs trained quickly which meant methods based in compulsion. Since that time however, research has shed much light on the behavior of canines. New information continually offers insight that enables us to develop methods that allow dogs to be trained in a way that not only produces excellent results but may even lead to them offering novel behaviors on their own in hopes of receiving a reward.
The forward of Milan’s book Cesar’s Way is written by Jada Pinkett- Smith, the wife of screen star Will Smith. Milan credits the Smith’s with giving him his start and the opportunity to gain many celebrity clients. Milan states that Pinkett- Smith hired him a few years back when he was a limousine driver to help her with what he described as her “pack of Rottweilers." Owning one dog, especially a Rottweiler, is a huge responsibility. Owning a pack without a thorough understanding of canine behavior can lead to serious problems. For the Smith’s it did and Milan solved them. However, does this mean that as long as we find someone who can use these techniques to help us that we can control a “pack of Rottweilers"? I do not know the answer to that question but I did a little research and found these facts on the website of attorney Ken Phillips, one of the nation’s leading authorities on dog bites and canine related liability. You can view more information about this topic at the website dogbitelaw.com. It is a very educational site.
Merritt Clifton, editor of Animal People, has conducted an unusually detailed study of dog bites from 1982 to the present. (Clifton, Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada, September 1982 to November 13, 2006) The Clifton study shows the number of serious canine-inflicted injuries by breed. The author's observations about the breeds and how to deal with the dangerous dog problem are enlightening.
According to the Clifton study, pit bulls, Rottweilers, Presa Canarios and their mixes are responsible for 74% of attacks that were included in the study, 68% of the attacks upon children, 82% of the attacks upon adults, 65% of the deaths, and 68% of the maimings. In more than two-thirds of the cases included in the study, the life-threatening or fatal attack was apparently the first known dangerous behavior by the animal in question. Clifton states:
If almost any other dog has a bad moment, someone may get bitten, but will not be maimed for life or killed, and the actuarial risk is accordingly reasonable. If a pit bull terrier or a Rottweiler has a bad moment, often someone is maimed or killed--and that has now created off-the-chart actuarial risk, for which the dogs as well as their victims are paying the price.
Clifton's opinions are as interesting as his statistics. For example, he says, "Pit bulls and Rottweilers are accordingly dogs who not only must be handled with special precautions, but also must be regulated with special requirements appropriate to the risk they may pose to the public and other animals, if they are to be kept at all."
And the following from the same source:
There have been many news reports about deaths caused by dogs in the USA. The attention given to the homicides has put the spotlight on pit bulls and Rottweilers. There is a very good reason for focusing on these two breeds: in recent years, they have usually been the number one and number two canine killers of humans. It therefore is correct to single out those two breeds when talking about canine homicides, because those two breeds lately have caused half or more of the deaths -- a disgraceful statistic whether it is regarded as the fault of the dogs, their breeders, their owners, or all three.
Unfortunately, the audience of millions that his show commands could become “prey" (no pun intended) for a problem dog if they follow his pack leader premise without possessing the pack leader skills. Although Milan says he teaches people to be the pack leader not every worker has the skill it takes to be boss. People who watch the show and use the techniques could be injured. National Geographic does use a disclaimer but as with posted speed limits those who want to get where they are going in a hurry disobey with the potential results being disastrous!
I could be wrong but I do not think Milan has an academic background in psychology or canine science from an accredited university or college. Milan says his methods are the result of his personal observations of packs of dogs in his native Mexico. I don’t know if these observations included control groups or methodological scientific observation. Similar to those of Dr. Jane Goodall who studied the behavior of Gorillas in the wild and kept documented records to support here writings and presentations on the subject. Irrespective f the answers to those questions, my opinion is that some of the techniques can and do cause undue stress to a dog.
Most dogs incur stress when encountered with novel situations. In puppies, neurological stimulation exercises at critical developmental stages have proven to create more tolerance to stress as an adult in those pups who were exposed to these exercises relative to those that were not ( Battaglia,Carmen Early Neurologicval Stimulation, B.E.I. Publications 2001). Our goal in canine training or behavior modification (i.e., rehabilitation) should not be quick results or domination but rather minimization of stress to maintain functional cognition. Further on in the article I will cite research that validates that opinion.
