[Connie Sutherland]

I'm not a fan of some of his techniques.... Plus (from the few episodes I've seen) he doesn't explain some real reasons WHY a behavior is happening, no genetic aspect of it seems to be touched on. IMO, dog "behavioralists" should be required to have a basic knowledge of Canine Genetics and how they pertain to behaviors. Dog behavior stems from not only learned experiences, but genetic traits as well.

Well, I was amazed at what he DOES know of genetics (and pack structure) when I saw him (seminar).

I'm extremely impressed with him and have been for years.

His TV show is a TV show, with producers. When I wrote to his assistant, he called the producers and asked why they "hid" the e-collar on the famous episode that caused outrage on another forum, and I got an immediate, personal, non-stock reply from the producer.

He uses what the owner has been using. They had been using an e-collar and wanted him to use it. He didn't have time to explain or discuss its use in a 20-minute segment, but he DID say he was using it at the owner's behest. The producer edited out the comment. He will have an episode in the future addressing tools.

His book (just finished it a couple weeks ago) is addressed to his audience: owners who don't know how to be a pack leader. It does this very well.

They are really his audience, too, and IMO, he is perfect for them.

His seminars are open.........I haven't been to one in a while, but he will adjust to the attening people's level.

And yes......no one with his success rate can be doing it wrong, IMO. I think he's part dog.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

I feel like I have learned a lot from watching his show. I've met a couple of other dog people who were rather critical of him. What do you think? Thanks.

I think he's awesome and he lines up really well with training opinions I enjoy--Ed's, Volhard, Woodhouse, many of the best posters on this and other forums. He's special, I really enjoy how he changes dogs but I really pity some of them for their owners. His instructions about presence and assertiveness stick with me well, and they work, though I cannot get my dog to walk behind me to save my life.

I love his pit bull Daddy. I'm not a pit bull fan in general but that dog is just fantastic looking and acting.

Tape and watch it every week. I thought the recent one of him in the women's prison was especially good. Particularly when he took those three bites...he is one cool customer.

I agree with every word here. Yeah, that prison episode was pretty good.... and he never turns a hair (that I've seen); never loses his calm; never gets emotional around the dog; never angry or frustrated. Calm-assertive 'R' Us! :lol:

 

[Connie Sutherland]

While I think Cezar is a very good hand with dogs,I choose to look at things a little differently. ... I like the walking and calm assertiveness and the fact that he is in control all the time..... I dont believe dogs are true pack animals.Wolves are true pack animals and dogs are more social than pack oriented.Although the pack concept is an improvement for most people. ... I dont like the fact that he keeps a tight leash all time while walking.This just keeps the dog cocked. ... Overall the message is a great improvement over what most pet owners believe. ...JMO

Greg

These are good points. The tight leash is what we see (and it's relaxed but short, in his hand, unless he releases the dog, I believe)..... his own pack goes up in the mountains above L.A. with him for hours every morning, all off-lead. I guess many of us have have seen him trotting in front of a pack of 30+ dogs, all following him and all off-lead, in the mountains (where they had driven in vans), nearing the end of a 2-3-hour walk-and-run.......at least on video.

I imagine everyone has heard the kind of dogs who make up that pack, so I won't go into that part. (I really like Daddy, too.)

On TV, we see him when he's doing a beginning (usually) lesson with a dog who is enough of a problem to pay for CM to come in, not so much with a dog he knows, on a casual walk.


P.S. And yes, of course, to each his own. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear, and for me, in many ways, it was CM. My own know-how rocketed with his instruction.........but of course, that's all a matter of degree! I wasn't starting from dizzying heights! :lol: :lol:

 

[Connie Sutherland]

.......P.S.I often walk with 4 or 5 dogs sometimes off leash.they all stay in a loose heel position on either side.More dogs than that and I feel like Im pushing my luck..LOL.

I consider that to be an excellent indication of your strong alpha position, and your good dog-training.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Since everyone is raving about this "Dog Whisperer" (the titled is "official" for about a dozen people, from what I've read), I'll look in the TV guide to see when this show airs locally, I'll watch a few episodes then I'll repost if my opinion has changed. Perhaps the episode or two I saw didn't do him justice?

It is a TV show, with producers and editors, meant to entertain (and sneak in a service).

That said, though, it's still darned good, IMO.

National Geographic channel. The one-hour episodes are the new (and much better) episodes, with him allowed to give more time to each segment. (They used to squeeze two dogs into a half-hour episode; now it's three, generally, in one hour.)

