In my previous post, you read about how I saw some good in Cesar Millan.
I felt he could use his influence for a world of good for dogs everywhere… if only he revised his methods.
After all, his downfall took a toll on him. The bad press, the protests, his show getting cancelled – that must have really discouraged him. It had to have inspired him to study with professional dog trainers, become educated in dog behavior and body language, and toss out his dependence on physical punishments and aversive tools. But it didn’t.
Recent events on Cesar Millan’s new show prove to me that he simply refuses to change.
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What Happened On Cesar 911: Simon Strikes Again
You can watch a 5-minute clip on Youtube with play-by-play commentary from dog trainer Vicki Dawe. Or, watch the full episode of Cesar 911: Simon Strikes Again on the National Geographic website.
If you can’t tune in, here’s a rundown on what happened:
Photo courtesy of Dogster
Simon, a French Bulldog-Boston terrier mix, attacked and killed his owner’s two pet pot-bellied pigs. The owner turned to Cesar Millan to cure Simon’s aggression towards pigs so she could one day own another. Millan said he planned to help Simon create a “positive memory” around pigs – and you can almost feel a glimmer of hope.
Millan brought Simon to his own pig pen on his property, where three medium-sized pigs were peacefully grazing, splashing about in their kiddie pool – unaware that they were about to have a very, very bad day.
At first, Millan had Simon on a slip lead – a leash that can tighten around the dog’s neck to correct it.
“He was so stressed the entire time Cesar had him on the leash,” says dog trainer Jill Breitner.
Simon wasn’t attacking the pigs, or even looking at them. In fact, he was sniffing the ground and panting, avoiding the pigs. Simon looked toward the pigs, then turned his head away from them – only to receive a leash correction from Millan. Simon was showing signs of stress. His ears were stiff, his lips pulled back tight as he pants. He sniffed the ground as though to keep busy, and to avoid drawing attention to himself.
Simon is choosing to avoid the pigs – he’s being a good boy – yet nobody is acknowledging this.
Illustration by Lili Chin.
At this point, Millan instructed Simon’s owner to let him loose, “…the worst thing he could have done,” notes Breitner. Simon licked his lips, held his ears back, and paced about, but he still did not attack the pigs.
Behind a flower pot, one of the show producers restrained a pink pig by lifting it by its hind leg, causing it to squeal. This is where Simon got set off. He took off towards the pig as the producer continued to restrain it. Millan successful grabbed Simon, lost his grasp, and then grabbed him again.
The pig’s ear is bloodied; Simon had successfully ripped off a chunk.
Millan then held Simon by the collar and made him lay down, then shook his finger in the dog’s face and scolded with his famous tssst.
Simon, agitated and over-aroused, immediately took off running again, this time towards a spotted pig. Millan leaped for Simon, falling on his side as the dog dashed beyond his reach.
Millan finally caught Simon again as the dog cowered, anticipating punishment. Millan hovered over the dog and pinned him on his side, and jabbed his face until the dog was finally too intimidated to resist.
Investigation Under Way Over ‘Simon Attacks Again’
At the time of this posting, Cesar Millan and his show crew are being investigated for possible animal cruelty, and will be questioned about the pigs’ location and well-being.
Cesar Millan and his employees may have committed the crime of using an animal as bait.
In the meantime, it’s about time Cesar Millan’s TV career came to an end.
The pigs, three stressed and one injured, aren’t the only victims of his “training.”
Thousands of dogs have been intimidated, pinned and jabbed by Millan. Hundreds of thousands more have been pinned and tsst-ed in the homes of Millan fans around the world as people try to replicate his outdated, dangerous training methods.
That’s why it’s time to take a stand for dogs everywhere.
Sign the Change.org petition to ban Cesar Millan from the National Geographic channel and cancel Cesar 911.
Why Intimidation Is The Worst Remedy For Fear
Screencap from Jill Breitner’s dog body language app, Dog Decoder.
