Question:One time I tried the calming technique used by Cesar Milan on his dogs during the show The Dog Whisperer on my dog., It looked harmless enough and not cruel in any way. I put my hand on my dog's shoulder the way Cesar does, kind of like how dogs do when communicating with each other in a pack. I made sure I was gentle, I thought it couldn't hurt to try because it wasn't harmful to the dog in any way.
My dog turned around and growled at me though, then he tried to bite my hand! Has anyone else tried this?
Answers:
yeah, i have tried it. It didn't work too well with my dog either. She didn't growl or anything, but she didn't like it. I think Cesar is great at what he does. But I think his techniques work great when HE is doing it. I think it is hard for a regular pet owner to do what he does. My dog is good, and I am happy with her behavior, so I just don't mess. I treat her like I always have, and we are both happy. If you are unhappy with some of your dog's behaviors you might want to talk to a professional behaviorist, because is he is growling and biting it might be dangerous for you to try things on your own. There are a lot of really great animal behaviorists out there. Good Luck.
Those don't work.
To really train them,give them a treat after they sit,etc.
Keep training that trick for weeks until you can say it and they will do it.
This is the best way.
Ive sadly not seen the dog whisperer, however, Im concerned that your dog feels equal enough to you to growl and bite you.
You are the master, your dog should NEVER do that to you and if it does then you must do what it takes to show your dog in that instant who is in control, even if that means giving your dog a firm few smacks. In the wild, if a dog stepped up to the leader of the pack then the leader would bite and hurt that dog to show it whos boss, so giving your dog a few smacks is basically reflecting the natural behaviour of the wild.
******Never, ever hit your dog, ever.*****
Wow - what a great argument for NOT trying those techniques at home, as it states on that program before, during, and after the show.
The techniques shown on the show are very often punishers. Trying to duplicate them will almost certainly result in being bitten.
What was it that you were trying to accomplish? Touching your dog on the shoulder would not be enough to warrant a bite unless 1. you surprised the dog, or 2. the dog is in pain and is trying to protect himself. What happened?
you got a lot to learn..yr dog is smarter than you..and he's telling you...by his experience.....that you are not calm
i'm sayn this because......thats the way it hapopend to me.so don't hang up the phone..how are you at learning something new?.....can you learn if something is forced upon you?...do you find it so easy to learn when thers enthusiasm?
why not take yr dog for a walk first..this will use up some doggie energy....and when you stopp along the way..have a sit and a snack.and a pet and a chatt....and do the shoulders touch....do you brush and bath yr dog.....and a rubbie towelling?
as you start to enjoy these things....yr dog will too...caesars site is great..
I saw a dog once that was biting the owner and the owner's daughter. After questioning, it turns out that the owner saw the Dog Whisperer and decided to assert herself over her dog by grabbing its scruff and forcing it down. When the owner did this, this is when the dog bit her. She didn't understand why it worked for the Dog Whisperer and not for her. After examining her dog, her old dog was so arthritic that it could barely move. Whenever she 'asserted' herself by grabbing the dog and forcing it down, she was causing excruciating pain, which is why the dog bit her.
There is a specialty of veterinary behaviorists and they have written a letter asking that the Dog Whisperer's show be removed because they do not agree with his methods.
Moral of the story? Just because you see something done on TV, do not attempt it at home. You could argue that his methods are right or wrong, but he is able to read dogs. The woman that was bitten could not read her dog (arthritic and painful) and was bitten.
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