We met up with Cesar Millan as he filmed four episodes of his iconic National Geographic Channel show Dog Whisperer in Houston. He told us all about his philosophy and why every person can create a great dog. In fact, it’s the title of his new book, How To Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond, available on October 6. But he gives Houston PetTalk readers a preview with his three simple steps to becoming pack leader. Find out what they are by picking up a copy for yourself.
Also in this issue:
- An interview with our very own blogging vet, Dr. Mark Silberman, who takes us behind the scenes of veterinary medicine.
- Traveling with your furry friends — join us for a trek to Maine and learn rules and etiquette for pets on planes
- Our gossip doggie diva Henrietta dishes on the Gala season
- Training your pup to swim safely this summer
- And as always, the best buys in town in our PetTalk shopping guide
13 Comments on "Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan On The Cover Of PetTalk"
I was disappointed to see that Pet Talk chose to splash Cesar Milan all over the front of their magazine. Although he has brought dog behavior and the fact that you can fix a lot of ‘bad’ behaviors into the spotlight, many of his methods are out-dated, inappropriate and even dangerous.
Veterinary behaviorists and professional animal behaviorists who have studied, researched and worked with dogs and other animals for decades, do not recommend Cesar Milan’s methods.
For a magazine that is widely read by Houston citizens and offers advice on behavior and training, it is disturbing to see you promote a man who has no professional behavioral training.
There will always be ‘haters’. Are you a dog trainer who makes a living training but does not uses Cesar’s methods? You are probably going to hear a lot of “Well Cesar does it this way..” from your customers. Sure it makes you angry, but he is a celebrity. One can always find fault, if they look hard enough, but you did not use any facts to support your claims. In my opinion (and the majority of TV viewers like me) his methods are effective and easy to do at home by the average owner- I have done them successfully! What does he do that is unsafe? I would love to know so I can NOT do them with my dog.
Put a dog on a treadmill? Only unsafe if you do not stand there and watch your dog. And that is no ones fault but an irresponsible owner in that case, not Cesars.
Who is to say training in professional behavior makes you know more about dogs than someone who doe snot have the training? If someone has been working with dogs all their life that is as good as training IF they are perceptive and tuned in like Cesar is.
Cesar is everyone’s Hero, and as the President of The Houston Dog Park Association, we are pleased to see Houston Pet Talk Magazine feature him. In fact, we would love to have him come to Houston to do an event at our award winning famous dog parks!
I threw this issue of PetTalk in the trash as soon as I saw Cesar Milan on the cover. I would have expected better from PetTalk. Cesar Milan is a celebrity ONLY, not an accepted pet trainer. His methods have been denounced by the AKC, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and others. One article by a recognized trainer said that Cesar Milan had singlehandedly set back dog training in the U.S by 20 years, and I agree. If you want good information about training your pet, refer to Ian Dunbar instead or research clicker training methods.
I have changed my opinion about the quality of PetTalk Magazine and am very disappointed that you would jump on the purely commercial Cesar bandwagon rather than consider what is in the best interests of pets.
I think the most amazing thing about Cesar Millan, whether you believe he’s a good trainer or not (and by the way, he’s a behaviorist, not a trainer) there is one undeniable, huge thing he has done and that is show people that dogs can be rehabilitated…they don’t have to be turned into a shelter. He has literally saved thousands of dogs that would have been turned in to a shelter and euthanized. How many dogs have you saved?
Cesar Millan is fantastic. His methods may not have come from textbooks, but they certainly do come from a deep understanding of dogs.
He shows that dog “training” is an art not a science. He adjusts his methods for what will work with each different issue.
I’m not sure why there are trainers that are such nay-sayers unless it is because he rehabilitates dogs that others have said were hopeless.
As a reader of Houston PetTalk Magazine over the last several years, I came to the conclusion early that it was produced from a place of sincere caring and integrity. It is a high quality production of up-to-date information from a teaching and informative platform designed to empower the pet owners who want the very best they can offer to their cherished pet/family members.