Friday nights are the new episodes.

P.S. I think the "official" title of DW is because of the name of the TV show.....and maybe the somewhat unusual spelling of his name: Cesar Millan.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

I'm not sure if I have Nat'l Geo. channel... can anyone in Central Florida with Brighthouse Networks tell me if this channel requires a box, or if it's on basic cable? If I can't get it, I'll have my mom tivo it for me.

It's a digital channel.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Thank god he isn't a Gentle Leader guy. I'll give him immediate credit for that! I'll take a close look next time it comes on, I didn't before, so that's probably where my opinion came from. I'm willing to give it a chance to reconsider

I think Connie pointed out that he likes to use the equipment that the owners have on hand, I guess I most often him seeing reversing a nylon leash and threading it through the handle to get a choke collar (not a fan of that myself, but there we are...). He will also use a neat device I don't see other places that forces a collar up higher on a dog's neck...don't know what you call it, my guess is most of you know what I'm talking about from your own experiences.

Definitely the most dramatic things he has done is, according to what other posters have stated on another forum, is choke out dominant dogs. They feel if you look at his posturing over the dog and how the dog is shown recovering that it's been choked out. My eyes are trained enough to detect that but he definitely throws down with dogs and will take them down hard by the throat if they go after him.

The one everyone detected (dog in next scene is waking from nap) was Emily, the Pit. I saw it too, and you would too, Woody. It was a one-dog episode. Emily was "red-zone" and had to come to live with his pack for a few weeks.

But your post sounds scary and violent to me! :wink: Actually, having seen every episode and him (a few times), and having read the book, I feel very strongly that he uses the least tool necessary in all situations.

It's hard to remember that almost every time we see him on TV, it's with such a problem dog (meaning, has been biting or has killed) that CM was called.

That's when he fashions a choke or takes an Illusion collar with him (his design of a dominant-dog collar).

Again, he often says "I have no issue with anyone's choice of tools. Tools are not the point."

And also again, he saves dogs who would otherwise be put down.

OK, I'll stop. A groupie at my age........

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Thank god he isn't a Gentle Leader guy. I'll give him immediate credit for that! I'll take a close look next time it comes on, I didn't before, so that's probably where my opinion came from. I'm willing to give it a chance to reconsider

I think Connie pointed out that he likes to use the equipment that the owners have on hand, I guess I most often him seeing reversing a nylon leash and threading it through the handle to get a choke collar (not a fan of that myself, but there we are...). He will also use a neat device I don't see other places that forces a collar up higher on a dog's neck...don't know what you call it, my guess is most of you know what I'm talking about from your own experiences.

Definitely the most dramatic things he has done is, according to what other posters have stated on another forum, is choke out dominant dogs. They feel if you look at his posturing over the dog and how the dog is shown recovering that it's been choked out. My eyes are trained enough to detect that but he definitely throws down with dogs and will take them down hard by the throat if they go after him.

The one everyone detected (dog in next scene is waking from nap) was Emily, the Pit. I saw it too, and you would too, Woody. It was a one-dog episode. Emily was "red-zone" and had to come to live with his pack for a few weeks.

But your post sounds scary and violent to me! :wink: Actually, having seen every episode and him (a few times), and having read the book, I feel very strongly that he uses the least tool necessary in all situations.

It's hard to remember that almost every time we see him on TV, it's with such a problem dog (meaning, has been biting or has killed) that CM was called.

That's when he fashions a choke or takes an Illusion collar with him (his design of a dominant-dog collar).

Again, he often says "I have no issue with anyone's choice of tools. Tools are not the point."

And also again, he saves dogs who would otherwise be put down.

OK, I'll stop. A groupie at my age........

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Thank god he isn't a Gentle Leader guy. I'll give him immediate credit for that! I'll take a close look next time it comes on, I didn't before, so that's probably where my opinion came from. I'm willing to give it a chance to reconsider

I think Connie pointed out that he likes to use the equipment that the owners have on hand, I guess I most often him seeing reversing a nylon leash and threading it through the handle to get a choke collar (not a fan of that myself, but there we are...). He will also use a neat device I don't see other places that forces a collar up higher on a dog's neck...don't know what you call it, my guess is most of you know what I'm talking about from your own experiences.

