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RSS FeedVictoria Stilwell or Cesar Millan: Who would you call?
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| Stilwell | 38% | 188 votes | Total: 492 votes | |
| Millan | 62% | 304 votes |
Stilwell
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Add to FavoritesAs a long-time fan of both "It's Me or the Dog," and "Dog Whisperer," deciding between Victoria Stilwell and Cesar Millan is a difficult task. I believe they are both exceptional trainers with keen understanding of dog behaviors and psychology, and they share an equal passion for what they do.
Why, then, have I chosen Victoria? Simple, really. Because most dogs require training, not rehabilitation. If I had a dangerous dog (or a "red zone" case), or a dog with obvious psychological blocks, I would dial up Cesar in a heartbeat. I believe he is the best in the business when it comes to rehabbing terrified or vicious dogs. Victoria, on the other hand, has an almost flawless training technique for animals with behavioral problems.
In all reality, both Victoria Stilwell and Cesar Millan use the same basic ideas: the human is in charge, the dog must do what the human says, and the human must treat the dog with respect and consistency. Their differences emerge in the techniques they use.
Victoria utilizes a positive-reinforceme nt methodology to training, whereas Cesar is loyal to the pack-method and flooding. Cesar ignores the area of training that teaches a dog basic obedience commands and focuses solely on the primal instincts of the animal. When a dog has a psychological issue, he relies on flooding, a technique that essentially forces the animal to be in the situation they fear the most, to prove that the animal is not in any real danger.
On the surface, this sounds very reasonable; the animal learns that the human is not going to allow the dog to be injured. Unfortunately, this technique does not fix the real problem, and runs a high risk of really traumatizing a frightened animal. Imagine, if you will, that you have a severe spider phobia. A therapist practicing flooding would treat you by shutting you in a small room and filling it with thousands of spiders. While you may realize that you aren't going to be seriously harmed, the resulting panic and anxiety caused by this "treatment" may actually compound your fear, rather than alleviating it.
Victoria, on the other hand, firmly believes that a trained dog is a happy dog, and that no real progress can be made unless you are willing to take the time to work with and train your pet. By using tried-and-true training methods such as clickers, treats, and consistent repetition, Victoria allows the dog to figure out what she wants in its own time. She does not impose her will on the animal; rather, she speaks the command, and waits. The moment the dog does any part of what she wants, the dog is rewarded. It's a very rapid process, because more often than not, the dog is eager for mental stimulation...not to mention the treats he gets when performing properly!
When a dog suffers a psychological problem, she works in steps to lessen the animal's anxiety before introducing it back into the stressful circumstance it fears, rather than flooding it from the get-go. For example, a dog with a real fear of strangers would first be slowly introduced to new people in the animal's home. Victoria has strangers toss treats to the dog, to help it associate new people with good things.
Before long, the dog is at ease whenever a new person enters their home. Then and only then will she take the animal out of its comfort zone. Inevitably, the time taken to acclimate the dog to a minor version of their fear and the positive-association training helps it conquer its fear with very little psychological trauma.
So, it is fair to say that both Victoria Stilwell and Cesar Millan are phenomenal trainers with a true love for dogs and a passion for what they do. Whomever you choose to train your dog should depend on the type of problems your pet has. For me, implementing Victoria's techniques is far more productive if the desired goal is a happy, trained, trusting animal.
For you? Well, that's between you and your furry friend!
Learn more about this author, Hope Darby.
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Millan
Comparing Ms. Stilwell to Mr. Millan is like comparing apples and oranges. Mr. Millan states quite clearly that he is not a trainer. Trainers teach dogs to come, sit, stay, don't bark, shake hands etc. The dogs I've seen on his program have already been trained, trained to misbehave.
While many people consider their dogs to be people in a fur body, I feel this is quite an injustice to their dogness. Honor what they are by treating them as such. Mr. Millan is doing just that. His simple rules of exercise, discipline and then affection can turn even the most unruly dogs into good canine citizens. I've witnessed this with my own eyes.
Cesar's most effective technique for me has been "no, look, no touch, no talk". It works for dogs barking when people enter the house and for very shy dogs who want to make contact on their own terms. This method is in no way aggressive towards the dog as many of Cesar's detractors have accused him of being.
One article writer stated that they did not know what "calm, assertive energy" was and I could not believe someone who trained dogs did not understand such a basic principle. Maybe it would help to change the wording to "calm, confidant energy" which is what any good trainer uses to approach dog training situations. Energy is contagious and a dog can immediately sense what you are thinking and feeling because they are consummate body language readers. If you are fearful or overly excited that will produce the same from your canine and it can become aggression in the right situation. Mr. Millan understands this very well.
I have seen every single episode of The Dog Whisperer and witnessed the subtle changes in Cesar's methods. He is never afraid to try something new if he thinks it will help a particular dog. He's had clicker trainers and positive only trainers on his show. He never has a bad word to say about anyone else's methods. He is gentle when necessary and assertive when called for. For those who believe their dogs are more human, I can see where he might appear to be too harsh but watch a pack of dogs and you will most certainly see bad behaviour corrected and submissive behavior rewarded.
For all of Mr. Millan's detractors I have only this to say...Cesar has helped hundreds of dogs who would have otherwise been destroyed. Take the time to really listen to what he is teaching and witness the changes not only in the canines but also the people. He empowers everyone he helps.
Learn more about this author, Sandra Goodwin.
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