Just as their are varieties in Chocolate, their are varieties in the concepts of training our pets, caring for our pets, how often to take our pets to their vets, how often to let them out or take them out for their walks, etc.
Since I’ve been reading Houston PetTalk Magazine, I have noticed the variety of people that are featured on their cover. It is always someone uniquely connected to pets in their own special way, whether actual pet owners, trainers, breeders, or people who support and fund animal rights.
The positive side of such harsh criticism that is being expressed is that these are people who have a real passion for what they individually feel is best for the animal kingdom. I think that perspective can be appreciated. Without great passion, causes are left to be just thoughts not acted upon.
As well, with these types of comments, there is thought-provoking conversation that can take place and that always creates interest…and that interest is towards what is best for our pets and their care.
I believe meeting in the middle would be a lovely place to be, in regards to these two sides of thoughts I’ve been reading here. Since we are individuals, with different personalities and ways of doing things, that calls for different approaches in how we understand and learn to train and take care of our pets. The traditional ways of training are needed & used. Alternate methods are also needed and used by those that have tried the traditional ways, and for whatever reason, just have not worked for them.
I’m glad that Houston PetTalk Magazine has the platform they do to share the different information available, so that EACH AND EVERY type of personality that is a reader, has the different options that can help them best.
I see Houston PetTalk Magazine to be the very best publication I’ve ever read of this genre, because of the quality of variety and information available, because of the platform it gives individual pet businesses to advertise and for the unique personality that it has in its visual approach and categories and especially with ‘Henrietta’ ! Love Her!
As a reader of Houston PetTalk Magazine over the last several years, I came to the conclusion early that it was produced from a place of sincere caring and integrity. It is a high quality production of up-to-date information from a teaching and informative platform designed to empower the pet owners who want the very best they can offer to their cherished pet/family members.
Just as there are varieties in Chocolate, their are varieties in the concepts of training our pets, caring for our pets, how often to take our pets to their vets, how often to let them out or take them out for their walks, etc.
Since I’ve been reading Houston PetTalk Magazine, I have noticed the variety of people that are featured on their cover. It is always someone uniquely connected to pets in their own special way, whether actual pet owners, trainers, breeders, or people who support and fund animal rights.
The positive side of such harsh criticism that is being expressed is that these are people who have a real passion for what they individually feel is best for the animal kingdom. I think that perspective can be appreciated. Without great passion, causes are left to be just thoughts not acted upon.
As well, with these types of comments, there is thought-provoking conversation that can take place and that always creates interest…and that interest is towards what is best for our pets and their care.
I believe meeting in the middle would be a lovely place to be, in regards to these two sides of thoughts I’ve been reading here. Since we are individuals, with different personalities and ways of doing things, that calls for different approaches in how we understand and learn to train and take care of our pets. The traditional ways of training are needed & used. Alternate methods are also needed and used by those that have tried the traditional ways, and for whatever reason, just have not worked for them.
I’m glad that Houston PetTalk Magazine has the platform they do to share the different information available, so that EACH AND EVERY type of personality that is a reader, has the different options that can help them best.
I see Houston PetTalk Magazine to be the very best publication I’ve ever read of this genre, because of the quality of variety and information available, because of the platform it gives individual pet businesses to advertise and for the unique personality that it has in its visual approach and categories and especially with ‘Henrietta’ ! Love Her!
The saying goes “What is it two dog trainers agree upon? What the 3rd is doing wrong”. Hats off to CM He has rehabed so many dogs and TRAINED so many people. KEEP up the good work wee man!
We train dogs here at Privileged Pets and have worked with and studied with world champion dog trainers, as we have evolved over the years so has our training. If we were closed minded like some trainers and did not want to incorporate new ideas and techniques into our program I feel sure many of the kind of dogs we have rehabed just like CM would not be around today. HOUSTON PET TALK thanks for the great articles keep up the good work. Note to robin “Why pick up the mag. if your just going to trash it?”