Definitely the most dramatic things he has done is, according to what other posters have stated on another forum, is choke out dominant dogs. They feel if you look at his posturing over the dog and how the dog is shown recovering that it's been choked out. My eyes are trained enough to detect that but he definitely throws down with dogs and will take them down hard by the throat if they go after him.

The one everyone detected (dog in next scene is waking from nap) was Emily, the Pit. I saw it too, and you would too, Woody. It was a one-dog episode. Emily was "red-zone" and had to come to live with his pack for a few weeks.

But your post sounds scary and violent to me! :wink: Actually, having seen every episode and him (a few times), and having read the book, I feel very strongly that he uses the least tool necessary in all situations.

It's hard to remember that almost every time we see him on TV, it's with such a problem dog (meaning, has been biting or has killed) that CM was called.

That's when he fashions a choke or takes an Illusion collar with him (his design of a dominant-dog collar).

Again, he often says "I have no issue with anyone's choice of tools. Tools are not the point."

And also again, he saves dogs who would otherwise be put down.

OK, I'll stop. A groupie at my age........

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Somebody TiVo the shows for me, and I'll get them somehow !

I've stopped my digi cable, which also included my broadband connection

I've become a huge fan of Cesars. His approach & explinations are simple.

A real top dog!

PS: I get his newsletter, and here's something very interesting
in it:

The DOG WHISPERER TV Series Is Currently Looking For Submissions

======================================

The DOG WHISPERER TV Series Is Currently Looking For Submissions

Attention all dogs with issues! The DOG WHISPERER Series might be coming to your city this summer!

The DOG WHISPERER show is looking for new and exciting stories for the series. If you would like to be considered for the show, we are requiring a five to seven minute video for all of our applicants.

The producers of the show will only be able to accept submissions from the following cities and surrounding areas: Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Omaha, NE; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Cleveland, OH; Los Angeles, CA.

Videos can be submitted in almost all formats. Video files from digital still cameras and cell phones are not accepted. The producers are unable to return video tapes; if you would like to keep the footage, please make a copy for yourself.

For important information about submitting your video, go to Cesar’s site.

Find out more…
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/submissions.php

======================================

Well, also in the new newsletter was the announcement that Season 1 (2004) is available on DVD, and his office assures me (I asked by email) that this season (2006) will be available later, too. This season is so much better (and I was a big fan of Season 1!)..........

That channel and the Bio Channel (for several British mystery series) are the only reasons I pay for the "expanded" part of Comcast! :lol:

I wish I had Tivo.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

BTW! Cesar is having a seminar here in St. Louis in November, Sunday 11th.

The only time I wish I lived down in Southern California instead of up here on the Monterey Bay is when I think about his facility and seminars in L.A.

And Disneyland, also down there.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

.....Okay, Connie, one more comment about how tough life it on Monterrey and I will find a less abusive chatroom.

Yes, the Monterey Bay area is just awful in terms of distance from Cesar Milan and Disneyland. Plus it was foggy all day.

Your post made me burst out laughing, Woody! :lol: :lol:

 

[Connie Sutherland]

.....Okay, Connie, one more comment about how tough life it on Monterrey and I will find a less abusive chatroom.

Yes, the Monterey Bay area (especially this far northern tip of it) is just awful in terms of distance from Cesar Milan and Disneyland. Plus it was foggy all day.

Your post made me burst out laughing, Woody! :lol: :lol:

 

[Connie Sutherland]

.....Yes, the Monterey Bay area (especially this far northern tip of it) is just awful in terms of distance from Cesar Milan and Disneyland. Plus it was foggy all day. ... Your post made me burst out laughing, Woody! :lol: :lol:

:-({|= Come on Connie, you're just underplaying the beauty of Monterey!
For my wife and I, it's OUR spot![/quote]

--------------------------------------------------------

Yes, I'm on the northern tip of the Bay (Santa Cruz), but you are 100% correct: from one side of the bay to the other, it's a great area.*

And I grew up on the "other" coast, near Boston: also great.

Ya know, the great areas in this country are uncountable! O


*Except the earthquakes! No place is perfect.

 

[Connie Sutherland]

CM on SP (Comedy Central)

Anyone who missed Cesar Millan as the "guest" on South Park last night, I sure hope you catch it tonight.

Twelve minutes into it, I had tears from laughing. (There's a time display on the cable box.)

The title was "Tsst" !! :lol: :lol: :lol:

When he kept telling Cartman's mom to "Ignore it (Cartman). It has to show calm submissive energy," I was laughing out loud.