Cesar Millan, the television celebrity dog trainer, teaches people how to be the leader of their canine "pack."
But
when the famed "dog whisperer" makes an appearance at the Auditorium
Theatre Sunday to share his views on dog behavior, he will be greeted by
a small pack of protesters decrying his controversial dominance-based
methods.
About a dozen dog trainers from
western New York will distribute literature supported by the American
Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior that advocates "force-free"
training rather than that based in "dominance hierarchy theory," said
organizer Ada Simms.
Tickets remain for the 7 p.m. show.
"We
won't be carrying signs or agitating people, just giving out
information sheets that support a 20-year trend (that says) pain and
intimidation and the use of force is not the way to train a dog and will
in fact lead to many worse behavioral issues and pose a danger to the
person and the dog," said Simms, a dog trainer and behavior consultant
from Henrietta who has created a Facebook page to get the word out about
Millan's appearance in Rochester.
There's no denying that the Mexican-born Millan, 42, is the top dog in the burgeoning training industry.
He's host of the hit show Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel that is seen in 80 countries. His books have sold more than 2 million copies, including the New York Times bestseller Cesar's Way. In addition to appearing on The Tonight Show and The View,
his live multimedia show, where he shares insights into what he calls
"dog psychology," have drawn large crowds across the country. His
celebrity clients include Oprah Winfrey, Nicolas Cage and Will Smith.
Outdated methods
Despite
his popularity, a growing list of animal behaviorists would like to see
the self-taught Millan kept on a shorter leash. They say his
dominance-based methods that teach owners to establish strong "pack
leadership" are outdated and have set back the humane training movement
by decades.
According to Millan, before giving love and affection to their dogs,
owners should first provide exercise, clear direction and leadership.
This creates a balanced dog.
What has
critics shouting, but not whispering, is Millan's use of prong, choke
and electro-shock collars to subdue aggressive dogs and his habit of
striking dogs with a quick kick to the abdominal area as a correction
method.
Millan's
show, which premiered in 2004, depicts him working in the field of dog
rehabilitation. Each episode contains repeated warnings that viewers
should not try some of the behavior modification techniques Millan uses
at home. There are clips of Millan being bitten.
"Cesar
uses techniques that cause pain, fear and intimidation to dogs — that's
how he gets them to comply," said Simms, a retired Rochester police
officer who owns two golden retrievers, Simon and Lexi. "Of course he's a
TV star, he's charming and it looks good on TV that he's this 'master'
over dogs.
But then you see the credits: 'Don't try this at home.' Why?
Because it's dangerous."
Literature
Simms will hand out Sunday said the link between punishment and
aggression in dogs, along with behavior problems like biting, house
soiling and shutting down, is well proven in research and should be
common sense.
Just ignore it
Modern
dog-training methods use the principle of non-punishment,
non-reinforcement, meaning owners should never react to a negative
action with a negative response. Owners should instead ignore the
behavior they don't want, reinforce the behavior they do, and manage
what can't be ignored with as little anxiety as possible.
"What is rewarded will become behavior. What is ignored will become extinct," Simms said. "Behavior 101 for humans and dogs."
Rebecca Lohnes, training and behavior manager at Lollypop Farm, said clients "ask a lot" about Millan's methods.
"I
think where we are the same is that we work hard to keep animals in the
home and out of shelters and so does he," Lohnes said. "But our
training methods are really different from his."
Even though Millan works with aggressive dogs for dramatic effect on
his reality TV show, Lohnes said it's no reason to use force. She said
force-free methods, such as clicker training, have proven extremely
successful in many species of animals.
She noted that trainer Victoria Stilwell, host of It's Me Or The Dog on Animal Planet, uses a positive-reinforcement philosophy.
"We
work with a lot of aggressive cases here at the shelter," Lohnes said.
"The methods we use are based in learning theory and science and can be
used to train any animal. If it's not working, you're not doing it
right. There is never a need to resort to physical punishment to modify
aggression."
Where
Millan and his critics do agree is that many behavior issues in dogs
can be resolved with increased exercise and mental stimulation, the
setting of clear boundaries and being calm.
With
his huge public platform, Millan also promotes things that all dog
lovers applaud: encouraging spaying and neutering, shelter adoptions and
daily walks that help owners and their dogs bond. Millan also has a
national foundation to assist abused and abandoned dogs and social
projects that help at-risk teens and prison inmates through canine pets.
LROTH@DemocratandChronicle.com
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