Score one for critical thinking!

I just read this Globe and Mail article "Are the Dog Whisperer's methods safe?" at this site. Now, normally I try very hard to refrain from these sorts of posts. Those of us in the positive training world all know what the science and research says, and we all know that these methods DO NOT WORK.

However, I just wanted to comment because I am thrilled to see critical thinking on this topic happening in the general media. I want to say thank you to Rebecca Dube, who wrote this article, for looking at things objectively and seeing past the glitter of "Cesar's Empire."

The problem with the celebrity of someone like this, who uses outdated and potentially harmful methods, is that as a nation we trust celebrities, and if they do it, we think we should do it. This is proven by the fact that he is a celebrity in the first place. On top of this, to use words like "whisper" and to defend obviously harsh physical punishment as "natural" does a disservice to dogs, and to their owners. Misinformation is like a virus, and one drop can kill a lakeful of positive intentions.

Remember to think CRITICALLY! Celebrities are just people. They are not gods, or prophets, or experts in anything other than being celebrities. When something looks too good to be true, and someone with perfect teeth tells you it is true, it is best to be wary until the facts are in.

There has been a lot said about this argument, so I will not repeat it again, but please check out the following links if you are interested in further professional opinions about the science of dog training and animal behavior.

From Jean Donaldson (also lots of other great articles)
http://www.urbandawgs.com/divided_profession.html

The Anti-Cesar Millan
Ian Dunbar's been succeeding for 25 years with lure-reward dog training; how come he's been usurped by the flashy, aggressive TV host?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/15/CMGPHL9D1N1.DTL#ixzz0tVk63bsZ

Paul Owens, The ORIGINAL Dog Whisperer, who really does whisper
http://www.dogwhispererdvd.com/faq-national_geographic_dog_whisperer.html

First video! Billy learns to wait!

OK, so this may not seem very impressive at first. However, Billy is a very hyper dog, and he has never, in his six years, had to wait for anything. He has come to my friends after 6 years of living with total instant gratification. Suffice it to say, he has some impulse control issues. Especially when asked to stay still, and ESPECIALLY when it comes to his ball!

So...as soon as he arrived (about a month ago) we instituted the Nothing In Life is Free plan. He can just manage to sit for a second before we go through doors. He still can't contain himself when freedom and great smells are just on the other side of the door. But today he learned to wait for his ball!!!


So, I made a video. Here it is....enjoy!