'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Under Investigation For Possible Animal Cruelty

[Calista241]

Source: Huffington Post

Cesar Millan, the self-described “Dog Whisperer,” is under investigation for possible animal cruelty following a controversial encounter that was filmed for his TV show between a “pig-killing” dog and a pig.

According to KNBC, sheriff’s deputies and investigators with the LA County Animal Control visited Millan’s Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita on Thursday evening. Millan was not there at the time and authorities have yet to make contact with the TV host, TMZ reported.

...

The investigation was sparked by a recently-broadcast “Cesar 911” segment in which the self-taught dog behaviorist introduced a dog named Simon to a group of pigs. Simon had killed his owner’s two pet pigs, but Millan thought exposure to the animals in a “new environment” would help train the dog to see pigs in a more “positive” light.

Once the host took Simon off his leash, however, the dog lunged at one of the pigs and bit off a chunk of its ear. Simon then charged at the group of pigs “again and again … biting and tearing at the cowering animals,” The Dodo reported.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cesar-millan-animal-cruelty_us_56e26f5de4b0b25c91818287

[roody]

1. Dumbass. Cesar knows you train

the humans to control their dog.

[OnyxCollie]

2. Dumbass.

I heard about one of his recent episodes where Cesar's actions caused a woman to get bit.

[Live and Learn]

3. I find this ridiculous. The follow up video with the dog shows that it has been completely

transformed and now gets along with other animals. And the pig is fine.

[Myrina]

6. Because, yeah - videos made to promote someone/their product/brand never lie.

[Live and Learn]

8. As do posts and videos made to make someone look bad. nt

[Tempest]

11. So the attack by the dog didn't happen?

Even though it's on video?

How does that work exactly?

[harun]

25. So what? It's what dogs do.

[Tempest]

10. Key words: Follow Up

The video doesn't lie. The dog attacked the pigs. That's cruelty.

[targetpractice]

4. He is a quack...

The latest research in canine cognition has debunked his methods... including the pack theory, alpha dogs, etc.

[Myrina]

5. ^ agree 100%

n/t

[OregonBlue]

13. I haven't owned dogs for years and got 2 in the last 2 years. I have been

using a lot of the stuff he teaches and it truly seems to work well. Don't know about the latest research but it does work.

[shrike]

14. Same here. Stepdaughter is using his methods to train her new puppy, and they work just fine.

[targetpractice]

34. Yes, bullying can be effective... But it's not the right thing to do.

I'm sure it's not your stepdaughter's intent, but Milan's methods are tantamount to bullying a dog into submission.

[shrike]

53. Good lord. I don't even know why I'm responding. Your concern is duly noted. My stepdaughter, better

with dogs than almost anyone I know, will likely laugh when I tell her.

[targetpractice]

54. I apologize...

I was angry at the Milan video, and should not have chimed in on your comment.

[shrike]

56. Apology accepted. Very rare in DU and in real life. Thanks. n/t

[OregonBlue]

55. Agreed. Our little ones are just the happiest dogs you can imagine. Can't think why anyone would

think that waiting for a dog to be calm before giving them attention is bad. My littlest was jumping on everyone and once we started ignoring her and waiting for her to be calm before paying attention to her she learned right away. Be nice and don't jump or no one will pay attention to you. Not my idea of bullying. Our little boy was growling at people who approached his bowl. We started standing over his bowl and had friends stand over his bowl and just ignored him and he got it right away. The bowl is not his. It's his to use and he hasn't growled since.
Just my opinion but it sure seems to work.

[dorkzilla]

7. postive, reward-based training is the only way to go

i do not care for his methodology. but i think he does care for the dogs at least.

[Tempest]

12. "but i think he does care for the dogs at least"

Not so much for the dog's prey apparently.

[dorkzilla]

18. Very true! nt

[targetpractice]

31. Yes... I've never had to discipline my rescue dog...

From day one, I've only used positive, reward-based training. When she starts to do something she should not do... I say "Ah Ah Ah"... I only tell her "No!" when she does something really unacceptable like crossing into the street or sniffing something toxic (I live in NYC). She knows that when I say "No!" I have her best interest in mind.