As the old adage says, there is more than one way to skin a cat. The increase in dog ownership over the last twenty to thirty years led to specialty fields of canine science that have produced much research related to dog psychology and evolution. What follows below is an excerpt from an article entitled The History and Misconceptions of Dominance Theory. The article is based on an interview with Dr. Ian Dunbar. Dr. Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer. He has written numerous books and hosted a dozen videos about puppy/dog behavior and training. He received his veterinary degree and a Special Honors degree in Physiology & Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College (London University) and a doctorate in animal behavior from the University of California in Berkeley.
The original alpha/dominance model was born out of short-term studies of wolf packs done in the 1940s. These were the first studies of their kind. These studies were a good start, but later research has essentially disproved most of the findings. There were three major flaws in these studies:
- These were short-term studies, so the researchers concentrated on the most obvious, overt parts of wolf life, such as hunting. The studies are therefore unrepresentative -- drawing conclusions about "wolf behavior" based on about 1% of wolf life.
- The studies observed what are now known to be ritualistic displays and misinterpreted them. Unfortunately, this is where the bulk of the "dominance model" comes from, and though the information has been soundly disproved, it still thrives in the dog training mythos.
For example, alpha rolls. The early researchers saw this behavior and concluded that the higher-ranking wolf was forcibly rolling the subordinate to exert his dominance. Well, not exactly. This is actually an "appeasement ritual" instigated by the SUBORDINATE wolf. The subordinate offers his muzzle, and when the higher-ranking wolf "pins" it, the lower-ranking wolf voluntarily rolls and presents his belly. There is NO force. It is all entirely voluntary.
A wolf would flip another wolf against his will ONLY if he were planning to kill it. Can you imagine what a forced alpha roll does to the psyche of our dogs?
.
- Finally, after the studies, the researchers made cavalier extrapolations from wolf-dog, dog-dog, and dog-human based on their "findings." Unfortunately, this nonsense still abounds.
So what's the truth? The truth is dogs aren't wolves. Honestly, when you take into account the number of generations past, saying "I want to learn how to interact with my dog so I'll learn from the wolves" makes about as much sense as saying, "I want to improve my parenting -- let's see how the chimps do it!"
On his show, Milan’s catch phrase is “there are no bad dogs, only bad people". Another statement Milan makes is “I regard aggressive dogs as challenges not problems." Combine these statements with the “voice over" on his show that tells viewers “Cesar Milan is a dog behavior expert" and you have a potential recipe for disaster.
Dogs are a product of their environment but they are also a product of heredity.
The classic book, Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog is the result of twenty years of research conducted by John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller at Jackson Laboratory. Their research shows that heredity plays an important role in the development of almost every trait a dog possesses. Natural selection and selective breeding allows us to glean a further understanding of how genetics have impacted the behavior displayed by modern dogs. It is believed that natural selection in the wolf species led to a segment of the wolf population that lived on the fringes of human encampments. The wolves that did this probably had a “high fear tolerance and a reduced tendency to flee" (Lindsay, Stephen R. Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, Iowa, Iowa SP. 2000 Vol.1).
Over time a pedomorphosis, or, retention of traits by the adults of a species that had only previously been seen in the juveniles of the species occurred. This phenomenon allowed man to live together with a neotenized version of the wolf. Eventually, selective breeding was used to imbed traits for hunting, guarding, herding and other tasks. The result was the creation of the many breeds we see today.
To illustrate the differences created by selective breeding consider the Labrador retriever and the Rottweiler. The selective breeding that led to the breed we know today as the Labrador retriever probably was the result of the need for a dog that could assist in those who worked in the fishing trade. In her book, The New Labrador Retriever, author Janet Churchill points out that the Labrador retriever was originally known as the lesser Newfoundland or St. John’s Water dog. The dog was used by fisherman in the icy, cold waters of the north to retrieve fish that had escaped from their nets.
