i wish cesar would do an event in upstate new york ...like in rochester everytime i hear about a seminar i wish i could go but all of them are to far away and they seem to be in big cities...by the way does anyone know an idea to keep my female boxer/lab mix (maggie) from taking off to the hills when she gets loose im afraid that she will get whacked by a car cause when she takes off she dosent look where she is going she just boltsand usually it takes 20 minnutes or untill she is tired for me to catch her ...the only time she stays in the yard is when im on my 3-wheeler and thats when she is usually chaseing me when that happens

Ok, here's what I'm curious about, and so far I can't find ANY answers. I've been hearing allot of talk about Cesar using a shock collar on a dog named Spike. And that it was edited in a way that you couldn't tell that's what he was doing, and even his explanation of why he did it, was editted. I thought that I've seen every episode, but I don't recall that one.

Also, why have producers removed the part of the shows where Cesar walks and makes clear how important walking and dealing with a dogs enegy is? It's after all the of the main points in his philosophy, is it not?

Anyway, I still believe he's one of the most gifted people there is when it comes to working with problem pet *owners*. LOL

Keep up the good work Cesar
Aaron

Hello fellow Dog Whisperer fans. I just wanted to let everyone know that CNN will be airing a story on Cesar Monday morning (4/24). It will be on the show CNN Live Today which airs 10a-12noon EST (barring any breaking news of course - if it's bumped it should air on the following day). He won't be live on the set, this is a story that was taped a few weeks ago when he was in Altanta. I hope everyone enjoys!

Jen

Anyone read the NY Times bestseller Marley and Me? I am half way through and all I keep thinking is boy oh boy do these dog owners need Cesar! I think alot of us can sure relate to having dogs like Marley though. I will just keep on walking my little Miss Smartie Pants... walk and walk and walk. I am amazed on what a difference walking correctly makes. Thanks Cesar!!!!!!

Sarah,

Yes, as far as I know, there is a movement by certain groups to ban the use of all of these devices, due to missuse by some indivuduals, and a lot of emotional overeaction based on ignorance in their correct use.

It is a very controversial topic right now.

Spike's owner has posted that there is no current use of this collar by her, in Spike's continuing recovery.

RE: "Animal Cops Detroit"
Please contact the Michigan Humane Society and beg it to stop routinely killing dogs with behavioral problems that can be remedied quite easily with Cesar's methods. Dogs with simple food agression can be rehabilitated with minimal effort were their professional personnel to watch just one episode of Cesar's show in which this behavior is addressed, yet such canines are routinely judged unadoptable and "humanely euthanized"! Trained fighting dogs are judged impossible to rehabilitate when there are even now many prison projects in which inmates turn them into calm submissives over time, even without using Cesar's techniques. If you were such a dog, would you rather live as a gladiator, or be "rescued" and immediately killed? The New York ASPCA is not so cavalier in treating abused critters as disposable. The Michigan Society does great work, to be sure, but it needs to be made aware that there are now rehabilitation options that do not require excessive time and effort on its part. Please contact it at the link below and urge them to watch Cesar's show. Thanks.

"Please contact the Michigan Humane Society and beg it to stop routinely killing dogs with behavioral problems that can be remedied quite easily with Cesar’s methods."

I, for one, won't do it. Cesar's techniques are not one-shot cure-alls. They need follow-up and follow-through and NO, absolutely NO, humane society has the resources to properly work with the dogs and THEN work with the people who adopt them to GUARANTEE that the proper follow-through is done.

They have considerations above, and in addition to, the welfare of the animals and the main consideration is liability. When you are in a calm state of mind, sit down and ask youself: Would you undertake to GUARNTEE ABSOLUTELY that a dog you had worked with would be 100% safe in the absence of YOUR calm assertive dominance? Ask yourself: how would YOU feel if you certified a food protective dog to be safe and it disfigured an innocent child that got too close at feeding time because it's new owners did not follow-through with keeping it in a subordinate position in their "pack"?

Death is NOT the worst thing that can happen to a dog, and NO humane society is going to guarantee as safe a dog that exhibits agressive behavior. They simply can't do it. It's hard enough for them to get insurance coverage at reasonable rates as it is.

Some such organizations WILL give such dogs to experienced breed rescue organizations, but the people involved in that rescue must be prepared to sign a form accepting ALL responsibilty if the dog subsequently harms somone. Individual adopters sign no such form and most humane societies will not allow them to adopt a dog deemed unsafe.

It isn't nice. It isn't pretty. It is NOT the dog's fault. But it's the dog that pays they price for the faults of it's original owner. And it's still safer to put them down humanely than take a chance on them harming, disfiguring, or killing someone. That's the bottom line that adoption organizations of ANY kind have to deal with. And they deal with it in the best manner for ALL concerned...and yes, that does mean euthanasia for the animal.

Nightsun, I can't think of one DW episode where Cesar doesn't demonstrate the walk on camera. It's the entire basis of
dog rehab. There was the story about the Katrina dogs, which
was more about their rescue than it was about their rehab.
Maybe that's what you're referring to. But on that same
episode was the wonderful segment with the German Shepherd
Dog and his owner Marla who learned how to walk him.

I've taped every episode and have watched them over and over,
and I cannot ever recall Cesar using a shock collar on a dog.
It doesn't sound like something he would use. Wonder if the
owners of that dog were using the shock collar BEFORE consulting Cesar, and that may have been shown on DW as part
of the "before Cesar" footage.

