Dog Whisperer Inquiry

[paloftoon]

Hi, I have a friend who is looking for a dog whisperer in the area (far NorthEast Philadelphia).
Would anyone happen to have leads or know how to start researching this?

Think Cesar Millian, but much cheaper, lol.

https://medium.com/@vandanni.hadai/cesar-millan-the-problem-with-his-approach-and-the-future-of-dog-training-49dd8cddb391

Thank you.

 

[Luca]

I’m a certified professional dog trainer, and Cesar Millan is the LAST person I would use as an example of a good dog trainer.

Read the article and you will understand why real dog trainers don’t like him.
His approach is purely disciplinary and punishment-based, and uses extremely outdated techniques that have been disproved by scientists.

Do a search for veterinary behaviorists and certified professionals who are knowledge assessed in your area instead.

 

[Shevek]

An honest dog trainer will admit that 90% of their work is training the human. Dogs are not robots you can program, they are thinking creatures who would like to help, but may be in a crazy-making environment. My rule was to make sure my dog could see some reason for things I told him to do 90% of the time. He'd take the rest on faith. I didn't drive him nuts with asking him ten times to confirm that he wanted to eat or go out. Just a hint of body language was all he usually needed.

 

[Luca]

An honest dog trainer will admit that 90% of their work is training the human. Dogs are not robots you can program, they are thinking creatures who would like to help, but may be in a crazy-making environment.

This is 100% true. I always tell people my job is training people more than training their dogs, and they think I’m joking but I’m definitely not.

I wish I had a dollar for all the times I’ve told people that dogs are not robots lol

Dogs are incredibly tuned into, and responsive to, body language. I don’t have to use verbal commands with my own dogs most of the time either.

 

[Shevek]

I rescued an Alsatian/lab about 10 months old, and lived in a big city without ever needing a leash, or verbal instructions. On a residential street, he'd stay on the same block as I, checking out the olfactory delights and patrolling for squirrels, etc. As the streets got busier, he got closer, and if I went into a department store or government office, he heeled so perfectly that we were never challenged. At the grocers, he knew to wait outside, but I'd sometimes tell him where with a word and gesture.
I could write similar stories all evening about dogs who were given credit for their abilities.

 

[Luca]

I rescued an Alsatian/lab about 10 months old, and lived in a big city without ever needing a leash, or verbal instructions. On a residential street, he'd stay on the same block as I, checking out the olfactory delights and patrolling for squirrels, etc. As the streets got busier, he got closer, and if I went into a department store or government office, he heeled so perfectly that we were never challenged. At the grocers, he knew to wait outside, but I'd sometimes tell him where with a word and gesture.
I could write similar stories all evening about dogs who were given credit for their abilities.

Thanks for sharing.
My dogs are very much the same, although we have very rigid leash laws where I live so I would get in big trouble for having them loose in a residential area.

I could write stories all evening about dogs who have impressed me too!

 

[Shevek]

Walter the Wonder Dog went for a trip with a friend, but the guy got hospitalized. Walter hitchiked 170 miles back to the rest of his human pack by teaming up with humans thumbing the right way.

 

[kenaij]

I`m not a fan of everything Cesar but whenever I meet people who are against him the reasons why baffle me. Cesar also says he has to train the human and the dog will follow. He also rewards the dogs when they do something good. Yes he does so from a point of hierarchy. Just like dogs do amongst themselves.
I understand that it might be old fashioned. And that science has disproven it? Guess what else science has disproven, child raising. The old method is no longer accepted and we must all listen to our children, and everything must be positive. We have tried this kind of upbringing in humans for about 30-40 years now. But it has created generally terrible adults compared to the generations before.
Ofcourse dogs and children are not the same. I just used it as an example where 'science' is not always right.
In my country there is also a sort of positive vibe dog training guy. There are a bunch of dogs his pupils said had to be put down. When pupils of cesar's method came in the dogs could be rehabilitated. Certain dogs do no longer respond to positive training. They need discipline, they need to know their place. Those are the kinds of dogs his method can help. Because those dogs are much closer in their minds to their ancestors (wolves) and thus they need a wolf like approach.

There are things I don`t agree with like the treadmill he used to advice for people who could not walk their dog. Like what? Don`t get a dog if you cannot walk it or can pay someone to walk it. He has in one show used one of those shock collars which I`m really against. And I could probably come up with some other things. But I could also come up with things for pretty much any trainer you can find me. You might not agree with (some) of his approaches. To but claim it does not work is just silly.

Besides. If his methods did not work don`t you think he would no longer be famous over it and still get new shows like his current 'Better human, better dog' show.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

I do love dogs, horses, and birds of prey very much. I feel a connection to them. I am not professionally trained, but I do find it natural to work with dogs and horses. They are easy to relate with, you don't even have to use words to communicate. And so bonding with, and training a dog or a horse, is very enjoyable.

I live in an urban district, and I see people all the time walking their designer dogs, making lots of mistakes. I don't say anything unless the dog is pulling really hard at the leash. Then I'll say something friendly to the owner like, "he might stop, if you suddenly, out of nowhere, 'about face', like they do in the military."

 

[Rodafina]

"he might stop, if you suddenly, out of nowhere, 'about face', like they do in the military."

This one worked for me and Rocky (he was originally a stray and so wasn’t used to leashes)! It took a lot of “about faces,” but of course with dogs and children, it’s all about building the relationship and staying involved and consistent.