[dorkzilla]

44. Same here

I've had some abused rescues who it works especially well with. Once they know you're not going to hurt them they're very eager to please, and they only need a firm no to know they've made you unhappy and they'll try like hell not to do it again.

[Drahthaardogs]

32. Um, no

I have played the doggie games for years and have multiple tests, trials, and competitions to my name. I love cookie training; however, to have a highly trained animal that is almost always dependable, there must be negative as well as positive reinforcement. Any trainer who tells you otherwise is full of it.

Take bitework. You have a high prey drive dog now latched hard onto the sleeve. Getting it to release via "positive reinforcement only" is not only silly, but dangerous. The dog has to know when the release command is given, it means NOW. A good trainer can still use pressure applied correctly to actually make it kind of a game for the dog. The faster you release, the faster the pressure goes away.

Anyway, too much to really post here, but you are wrong.

[dorkzilla]

42. Um, duh

Thanks for pointing out the obvious. I'm not speaking of those situations, i was speaking of dog training in general. The alpha dog stuff he spouts is baloney. I correct my rescues all the time but with firm NO's or LEAVE IT and if they do sometime more naughty, they get the silent treatment which is extremely effective.

Clearly if my dogs bite I'm not going to give them a cookie and think it's helped correct their behaviour.

[Drahthaardogs]

43. Your reply shows that you do not even know what I mean by bitework

and how can you correct with "leave it" if you have not trained "leave it"? That is unfair. I never correct for an unknown command. The dog will resent you for that. They do have a sense of justice.

[dorkzilla]

45. I know what you mean by bitework

I've never had to do it personally. I'm talking of training in general.

[Drahthaardogs]

50. And what exactly is "training in general"

Reminds me of that english lady on tv. i watched her a few times. She claims only positive methods, but when she is confronted with a situation that cannot be "cookie trained" around, she says it cannot be fixed and instead avoids the stimulus. That's okay and it is a path you can and many people should take, but it is NOT training it is avoidance and you are not going to "cookie train" through it.

I watched her with two dogs that hated each other, and her solution was to never keep them together. Milan would have fixed that. I could fix it too, although I would recommend they never be left alone together just to play it safe, but I could make them tolerate each other in my presence without worrying about having to break up a fight. To fix this issue would require some negative reinforcement and enough of it to convince the dog my way is better.

100% positive reinforcement is not a fail safe. Some dogs require more just like some kids need nothing but positive reinforcement and others need consequences for their actions. It is just the way it is.

[dorkzilla]

51. Basic training

I agree with you absolutely on all. What I was talking about is house breaking, leash training, correcting biting with puppies, come, stay, not eating the cats etc etc.

[Android3.14]

16. "Latest research"?

Could you provide a link?

[targetpractice]

28. This book is a great compilation of the latest research

http://dogsensebook.com/

I read it shortly before rescuing my baby girl, Shiloh. We've had a wonderful relationship since day one.

The gist is that wolf pack studies were conducted under artificial conditions, and that wolves in the wild do not travel in packs... Instead they congregate as families.

Also, domestic dogs have been bred for thousands of years to bond with humans, and prefer human companions over other dogs.

[ffr]

17. Got a link? Because his methods are repetitious and from what I can tell

work extraordinarily well, better than any other methods in fact, including the human being the alpha of the pack. Unless you're one of those who feeds your dog people food from the table, lets walk in front you off leash, and whose temperament is out of your control because you feel that nudging your dog is cruel. That may be enough proof, in your mind, that Ceser's methods have been debunked. 'See! They don't work for me, so he must be wrong.'

One mistake doesn't mean his whole life's work is debunked. That's called throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[targetpractice]

29. There is no "alpha of a pack" in a dog's mind. How would you like to be "nudged" by someone...

I suggest reading this for a compilation of the latest research, otherwise the latest canine cognition studies can be found on Google...

http://dogsensebook.com/

I read this shortly before rescuing my baby girl, Shiloh. We've had a wonderful relationship since day one.

