# Dog Whisperer



## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

Does anyone watch this show? I started a few days ago and it is very interesting. I have tried using some of the techniques with Koa but so far it hasn't been too successful. I think I will keep at it though. Cesar's techniques remind me of the "Nothing In Life Is Free" training program someone recommended to me on this website.

I was thinking of buying the new Cesar Millan DVD... does anyone else have it? Would you recommend it?

Thanks!


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

Yes, I do watch Cesar. I even wrote to him, but he doesn't answer questions on his email. I like some of his ideas. I do think he is so into big-bad dogs that his understanding and methods lean that way. I haven't got his DVD, but have thought about it.

Funny thing, when I Googled "Dog Whisperer" I got a different guy, last name was Owens, with books, etc. called Dog Whisperer. If you get the Milan DVD let us know if you like it.


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

Where have I been?? I have nevr seen the program or heard of this guy...what station does he come on??

Thanks,
Marie & (I don't want no one whispering in my ear but a furry woman!!) Pacino


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## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

The Dog Whisperer is on the National Geographic channel on Fridays, but they show reruns every morning at like 6am. I Tivo it. 

There was an episode on the other day with a little Pom that chased big dogs around the park. I thought it was cute. Koa doesn't chase any dogs, but he definitely gets overly excited at the prospect of meeting new people so I kind of learned how to control is behavior there. There was another "small" dog that hated getting medicine and Cesar taught the couple how to calm the dog. I think that will be useful too, if it works...

The "Dog Whisperer" book mentioned by some guy named Owens is "fluff" according to my friend. She reads tons of dog psychology books (she's a human psychologist) and said that that one doesn't really make any sense. It gives dogs too many human emotions and expects them to act like people if treated like people. (I haven't read the book myself though.) The "real" dog whisperer (Cesar) uses a pack mentality and tries to see life from the dog's POV.

I think I'll buy the DVD. Cesar will be coming to Hawaii in Oct for a seminar so maybe I will try to get tickets to that too. Before getting a dog I always thought dog psychology was silly but now I think it really works.


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

> The Dog Whisperer is on the National Geographic channel on Fridays, but they show reruns every morning at like 6am. I Tivo it.
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> There was an episode on the other day with a little Pom that chased big dogs around the park. I thought it was cute. Koa doesn't chase any dogs, but he definitely gets overly excited at the prospect of meeting new people so I kind of learned how to control is behavior there. There was another "small" dog that hated getting medicine and Cesar taught the couple how to calm the dog. I think that will be useful too, if it works...
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Thanks for the info...I am definitely going to check it out!!
Marie & Pacino


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I've watched C and read about him for quite some time. I think you have to establish dominance with your dog before any of the other tricks work. That is..your dog should know YOU are the alpha. His techniques are really simple once you catch on. I just wish I could stop the barking when someone comes to the door..or a leaf drifts by the door. LOL







I even went so far as to get one of those noise transmitters that goes off when they bark. Guess how many care about that!?!?! Maybe all four of them are deaf?







LOL I know I'm going to be if they don't STOP!









Oh and one more thing. He worked wonders with Oprah's spoiled cocker spaniel. Even she was amazed. They had a show about him working with them last year .


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## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

I also watch Cesar, my husband has been trying to use the technique on Matilda and her barking.







So far not working







I enjoy watching it.


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

I would never recommend him to anybody. He has no grasp for how dogs actually learn. I'd much rather recommend someone read a good book on dog behavior - you'd get much further that way.


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## angela923 (Nov 24, 2005)

> I would never recommend him to anybody. He has no grasp for how dogs actually learn. I'd much rather recommend someone read a good book on dog behavior - you'd get much further that way.[/B]


I've watched the show once or twice. I don't particularly enjoy it or not enjoy it. I'll watch it if it's on. But just wondering, why is it that you think he is a bad trainer? I wouldn't really know but I am just curious. And I wouldn't want to follow his methods if he is really bad.


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## miko's mommy (Feb 8, 2005)

> I would never recommend him to anybody. He has no grasp for how dogs actually learn. I'd much rather recommend someone read a good book on dog behavior - you'd get much further that way.[/B]


I have posted this before, but just to mention again that we had a great trainer/behaviorist who said the same thing about Dog Whisperer (the show one).


