What Do Dog Owners Think of the "Dog Whisperer"?

[Yavin4]

Are Caesar's techniques acceptable? Do they work?

[grasswire]

1. I've used them on a relative's dogs..

..and they work just fine for me. I can control the dogs with just the "ch" sound, while the owners have to yell and get excited. One of the dogs is a border collie very determined to herd things, and the other is a whippet mix and high strung and nosy.

My sister has a very high strung expensive dog living with her for some months -- a dog that has destroyed a lot of furniture and impossible to walk. I keep telling her she'd better turn on Caesar and get to work. The first thing that dog needs is daily exercise.

[Catshrink]

21. At the doggie park the border collies try to herd all the other dogs.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I gotta tell ya, watching those dogs work was impressive. Except of course, my little weiner dog doesn't like to do anything he's supposed to do. He wanted to run with the border collies.

BTW, I love Caesar.

[xchrom]

2. i don't know -- i've never needed a technique.

i sort of can't imagine it.

[taterguy]

3. Generally yes

We've read his book and my wife watches him all the time. Of course your mileage may vary depending on the personality of you and your dog(s).

One little thing that's been very helpful is not letting the dogs out the door before you, so they don't think that they're the leader of the pack.

[seemunkee]

4. Got my dogs to stop pulling on walks

Much more pleasant to have them trot beside me. Haven't had much success in controlling barking though.

[cwydro]

5. I prefer the method

espoused by a British woman...Wodenhouse? Or some name like that. Barbara was her first name. She taught dogs with love, always love. She loved dogs.

So do I.

[grasswire]

6. Barbara Woodhouse

Don't get the wrong impression: Caesar Millan LOVES dogs. It's very clear.

The whole premise of his plan is to treat dogs like members of a pack, which is their natural way of organizing themselves. But the human is the leader of the pack and must assume that position with calm assertive behavior. The dog will then be calm and submissive.

[cwydro]

12. Yes, Woodhouse,

and I totally believe in that way of understanding dogs. Members of your own personal pack; they need to know their standing.

I think both these folks believed the same thing of dogs, but perhaps went about it a little differently.

[DBoon]

24. yes, that works very well

with people as well as dogs.

Calmly asserting authority is key

[Catshrink]

22. Walkies!

She was great.

[cwydro]

25. Mine love to go

walkies!:hi:

[zanne]

7. He reminds me of that supernanny...

Y'know, the one who can take a handful of little monsters and make them perfect children in under an hour? Wish I had the knack.

[MonkeyFunk]

8. He's a genius

I love watching that show.

It's amazing how dogs just respond to him.

[philosophie_en_rose]

9. I think the ideas are good, but I wouldn't recommend them to just anyone.

I think that his ideas about dog behavior are generally true. Exercise, boundaries, etc. do make a dog feel more secure.

However, I don't think just anyone can grab a bitey little dog with no consequences. :shrug:

[Polly Hennessey]

10. Cesar's Ways

I have to say yes. My walks with my Golden Retrievers are now a pleasure. In the past, it was an exhausting experience. I agree do not let them out the door first. Murphy, my male Golden, would leap on people when they came over, now all I have to do is point my forefinger and thumb along with a loud "hup" sound and he immediately sits down. In fact, all I really have to do is point my finger. When I want them to do something I stand and walk with confidence. I do not have to hold on to the leash for dear life. It is held in my hand very loosely. Not once in teaching them this way have I had to touch or yell at them.

I am a believer.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

11. His shit works

he's a natural and I don't care what the cry babies of the world have to say about his techniques. He knows what he's doing.

[grasswire]

14. it seems that a good many of his critics...

...are people who make money off bad dogs -- people who have their own methods for sale and various devices for training. Gasp -- you can train your own dogs, at home!

[NC_Nurse]

13. We read his book, watch his show.

His techniques have worked well with our dogs. We have one that still barks a lot, but she's an Eskie and they're bred to be watchdogs so ....
we cut her some slack....:P

I like his way of dealing with them. It's like parenting, you love them AND you have to be the leader or all hell breaks loose.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. So where are the cat whisperers?

I need one.

[Digit]

18. You'd have as much luck as teaching them table manners

Cats do things on THEIR terms.
I love my kitty dearly, though....

[davsand]

26. I don't claim to be all that good, but you CAN train a cat.

Honest. You can do it. Reward the behaviors you want to encourage and do it without fail. Cats love ritual, even if it might not look like it when they are draped over the back of the sofa snoring...

Are you trying to correct a behavior you dislike or are you wanting to add a new behavior?


Laura

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. My cats are really pretty good guys.

A little furniture-scratching goes on (usually deflected by moving the cat to the scratching post), but the thing I wish they wouldn't do is scratch compulsively and annoyingly at smooth surfaces like mirrors and windows. And they tore off all my plastic window insulation.

[Orsino]

28. If you get a cat to do what you want...

...it's because you guessed correctly.

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. I don't know - ask dog owners. I don' know. I don't know.

:P

[mopinko]

17. i have a pack, and i am working on it, it is amazing

i have 4 dogs, and they totally get any cesar things that i have used. i need to watch more of the videos. i have a friend who is an uber trainer, and she used a lot of this stuff when cesar was still a baby.
i believe he speaks the true language of dogs.

[cobalt1999]

19. The man is a genius.

We have 3 permanent dogs and usually have 1-2 foster dogs around. His techniques for introducing new dogs, handling dogs that have been abused, exercise/discipline/affection in that order, being the leader of the pack are all amazingly easy to implement and they WORK!

I'm a natural skeptic, but he has convinced me and importantly the dogs seem much happier now. Even better it's so easy. Even my 8 year old daughter can handle the pack.

[mentalsolstice]

20. Dogs will be dogs!

That's pretty much where we're at, but maybe we've been pretty lucky, or maybe we're just extraordinarily patient. Funny story...We went to the beach with some friends who had a condo down there. We took one of our dogs (the pug), they took their three, and we went in separate vehicles. When we get there, they start pulling out crates and giving orders, and vexing over the pups (who have had all kinds of training methods, crating, and medications). All we took for our dog was her food, treats, and a leash. Guess who was the best behaved and the least amount of trouble?

[Catshrink]

23. He rehabililtates dogs and trains people.

that's his motto -- says a lot to me. I've used the "get in the dog's space" technique to get my weiner dog to stop picking on my little kitty. He only picks on the girl kitty. If only she'd whack him once across the face it would cure him. But no, she leaves it for me to do.

Getting in the dog's space does help.