I'm so pleased to see that Wales is to be the first part of the UK to ban the use of electric shock collars for “training” dogs. http://ow.ly/1bmSn Wales hasn't always had a very good track record for canine welfare, since it houses more puppy farms than anywhere else in the UK.
This has happened because a lot of animal welfare groups have been working with the Welsh Assembly to ban what the RSPCA calls “a cruel, outdated and unsuitable method of training dogs.” They say “electric shock collars train dogs through pain and through fear”. Just ask any dog that's ever been subjected to them.
So that makes me wonder, again, about Monsieur César Millan and his methods. I have never seen one of his programmes, but I have seen parts of them on YouTube. In one, he seems to be using a shock collar on a dog which does not like cats, although he doesn't say he's using one.
I was puzzled about that, so I asked Monsieur Millan a question about it, a month ago, via Twitter.
@cesarmillan Did you really use an electric shock collar on this dog monsieur? http://ow.ly/ZNi6 If so can you explain why, s'il vous plait?
I didn't get a reply. I know he's very busy and I'm only a little dog, but I would still like to know the answer to my question. I'm pleased to see that if you put “Cesar Millan electric shock collar” into Google, my question comes up on page one, so it's there for all to see.
And I'd like to ask again. If Wales thinks these shock collars are so bad they have to be completely banned, why does Mr Millan think they are a good thing to use? If he uses them, why doesn't he say so, at the time he's using them. And why doesn't he warn people that their use will shortly be against the law in one part of the UK.
Most importantly, why doesn't he tell people that while it might, just might, be ok for very experienced dog handlers and trainers to use them in exceptional circumstances, with great care, they should definitely not be used by inexperienced dog owners unsupervised at home.
For those of you new to my blog, ma maitresse rescued me from a rehoming centre where I was very frightened, so now I can get a bit aggressive if I feel threatened or I don't understand something. I'm gradually training ma maitresse in the best way to explain things to me, so mostly we get along fine and I now have her trained to give me treats when I do the right thing.
Luckily, she's not keen on Mr Millan and his methods. She doesn't believe in his dominance theories. Nor do I. If ma maitresse wants to be pack leader, that's fine by me. I'm only a little toutou, and a scared one at that. I don't want to be top dog. If I growl a bit sometimes it's because I get worried when I don't understand things. Luckily, she usually gets down to my level and explains things a bit more clearly and gently. If she grabbed me by the throat and threw me onto my back – I think M. Millan calls it an alpha roll – I would be so frightened I would definitely bite her.
I try to read everything I can about new ideas to help us dogs train our human beans, and I read this very interesting article on M. Millan and the principle of parsi...parsley .. keeping it simple. http://networkedblogs.com/Crlt (Please excuse me, my heenglish is not very good). I like this article, it makes a lot of sense to me.
When I growl, I'm trying to tell you something, usually that I'm afraid because I don't understand what you just asked me to do. Because even though human beans are supposed to be intelligent, they sometimes don't realise we simply don't speak heenglish, or French, or any other human language. We speak dog, and body language. Very well. Much better than they do. So sometimes when they bend over trying to be friendly, they're really saying something scary and threatening in dog body language.
Most of us dogs know when we're onto a good thing. We don't want to become “pack leaders” in the human bean world. All that stress- who needs it? Going to work, paying bills, doing the shopping. Merci, mais non.
We're perfectly happy to be your faithful companions, ready with a lick and a wag to cheer you up when you need it, desperately keen to get the rules right in your complicated society. Sometimes we get them wrong. When we do, please just ask yourselves – could I have explained that a little better, and give us a second chance.
Please don't ever, ever, subject us to electric shocks, prong collars and choke chains, because they are never the answer.
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I understand your concern,but i am also someone who is going to stick his neck out and say that Cesar does alot of good work also.
RépondreSupprimerI do agree that there are some things that i probably think he is avoiding, although i do not wish to jump on the bandwagon before i know all the facts (admitedly i need to find all the info available-i might change my mind then).
All his programs at the beginning have a warning saying that these techniques shouldn't be done without the consent of profession trainers (or words to that effect).
ALso i did see him (vaguely remember)use this collar, but the dog concerned basically either had this,or was to be put to sleep.I'm not sure where i stand on this?
Also i respect the RSPCA, but they are on eof the ones calling the questions over Cesar;however their history is hardly respectful either...they could be called inhumane as well in some things they have done.