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## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

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What didn't the trainer like about him? Can you mention some specifics?

The reason I ask is that there are 100 books out there about dog behavior... how do you know which ones work and which ones don't? There are a million different methods. I tried doing so much research when we first got Koa to learn how to train him and so many of the methods conflict. It's so confusing.


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## Toby's Mom (May 7, 2004)

I have watched the show several times and I don't care for him either; I have stated this before several times.

The reasons I don't like him are because his "techniques" seem to be the same thing over and over again. It is always about "putting the power through the leash." Either there is something more to his techniques that aren't being shown on the show or he is a fraud, for lack of a better word. 

I tried his techniques once and practically scared Toby to death!


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## abbey (Apr 4, 2005)

I enjoy watching the show. I don't know how much of it we can use on our little furbabies. He had a show on the other day with a 9 year old 2 lb. rescued maltese, Bubba. It was really cute to watch. He was really nice with this couple even though he doesn't care for too much spoiling of the dog, but I think he saw how much Bubba meant to this couple! It airs again on March the 7th. We have been using the 2 finger on Abbey with the not letting her have the last word as he demonstrated with Bubba when it comes to her barking & I think it has helped some.


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## Chelsey (Dec 17, 2004)

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Hi Angela , What chanel did you get to see the show on and what time.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

I've never been impressed with him either. I don't usually watch his show but in surfing channels I caught his show one time and he was working with an aggressive dog. He supposedly had "fixed" him and then they re-visited the family and the dog had just bitten a neighbor... He seems like a "loose cannon" to me.....


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

1. If you think you can fix a dog in a single session, you are full of [email protected] Behavior modification takes a long time and a lot of work. It took me over a year to work with my fear aggressive dog so that he wouldn't attack people walking in the house - and he progressed fast! 

2. When you have a stranger work with a dog, you get a different reaction than when the owner works with the dog. The dogs will appear so miraculously better but when he leaves, I doubt they are cured. 

3. There is plenty, plenty, plenty of scientific research that demonstrates how dogs learn. When I see any trainer not teaching the owners how to help the dog understand what they want, and I don't see the trainer doing that either, I'm not impressed. For the trainer, their job is training the owner how to work with their dog. When I have a client, I am working mostly with the people, not directly with the dog. I will certainly demonstrate things with the dog, but my goal is to teach the owner how to work with the dog. If I teach the dog a behavior, so what? I want it to be a bonding experience with the owner and I want the owner learning how to teach a behavior and get it consistent. I want my clients to become problem solvers...I want them to understand how their dog learns and for them to be able to come up with ways to teach their dog something without me simply giving them instructions.


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

> 1. If you think you can fix a dog in a single session, you are full of [email protected] Behavior modification takes a long time and a lot of work. It took me over a year to work with my fear aggressive dog so that he wouldn't attack people walking in the house - and he progressed fast!
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> 2. When you have a stranger work with a dog, you get a different reaction than when the owner works with the dog. The dogs will appear so miraculously better but when he leaves, I doubt they are cured.
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> 3. There is plenty, plenty, plenty of scientific research that demonstrates how dogs learn. When I see any trainer not teaching the owners how to help the dog understand what they want, and I don't see the trainer doing that either, I'm not impressed. For the trainer, their job is training the owner how to work with their dog. When I have a client, I am working mostly with the people, not directly with the dog. I will certainly demonstrate things with the dog, but my goal is to teach the owner how to work with the dog. If I teach the dog a behavior, so what? I want it to be a bonding experience with the owner and I want the owner learning how to teach a behavior and get it consistent. I want my clients to become problem solvers...I want them to understand how their dog learns and for them to be able to come up with ways to teach their dog something without me simply giving them instructions.[/B]


Wow, Jackie, I wish you lived in my city!!! You are so right.... my guys will surely mind someone else better than they do with me. I think they are sort of scared of the other person and figure they better be good LOL!


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## ConnieVa (May 9, 2005)

JMM









You are 100% right on. Even though I am no longer dog training and have had many clients over the years you are right on about the owners needing to be trained.

People used to ask me how I could make their dogs behave so well. As Jackie said, most dogs will work for a stranger better than the owner.

One of the books that helped me way back when was "Dogs Mind", by Bruce Fogle. I am not sure if it is still recommended but 16 years ago when I started dog training it was one that was a must read.