The initial breeding which eventually led to the creation of the Rottweiler had the purpose of bringing forth the traits of a canine gladiator. From Wikipedia we learn the following about the Rottweiler:
It is an ancient breed and its history stretches back to the Roman Empire. In those times, the legions traveled with their meat on the hoof -or having live cattle- and required the assistance of working dogs to herd the cattle. One route the army traveled was through Wurrtenberg and on to the small market town of Rotweil. The principal ancestor of the first Rottweilers during this time was supposed to be the Roman war dog, local sheepdog the army met on its travels, and dogs with molloser appearance coming from England and The Netherlands. During the Roman Empire, these Rottweilers and other war dogs even made up large dog-only platoons, which would be sent to attack enemy forces
The short history of these two breeds reveals the fact that years upon years of selective breeding will lead to animals of very distinct temperament, intelligence and drive. I use it to point out that different breeds have certain traits that should be taken into account when considering ownership and techniques that may prove more favorable in a training program. Milan’s tactics however utilize the overriding premise that we must become dominant or the pack leader for the dog to obey us and learn. Dr. Dunbar’s insight invalidates that claim, while Scott and Fuller’s research of hereditary traits proves that there can be bad dogs and that different dogs will display different behaviors. A true Labrador retriever may succumb to the domination attempts of the most timid dog owner. The Rottweiler however could end up sending that person to the hospital or even worse.
Milan says that dogs must stay behind the leader when they are walking, running or rollerblading with ten at a time. His behavioral explanation for this is that by being in the front of the dogs they perceive the owner as the leader of the pack. When I first started out as a trainer I thought the same. However my academic studies taught me that my personal opinion was wrong. Now, I tell my clients it’s fine to allow your dog to walk ahead of you on a loose leash walk without pulling, however, it is not fine when teaching a true heel command.
In the most recent issue of Dog Watch (January 2007, Vol.11, No.1) which is published by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in an article entitled Our Dogs and their “Privileges" Dr. Suzanne Hetts a certified applied animal behaviorist writes the following:
What about walking ahead of us on leash? Is this a competition to see who can be first? If it were, wouldn’t our dogs growl or threaten when we tried to catch up, or warn us to stay behind in our proper place? This doesn’t happen – our dogs don’t view this as a competitive interaction. They pull ahead to be in front because they can’t wait to lift a leg on the next bush or sniff the ground to see who passed by recently. They’d be happy as clams if we’d catch up, as that would allow them to walk even faster!
So, in this canine behavior expert’s opinion Milan’s interpretation of dogs who try to lead while on a walk is wrong. Since his techniques are the result of his understanding of behavior they too must be wrong (i.e., do not maximize cognition while minimizing stress).
I recently viewed an episode of Milan’s show on the National Geographic website. In it he was working with a dog named Kobe. Kobe, an Australian Shepherd was left blind in one eye at a very early age and was exhibiting aggressive behavior. As Milan enters the yard Kobe is barking repeatedly. Milan says “this is the bark of an insecure dog". I could argue that Milan’s use of the term insecure is an anthropomorphic (i.e., assigning human qualities to non human behavior) but I won’t.
Kobe’s repeated barking and flight are signs of stress and an expression of his fear. So what does Milan do? Mr. Milan proceeds to chase the dog around the yard until the dog is exhausted. Here I though to myself, “this is ironic, MR. Milan thinks this is “dog whispering" but the dog he is chasing is “screaming" for help". Milan’s chasing does have an effect. It could very well teach Kobe that when someone comes in the yard I should run for my life.
To a dog everything is about territory. When you approach their territory they can exhibit an active defense reflex (ADR) or passive defense reflex (PDR). Kobe exhibited an active defense reflex that resulted in flight and barking. A passive defense reflex would have resulted in something like Kobe freezing, stiffening or trembling. At the conclusion of the chase physical signs such as commisure, panting (which is probably in part due to stress and in part due to exhaustion) and “whale eye" would indicate that the dog is in distress. However, At this point we hear Milan say something to the effect of, this is really good, and the son of the client say “Actually, I thought it was pretty funny with Cesar chasing Kobe around the yard."
