I haven't read it, but have seen him as a guest on someone's show. When is his program on, and on what channel?

I'm a big advocate of positive reinforcement because it works. That said, I enjoyed Caesar's book, and think his emphasis on letting dogs be dogs and getting plenty of exercise and stimulation into their day are important messages. Some of his technique (flooding, alpha rolls) are very risky and I worry that people take these extreme methods and misapply them. A cookie and consistency will get you much further with the average dog. He's working with extreme cases.

A really really good read for you is 'The Other End of the Leash' by Patricia McConnell. You will learn a lot about animal behavior and HUMAN behavior from this book. So often issues with dogs are created by the way we human's act, and our actions are hardwired so we have to be aware of them in order to change ourselves and be more effective with our dogs. This is just a great book. Highly recommended.

I agree with Cynthia's assessment of Cesar. Some of the dogs he handles I wouldn't touch with a 10ft pole, literally. I will leave the alpha rolls to the experts.

I do think most of his general techniques can be applied successfully by dog owners that are trying to deal with mild to moderate behavior issues, or for training a new puppy/new dog.

I have applied his philosophy to training my 9 month old "puppy" with a great deal of success.

Maxmom, The show is on the National Geographic Channel. The time floats around, but I think it's usually on Friday evenings.

I have to say I love this guy -- I think we might have been separated at birth. I was stunned to turn on the tv one night to find someone who alpha rolls and thinks that dogs are wonderful as dogs. Why make them into humans? Sometimes we suck -- dogs are much better off as dogs.

I do have one dog (I have 4) in my pack that I think would really benefit from his analysis. Its very hard for me to get "into her head" and I sort of pride myself on being able to do just that with dogs. I also love that he teaches owners how to think with a pack mentality. The dogs often wind up much happier -- and so does the owner.

As a former shelter manager, the hardest thing for me to get across to the potential adopter was that it is soooo much easier to learn to speak dog rather than for a dog to learn to speak human.

I second the recommendation for "The Other End of the Leash." Excellent book.

Wish I could be as enthusiastic about Cesar Millan. As a trainer who deals with aggressive dogs, sure, he has value. But as someone who imparts his forceful techniques to the everyday dog owner via TV? That's where I have a problem. He's not working magic -- he's using old-fashioned negative reinforcement. Not all the time, mind you, but too often, he yanks, pinches or rolls dogs to get them to do what he wants. Effective? Of course. A dog will do almost anything to avoid fear or pain. And yes, some dogs have crossed the line, and that kind of training may be warranted. But the great majority of us have loving, non-aggressive dogs, and they'll respond just as well to treats and praise. That's the approach you'll find in Patricia McConnell's books.

She also talks about not Disney-izing our dogs and emphasizes how important it is to understand the way they think. Once you speak dog, you can be a much more successful trainer.

I tend to agree that positive reinforcement is a more humane way to treat a dog. However, having had many dogs over the years - I think its important to understand each particular dog, what they respond to, and then use the best techniques appropriate for that dog.

I've had dogs that were too headstrong or too distracted to respond to verbal praise or treats.

I've had other dogs that would have been traumatized by a tug or a grab and a simple strong voice command was the only correction they ever needed.

Understanding pack mentality is mandatory no matter what type of training methods you use... but what one uses after that whether its positive or negative reinforcement often times depends upon the dog. And the two methods can be used in combination very effectively.

Patricia McConnell's book is excellent (just finished re-reading it, in fact) and so is Cesar's.

I think people can get the wrong impression about what he does if they don't look at his basic philosophy first. As I understand it, he sees dogs in this country often being treated as child-substitutes or as furry people and, in the process, being denied many of the things they need for normal psychological development.

He doesn't recommend alpha rolls as a matter of course. He first recommends dogs get the physical exercise they need and an understanding that their human is their leader. Rules, boundaries and limitations can be instituted in a positive way. He suggests it is done with a calm, assertive state of mind which influences how you behave with your dog. The "negative" reinforcement techniques are applied only sometimes and to dogs who are dangerously hovering around or are in the "red zone" of severe aggression.

What really bothers me is that most of the positive reinforcement trainers I've talked with are SO negative about Cesar and misrepresent what he espouses. There's room for many different schools of thought because there are different situations and different dog and human personalities in the equation.

Well thanks for all the feedback. I got the book on Friday and am finished. I thought it was awesome and so much of what he says is very true and I am guilty of with my baby. In response to the rollover...he doesnt recommend it to the everyday "joe". His statements are mostly treat a dog as they were meant to be treated and how to interact upon meeting a dog. Exercise is the biggest tool in his theory. It is most likely true too. Most dogs I know these days, friend & relatives, ARENT exercised nearly enough. Most owners are walked by their dogs. I will definitely implement some or most of his suggestions.
I wish I could walk with 1-2 dogs off the leash and have them COMPLETELY obey and stay right by my side.

Thanks for all your comments and book recommendations.

Best,

I think people can get the wrong impression about what he does if they don't look at his basic philosophy first.

Agreed, BUT... the guy has a TV show. 99% of the people watching won't read his book or come close to understanding his basic philosophy. Their only knowledge of his seemingly magical techniques comes from what they see on television. And like any show, the cases they choose to feature are often the most sensational, i.e., aggressive. I fear that the everyday dog owner, not understanding the basis for Cesar's techniques, will use them on their own dogs -- often when such negative methods aren't warranted or necessary.

BTW, I have read one of his books, and I nodded my head at much of it. Specifically, the idea of exercise. I fully believe a tired puppy is a good puppy. Sadly, the more positive stuff doesn't make for great TV. A lazy dog owner -- there are more of 'em than we'd like to admit -- will breeze past the idea of long walks because, hey look!, this acclaimed trainer gets immediate results from an alpha roll or neck pinch.

I was happy to see this news release from the Humane Society.

Here is a link that might be useful: Inhumane, outdated and improper