Cesar I have a trebble fear of big dogs if you read this give me tips to loose the fear.

I also thought Cesar's idea about santuaries for aggressive dogs was an interesting idea given that its not their fault they ended up that way. I also thought it was interesting that he had offered to try to rehabilitate Hera, one of the dogs involved in the killing of the San Francisco woman but wasn't allowed for political reasons.

I know there is a sanctuary called Best Friends near Moab that cares for unadoptable animals like cats with feline leukemia, it doesn't seem much more of a stretch to have a place like that for unadoptable dogs because of behavior problems.

Yeah, sure...just put the dog down because the people in his or her life have been too ignorant to do right by their dogs.
I'm sick to death of hearing about the excuses for these wonderful creatures to be killed because nobody wants to take the time or use the resources to have them rehabilitated.
I have no patience for it anymore.

Robert, I contacted the Michigan ASPCA, thanks for posting the link. It's not hard to have the people who are all ready there doing the evaluations and working with these dogs to learn Cesar's techniques and at the very least give it a try. It's their duty to do everything they can.

It's horribly unfair for the dogs to expect them to come from an abusive situation and expect them to behave like nothing every happened to them.

I remember as a kid, coming upon a mass starfish stranding on the beach. It took me the better part of an afternoon to get all of those starfish back into the water.

Last year I heard a story on one of the dog boards, that touched me:

A man was walking along the beach, and came upon thousands of starfish, stranded on a sandbar, and baking in the sun. A monk was walking calmly amoungst the stranded creatures, very carefully picking up a starfish and placing it gently back into the ocean.

The man asked the monk. what did it matter to save one starfish, when so many were just going to die, anyway.

The monk replied, "It matters to this starfish."

The "top story" on our local news at 11:00 last night was
about a woman in the city who was walking her small dog and
somehow a fight ensued between the small dog and two large
dogs -- a Pit Bull (of course) and a Weimeraner. The Pit
Bull is either nursing or pregnant. The woman got bitten,
but she doesn't know which dog bit her (could've been her
OWN dog, no one is sure!!!). The "film at eleven" showed
the two big dogs being taken away in separate paddie wagons
by animal control officers. The Pit Bull was obviously the
superior dog because when they put her in the first paddie
wagon, the Weimeraner was freaking out trying to get into
that vehicle with her, but they made the Weimeraner get
into another vehicle. I was so incensed by this story.
If a Pit Bull had not been involved, we probably wouldn't
have heard a thing about it -- but because a powerful breed
was involved (and I can't stress enough that they didn't know
which dog bit the woman), it was the "top story" on the news.
Then of course there were the man-on-the-street interviews
of neighbors and so forth, with people saying that the two
big dogs are aggressive, etc etc. It has not been announced
what happened to these two dogs afterwards. I think they are
being held for a few days for evaluation or something. NOw
don't get me wrong... I would not doubt that the Pit Bull and
Weimeraner's owner probably doesn't have control over the
dogs, but it is just "assumed" that the dogs are mean and
they need to be taken away. Perhaps there's more to the story
than what they showed on TV, it just really made me upset.

On to more pleasant topics: KathyB you are SO funny!! On
being more insecure and unsure -- you're probably OK, don't
worry!! I had the opposite experience, all of a sudden
everything "clicked" and I finally "get it"!! You seem to
be doing a really great job with Roman. We humans do tend to
overanalyze! LOL

Cockers X3! Thanks again! It never would've occurred to me
to RENT a treadmill! What a great idea! You rock!!!!

Moderator's Note: Please refrain from posting outside links or personal information. They will be deleted. Thank you for your cooperation!

I think what would be an awesome idea is laws being passed that PEOPLE (no matter what breed of dog) MUST spay or nueter their dogs!!! If they are breeders I think they should be MADE to spay their dogs after so many litters and/or be responsible about where their dogs are going or being sold to…but that would only happen in a perfect world.

KathyB, I agree 100%
I think it should be a law, just like rabies shots are.

In my opinion you can take the plastic collar off for the walk. You are going to be with him all the time, so you can correct him if he starts licking his spot. Long walk is very important, I know it!

The dogs changed our life too. I don't go away anywhere because I just can't leave them. Even if I am gone for a couple hours longer than usual I start to worry. This summer is going to be the first time the kids and I will go together to see my parents overseas. I haven't seen them in 10 years, and I am excited to go, but deep in my mind I worry about the dogs. One of them will stay with a friend, the two others will stay home with my husband, so there will be no fights. I know that my husband will not give them as much attention as they usually get, I can only hope that they will get their walk/run daily. If he is tired or doesn't feel like it he will not take them anywhere, I have to work on that before I leave.

Ewa, boy can I relate!!! I used to travel A LOT, and now
I rarely go anywhere because I just can't bear to leave
"my boys" behind. My boyfriend and I work together, so
we tend to take separate vacations, but he doesn't walk
the dogs more than 5 minutes when he's on dog duty, so
when I get home they are always wound up tight as drums.
If we do go away together, we either take the dogs, or, if
we can't, we put them in a kennel because I don't want to
"owe" any of my friends, neighbors or relatives (just a
quirk of mine) so I'd rather pay a professional. But the
kennel we use doesn't walk them daily, so again they are
wound up and nuts when I pick them up. I'm going to try
a different kennel that my vet recommended. Last year,
at the kennel we've been using, both dogs caught a version
of kennel cough that the vaccine doesn't prevent against!
Boy was I p.o.'d!!! They were SOOO sick, and I had to
keep them confined at home for THREE WEEKS until they
were no longer contagious -- in the middle of summer. Ugh.