Millan and his crew seemed to think the attack came out of nowhere. But any educated dog trainer could see it coming from a mile away, even in the show’s final cut.
Simon is stressed as soon as they enter the pig pen. His stress intensifies as he’s subjected to Millan’s leash corrections and punishments. “A real trainer would have noticed these body languages and either redirected the dog or removed him,” adds Breitner, “he was way too stressed and then became over threshold.”
How Simon Can Be Helped
For a dog with blood on his paws, management is the most likely long-term solution.
“Once an animal has actually killed another it’s most likely that it will be a dog that needs to be managed …never fully trusted,” says Breitner. As a professional dog trainer, she has successfully helped clients with dogs who have killed cats find teach their pets to live in harmony – without the use of force or intimidation.
Reversing fear-based aggression requires consistent, positive training. The dog needs to be reintroduced to his fear little-by-little.
“If this foundation is laid in a trusting way, over much time, the dog can begin to trust its guardian and not become reactive – thereby become aggressive,” Breitner advises. It can take weeks or months to build a positive association and alleviate the dog’s fear.
Millan’s method in the video is best described as “flooding.” The dog was exposed to too much, way too soon. This put the dog in a stressed, over-aroused state, making learning impossible. Millan claims to intuitively understand a dog’s state of being, yet failed to notice that Simon was beyond his breaking point.
Simon needs to be praised and rewarded when he chooses to keep his cool around pigs. He needs to play games and enjoy his favorite things when he’s in the presence of his curly-tailed foes.
After the incident, Millan continued training with Simon at his Dog Psychology Center in California. If he continued to use intimidation and punishment – maybe even harsher punishments when the cameras aren’t rolling – Simon may feel just as untrusting of humans as he does pigs.
Update: Cesar Leaves Simon Hanging
I wish I had some good news to share.
But after watching the full episode, I can only hope the investigation extends to the physical abuse and negligence of Simon’s welfare – because this just ain’t right.
Early in the episode, Millan takes Simon for a walk to assess his condition.There’s a random guy walking his black lab off-leash across the street – a dangerous set-up. Millan and Simon approach the dog to about three feet away, and Simon doesn’t do anything wrong. He avoids the other dog. 
Millan walks Simon up to the other dog again, this time, Simon begins growling and barking from a few feet away. So, Millan brings him even closer to the other dog. The black lab curiously approaches Simon, and now, Simon feels he has no choice but to attack the other dog before it attacks him.
Millan then yanks Simon up in the air by his leash and collar, and for a few moments, Simon is flailing around with all four paws off the ground, hanging by his neck.
To make things way worse, Simon is a mix of two brachycephalic breeds. These flat-faced dogs should always be walked with a harness to avoid airway collapse and dislocated eyes from the pressure of a flat collar. Being hanged like this was not only terrifying for Simon; it could have seriously injured, even killed him.
How To Help Dogs Everywhere
The pig commotion made for exciting, dramatic reality TV. It’s wasn’t only barbaric – it was harmful.
Dogs everywhere are getting alpha-rolled, pinned, jabbed and tsst-ed. All because Millan and his crew refuse to update their training techniques. Dog owners are being misinformed, on a worldwide scale, on how dog psychology really works, and how reactive, fearful behavior should be managed. Fear and punishment-based training methods are never effective or safe for use on any dog, let alone one that is already anxious.
Sign the petition to ban Cesar Millan from National Geographic.
She also uses her pet copywriting business to make sure the best pet products and services get found online through catchy copy and fun, informative blog posts. She also provides product description writing services for ecommerce companies.
As a dog mom to Matilda and Cow, she spends most of her days taking long walks and practicing new tricks, and most nights trying to make the best of a very modest portion of her bed.
You'll also find her baking bread and making homemade pizza, laughing, painting and shopping.
I am so glad that he is finally being investigated for animal cruelty! I hope this is a lesson for him and that he will actually get educated in dog behavior. He has the money to do it!! I don’t understand why he’s not! He failed the dog training test in Germany, you’d think that would of been the wake up call… Anyways, great post!
