(see? she used to be an adorable puppy with horrible manners!)

i am admittedly a supporter of a few somewhat controversial dog techniques and topics. i don’t believe that all methods of feeding or training work for all dogs and i definitely don’t believe that dog owners should walk into new territory completely blind, so i hope i’m stating the obvious when i say: i do think it’s important to research what works for you and your pup.

for example, i believe that with the correct preparation and delivery, raw meat is one of the healthiest diets you can feed your dog.

i also don’t have a problem with Cesar Milan. i think that, with the correct preparation and delivery, his training techniques foster a strong and affectionate environment for your dog to develop a healthy personality. i haven’t read any of his books, but “The Dog Whisperer” (show on the National Geographic channel) seems to be a training program based on three main premises:

1) dogs are not children. don’t treat them like little people in fur coats.

2) dogs need a lot of exercise.

3) dogs need a “leader” in their pack (your house). establish rules, boundaries and limitations.

that’s it. the rest of the show is about his charisma and personality in dealing with the dogs. all three of those points involve changing the mindset of the owner and have virtually nothing to do with the dog.

just because i think Milan’s techniques have some merit (properly delivered), doesn’t mean i disagree with other positive reinforcement techniques like clicker training. Maddy is clicker trained. and just because i occasionally see Milan using a choke collar (properly) as an aid to rehabilitate a dog, doesn’t mean i ran out and bought one for my dog. Maddy wears an ordinary flat collar.

as some of you already know, i’m also a big proponent of Brenda Aloff’s book on dog aggression. some of her techniques could be seen as “controversial” because she chooses to speak to dogs in their language instead of imposing our human language on them.

but the bottom line is this: just because i have researched and use techniques that work for my dog, doesn’t mean that they are ideal for YOUR dog. and just because something isn’t ideal for your dog doesn’t mean it has no merit for OTHER dogs. there should be no “controversy” unless you think you know what’s best for every dog out there.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.