"I think what would be an awesome idea is laws being passed that PEOPLE (no matter what breed of dog) MUST spay or nueter their dogs!!! If they are breeders I think they should be MADE to spay their dogs after so many litters and/or be responsible about where their dogs are going or being sold to…but that would only happen in a perfect world. "

It's unworkable, at best. Think about it: breeders who care about their breed, and about their dogs, and about where their puppies go and how well they are treated are easy to find. THEY are the ones that will be most hurt by such draconian laws.

It's the so-called "backyard" breeders who let their dogs breed indiscriminately, who give the puppies away, who don't give their dogs good care, who don't care about who has their puppies or how well they are treated that are the hardest to find. THEY will not be affected at all by such laws.

What you are proposing would HURT the best breeders and not affect at all the worst ones. And who would you propose should enforce such laws? The USDA? Forget it...they can't even properly regulate the puppy mill breeders that they have under their authority as it is.

And how much in extra taxes would YOU be willing to pay so they can afford to hire enough inspectors to visit the house of every dog owner, every breeder...every vet, to ensure that dogs are being neutered "on scheduled"?

Do you want, instead, to have the local police enforcing the laws? You would still have to pay extra taxes so more can be hired. And is it really a good use of tax money to have sworn police officers chasing after dog owners and NOT chasing after the REAL CRIMINALS?

Beware the "reality based" consequences of what you wish for...you might get stuck with them.

"I think what would be an awesome idea is laws being passed that PEOPLE (no matter what breed of dog) MUST spay or nueter their dogs!!! If they are breeders I think they should be MADE to spay their dogs after so many litters and/or be responsible about where their dogs are going or being sold to…but that would only happen in a perfect world."

Considering there are 2.7 million dogs put down (nice word for killed) each year, I would have to agree with your statement, Kath B..

Then I guess the humane society wouldn't have to worry about being fully informed and having their evaluaters trained to reahab. /end sarcasim

A society is judged on how it treats the helpless and most vulnerable among us, including the four legged variety.
With 2.7 million dogs, that doesn't include cats, being killed each year, I'd say we're getting a poor grade.

Ok, I just viewed the episode that I'm hearing the romurs about. It's the one with the black GSD spike and the cat. Now I've watched it over and over, and can see that Cesar has something in his right hand. Is it a romote? I can't tell. But I will tell you this, towards the end of the episode, when the dogs laying down, you can see a silver buckle on a black collar, that looks allot like a e-collar. The question remains though, is it? I'm still not quite convinced. Can anyone actually spread some light on this, with actual facts.

Also as far as Cesar still stressing the importance of walking the dogs, I didn't see that mentioned or shown once in the episode of the pool obsessed yellow lab. did I somehow miss it?

Just so everyone here knows, I'm a big CM fan, His techniques and philosophy are allot like those of my mentors and myself. He is one of the few people left out there that after 25 some years of working with dogs myself, that I feel I can still learn some things from.

The reason I personally am asking the questions I'm asking, is I like facts, not rumors. So I will dig until facts are what I indeed have.

Thanks for your responces
Aaron

"Considering there are 2.7 million dogs put down (nice word for killed) each year, I would have to agree with your statement, Kath B.."

yes, there are that many...but remember, except for puppies born to truly feral dogs...ALL OF THOSE DOGS *HAD* OWNERS. A litter of puppies belongs to the breeder until they are placed (however they are placed) with a new owner.

Putting draconian breeding laws in place, as I said earlier, won't touch the BAD breeders...only the good ones. And when the good ones are gone, and they would be eventually, then the vacuum would be filled with puppy mills and backyard breeders. Is that what we want?

I don't.

Cockers x 3,
There are not ANY neighbors I would trust with my dog.
I am however in the process of waiting to hear from my trainer and the dog groomer I take Roman to, to have a new playmate/playdate buddie for him! My trainer has a client who has a Bullmastiff but the owners feel their dog is not "ready" to meet new dogs....that make no sense to me, but what do I know!hahahaaaa Also the groomer knows I am very interested in finding a playdate for Roman and is keeping her ears open for me!
Thanks for the idea though....but if you lived in my neighborhood I doubt you'd let one person come 10' near your dog!lol The only neighbor I know enough to ask, beats his dogs and I would have to shoot him or his wife if they ever layed a hand on my dog. I don't live in the worst neighborhood, but it's not the best either and Roman is a pretty big guy, so I wouldn't just leave him with anyone.

:)

A happy dog is a Walked / RAN dog!!!!!!!!
I think my lungs are going to explode, but it's SO worth it to see Roman laying on the floor happy!!!!!!lol He is panting like a mad man and I think I am going to pass out, but it feels AWESOME! And he is just grinning!lol

welp....just spent 10 minutes struggling to get the neck brace on...finally had enough and a "growl" from me got him on the floor. Poor guy...I know I sure would hate that thing!lol

"In which episode did Cesar address food agression? Must have missed it, I am highly interested in the subject… "

There was also one in the first season with an older Shih Tzu

AAAAAAArrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!lol

What the heck!!!!......Can ANYONE explain to me WHY I have such control over Roman OUTSIDE, but he is just flat out...I don't know what to call it....when he is in the house (let me add at this point that when it's JUST him & I, we are fine and he listens ALMOST perfectly, with a few teenager/14 month old Rott issues I have to work on!)???