Thanks Lauren! Some people don’t need a wake up call – they need a freakin’ SIREN. I’ve always felt sorry for him, but that’s not lasting – now I just feel sorry for all the dogs who have directly or indirectly been affected by his stubbornness to stick to his ways.
Same here. For years I have read complaints about Cesar in the dog rescue community. I thought it was jealously, but I had seen questionable scenes in his show through the years also…unnecessarily roughness. But I was merely a dog lover, not a trainer, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. But now I know more about dog behavior and. in this specific episode, I cringed many times. I was on my tiptoes during the pig enclosure part.
After the attack, Simon’s owner was shaken by having to relive her trauma, and Cesar seemed surprised at that?” He said “you ok? oh…you are not ok”, and did not even offer a hug or apology to the lady. I knew what she was feeling b/c I had been through a dog attacking my own dog 2 yrs ago. I thought “how could Cesar put Simon near pigs before he worked with him some? It was for added drama to the show. His crew filmed and edited that, and left the scene as it was, and no one thought about this possible repercussion? So the whole crew is clueless? I don’t believe that. The 2nd attack happened because one guy held the pig who wanted to get away, while Cesar let Simon free again, next to the pig! That clearly showed the set up.
This article has been so informative. The displacement behavior, which I didn’t know too much about in animals, is scientifically backed; PTSD and addictions after trauma are examples.
I guess that if you’ve learned dog behavior from your dad, and too stubborn to realize you don’t know everything, then your name is Cesar. Everything that happens is an opportunity to teach us, but I wonder if Cesar is in protective or submissive mode. Is he going to take his ego out of the way, or stand his ground in defensiveness? I hope the former, b/c I would like to still like him.
Thank you!
Poor pigs…and poor dogs! It’s always made me sad to think about owners using his techniques, punishing their dogs when they could be using training methods that help to build a strong, positive bond with their dogs. I’m also glad that he’s finally being investigated and hope that the general population of dog owners takes notice.
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Oh wow, I have never seen his new show but this is so sad to hear about that poor innocent pig. I will definitely be keeping my eye on this story!
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This is all so disconcerting – while I take no joy in the suffering of any being (human or dog alike), I actually have serious reservations that National Geographic felt the set-up posed no threat. They have producers and animal handler executives – not hacks, and for this to have happened creates so much doubt in everyone involved.
MattieDog recently posted…What Would Your Dog Do With Thumbs?
I’ve never seen Cesar’s new show, but I’ve seen a few episodes of older shows and even though I know nothing about dog training (I have a cat), some of his methods don’t seem correct.
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I have never really followed Cesar. I have watched a few of his shows when nothing else was on, but never been an avid follower. I knew some people liked him and some didn’t. However, these recent events have been rather enlightening to me about what kind of trainer he is.
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Det var da en aldeles fantastisk nydelig jente:DDDDD Jeg må vell snart se å strikke noe til mine små barnebarn:DDDDD Joda, lyn og torden var innom Moss en tur tidligere i kveld, men ble borte etter hvert. Har en bikkje som er aldeles vettaskremt for lyn og torden. Klemz Grethe
this is great work that you are venturing into we we can assist you in the training of the women in making the re-useable sanitary towels. nothing compares to a smile of a girl who is confident and assured of her health(sanitation) during this time of menses which she has to go through every month
Diana really does look a lot like the Goldsmith children. And so does William. It reminds me of the rumor that Diana's youngest son was not Charles's son but in fact Major Hewitt's. It is like a repeat thread then, if both stories are true.