The gist of the latest research is that wolf pack studies were conducted under artificial conditions, and that wolves in the wild do not travel in packs... Instead they congregate as families.

Also, domestic dogs have been bred for thousands of years to bond with humans, and prefer human companions over other dogs.

[Svafa]

19. For everyone demanding a link

to research that Millan's approach is inappropriate, here ya go:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=950CE3DF1E3EF932A0575BC0A9609C8B63

The notion of the ''alpha pack leader'' dominating all other pack members is derived from studies of captive packs of unrelated wolves and thus bears no relationship to the social structure of natural packs, according to L. David Mech, one of the world's leading wolf experts. In the wild, the alpha wolves are merely the breeding pair, and the pack is generally comprised of their juvenile offspring and pups.

''The typical wolf pack,'' Dr. Mech wrote in The Canadian Journal of Zoology in 1999, ''is a family, with the adult parents guiding the activities of a group in a division-of-labor system.'' In a natural wolf pack, ''dominance contests with other wolves are rare, if they exist at all,'' he writes.

That's a far cry from the dominance model that Mr. Millan attributes to the innate need of dogs by way of wolves.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787808001159

https://drsophiayin.com/philosophy/dominance/

http://4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm

My mom's Rough Collie was ruined by a trainer who used Millan's methods without regarding the fact that the breed is known to be "soft" and should never be trained with harsh methods. I detest Cesar Millan and his approach. It is outdated; veterinarians and animal behaviorists know that positive reward-based training is far more effective and that dominating a dog can make aggression issues worse--or even cause aggression in a dog that never before showed signs of it (which is what happened with my mother's dog).

[targetpractice]

27. Thanks.

Milan's method is to essentially bully a dog into submission.

[magical thyme]

9. the accuser carefully covers all the sounds, including Cesar's explanations of why

he's doing what he's doing, with loud "dramatic" (and annoying) music, while putting their own interpretation of what is happening in writing and why what Cesar is doing won't work. Then criticizes him for failing to fix the dog in a single training session. Claiming that the dog's owner turned away from the camera because she couldn't bear to watch was disingenuous -- she was following the unfolding scene, which became clear immediately after she turned. The "jerk" on the leash that the accuser claims Cesar did looked more like a tug to me -- it barely stopped the dog.

And the dog was not "biting and tearing at" the "cowering" animals. The pigs were running around; one was restrained and got bitten once on the ear. I'm not convinced a chunk of ear was bitten off, either.

I would love to see the accuser actually re-training a high prey drive, livestock killing dog and see how well they do.

A second video, which the accuser didn't bother to mention, shows the same pigs with the same dog the next day. The pigs are not the slightest bit afraid of the dog, including the pig who was bitten, and the dog is no longer triggered by normal pig behavior or upset by the pigs' presence.

There are things in the 1st video I disagree with -- I wouldn't let a dog with high prey drive loose -- I would keep a very, very long lead on to be able to protect the pigs once the dog's prey drive was triggered, and to immediately administer the correction instead of ending up chasing the dog around. And the assistant shouldn't have pulled the pigs legs up to make it squeal -- I suspect that was in the interest of saving time, since they needed a pig to trigger the dog, and apparently squealing is the dog's trigger.

I wouldn't call it much ado about nothing, but the reality is that dogs that escape and kill livestock are at high risk of being shot in the act, or euthanized if found after the fact.

[shrike]

15. Good point about livestock and dogs. I grew up on a farm

Some dogs in the area were shot when said dog started getting into chicken coops, etc.

[Svafa]

20. As a sighthound owner, I know that some dogs

simply cannot have their prey drive corrected through training. With a dog as driven as the one in the video, it is irresponsible of the owners to try to keep the dog with pigs, and it is irresponsible of Millan to bring the dog and pigs together. For dogs with an extremely high prey drive, sometimes there is no training that you can do that will make a difference, and it is incumbent upon the dog's owner to be responsible and avoid triggering situations when possible.