On page ten of Canine Neuropsychology (O’Heare, James, 3rd edition, DogPsych Publishing, 2005) we find the following:
If one is experiencing an intense emotional response they will tend to be less able to think clearly and consciously choose behaviors effectively. Likewise, while an animal is making use of their cerebral cortex and remains in an ‘analytical’ or ‘reasonable’ state of mind they are less likely to become overly emotional.
Then, on page eleven O’Heare writes:
If a dog is provoked to become emotional, fearful or other wise stressed out and emotional then the cerebral cortex will be inhibited and the dog will not be able to form rational plans of action; the dog will not be able to think straight.
While Milan’s method may have worked there are other ways to come to the same conclusion while maximizing functional cognition, minimizing stress and ingratiating him to us. This should be the goal of all training and rehabilitation.
Finally, from attorney Phillips’ site (dogbitelaw.com) we glean the following information:
A survey by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta ("CDC") concluded that dogs bite nearly 2% of the U.S. population -- more than 4.7 million people annually. (Sacks JJ, Kresnow M, Houston B. Dog bites: how big a problem? Injury Prev 1996;2:52-4.)
As well as these startling statistics:
§ The median age of patients bitten was 15 years, with children, especially boys aged 5 to 9 years, having the highest incidence rate
§ The odds that a bite victim will be a child are 3.2 to 1. (CDC.)
§ Children seen in emergency departments were more likely than older persons to be bitten on the face, neck, and head. 77% of injuries to children under 10 years old are facial.
§ Severe injuries occur almost exclusively in children less than 10 years of age.
§ The majority of dog attacks (61%) happen at home or in a familiar place.
§ The vast majority of biting dogs (77%) belong to the victim's family or a friend.
§ When a child less than 4 years old is the victim, the family dog was the attacker half the time (47%), and the attack almost always happened in the family home (90%).
- Milan says “there are no bad dogs, only bad people", the science of genetics says otherwise.
- Milan says “I regard aggressive dogs as challenges not problems" on his website he writes, “Dogs are not born killers nor do they choose to be killers." The science of genetics, selective breeding and the original intended purposes of some breeds prove otherwise.
- Milan’s pack leader philosophy is rooted in dominance theory suggesting that we must become “ the alpha dog", science says otherwise.
- Milan, in several episodes I viewed, used tactics that placed a dog into a state of stress, science says we should do otherwise.
- Mr. Milan is a product of Hollywood. The information I present in this article are the result of work done by credentialed professionals.
For the sake of those who do not possess the skills to be pack leaders through dominance but can very capably become a trusted and benevolent leader through the proper control of resources I have begun to ask my clients to mute the Dog Whisperer. Watch what Milan does without listening and then form an opinion. Without the words does the dog seem to be enjoying his learning? Looking at the dog’s response do you think there might be a more effective method to use?
I hope my arguments presented above have been somewhat enlightening and will make you think about the best way to train or modify the behavior of man’s best friend. Seek the opinion of an experienced and credentialed dog trainer or behaviorist that utilizes techniques that minimize stress, promote positive reinforcement and behavior capture to reward good behavior. If you do, your dog will begin to offer you behaviors rather than you having to ask for them. Don’t believe me? Try it.
About the Author: Charlie Petrizzo, certified dog trainer, has worked with dogs and horses for more than twenty years. He trains dogs for private clients and breeds and trains Labrador retrievers for children with disabilities. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in New York, a diploma from The Animal Behavior College and is a candidate for an advanced diploma in canine fitness and nutrition from Cynology College. His personal story, including recovery from two life altering accidents that left him temporarily paralyzed and permanently scarred from burns over two thirds of his body, is truly inspirational. Charlie is a dynamic and motivational speaker. His website is www.circleoflifedogtraining.com. He can be reached at ak9nose@earthlink.net.
tweet this!