I have never liked him or watched his shows
I just want to say that no matter who is training you NEVER have a dog and pig together!!!!!!! You have an animal that is pray and another animal that is a predator!!!!! People need to research pot belly pigs before they get one. A pig will not back down, that is why 9 out of 10 time a dog and pig get into a fight the pig will lose!!!!!! You NEVER HAVE A PIG AND DOG TOGETHER!!!!!! People do your research!!!!! This was not the dog’s fault nor was it the pig’s. And it wasn’t just Cesar’s fault, it was also the owner of Simon, she should have known you don’t put a dog and a pig together!!!!
The latest controversy is certainly filling up my social media feed, although as a cat owner, I’ve never really watched his shows or followed him too closely.
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Ugh. The whole debacle is awful. That dog was set up to fail and those poor pigs. I hope the petition does some good.
I had been a fan of Milan for a while, but the shows I saw involved responding to energy – you and the dog- and not the ‘correction’ techniques I’ve been reading about. I’m starting to rethink the whole thing, especially since he seems to have become more about the show and ratings – baiting the dogs to react – rather than really helping the dogs.
I think the main problem (among many) with Cesar Milan is that people believe they can use his method on their own dogs. You end up with a dog that has MAJOR trust issues. All dogs react differently and it is important to find the method that works best with you and your best friend.
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How sad for the pigs and stressed out Simon. I think there is a place for correction but this whole event seems very inappropriate. The best thing about mistakes is that we can learn from them. Too bad Cesar didn’t take advantage of that. What an interesting show it could have been if he followed up by admitting he failed Simon and the pigs with that technique and tried again with a better one. I did have to laugh on one episode where he showed his pack and said his little frenchie female was the boss. As a previous frenchie guardian I have no doubt about that.
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Today I checked out the full episode and additional clips released by them – CM marched Simon right up to a random unleashed dog. When Simon attacked, CM pulled him up by the leash until all four paws were off the ground. There was so much more jabbing and physical corrections than this clip, and very little addressing or acknowledging Simon’s fears.
Now, Simon’s owner is saying he’s cured, and that he’s friends with the pig – when really he’s just tired of all that jabbing. :/
This makes me very sad for the pigs and for Simon AND for all the dogs who’s owners try to replicate what Milan does on his show. This is just terrible. Positive reinforcement is always the best training technique in my opinion – punishment only serves to intimidate and scare dogs, and that’s not what any loving pet parent wants to do. I have never seen Ceasar 911, and now I don’t think I’ll ever watch it if all of the episodes include punishment techniques.
I feel bad for Simon and the Pigs. I have seen some early videos where Cesar appears to have helped some really aggressive dogs by giving them alternative behaviours and affection and not letting them bully. I also find that Kilo feels much more secure and happy on a walk and is less reactive if he can walk right behind my husband and in front of me which was a suggestion of his. However, I do think now there is overwhelming evidence that positive reinforcement works better than fear and punishment just like with children or staff. I hope he updates his theories and methods.
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Thank you for a very informative post. I’ve seen a lot on this lately, but nothing as in-depth as your post here. I know he’s been scrutinized before, so this should (sadly) come as a surprise to no one. Very unfortunate and I feel so bad for the poor pig. And dog as well.
Hey Lindsay
You may be interested in this video National Geographic released recently on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natgeowild/videos/10153927275160930/
I’d love to see a follow up article and comments from others after watching that clip ?
Whilst people who do not like Cesar won’t love him after watching that clip .. just wondering what they have to say about the whole situation in light of the extra footage.
I saw the entire episode yesterday, and there’s so much more to say, but I’m afraid of bugging my readers with yet another post about him –
In the beginning of that episode, CM takes Simon for a walk to assess his behavior. There’s a random guy with an offleash dog, so CM brings Simon close as he’s showing stress signals and avoiding contact. So, CM brings him very close to the dog, face to face, forcing Simon to react. When Simon attacks the dog, CM pulls the leash up so hard, all four of Simon’s paws are dangling off the ground. For a flat-faced dog, this is especially dangerous – he very easily could have killed him.
In that clip, CM leashes Simon to the pig, so Simon is pulled along the very thing he fears – the dog finally shuts down after CM’s jabbing and tssting throughout the episode, and there’s surely more physical punishment going on off-camera, too.