I had my friend/computer guy over and I finally had to just put the baby gate up and keep Roman out of the room we were working in, as Roman would NOT leave him alone. It's a constant "battle" or a constant work to get him to back off and leave a person alone! I don't have company hardly ever, if at all, so I know part of it is that it's someone new and he LOVES people, but there has to come a point when I tell him to go and he will go without having to repeat the process a kazillion times! He also does it to my daughter, to where I have to work with him to leave her alone as he doesn't listen to her at all when she is on the couch and I intervene as she gets frustrated and that is negative energy.

Does ANYONE have some ideas or tips or SOMETHING on this one???....After awhile I get flat out frustrated, hence the gate, as my frustration is a negative energy so I know that's not good.

KathyB, I wish I knew! I have control over my dogs inside
the "den" (ha ha) but outside is my problem! Last
night's episode of DW showed Cesar "claiming" the couch
and the chairs during both the first segment with the
two Akitas and the last segment with the Shiba Inu. I
love that! "claiming" the door, the couch, the chair, the
gate, the car, the leashes! ha ha ha it is my new fave
thing! Maybe you have to keep practicing that. I know
when I want to sit on the couch, I just tell the dog to
move, and he does. When you say "won't leave people
alone" can you be more specific? Is he climbing all
over them, or pushing on them with his nose, or is he
being aggressive barking & stuff?

For anyone interested: an update on my post #25 above
the news story about the Pit Bull & Weimeraner. The
poor young woman with the small dog actually lost the
tip of her finger. There is an ordnance in the city
that all Pit Bulls must be spayed/neutered and muzzled
when in public (I didn't know that before). This Pit Bull,
poor thing, is either pregnant or nursing, so obviously
not spayed, and was not muzzled. The two dogs got away
from the owner while on a tandem leash and went after the
small dog, witnesses said. The Pit & Weimy are both
being held in the city pound for 10 days, after which time
a hearing will be held to determine their fate. That part
has me surprised because I previously thought that it
pretty much takes tons of court hearings before a dog can
be taken away in our area. But if there was a city
ordnance that was violated, well then nothing more can
be said. Such a shame. The footage showing them being
put in the paddie wagons was actually showing the owner
himself putting them into the vehicles. He assisted the
police. He put the Pit in one vehicle, and the Weimy
in the second vehicle. I guess he's been seriously fined.
It's an all-around shame. Big dogs like that just shouldnt
live in a city, in my humble opinion. It's not fair to
them to keep them cooped up in an apartment. The result
can be a frustrated, unbalanced dog.

Thanks for the clarification, KathyB. That's what I thought. My dogs do the exact same thing -- they just
"bug" people by pushing the guest's hand with their noses,
or bringing toys up to them. Exactly the same as you
describe. Mine will calm down after a couple of minutes,
unless there's food around -- then they are banished to
the back deck ha ha. How about trying no touch, no
talk, no eye contact at all?? The dog's feelings won't
be hurt, and he is probably waiting for the signal -- the
"go ahead" and once they say hi to him, then maybe he
gets reinvigorated. I rarely ever have guests (probably
because of my dogs lol!) but the last time a couple friends
came by to pick me up, and I wasn't dressed yet so I
invited them in and I told them that we are in training
and we need to practice how to behave when guests are
here. My two girl-friends came in and I had them sit
down in the living room. I did something I never did
before -- I just left the room and went to my bedroom
to get dressed. I was astonished when I returned to the
living room to find both dogs lying on the floor asleep!
WOW!! What I think happened was my two friends are not
necessarily "dog people" so they didn't really want to
pay any attention to the dogs in the first place. Then,
I ignored the dogs too and left the room. They had no one
to play with, so to speak, and so they just gave up!

K2

Again, I'm looking for facts. Here are "some" of the facts I know. #1. Cesar IS holding something in his hand (but I can't tell what it is). #2. At the end of the program, when spike is laying down, you will nitice he has what appears to be "two" collars on, his and a black one with a silver buckle. What kind of collar is it? As far as Cesar saying he doesn't use leashes on "his" pack. That's true for "his" pack, however when he first takes dogs in and walks them with his pack, he does put leashes on them and tie attach them to his waste. He also uses leashes on "his" pack when he roller blades them.

And last but not least. No the walk is "not" covered, or mentioned in the yellow lab/ pool episode.

as far as me being convinced about anything goes. Facts are what convince me, not opinions.

"And last but not least. No the walk is “not” covered, or mentioned in the yellow lab/ pool episode.

as far as me being convinced about anything goes. Facts are what convince me, not opinions"

You are missing one very important fact: that Cesar says he will do WHATEVER it takes to rehabilitate a dog. In the case of the water obessessed Lab, the walk was not as important as teaching THAT dog his limits and boundaries, AND teaching the owners the the dog could learn them.

Who cares if he did or didn't use a shock collar in one particular case? If he DID, and it helped that dog, then so what? If you watch enough of his shows you will see that his techniques are not "tool" specific. He will use prong collars, chock collars, buckle collars, head halters, the end of a leash looped into a choker, his Illusion collar...whatever it takes and whatever is available.