Having recently moved from Houston to Los Angeles to become the Executive Director of the Cesar & Ilusion Millan Foundation, I can speak directly to the topics raised in Pet Talk Magazine about Cesar Millan. I have worked professionally in the field of animal protection since 1985 including founding the Spay-Neuter Assistance Program and serving as the regional director for The Fund for Animals. I would not make a career move to associate with Cesar Millan without first knowing and being comfortable with Cesar’s training methods and beliefs.
Only the most dramatic behavior cases are featured in the “Dog Whisperer” television episodes. It’s good TV. In the “Dog Whisperer,” many of the cases focus on a dog’s family who has been told by a shelter or a veterinarian (or both) that euthanasia is the only option available to address a behavior problem. Cesar is usually a last resort for people who feel they have no other options. Cesar is not a “one size fits all” person. He evaluates every dog individually and makes his decisions from there. In fact, many of Cesar’s consultations, classes, and DVDs do focus on reward based and positive reinforcement training methods.
I did visit with the “Dog Whisperer” producers to learn not Dr. Weiss, Dr. Sherman, Dr. Hetts, or Dr. Meyer (the veterinary behaviorists critical of Cesar referenced in Pet Talk) has ever talked to Cesar, worked with Cesar, or asked to visit the set of a “Dog Whisperer” production. They are making false accusations and leaping to wrong conclusions based on a video clip circulating the internet. We have invited the Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists to visit the “Dog Whisperer” production and to spend time directly with Cesar.
Cesar is not a veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist; he does not pretend to be. Cesar is a results-based professional with twenty years of dog behavior experience and has helped rehabilitate thousands of dogs and the owners who love them. He believes that all dogs need exercise and affection, something I’m sure all Pet Talk readers agree with.
The “Dog Whisperer” recently concluded filming and production of an hour-long special episode, working with Last Chance for Animals and the Humane Society of the United States, exposing the horrors of puppy mills with a call to action for the public to adopt dogs from shelters. (That episode will air on National Geographic Channel on September 18th.) The Millan Foundation has just embarked on a partnership with North Shore Animal League and Yale University to develop the “Mutt-i-grees Innovative Curriculum” to generate national awareness in schools on spaying and neutering dogs and cats. The Millan Foundation’s “Shelter Stars” program has delivered more than 600 “People Training for Dogs” DVDs to families adopting dogs from shelters in just the last few weeks. (Shelters and rescue organizations can sign up for “Shelter Stars” at http://www.millanfoundation.org.)
Cesar Millan’s “Dog Whisper” television series, his personal contributions, and programs and services of his foundation, have saved the lives of countless dogs across America and indeed around the world. It’s very easy to cast stones and jump on the bandwagon to criticize someone who is successful. It’s much harder to roll up your sleeves and get to work actually helping animals.
Together, with calm, balanced energy, we must understand, appreciate, and accept the challenge to communicate within our distinct contexts and disciplines. The dogs need our help. Working toward increasing a public voice in support of dogs, instead of fighting among people who supposedly care about animals, is the best approach to achieve common goals. We know informed readers would agree.
Cesar Millan is great. I like that he has a holistic approach to training dogs. I have heard many so-called “trainers” who say we need to treat our dog as what he is – a dog. And in that sense they are not allowed to play with us, sit on the chair with us, jump on our bed, etc. Cesar works with dogs knowing that we love them as family. Haven’t you seen his rehab center? They are full of pit bulls. People think pit bulls are so dangerous and need to be eradicated and made extinct – I believe that one day, Cesar will be the voice for these dogs since he has the ability to rehabilitate so many of them. He’s rescued so many dogs who would have otherwise been euthanized. My favorite episode is when he couldn’t help a couple with their dog and he instead took in the dog and adopted out to them one of his rehabbed pit bulls. Regardless if you like his methods or not, you can’t deny that he is one of the most famous voices for dogs and that people listen to familiar faces. And can you blame him for using his fame to fight for what he is passionate about? And you also can’t deny the fact that many dogs who would have been euthanized have been given a second chance because of him. If you truly care about animals, you would put your dislike of Cesar aside and join the bigger fight to protect animals and help reduce the number of animals euthanized each year instead of bashing him.