Positive trainers work with dogs like Simon all the time. They don’t have to resort to these methods, they use muzzles and long lines, and they never move so quickly, forcing the dog into situations it cannot handle.
Sorry to fly off the handle there, but nothing CM does is okay! He doesn’t cure dogs. It takes a LOT of jabbing and pinning to get a dog to finally feel helpless, afraid to do anything.
If Simon were helped by a professional, certified positive trainer, he could actually enjoy being around pigs, instead of living in fear of punishment – which his owner will have to keep consistent with if she doesn’t want him to relapse.
I stopped watching him years ago because my gut always told me his technique was cruel and most of it I couldn’t follow anyway. It just went against my grain. I’m glad he’s being called out. I hope he loses his show too.
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Wow, I can’t believe a French Bulldog killed TWO pigs, that is so awful. My heart goes out to the owner, I can’t imagine one of my pets killing the others.
I was horrified to see the video and I liked that you included displacement behavior visuals as these are SO important to know about and once you can read your dog, you’ll know when they’re stressed. This whole issue is super scary given he has a show that airs everywhere.
I’ve never been a fan of Ceasar. I am glad there is an investigation.
Thank you for a such a thorough article. And I, too, like that you posted tips, infographics, and visuals. I’m a firm believer in really knowing and understanding your dog and using positive reinforcement.
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I don’t even know what to say. I am horrified at Cesar’s methods, I feel badly for the pigs (Cesar’s and those that perished) and very sad for Simon. I hope Simon gets the help he needs.
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This sounds horrible, I admit I have only watched a few of the Dog Whisperer shows. I’m not really qualified to comment on his techniques, I just know that they aren’t right for me and I really can’t see how asserting dominance is ever the right way to teach anyone. I think it is just bullying.
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I used to watch him, but I’ve had several dog owners to tell me why his methods are wrong. I watched the video with the commentary and it was very disturbing. I hope Simon can get the help he truly needs. I kind of doubt Cesar will change his methods because of all of the attention he’s received.
Very sad! I’ve never been a fan of Cesar or watched many of his shows.
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It is really sad that things had to happen this way. It sounds like Millan’s tactics were always more on the rash/punishment side of things. Stress is something that people always need to be on the look out for in their pets and in other people. In my opinion, humans snap under stress much more easily than cats or dogs do. Still, we are the ones with rational thought – the ones in control. If we want to see our pets behave properly, we have to be able to curtail stress and give clear instruction.
You started this post by mentioning downfall, protests and his old show getting cancelled. Can you please tell me what happened? Thanks
You need to scroll back to the top – for some reason the link jumps to the middle of the page.
Bet this won’t even get posted. You people are exactly the type of people that are bad for dogs and humans. You think anything that isn’t treating a dog as a human is “cruelty”. You nasty people want to destroy someone’s career simply because you disagree with them and then label everything they do as harmful and wrong. Cesar is amazing and what he does is amazing. He’s also a better person than most of you will ever be.
Obvious troll but, I’ll bite. If you think it’s nasty to write a blog post and write comments, but it’s not nasty to physically abuse a dog on camera and spread misinformation to millions of people – and never apologize or correct any of it – I don’t think you’ll like the rest of my blog. 😛
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This story is crazy – not sure how I missed this one. Thanks for sharing.
Like above, I hope this will be posted.
Do outcomes concern us?
What is the outcome with the charges? “No animal cruelty charges will be brought”. The officials responsible for identifying abuse said there was none.
The outcome for the dog: And a quote from the representative who brought a new foster dog to Simon’s owner at the end of the episode… “It was such a miracle to see him [Simon] interacting with all the dogs, just so calmly”.