I have not trained or shown in 6 years so I am sure some of the techniques have changed.

The Dog Whisprer is a television show and is for our entertaiment. Some of his ideas may be just to let us know we need to be responsible dog owners.


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## angela923 (Nov 24, 2005)

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I saw it on the Discovery channel I don't know the exact time, I usually find it surfing the channels.


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## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

I totally agree that the owners must change in order to get their dog to behave... though I think that is the whole point of the TV show. Millan says "Rehabilitate Dogs, Train People" and all of the episodes that I have seen are about teaching the owners to treat the dogs differently. People have to take their dogs for walks, people have to calm their dogs down, people have to teach their dogs not to jump at others, etc.

I totally agree that the show makes it seem "too easy." I have been trying some of the techniques with Koa and they definitely take multiple attempts before he catches on. And I agree that dogs act differently around strangers too. But I think the general techniques of the Dog Whisperer, if all summarized into one place (like a DVD), would be pretty beneficial. I just think the show doesn't teach the whole method in each show because then it would get boring and repetitive for viewers.

Like is said before, I think the show's training theory is very similar to the "Nothing in Life is Free" program that someone on this site recommended to me a few months ago. When I was using that method it worked very well. I just got lazy. (Oooops... owner's fault, not Koa's). I think the show just motivates me to be a better mother by teaching me new behaviors to disipline Koa. And get him to respect me. 

He's eating my husband' socks now so I've got to go. Now how to I prevent _that_?


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

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Books I recommend:

Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson (I require new clients to read selections of this)

The Rosetta Bone by Cheryl Smith

Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell

Ian Dunbar has a few good ones out, too.

A little more for people really interested in training: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas


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## Koa (Oct 11, 2005)

Thanks for these suggestions, JMM. By the way, your Maltese is *sooooo* beautiful!


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## ConnieVa (May 9, 2005)

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Thanks for listing the books. I do like Ian Dunbar's books and of course Don't shoot the dog is great. I couple of the books must be some that were not in print yet when I was teaching. Haven't read "The Rosetta Bone." I do think this is a good tread for everyone. So many books out on the market are not worth the paper they are written on.


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## 020202 (Jan 26, 2005)

I just love the dog whisperer. I think he's a cutie. I agree with many of his statements and some I disagree with but like all things, you take what you can use and leave the rest. I like Ceasar's theory of 
Number one: Exercise
Number two: Discipline
Number three: Affection

I know from experience this works. If Izzy has been exercised, if she is made to sit before giving a treat, if I do not show her affection when she's being bad... it works. I believe that Ceasar's theory of controlling your dog is about YOU, not the dog.

His show comes on Friday nights on the Discovery Channel. If you go to the Discovery Channel webpage, you can get your local times there.


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## Furbaby's Mommie (Jul 10, 2004)

I agree with you Linda. I can't agree with Cesar on all things, or for all dogs, but the basics I do. And he's a cutie all right! For one thing mostly he deals with large vicious dogs, and our little dogs are so different. Maltese are so sensitive you can't handle them like you would a large breed. Sensitive in spirit as well as physically.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

My mom is in love with him







. don't tell my dad


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## Boobookit (Dec 3, 2005)

Oh, I don't know...I watched him for the first time the other day and again today...and I liked him.....He does make sense....You have to be the dominent one before you can install the direction to them...If you think about it you do the same thing to your children.......

What I saw him do I have tried with Pacino and it does seem to work, and I would NEVER do anything that would hurt him.....The two finger thing is a hoot and the being assertive is ok.

I think it is how you present yourself to your furbaby as I know for a fact that they DO pick up on our feelings....if you are nervous walking down the street he will pick up on that and it makes them want to "protect" you...But if you are walking down the street proud and tall they will see that and simply enjoy the walk. I think that he makes sense.

I guess it is a matter of opinion, but again, so far I like him.

Marie & Pacino


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## Paco Taco (Dec 12, 2005)

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I've watched the show several times. I'm always skeptical if the dogs are really rehabilitated or if they're just behaving for HIM. The whole point of the show is to have the dog behave for the owners - I know they've showed a few of the dogs doing well with their owners but I'm not so sure I buy it. 