You are making WAY too much out of the details of what he does and not enough of what is NEEDED for a specific dog, family and problem.

For instance, he emphasises with most owners the importance of walking properly, with the dog beside or behind the owner and not in front...yet in the case of the nervous Viszla the VERY FIRST THING HE DID was take the dog rollerblading and let it GO OUT IN FRONT. Because in THAT CASE what was needed was for the dog to GO FORWARD and gain some confidence.

Don't get hung up on this or that tiny detail of what Cesar does, get hung up on the RESULTS.

I think what started the whole thing that Nightsun was
posting about is that Cesar has been criticized by some
for using politically-incorrect methods (in some people's
opinions) -- that's as far as the shock collar goes. As
far as the Lab episode and not focusing on the walk -- Doggone is correct, that dog needed something a bit
different. It's possible the owners were already walking
him/her properly. We won't know til we see it again! Hey NGC, when do the reruns start?! ha ha ha

Right, they rerun the episode immediately during the first
week after its debut, but when do the season 2 reruns
"officially" begin is what I mean? In the morning, they
still show season 1 reruns (10:00 - 10:30 and 10:30 - 11
eastern). And in the afternoon, like 4:00-ish, they'll
show last week's episode again, so you can catch it if
you missed it.

Question!!!!
What the heck is the big flippin deal over this shock collar thing???????
FIRSTLY......I do not think that Cesar would use it....the owners may but I do not see Cesar using that method as he is so in-tune to dogs and mother nature that he wouldn't have to.
I keep seeing the issue come up and to be quite honest for me.....WHO CARES!!!!!!!lol I DVR EVERY episode of Cesar's and I see (or try to) the big picture and what he is trying to help each INDIVIDUAL dog to over come!!!
Keep up the great work Cesar...YOU RAWK!!!!!! :D

Nightsun,
I am one of the most UN-touchy people you'll ever meet and I was asking a question. I guess things are getting tense as you are defensive regarding my post.
AND....I would actually lay MONEY on the fact that I do NOT believe Cesar would use a "shock collar" as it goes against the very techniques he uses!!!!!
Now if the dog owner uses it, then so be it, but I would more than willingly wager money on the fact that if indeed that dog had or was wearing a shock collar Cesar would not have been using it on the dog to train it....IF the dog WAS wearing one and the owners ARE using one, if anything Cesar MIGHT show the owners how to use it properly IF he could not convince them to use another method. HOWEVER...if I was paying a trainer like Cesar the amount of money it would cost...I doubt very much I would use a device like that.
Again I am not being "touchy" on the subject...I'm LOST!lololol It keeps coming up in different spurts and I'm confused as to what is the essence of the conversation. You are more than welcome to enlighten me if you'd like! :)

Kathy

I know things can be difficult when trying to translate the meaning of what someone is saying over on a web sight. add to that, that I'm no writer, and there you have it. I wan't people here to know that I am not trying to bash Cesar. I watch his shows, I've been to one of his sems, I own his book and DVD, and he shares much of the same philosophy both me and my mentor share. I've been studying canine behavior for years, I spent some 15 of my 25 years of working with dogs scent detection dogs, and I now own my own business doing behavior work with dogs. Finding someone like Cesar, who is like minded can be rare at best in todays dog training world. The only reasons for my questions, is that I'm enterested in what he does...period. When people in my line of work, who have been doing this for a long time, our learning never ends, and it's quite difficult to find to find someone whom you think can actually teach you something new.

I am looking for factual answers to a question. I will make no judgement regardless of what they are, I'm simply looking for answers.

Nightsun,
Can you tell me more please about why he would use it????
It seems to be opposite from what he uses, technique wise HOWEVER I know NOTHING about this collar, so I am being judgemental in the fact that it uses shocks or electricity.
Thanks for any insight!!!!

Cesar himself has for the most part stated he will use any tool, that does not harm a dog. As far as a shock collar goes, it is no more harmful than a correction from a choker or pinch collar, and used *correctly*...none of them are harmful. It is the *correctly* part people have a problem with. Lets take a closer look at the three. While some dogs may need only a flat buckle collar, this is not the case for some (problem) dogs, pure and simple. Now, checking the facts myself, dogs necks are stronger than ours, and than most would think. they use their necks almost the way we use our arms, and they use they mouths similar to how we use our hands. They pick things up, they tug and pull. Injury from these collars comes from improper use, like jerking a dog so hard you give it whiplash, popping it wrong and hitting the trachea. Great care to not actually harm any dog while giving a correction is key. And ALLOT of people don't seam to understand the difference in harming a dog vs finding it's ouch factor.

I do not judge Cesar for using one, and I have used them, but I would not have used one that way. If you ever watch sporting dogs hunting, you will notice they have a collar own. They are what we call "collar wise", meaning they know it's the collar shocking them. Cesar said he wanted the dog to think it was the cat causes the correction, not him. The problem with that (and Cesar should know) is that dogs are smarter than that, and IMO it wouldn't take the dog no time to figure out it's the collar.. If I'm going to work with someone and I can see there's no doubt an E-collar is needed, I will have the dog wear the collar off and on for approx a month, before I ever even turn it on, that way to the dog, it's just something it wears. Then it will NOT relate the correction to the collar. That being said, just because that's the way I would do it, doesn't make my way right, and his way wrong. As I always say, no one man or woman has all the *right* answers, and shouldn't believe they do.