Simon overcame his fear/aggression toward pigs/animals/dogs. He was even introduced to a new dog on his own turf at the end of the rehab period. And (way) more importantly, the dog was shown a Way Forward for other scenarios in which he feels out of control and therefore aggressive, etc. The way forward? Calm submission; a relationship-centered, empowered, healthy, happy, calm, submissive, trusting, relaxed, positive energetic state if being. And the courageous owner learned it too. Learned it and stuck with it. Where there used to be one pig-killing, dog-mauling monster wreaking havoc on self, home, owner, others… Three weeks later (shown at the end of the episode) the owner shows up to the Dog Psychology Center with a well adjusted 2 dog pack. Not a mistake. Not unique, considering this is the consistent result of Cesar’s methods applied correctly.
(Little social justice commentary here for a second … This is a minority empowering almost exclusively women in an aspect of their lives that’s very meaningful to them. Sounds 21st century to me.)
In the end, it’s about whole dog-human relationship modification; Not just behavior modification. And please refrain from typing the term “learned helplessness”. It’s over applied like the conservatives comparing Obama to one of the 20th century’s famous dictators. They don’t compare, it doesn’t apply. These dogs are vibrantly full of life.
So, please stop with the baseless claims that Cesar Milan’s methods are ineffectual. That ship has sailed. It works. It’s healthier psychologically than the alternative. It’s relationally, instinctually right… and before too long lab researchers will find ways to test his actual way of relating to dogs and I’m betting then it will have scientific basis too. Even right now, there’s too much positive, long-lasting proof “on the ground” to say out-of-hand, it doesn’t work. There wouldn’t be hoards of people like me trying to calmly spread the word about this beautiful way of being with a dog. We defend these methods both against the violent people that take it as permission to abuse their dog… and the people that refuse to actually accept that ownership of a dog implies the need to psychologically provide, in addition to food shelter, water. And in this instance, this dog was a pig killer already. Not theoretical.
How about this, send me even one link showing that his specific methods result in more relapses than other methods (not looking for your lab studies of “positive reinforcement vs other”)… I mean actually numbers on actual dogs Cesar has worked with vs., let’s say, the real world success/relapse rate of any well known positive-reinforcement-only trainer with 10+ years on the job)…
Do be careful here as well, because I’ve yet to see someone use 100% positive-only reinforcement training on all dogs. Invariably, certain poorly adjusted dogs receive some amount of positive punishment.
Why do I see Cesar Millan followers using positive reinforcement and positive punishment in tandem to help these problem dogs establish a new way of being.. And yet I hear most commonly from the positive reinforcement crowd is… “Well your aggressive dog is this way because the breed blah blah blah.. and this dogs background makes it blah blah blah… And it all just means that this dog will have to stay crated in the back room, put away when kids or dogs or even adults come, locked up until that time of day when you can be sure not to see another dog or person in the neighborhood.” And they’ll be double-leashed, harnessed, prong collared, choking themselves every step of the short frustrated walk.” You all have such outrage. Well, I have mine too, and from my side of the fence, it looks a lot like your methods and way of being is much more the problem that Cesar Millan’s
Hi Harvey, thanks for your very well thought out comment. A lot of it doesn’t really make any sense, but thanks for reading my article and asking all of these questions! I may do a series on trainers who have rehabilitated aggressive dogs without force, but if you’d prefer to get your information from a reality show that’s been hyper-edited and armed with NDAs, rather than scientific sources, industry professionals, organizations, and entire countries that have outlawed forceful methods and tools… well, best of luck! I think we all love dogs enough to feel relieved when we discover fun, force-free ways to train and rehabilitate them.
