09/21/2024
I detest this guy, National Geographic, and to some extent, Oprah Winfrey (she made him and several other charlatans famous, including Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz) but the truth is that reality shows are orchestrated to be entertaining, not educational. A TV show about me would make most people fall asleep when dealing with fear, reactivity, or aggression. I work with dogs in tiny steps, under threshold (meaning as stress free as possible) and without the use of corrections such as fear, pain, or intimidation. Changing behavior requires brains, not brawn. My best tools are consistency, observation, environmental management (preventing unwanted behavior from continuing such as the use of a trash can with a lid vs. an open one) and time. The last one, time, is where most pet guardians struggle. Most people that call me are completely frustrated with their pet, in part because they are living with the unwanted behavior 24/7. But it's also, sometimes, because they have watched shows like from this clown, who seem to be able to cure serious behavioral issues in a half hour. I'm not a magician. In the same way that I can't get you in shape to run a 5K, or teach you a new language, in a single session, I can't help a dog, or their people, with serious behavioral concerns. We, as the supposed smartest species on the planet understand that for ourselves and our children, learning, and changing behavior takes time-when are we going to give that grace to our best friends?
BEYOND CESAR MILLAN
20 YEARS LATER.....The following review was submitted to National Geographic by Dr. Andrew Luescher, DVM, Ph.D, DACVB (board-certified veterinary behaviorist).
Dr. Luescher, former director of the Purdue University Veterinary Behavior Clinic was asked to provide feedback on "Dog Whisperer" tapes prior to the show's airing.
In this letter to National Geographic (date unknown), Dr. Luescher writes,
"I think this series, if aired, would be a major embarrassment for National Geographic. It is not stimulating or thought-provoking, since none of the presented techniques are new. They are outdated and have long been abandoned by most responsible trainers, let alone behaviorists, as inappropriate and cruel. I very much hope National Geographic will pull the plug on this program."
Please read the entire letter (It's not long.) and share: http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/andrew-luescher.html
This program and trainers who have mimicked the behavior seen in this program have done so much damage to the dog training industry, dogs, and the human-animal bond.
I have met and spoken to Dr. Luescher personally, and I share his sentiments, as do all other trainers in the evidence-based, best practice camp. Meanwhile, much of the unsuspecting public still looks to National Geographic as an authority and has no idea it has thrown science to the wind, at least in terms of dog behavior and training.
Cindy Ludwig, MA, BS, RN, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Canine Connection LLC
Willard, MO
Image copyright Valder Beebe Show, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Cesar_Millan_Mar_2018.png