As far as anyone wanting to judge Cesar for using the collars goes. I'll have you keep these facts in mind. No natural pack leader (dog) is gentile in their corrections of misbehaving pack memebers, and uses his/her teeth to do so. And while they may not break the skin, those of us who work with aggressive dogs and get bit will tell you. IT STILL HURTS and we have the bruises to prove it. So any tool used correctly, any correction given properly, doesn't come close to the corrections they themselves will dish out. Nature made them that way, not me.

Thanks Nightsun,

For digging out the truth of the situation, and giving us a little more info regarding e-collars.

I have known Nightsun via the dog boards for nearly a year now. Yes, he can be blunt. But, he cuts through the BS, and sticks to the facts and the reality of a situation, where others will tend to lead with their emotional reactions or only see what they want to see.

He is one of the few canine professionals I've met, who I've been able to have a constuctive and in-depth conversation with, regarding Cesar's philosophies and methods.

Cesar's critics can't dispute his philosophies, or prove them innacurate. I've had dozens of conversations with these folks. Many of them treat dogs as helpless naked little humans in fur coats. They have nothing to fight Cesar with, and they are scared. So they can only stir up people's emotions and await the dog bites when people start thinking they can do what Cesar is doing, without the help of a professional. This is their only ammo, and I find it quite sad.

IMO, a good behaviorist/trainer will not close their mind to new ideas and/or breakthroughs in anything which will help a dog and owner heal their unbalanced relationship. This is called progress. :)

However, human beings can be very resistant to change, and human nature is predictable enough to know some people will not heed the warning of the show, and do something "less than intelligent", if you get my drift.

Deb

It's the least I could do.

Sarah

No worries. The internet as I've said before, is a difficult place to get ones thoughts across clearly, and clarity is important. Don't let something like and e-collar effect you emotionally either way. It is simply a tool, AND! we must keep in mind, that! an e-collar doesn't come close to a correction a pack leader will deal out to a wayward pack member. While I have no problem in there correct use, I don't believe it was used correctly in the case of Spike. In saying that though, I still have respect for the knowledge Cesar has and shares with the world. He has even helped me in some cases, to better help my own clients.

Thank you for your responce.

KathyB

Yes I could help you, but I would need to be there first hand. It's difficult to see what's really happening over the internet. There are pieces to the puzzle I can't see. But let me try to generalize. Your dog sees people as a prize to be won. Weather it's guess coming to the house, or people you meet walking down the street. He thinks they are there for his preasure. That's what you must change. On walks, until the day he'll politely walk by your side and sit upon you stopping to greet someone, people should NOT be allowed to pet him. You can politely say, please don't pet him, I'm doing some training. as far as people coming to the house goes. It is not only the place of only the dog to behave himself, but the humans who come to visit, must behave as well. that means when they first walk in, they should not look, touch or talk to the dog until he goes into a calm state of mind. When you first come to the door to answer it, the dog should not be infront of you, that puts him in the leadership role. He should be made to stay calmly back. Once your guest come inside and are ignoring him, until *you* say other wise, it's your place to correct him if he jumps up. But now here's the thing. He must be thought to be just as calm when you yourself or another family memeber comes home. After all it's unfair for pack leaders to create this type of excited greeting and then expect him to know the difference later.

I hope that helps some. The only thing I can't do is show you a simple correction that works lighting fast.

:) WoooooooooooooHoooooooooooo!!!!lol I had a BLAST walking with my new dog buddy! Hoss (her Bullmastiff) and Roman did AWESOME!!!!!!! At first we had to keep circling around, me on one side of the street, her on the other, until we finally were on the same side and it went PERFECT!!!!! :) I LOVED IT!!!! I can't WAIT to walk Roman everyday now!!!!lol It is going to be so much fun to have a friend who is just as in love with her dog and who wants what is best for him as much as we do ours!!! I forget what kind of mastiff it is, but there are only like 900 in the US and he is GORGEOUS!!!!!
I think we did it the right way...I did not "meet" her dog and she did not "meet" mine....we just met each other and they just walked with us!
Anyways....just thought I would share as I know you guys would understand and get my excitement! Thanks for letting me share!!!!! :)

Nightsun,
lololol....Looks like Roman will have to wait a loooooooonggggg time to be acknomwledged then cause calm is NOT in the equation when it comes to people!
The walk with my new walking buddie went AWESOME btw!!!!

"I need help with my ceck chain!"

You could try a shorter chain...on that's just barely large enough to slide over his head and ears. Or try a nylon choke, a thick, soft one...not one that is hard and stiff.

I wanted to add that I would love to hear some others oppinions as well, if anyone have any idea, I'd love to read it.

Ewa

Wow, I can't (or actually I can) believe the amount of bad advice your being given. Yes you can change your dogs, and you should. Having to seperate them indefinitely, has them controlloing your lives. I'm sorry to say that is it difficult at best to help you this way, but perhaps some suggestions will help a *little* after a nice long walk, make sure you feed the calmest dog first. Do not leave the area while they are eating, you must control that time of their life as well. Making sure that when one dog is done, it is told to leave the area, no dog should br allowed to check another dogs bowl. Once they have been fed, and are still tired from the walk, allow them to spend some time together. After a short period, before things can get out of hand, then...seperate them. Once they've rested awhile, bring out the one that fights and leash him up, get the one he fights with and leash that one up. Then walk them around inside the house. Make them follow you around while *you* check out you territory. Then sit and read a book for about twenty minutes, while you make them lay down by you. After twenty minutes let them up and off leash, but watch them. Separate once you can no longer kepp an eye on them. Offer no effection to any dog, on any day, that their behavior displeases you. And now I'm out of time. Hope this makes since, I was trying to do it while recieving calls. LOL

"Thank You! I used his smaller check chain & it worked PERFECT!…I have no idea why my trainer told me to get a longer one????"