The positive-only crowd really seems to answer back the same way, with next to no real facts addressing the reality that the rest of us present to them. They stay safely “big picture”, hiding behind half truths and whole lies. You can say it all you want but the science is not decided like some think. The current wolf studies and dog studies do not back up your position in any way shape or form. Dominance is conveyed more subtly and less often than we used to think but hierarchy is as prevalent in all canine and canine like species. Biology determines the leader of the pack, and it’s necessary for survival and mental/physical health of the pack. The science on how dogs see humans is not decided. The science on dog psychology with adopted dogs and dominance issues is not decided. The science of positive-only methods is only somewhat decided. Positive reinforcement seems best and positive punishment is perfectly effectual and Very necessary in certain circumstances. The science concerning rehabilitating dogs, compared to other areas of research in other fields honestly is Sparse, so there’s not many truly robust answers to any of these questions. Findings can easily be ill-applied to human-dog real world relationships. The findings of most studies are not even thoroughly read by most trainers. What you’re likely to read is the biased claims of well intentioned but ultimately ignorant journalists who take huge liberties with the excerpts of these studies. I’m convinced, as are thousands of professionals and many organizations, that All-positive training is an unscientific hoax and a dangerous one, especially when (inevitably) mis-applied by owners. Please consider a balanced approach. Please watch more of Cesar’s shows, where you will find a great diversity of approaches; some episodes include next to no aversives, especially with anxious or under confident dogs.
Please, change my mind (my experience, really) about people in your camp and actually respond to the content for once. I responded to yours in the article. Outcomes and quotes from those involved. Your arguments “didn’t really make sense” to me either but I thought them through and answered carefully.
Thousands of trainers with science behind them have rehabilitated hundreds of thousands of dogs with an enormous amount of (combined) dog training years. They are Not turning out poorly adjusted, aggressive dogs. Their training outcomes are undeniably good and could not happen if the methods were as flawed as you think. Perhaps they don’t use the same aversives as Cesar Milan, but when his methods are examined fairly, there are way fewer points of disagreement than the positive-only crowd wants you to believe.
Open invitation to change my mind.
One more thing. The primary items made illegal by certain countries and even areas in the US are shock collars and prong collars, etc, which, in my opinion, are nearly useless and indeed cruel/ineffectual in the hands of any normal trainer or owner. And, to include the subject of the article above, Cesar Milan almost exclusively does Not use these devices either. To me, you sound angry and honestly jealous when you include these statements – and others like it – with your argument.
Cesar Milan has a Gift from God. MOST People of society are the Biggest Idiots of any species. They all follow like sheep without any real belief of their own. If the wind shifts so do they. Imo those ppl are a waste of space and fillers on this planet. And Those are the ppl that are the critics of Milan bc they fail to see his gift. Their opinions Do Not matter. Actually Nothing about them Matter. So keep it to urself plz. U know who u are.
I saw the pig episode multiple times and it was clearly unfortunate accident. Yes, he should had used a muzzle but I am sure he never meant to hurt his pig. I have watched all his shows over years, I had never seen any participating animals being hurt like that. What is unfortunate is that it’s so easy for people to get lost in details and ignore a big picture, but it’s a fact that about 4 million dogs enter shelters and over a million dogs are still euthanized each year in US. I can’t imagine how many dogs’ lives were saved by Cesar. I personally know a dog that was given up by many animal trainers and going to be euthanized but successfully rehabilitated back by Cesar because he made the owner realized how much human actions were contributing to her dog’s problems. Not everyone could afford a dog trainer and a TV show can reach and affect millions of people. Even if it’s a tiny fraction, that could be hundreds of dogs. If I am a true animal lover who wants to save as many dogs’ lives as possible, then why shouldn’t I embrace anyone or anything to save dogs?
Hi Mari, Cesar Millan’s shows are not meant to be used as a substitute for training or as guidance for at-home training – you’ve probably noticed the preface before each episode along the lines of “do not try this at home.” Dog trainers certified by reputable organizations such as CCPDT, KPA and APDT, as well as veterinary behaviorists who have degrees in veterinary medicine, all save lives of dogs with behavior issues without using forceful methods or outdated ideologies – those of which have been shown to make fear-based aggression even worse. If you’re interested in learning more about dog training and rehabilitation, stick around and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. If I can’t answer your questions, I’ll ask one of my qualified, experienced contacts who can.