Whether you like him or hate him, whether trainers (or even the AKC) approve or disapprove his methods, people need to realize exactly what it is that he does – which obviously is highly mis-perceived.
Cesar Millan, celebrity or not – is providing a great service by creating insight, understanding and translation of natural canine language and behaviors (reactive or passive, good or bad) into a language that ‘humans’ can understand . . . in such a way that facilitates a more open communication between ‘the two species’. He is not providing training in any sense of the word, so all those professional trianers that use clicker training, etc. should pay more attention to what he is teaching in order to have a better understanding of how a dog perceives (& learns) whatever method they are teaching & why it works or doesn’t work.
All canines (just as humans & all other species on this planet) have a language all their own. Of course, all dogs are decesdants of the wolf . . . whose language and behavior revolve strictly around the well-being of ‘the pack’ – which consists of very specific rules, heirarchy and behaviors which are/ are not allowed withing itself to maintain order, understanding and mental well being amongst themselves. There are no deviations accepted and/or allowed and the pack leader is the one that maintains, enforces/ disciplines all the above in a very specific order to ensure that all ‘pack members’ can survive and ‘prosper’. What people tend to forget is that our ‘pets’ e.g. the domestic dog, IS a wolf when it comes right down to it – as they have retained the same basic language, knowledge, understanding among themselves and even with us . . . which is most alway misperceived because we, as humans, forget that they are not human and are not genetically predisposed to understanding ‘our’ language and behaviors on any level. This misperception is where people and their dog’s behaviors clash . . . as we also tend to forget that they are not human (though we always ‘humanize’ them, thinking they have the same emotions and reasoning behind their behaviors = wrong, wrong, wrong). It is the dog that has to learn our language, not the other way around – which is exactly where we humans run into problems with them.
What Cesar Millan provides to us humans, is a way to understand that psychology behind why a dog does what his does . . . based solely on what he is born to do. He helps us to understand how to be ‘the pack leader’ in a way a dog can understand best . . . in his own language. He is not being cruel in any extent (as many people would have you believe), but he is ONLY doing what is NATURAL for a dog to do – that is innate, and a natural way of being that has been pre-programmed in his genes for hundreds of thousands of years. It is that pro-trainer (and even the AKC) that are wrong in condeming what Cesar teaches us – as they are the ones that believe that forcing a dog to forget what has been born into him, in his genes – to force him to forget what is natural for a dog in order to become more human like. It is in that clash, where negative dog behaviors arise . . . and when ignored or even unknowingly ‘encouraged’, that WE are the ones solely responsible when we have an ill-mannered dog.
It is only when we can be resposible dog owners, learning our dog’s natural language & behaviors in order to fully understand and effectively communicate with them. . . . that we will have a dog that willingly and happily behaves as we wish them to. But one thing to remember, is that we still need to provide them with the opportunity to still be themselves – which is respectful member of the pack (but never leader – as we should be seen & revered by them), with a healthy state of mind (the latter of which is what Cesar provides).
For any person, dog owner or not, that truly wants to be a Dog Whisperer themselves, the first key is to learn and completely understand canine language first. Be aware that their language is not only verbal, but is also hugely based upon body language. I would highly suggest reading several books on the behavior of wolves in order to have a full comprehension of not only pack hierarchy, interactivity, but also how, when and why certain behaviors are displayed & what results they invoke among the other pack members. This structure never waivers, and also will provide additional understanding of exactly what discipline (and its unwaivering steps/ levels) consist of – that can & should be incorporated into your own pack structure. People also don’t realize or know that wolves NEVER actually physically attack one of their own pack members – nevertheless kill one. Unstable pack leadership also is absolutely NEVER tolerated . . . and ultimately will lose his position as such. A true pack leader always establishes/reminds others of his position in both very subtle & obvious ways (e.g. always eats first, walks first, etc.) – these are the behaviors or ‘psychology’ that Cesar Millan tries to teach us in human language, as to enable us to become that ‘pack leader’ in our dogs eyes . . . or even that dog down the road that you’re so afraid of & knows it. There are also several great books on knowing how to read canine body language that are a must read . . . either in dealing with existing behaviors or knowing the warning signs before a ‘bad behavior’ happens, in order to prevent it.