Great! I *much* prefer a shorter one as you can give a much more "discrete" correction...meaning you don't have to move your hand and arm so far to "connect"

Whippets, being sighthounds, have VERY good eyesight and they quickly learn that a swinging arm means a collar correction and they get VERY good at moving in the direction of your swing, thus negating the correction! With a tighter collar you can just sort of "twitch" your finger or hand and that is harder for them to pick up on.

Hey K2 and KathyB:

I have had that problem of dogs soliciting attention at awkward times or from the wrong people too. It can be pretty hard to ignore! Here is a command that I have found INVALUABLE. "Go lie down." Here's how I taught it. When I first adopted my shep mix from a rescue group, she always begged at the dinner table, targeting the kids in particular of course! I would say "Go lie down!" pointing away from the table. Then I would take her by the collar, walk her about 5 feet away from the table, and physically put her in the down position. It only took one seriously interrupted meal for her to "get it."

If she gets up and walks farther AWAY from me, I leave her alone, after all it's not a down/stay. I don't want to enforce that. She just knows that there is a certain radius that she must respect.

I have since taught this command quickly and easily to my other dog. It's great for when you are working at the computer, when a toddler is eating cookies at dog level, when people who are allergic to dogs are around, when kids are making elaborate Lego set-ups on the floor, etc. The applications are endless. The alternative is to throw the dog outside, where he may bark, or to crate him, which I hate to do. Actually I got rid of the crate as soon as my pup was house trained, and with good ol' "Go lie down" I don't need it.

Thanks Joanna!
I use the "go" word, but I will definetly use or try that approach!!!! :)

Hi guys, sorry to be telling ya stuff you already know. That's annoying! To me it was a new revelation that I could order a dog to keep at a distance from me. Never saw it in the basic obedience books along with sit/down/stay. I was so happy, cuz I just hate shutting a dog in a room or crate. I always want them to be with us as part of the family. Even if I have a cookout in my backyard, it usually becomes as much of a dog party as a people party, since most of my friends have dogs!

RE post #94: Somebody tell me why SO many people get Pit Bulls! Even Cesar says (along with the "no bad dogs" statement) that they are a gladiator breed. They were bred to FIGHT and inflict max damage. I know there are great friendly well-trained Pits out there, but let's face it -most people don't train their dogs much at all. My very nice friends certainly don't! They just have mellow dogs that goof around. They don't have to be super careful and super in control like a Pit owner.

I have a friend with 5 kids who are terrorized by the 2 Pits next door, who are left out in the yard all day and savagely bark and fling themselves at the fence when the children are playing. THe parents are afraid to let the kids out to play in their own yard. I understand that breed specific laws could affect all of us badly... but I can't help but be scared of these pooches!

"RE post #94: Somebody tell me why SO many people get Pit Bulls! Even Cesar says (along with the “no bad dogs” statement) that they are a gladiator breed. They were bred to FIGHT and inflict max damage. I know there are great friendly well-trained Pits out there, but let’s face it -most people don’t train their dogs much at all. My very nice friends certainly don’t! They just have mellow dogs that goof around. They don’t have to be super careful and super in control like a Pit owner."

Some people get pit bulls because they are wonderful dogs just like any other breed. The problem isn't people who get pit bulls, the problem is people who get dogs, who shouldn't own one (any breed) period.

"but they also were BRED to fight and to have powerful jaws. "

SOME OF THEM were bred to fight. NOT all of them. They have powerful jaws because way back when, their original job was to help control wild cattle and hogs. It's takes a tough, courageous and powerful dog to control animals that are many, many times the dog's weight and that are totally "unsocializee" - meaning more or less wild.

That is the background. The problem is those tough working attributes eventually ALSO made them popular as fighting dogs. But properly bred & properly raised they are as safe as any breed. In fact, and the current "generation" of horrible "fight fans" won't know this, or care, but the "old time" dog fighting men would not tolerate a pit dog that attacked people. They considered them insane and would put them down. They HAVE to be able to go into a pit and stop a fight, and you can't do that if the dog attacks people even in the heat of "battle"

And just in case you are thinking I know a little too much about fighting dogs, rest assured I think the "sport" is as bad as it gets...but living as I do so near the Southern Appalachian Mountains I can't help but have conversations with some very old dog men, and that's where I learned most of what I know. And some of them, fighting dogs or not, can be very appreciative of a good working dog of whatever kind and I've even gotten compliments on my Whippets on occasion...even though most of them have never seen one before.

Well I thought "gladiator dog" meant a powerful dog that was also bred to protect, guard, defend, fight. Maybe I am wrong here. Say as opposed to a big Newfie that was bred to swim and drag things out of the water.

I do thank you both (Doggone and Nightsun) for the expanded view on what these guys were bred for, and on the surprising statistics on some other breeds.