What i am trying to say is this...this seems to be a good time to try and show everyone the basics of dog training,also to show a united front on puppy farms..all bad publicity is going to shoot us in the foot.
I try and take lessons/training/info from all concerned and i guess i and my partner,use all this to have our own way of training..somewhere in the middle ground.
I have tried to answer your questions sincerly, and support all concerned views,but i just urge caution. Yes i do like alot of what Cesar does-i probably think that many would not like me for this....but i stand up for what i believe in; if we have a go at Cesar, maybe we should start with overs also..where would this end..or is it just a witch hunt.
Thanks for your blog post..hope i have not upset you at all in what i say.
Thank you for your frank and very honest opinions, mon ami. I understand and respect them. I just question whether shock collars are the right thing to be showing people now they are starting to be banned. After all, if they are all banned, people will have to find an alternative method, or many more dogs will be put to sleep, non?
RépondreSupprimerHi there,
RépondreSupprimerThis CM thing could be used positively I agree DanDare6. I just wish that rather than go for a witch hunt someone would work with caesar & producers. The disclaimer, dont try this at home probably wouldnt stand up in a court of law so the channel should be trying to resolve these complaints against their programme. Anyone standing up and putting their head above the canopy expects to have things thrown at them but I would expect the channel to be taking this seriously cos the complainants are not just uninformed "do gooders" . If the dog psych people work with him and show why what he does works with some cases and why it is dangerous for lay people to replicate these techniques it would be a start. You dont get converts by harassing people, perhaps he could be brought over from the "dark side". Perhaps the positive training lobby should practice what they preach as we all know that its the humans they are training anyway, so apply your magic to the Dog Whisperer, prove to him that this positive stuff actually fits very well with his stuff and can strengthen it and make it more accessible to more people - or am i just a confirmed, naiive optomist and us humans only know how to solve conflict with aggression unlike our calming four legged friends.
Also CM is just replicating what many trainers have done for many years until more enlightened training techniques emerged. It is quite tough for him to carry all the blame for it. He's just "unlucky" he has got famous using what is now outdated techniques. Ian Dunbar has been very measured in his comments about DM technique. It just feels like someone who is good at conflict resolution needs to get involved and surely there are some dog training specialists who should have that expertise under their belt. If we got the Cm machine behind positive training ( he is already supportng banning puppy farms then we would really be "cooking with gas" as he does have a very big audience of followers.
Merci pour a very balalnced argument. I agree with you. I think a lot of good people have asked M. Millan to appear in public and explain himself. But I understand it's always his lawyers who go on the attack like ggressive guard dogs, which is a pity. But of course we can't tell if it's M. Millan himself who is behind this attitude or just the publicity machine around him, protecting the goose that lays the golden eggs. I'm still waiting for him to reply to me, but he hasn't done yet. But I'm just a little toutou, so perhaps I'm not important enough, or wouldn't bring enough publicity.
RépondreSupprimerI really like the comments here. Well informed and extremely useful for people like me who deal with the aftermath of people trying our Cesar's stuff every day.
RépondreSupprimerSince he now has a UK TV show in the pipeline the problem could become truly epidemic. It is of urgent importance that the methods I myself also learned so long ago don't resurface. God help the dogs of our country if they do. My caseload is already jammed solid with post-whisperer clients.
There are moves underfoot in the USA to get this kind of negotiated rapport going. Sadly however, the Cesar pr machine has already taken over thaat process by allowing it to underpin what he does as 'acceptable'. This p.r. machine is one of the most incredibly manipulative I have ever witnessed. They really DO know how to influence people. It's not all the man himself, he is their cash cow. He is rich and successful from it - I don't feel sorry for him at all.
It is easy to sit and pick holes in something and be accused of witch hunting. I work really hard to promote a positive message.
However when I am faced with yet another person with a scarring dog bite, having had their dog put to sleep because they tried something they saw Cesar do, I don't think he helps save dogs at all.
Another very well balanced comment, merci. If only it were possible to work WITH M. Millan for the good of all dogs everywhere, it would be a much better world. To take the things he does which are good, and there must be some, and focus on those and get him to stop using the harsh and outdated methods. He obviously has great charisma, what a wonderful ambassador for dogs he would be if one could only persuade the poacher to turn gamekeeper.
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