There undoubtedly is a lot of information to comprehend, but make no mistake – it will ultimately help in every way to have a perfectly behaved & happy dog and owner (pack leader) that can fully understand & make each other happy.
Though I subscribe to the purpose of what Cesar Millan tries to teach us, I use an even more intricate/ involved technique that helps me to fully communicate w/ dogs. I find that it has not only helped me as a dog owner (aka respected pack leader), but also in service dog training (which ultimately teaches a dog to not be a dog, by going against every natural instinct – in every sense of the word). Clicker training is fine -for those that like to take forever to accomplish a new task . . . but I have found that what takes years to teach/ refine in many program dogs, it takes me 10 minutes to successfully teach & a day to practice until it is perfect and committed forever to memory. Why? Because I can communicate better in a way the dog understands & because I learned early to also teach him how to ‘understand’ (not just react) to my language. I also allow my dog to be a dog & encourage him to be, the times when we are not ‘working’. Playtime is spoken & played in the dog’s language/ natural behaviors (also initiated/ ended as a natural pack leader does), etc. and even basic training (in the beginning) was taught using natural behaviors – and even playtime – that laid the foundation to be expanded upon. The end result is not only a service dog that literally jumps to perform service tasks, but has actually learned to anticipate & perform before asked . . . and amazingly enough, can even self teach.
The bottom line is that it only makes sense – what Cesar tries to teach us. Even though we’re the same species (e.g. human), you wouldn’t want to go to France if you didn’t speak French, no? So why not make every effort to do the same for your beloved pet – well behaved or not? Even if training is not your ultimate goal for an already well behaved dog . . . it makes it that much more rewarding when you KNOW how to read your dog and what they’re trying to tell you. They have spent their lives trying to learn your language (orally or physically via your gestures, body language) – why not make it that much easier for them (and yourself) by letting them know you understand them? Believe me, they will know and will thank you (in so many words) for it – by being a well behaved, respectful pet & pack member.
Just one other note to remember – is that all breeds do not understand equally/ the same. Mankind has manipulated canine genes by picking & choosing traits, etc. to create different breeds. Ultimately trying to create canines closer to adult aged ‘puppies’ – removing them farther & farther away from the innate traits of their ancestor wolves. This, in the meantime has also created not only genetic disease/ problems unique to certain breeds, but also smaller brains in some. You will ultimately have an easier time (occasionally) with those breeds that are somewhat reminiscent of a wolf – i.e. larger breeds, or breeds that most resemble pronounced wolf-like features such as German Shephards, even Poodles & other hunter/ retriever breeds, Rotties, etc.)
Cesar Millan has taught me more than two group classes, 2 individual trainers (one on one), two board and trains, and one in-home trainer. I’ve made more progress using his techniques than all the others combined!!
I’m not saying Cesar Millan is perfect, or that there aren’t good trainers out there. It just seems I’ve encountered all the wrong trainers. Having spent nearly $2000 on training, I’m sticking to what Cesar has to offer me.
I am tired of other “professional celebrity trainers” bashing Cesar at every opportunity, as well as others who condemn him and his techniques and philosophies.
There are almost always more than one way to accomplish the same goals. I think people should remember that.
I think what everyone should remember is that Ceasar tell everyone in the very beginnning that he is not a trainer he is a rehabilatator of dogs with bad habits. he not there to teach the dog how to sit, stay, down those are thing that have all ready been done and now the dog has a habit that is out of control and endagers you or your pet. It may limit him from going out or your household from having people come over without locking the dog up. I wish there would be an event where Cesar would be in Houston, I would love to hear him speak.