Obviously my own personal experience is limited. What I see is a lot of Pits and Pit mixes being adopted from local shelters here by casual dog owners. I mean the regular sort of person who likes dogs but doesn't train them much. In one case my dog was attacked by the adopted Pit mix of a friend who is a kind sweet dog lover and has another dog - a golden retriever - who wouldn't attack any thing other than a tennis ball. She loves her P.B. and just doesn't know how to extinguish this behavior. In another case I saw my friend's little lab mix get attacked by a Pit in the park. THe owner of this Pit bull is another gentle kind dog loving person, who adopted the dog as a pup, and is at a loss as to how to keep it from going after other dogs.

So you see, I just get the impression that a lot of people get in over their heads with these dogs, but maybe my personal experience is not reflective of the true picture.

It seems like if these folks had adopted a beagle or a golden they would be less likely to have such problems. Of course if you know and love the breed that is a different story, but like you said Nightsun, most folks do no research at all and the shelters add to the problems by giving no advice or cautions. They are just eager to find homes for these dogs that comprise so much of the shelter population.

I hope I am not giving offense, I just really have been wondering about what I am seeing. I know breed specific laws would crush me as well with my gentle female shep mixes.

# Doggone/GA says:

“So you see, I just get the impression that a lot of people get in over their heads with these dogs, but maybe my personal experience is not reflective of the true picture.”

"No, actually you are quite right! You are now, properly, blaming the PERSON…not the breed of dog! They ARE powerful dogs and like all powerful beings they need to be taught to control that power. As Cesar says, over and over, loving them is NOT enough.

But it’s perfectly possible that such people would have problem dogs even if it wasn’t a pit bull, but WAS a dog with a strong sense of power…even Beagles and Chihuahua’ can have that."

Perfectly said. It's a people problem, NOT a dog problem.

"I hope I am not giving offense, I just really have been wondering about what I am seeing."

No worries. Part of my mission to save dogs, is to open the eyes of humans to, the truth.

"I don’t think most of these people are bad in any way. In fact they seem pretty good, kind and caring. I think often the problem is that the idea of “it’s all in how you raise them” is over-promoted. "

No, not really...but it doesn't mean "one size fits all" either. As you pointed out, different dogs present different challenges. Raising a strong, high energy Pit Bull to be a good canine citizen is nothing like raising a layed back, low energy hound.

But it is still "all in how you raise them" - just the techniques of HOW vary from dog to dog. And "raising" them and rehabilitating them don't mean the same thing either. To me "raising" means how you bring up a young puppy. "Rehabilitating" is what you do with a dog that is older and already has one or more issues.

I would never, for instance, advise someone with a high-energy, issue ridden Border Collie to treat that dog on a daily basis the way my Whippets are treated. My Whippets have all been raised by me from puppy-hood, and what works for them could very well make that Border Collie worse.

Well I guess it's only human to generalize based on our own personal experience, and Ewa has had a lot of positive experiences with these doggies, so I gotta respect that! I have had a few negative experiences, so that has possibly warped my view.

Still we have both noticed the large number of people with this breed, which I never saw in the past, and it still seems to me a bit unbalanced for so many people to have such a powerful (and SOMETIMES) dog aggressive breed, given the way MOST people train (or don't train) their dogs.

I once adopted a little male Terrier (found in the subway in West Harlem on my way home from teaching) who turned out to be aggressive towards other males. It was incredibly hard and stressful, as I am a pretty friendly social person. I loved this little dog with all my heart, but I said, "never again!" do I want to deal with this, cuz I am not a master pack leader on this level.

You've got a good point there!

Cesar, I hope it was ok for me to post that. If not, you can remove it, and I apologize for any inconvenience. I just think people should see another side to the pitbull story.

Oh! by the way people, if Cesar leaves it up. Turn on your sound while watching.

Joanna

And you would be right. But isn't it interesting that we only here about pitbull bites.

Dear K2,

Did you catch the show on bringing home baby. I was right with the scent thing but that was as far as it went. Had no idea you should restrick your dogs from getting close
to the baby or small children. That was a new one on me.

Sorry for the bad advise. Good luck.

Nice! Where you get this guestbook? I want the same script.. Awesome content. thankyou.

In response to Robert's post: RE: "Animal Cops Detroit"
Please contact the Michigan Humane Society and beg it to stop routinely killing dogs with behavioral problems that can be remedied quite easily with Cesar's methods. Dogs with simple food agression can be rehabilitated with minimal effort were their professional personnel to watch just one episode of Cesar's show in which this behavior is addressed, yet such canines are routinely judged unadoptable and "humanely euthanized"! Trained fighting dogs are judged impossible to rehabilitate when there are even now many prison projects in which inmates turn them into calm submissives over time, even without using Cesar's techniques. If you were such a dog, would you rather live as a gladiator, or be "rescued" and immediately killed? The New York ASPCA is not so cavalier in treating abused critters as disposable. The Michigan Society does great work, to be sure, but it needs to be made aware that there are now rehabilitation options that do not require excessive time and effort on its part. Please contact it at the link below and urge them to watch Cesar's show. Thanks.

Years ago, MHS did rehab and adopt out these dogs. They were also sued when the owners said the dog's brain snapped, or became aggressive or even bit. Detroit also has a dangerous dog law, that once an animal that is in this category has been overly aggresive or bites, it must be put down.