What About Cesar?

Almost every time I speak to someone who's concerned about their dog's behavior, they ask me, "What do you think of The Dog Whisperer?"

My answer: "I'd love to see Animal Communication added to the format."  

As for Mr. Millan's training methods: I'd have to spend weeks or months with him on a regular basis, and see his work without the media editing. Hang out, watch, ask questions.

The format of The Dog Whisperer has many believing they can undo years of poor or no training, with two tugs on a slip knot and a "psssssst!" More troubling still, that a rescue animal can be liberated from post-traumatic stress disorder overnight. And that establishing your dominance is the key to solving every behavioral problem. It doesn't work that way. But TV makes it seem so.

Having now had approximately 300 media appearances myself, I can tell you it's a double edged sword. You answer a question with a complete paragraph, to discover only two words were published---out of context. Sometimes, not even two words you actually uttered. 

As a stunning 20 year old singer, I spent hours doing my hair and makeup and smiled brilliantly, only to find myself retouched in a full page article to look like a bad tempered old drag queen. The whole city laughed.

I'd love to see TV trainers filmed as they work with only one or two dogs over 6-8 months. Then a follow up the next year. That would make a fair comparison to trainers who work privately.

Unfortunately, TV is about excitement. It's about quick fixes. The long, slow process of animal training would not bring in millions of dollars of ad revenue. You can't train a dog in half an hour, but far fewer people would watch if you didn't.

How do I know?

Millions of people watch the show, yet sometimes the only audience at even major horse, dog obedience and agility shows are family members. I live around the corner from a venue that hosts several national animal shows. I can arrive at the last minute and get a front row seat, every time.

I'm quite certain Mr. Millan spends at least 30 minutes just showing each family member how to put on a collar and hold a leash. It takes time and patience. Lots of both. How many people would continue watching the show, at that pace? 

Not many. I've met several people who claim to be training their dogs "from The Dog Whisperer's show." They seem puzzled at their lack of positive results. I'm not puzzled in the least. 

The horse world has a similar dilemma. Horse trainers who normally spend many hours gentling young or wild horses, compete in "Trainer Challenges." A ranch pulls virtually unhandled colts off the range and shoves them in a trailer. They're offloaded into a strange arena with thousands of spectators. In one hour, they're pushed to show what normally takes three months.The stress on their minds and bodies is considerable. 

Many of the trainers don't like it much, either. They do it because the competition will attract multiple clients whose colts will be started gently. Is it worth putting the demo horses through the stress?

It's hard to watch. I send comforting vibes when I see the eye rolling and sweating. I tell myself that at least people will learn there's a better way than snubbing to a post, slapping on a saddle and let the horse buck itself into broken spirited exhaustion, the old school way. 

Just as many will go home and try to break their horses in an hour. They'll fail to study the precise art and science of body language, and chase frightened, confused horses around, demanding a Join Up that never comes. 

In the end, it's up to us, how much effort we make, what we will and won't buy.  

I was stunned that the final day of K9 competition of the 2009 World Police & Fire Games attracted only 200 spectators. They didn't even charge admission to some of the finest tracking, obedience and protection work in the world. 

I was allowed to walk onto the infield and touch the magnificent Czech Shepherd with 4 gold medals around his neck, and chat with his trainer.  

What can you do to take responsibility for how you train your pet?

-Engage local trainers whose sessions you can first observe. There are competent animal trainers everywhere. 

-Attend dog and other animal shows, and see them compete in obedience or agility classes. There are Pet Expos in many cities, too.

-Join animal networks. Certain trainers' names will come up repeatedly. If you don't yet have a pet, I'd advise starting this process well before you get one. Breed clubs are all on the Internet in your state or province. These folks get together. www.Meetup.com, for example, has dog lovers' gatherings in most cities, big and small. There are many pet lovers' online forums.

-Volunteer in rescue or at shelters. Again, trainers' names will come up.

-Watch trainers' full length DVDs and read their books. Again, these are tools for helping you choose a trainer. You can't learn from generic instructions if you're a beginner. Animals are unique individuals. Just determining the best training motivator for your pet, is a challenging task in itself. 

-Audit weekend horse clinics. Most are only $25 for a full day of learning. This is a great way to check out trainers before committing to one.

-Ask horse expos to focus on trainers who demo their own horses. This works very well for greats like Jonathan Field. I don't think it's coincidence that spectator numbers seem to be greater for these gentle demos with happy horses who even play to the audience. In most peoples' hearts, we prefer to witness harmony.

Before you ask me to discuss a particular Dog Whisperer episode, I should let you know I've only seen a hand full of episodes. The unreality and "formula" is too troublesome for me. I'm one of those boring people who gets excited when a dog sits .5 seconds faster than the week before.

Reality TV and breaking a horse in one hour---is not reality.

Kind regards,

Raisa Stone

Animal Communicator

www.reisastone.com

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