[magical thyme]

21. I agree; it's impossible to reliably "train out" an extremely high prey drive

I think it was irresponsible for him to turn the dog completely loose and irresponsible to restrain the pig. I can see testing him (on long leash, but not able to bite the pig) to see how high the prey drive is and determine the likelihood of success. And based on my own high-prey dog, I would have given up based on the dog's behavior, would keep the dog away from triggers or restrained when triggers were present.

The dog seems to prefer to avoid the pigs altogether in both the before and after videos. But based on my own high-prey drive dog and what I witnessed in the first video, I wouldn't leave that dog loose with pigs (or any other triggering animals).

That said, the after video does make it clear the pig wasn't afraid of the dog even after being bitten. And it doesn't change the fact that the accuser was somewhat disengenuous about the situation.

[Svafa]

22. I definitely agree that there are much safer ways both

to test prey drive and to attempt to correct it (because some dogs aren't as driven as others and can control the urge to chase/hunt) like, as you mentioned, using a long leash or letting the dog just see the pigs from a distance until he has been desensitized a bit before. I agree that the accuser definitely wanted to provoke a specific response in viewers and framed the video in a way that would support that. I'm glad that the pig was not seriously injured or traumatized. But I think this entire thing shows that Cesar Millan is an irresponsible trainer for not taking the right precautions. Though I admit to being pretty biased against Millan and his training methods in the first place.

[magical thyme]

23. I'm not biased either way

I do think it's possible that he mistook the dog's initial avoidance of the pigs as a sign that it was ok to let him off leash. If so, though, that was a big mistake on his part. They should have suspected that either running or squealing would be the trigger, and waited for restrained exposure to both before making assumptions.

It's bad enough when events run out of control after you've taken reasonable precautions. He sure made himself look incompetent -- or overly confident -- in that training session.

[Drahthaardogs]

33. Yes you can, but the dog may never be 100%

and the trainer may not have it in them to do what is necessary to "convince" the dog. I won't train such a dog, as its prey drive is too "out of balance" and it takes a lot of negative pressure to get compliance. Much more than I like putting on a dog, so I leave these hard dogs to hard trainers. Such animals are products of inferior breeding. It is, in my opinion, genetic. You can train around genetics, but you cannot change them.

My own personal dogs are well balanced mentally. I also prefer a softer dog. A soft dog with good bidibility is a pleasure to train. A hard dog with good bidibility is good too, but it is going to take a little pressure. A stubborn dog that is soft and cannot take pressure is truly almost impossible to train. A hard dog that is stubborn is hard to train, and best left to those who do not mind working with such animals.

[a la izquierda]

36. My dog is never allowed off leash...

Because of this.

[targetpractice]

40. A la izquierda...

My good friend recently passed away, and I promised to take care of his dog, Okie. My friend was from Cuba and his dog understands mostly Spanish. I'm learning how to communicate with Okie... He's very smart... On walks I can tell him to go "a la izquierda" or "a la derecha" and he does!!

[Sunlei]

24. I hope the owner doesn't get any more pet pigs untill that old dog passes away.

Can tell the dogs very wary of pigs but not afraid to bite hard. Must have been a horror show when the owner came home to two dead pets.

I don't like the idea of those rescue pigs being used as "test dummies". One was bitten very hard. But that's the rescue ranch responsibility what they allow others to do to their pigs.

It's always a good idea to have a dog drag a 'longline'. Then instead of chasing and trying to grab the collar, you just step on the line to stop the dog & gain control.

Can also work an aggressive dog in a muzzle so they can't bite. Some muzzles allow open mouth for breathing.

[TheDormouse]

26. this debate about training methods reminds me

of the debate about how to discipline/motivate children.

Many people still cling to the notion that sparing the rod spoils the child, while others recoil at the suggestion of physical or psychological violence being used in childrearing.

[targetpractice]

30. Correct...

Treat a dog like you would treat a child, because they have the emotional intelligence of a toddler.

I'm not sure if that was your point.

[Drahthaardogs]

35. How many dogs have you trained to exceptionally high levels of performance?

My guess is zero.

[targetpractice]

37. You are correct. My dogs are my companions.

And, they are absolutely exceptional at that.