My dog would probably listen to Cesar Milan too and be a perfect little angel. Once he got near me he'd be a little demon again. I'm sure of it.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

A friend and I went to the "Dog Whisperer" seminar in Los Angeles, about a month ago. I highly recommend it. It was awesome. His entire "theme" was training people. He made a point of letting us know this would NOT happen overnite. And how important consistency is. He showed clips of several owners and their dogs. He pointed out what the owners have been doing wrong. He immitated owners and dogs. Very hilarious. You should see Cesar on all fours, running around like a K9.

I've applied some of what I learned to my neighbor's dog, whom I've been watching and, after just a few weeks I've noticed a definate improvement. 

His seminar was informative, entertaining, and they served lunch


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

he's way awesome. my family and i went to meet him....and his dogs are better trained than a lot of trainers dogs that i have met.


BUT...his method is sooo hard. i cant not give love to my dogs. lol. its like "nothing in life is free" method. 

i like the petsmart method (positive trianing) and it works.


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## Gemma (Jan 19, 2006)

He had a little Maltese on this morning. i taped it. His name was buba or something like that. 9 years old but looked like a puppy to me. he was so cute and funny. He had many problems. he kept licking the owner and another problem he was going nuts when he see other dogs. and he had separation anxiety. He also wouldn't come when you call him by his name, he only came to you when you say chicken







He was soooooo cute. I'm gonna watch it again tonight.


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## doctorcathy (May 17, 2004)

> He had a little Maltese on this morning. i taped it. His name was buba or something like that. 9 years old but looked like a puppy to me. he was so cute and funny. He had many problems. he kept licking the owner and another problem he was going nuts when he see other dogs. and he had separation anxiety. He also wouldn't come when you call him by his name, he only came to you when you say chicken
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i saved that to my tivo. LOL. i asked ceaser about bubba....and he said that the lady didnt really follow through with everything since her husband had died and stuff.







but he did have a shih tzu and another little dog...it might've been an italian greyhoud? anyway, they were in the area with the pitbulls and german shepherds and rottweilers and they all got along great.


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## Michelle&Roxy (Mar 10, 2006)

I think the show is entertaining and the idea is smart. Well, the alpha idea, basically. I've been doing that with my parents' dogs, two chihuahuas and a pointer/lab mix, as well as my maltese, Roxy, and they're much easier to be with, and more happy it seems. By setting ground rules for your pup, it lets them know you care, because you're not letting them go out of control and possibly harm themselves mentally or physically in sometimes obsessive ways... not to mention it makes it easier for you, too. But, I also think he can be too aggressive, that I dont agree with... I go with the alpha way and positive training. Plus, with some particular cases, being agressive can make the dog's behavior escalate rather then cure it. 
For instance, my cousin's dog, Daisy, a chihuahua/atlas terrier mix. She's about the same size as Roxy, but has the bad habit of when she gets in a playful mood, she starts to bite and her teeth are sharp and she bites down hard... what a baaaad combo! So, instead of being aggressive to her, as odd as this sounds, my cousin lets out a high pitch yelp, as if SHE'S a dog in pain whenever Daisy bites her, and then when Daisy stops and sometimes licks her, she praises her. If she bites harder, she'll yelp then get up and walk away, ignoring her for 30-60 seconds, which is a long time to most dogs- and it has been working- she's beginning to understand that it hurts and not to bite down so roughly. It's fine for her to bite, as it's normal for young dogs to do that, but she also needed to learn the boundaries. If my cousin had instead gotten after her, or got her muzzle and shook it, or as one of Cesar's tricks, use two fingers and "shock" her to stop it, her habit could've possibly escalated into an aggressive behavior due to becoming afraid. 
Maybe with certain breeds his method of raw authority works, as I dont know how all breeds are, but definately with the smaller breeds- I'm not sure that'd be definately the way to follow.
I do recall him using this training collar, I forgot what it's called, but it had "teeth" that would tighten to the dog's neck when he jerked it, with any breed, I dont think I'd ever like to see that collar on them, luckily the show says in advance not to try any of the techniques yourself- I just hope people follow that rule. I honestly dont see that as a good method, maybe I baby my dog and my family's dogs too much, but I definately dont want them being afraid of me, there's a difference between them seeing you as an alpha and just be afraid to do something wrong...


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