Saturday, August 27, 2011

Why Cesar Milan is Wrong - Discounting the Natural Wolf Pack ideas

Many generations of evolution isolate dogs and wolves. It does not make sense for us to learn how to interact with dogs from wolves. It makes about as much sense as studying to parent by Watching chimpanzees parent. But this is what happened when man put unrelated wolves together in captivity and then done that domination is normal behavior. This theory was then superimposed on dogs.


The Natural Wolf Pack

The Wolves

In reality a natural wolf pack is a house unit that consists of an adult alpha male and an adult alpha female and their teenage offspring and pups. There are usually about six or seven blood linked members in a pack. The mated alpha male and female are the parents and leaders of their offspring pack just like humans lead and teach their offspring. David L. Mech, one of the worlds leading wolf experts asserts, "In the natural wolf pack dominance contests with other wolves are rare if they exist at all". Dr. Mech also writes in the Canadian Journal of Zoology in 1999, "The typical wolf pack is a family, with the adults guiding the activities of a group in a division-of-labor system". Researchers have learned that dominance is rare behavior for wolves and may be a by product of captivity where man put unrelated wolves together. Dominate behavior in wolves is based on environMental circumstances and is not an instinctual directive.

Why Cesar Milan is Wrong - Discounting the Natural Wolf Pack ideas

Cesar Milan

Currently there is controversy and turn over going on in dog training circles. One side represented by Cesar Milan promotes the theory of dogs as wolves and promotes dominance training by pet owners and states there are only leaders and followers in a relationship. There is dominance or submission, no partnering. Cesar's way is a one size fits all coming to dog training. On his Tv agenda on the National Geographic channel Cesar uses techniques difficult for owners to replicate and uses techniques that could effect in injury to the owner or their dog. That is why National Geographic has a disclaimer that runs at the lowest of the screen warning, "Don't try this at home". Writer Mark Derr whose articles have appeared in Audubon, Natural History, Atlantic Monthly, and other publications and who is the author of critically acclaimed books like Frontiersman and Dog's Best Friend writes that Cesar's ethology is outdated. He further states, "he is a charming one man wrecking ball directed at 40 years of advance in the comprehension and shaping dog behavior and in developing non-punitive, reward based training programs, which have led to finding the dog as an individual, to understand what motivates it, what frightens it, and what its talents and limitations are". Many dog training experts are alarmed that Cesar Milan has come to be the face of dog training and are shaken by the fact that he has taken the world of dog behavior by storm. More and more implicated dog professionals are becoming increasingly vocal in expressing their disagreeMent with Cesar's methods.

Ian Dunbar

The other side of the turn over is represented by the sublime and popular Ian Dunbar author of six books on pet training, developer of one of the earliest puppy training courses in the United States (Sirius Puppy Training), owner of a veterinary degree, and a special Honors in Physiology and Biochemistry from the Royal Veterinary College of London University, a doctorate in animal behavior from the science of mind departMent of Uc Berkley, a decade of research, and decades of dog-training experience. The only things Ian and Cesar both agree on is that all dogs can and should be trained and that dogs need quarterly and sufficient amounts of exercise. Ian Dunbar believes all training is negotiation and compliancy can best be achieved through definite training methods. His emphasis on definite approaches like lure reward methods using treats and praise has revolutionized the dog training field. He once ran a behavior clinic for fighting and biting dogs and he is the founder of the relationship of Pet Dog Trainers (Apdt), an society with thousands of members. He was also the star of the British television show "Dogs with Dunbar" and he has hosted a dozen popular videos about dog training. Ian is not a supporter of using pain and fear in dog training. He does not hold using force or intimidation. He stands solidly in the dog cordial reward based training camp. Ian Dunbar is being joined by an ever growing whole of dog trainers that effect his definite training methods and train force free. This definite reinforceMent recipe is also the recipe that is advent out on top of the debate. definite training methods are gaining more momentum every year, and definite reinforcement it is where dog training stands today.

Why Cesar Milan is Wrong - Discounting the Natural Wolf Pack ideas

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