What is your relationship with your dogs? Why do you demand "high levels of performance"? For yourself? Or for others? Are your dogs trained for service for the military, police, or disabled?

My guess is your dogs are trained to serve you for whatever reason. You mentioned "trials and competitions" in another post.

If you are breeding dogs for competition, then you totally miss the point of dogs.

[Drahthaardogs]

38. Dogs are working animals, just like horses

they were bred for the sole purpose to help us. I have and do train for many things. Hunting and protection work among them.

and on edit, if you do not train your dogs, which is fine, why do you give advice on a thread about training dogs

[targetpractice]

39. Okay... With due respect, we are on different planets about this subject.

I believe dogs were domesticated to get along and adore humans. They have no "sole purpose." Forcing dogs to serve us in 2016 is a ridiculous and archaic concept.

When I was young, neighbors with dogs kept them outside, in dog houses, or chained to a tree. That's totally unacceptable today. Likewise, I learned recently that dogs in Jamaica are always kept outdoors. In the US, we don't treat our dogs like that. Our relationship with dogs is our choice. I choose to elevate them as companions. I think you are dwelling in the past.

The latest canine cognition research tells us that dogs are more than what you seem to believe.

A sincere question... Do you love your dogs? Do you believe any of your dogs have loved you?

On edit in response to your edit... I absolutely do train my dogs, but I do it with positive and reward training only. I have two rescue dogs... My first, Shiloh, I've had since she was a year old, and the other, Okie, was recently inherited after my friend passed away. My friend believed in positive training, too. Okie mostly understands Spanish, so I'm learning to communicate with him.

[Drahthaardogs]

41. How do you know what I believe?

Your interpretation of history is skewed. Furthermore there are many dogs out there who work and truly enjoy their jobs. They were bred for a purpose and they love their jobs. A real border collie, not those AKC craptastic dogs bred for beauty contests love to work.

My dogs are very bonded to me, just as much, if not more than yours. My dogs and I are a team and we work together to do a job. I would dare to say our relationship transcends the ones you have with your dogs. I have a trust and a mutual respect that you can never have with just pet dogs.

To keep a well bred dog from doing his job is cruel. They have a purpose and most love to do what they were bred to do. So suggest otherwise is pure folly.

[treestar]

48. If you don't like training dogs to serve humans

are you against the dogs that are trained for the blind and disabled ?

[TheDormouse]

52. Actually, my point was that many hold to their views on this

subject with religious fervor. They cannot be persuaded by telling them about the latest scientific research.

[treestar]

46. It doesn't sound like it was intentional on his part

so the charges seem a bit much.

[joshcryer]

47. AFAIK the dog he was training bit a pigs ear.

And he was breaking it from doing that.

[bklyncowgirl]

49. Even the most experienced trainers sometimes misread an animal.

As far as dogs who kill livestock, that is a very difficult thing to train out of an animal.

A guy I knew had two dogs, a husky and a German shepherd. He owned a summer camp where they had a riding program and a petting zoo. The dogs were great with kids, good with the horses and were fine with the animals as long as someone was watching them.

One day they got out. The husky, the ringleader, broke into the pen, and ripped out a lamb's throat. The goat ran into the horse paddock--a smart move--with the calf following. The husky was attacking the calf when humans arrived on the scene but before they could separate the animals an aggressive little appaloosa gelding who very much considered himself the herd stallion of this band charged in. He broke the husky's hind leg and several ribs and probably would have killed him if the dog had not rolled under the electric fence. Even so he stalked up and down the line, threatening, until we got the dog in a car and took him away.

The calf's ear was ripped off but he was saved, after extensive veterinary work the husky survived but from now on he had to be kept confined. Interestingly the German shepherd did not take part in the killing--he did not stop his friend, however. I suppose you could say he was conflicted. One of the reasons that herding breeds are so gentle with animals that should be their natural prey is that they were bred selectively for that trait. As for those who would not stop killing, the cure was a bullet.

The husky did get out again a year later and attacked a neighbor's mare and foal. The mare, a high strung Thoroughbred, defended her baby but was so emotionally upset that she later came down with colic and nearly died.

This time the dog's owner put him down.