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not on the same bed. To allow this behavior, confuses the dog and makes him think that he is top wolf in the pack. Her methods are firm, but they still allow the dog to live out its nature. If she were a lead wolf and used these same methods to manage her pack, the other wolves would not be as willing to disperse. This would keep the pack more cohesive and allow them to bring down large prey more easily.

Such benevolent lead wolves have been seen in the wild. One wolf bitch in Yellowstone took over a pack that had been ruled by a more tyrannical wolf. She led with benevolence, even allowing a cast-off wolf to join the pack again. This wolf was a far better hunter than the others in the pack, and the lead wolf used this former cast-off as an asset. The pack was able to grow to into a very large group, because this female allowed other bitches in the pack to breed. The result was that this pack was able to succeed and thrive better than it had been under the wolf tyrant. Thus, this more benevolent but firm form of dog management and training is far closer to the wolf's biology than the harsh method.

Stilwell's show is based upon hard science. Her methods were first introduced by the psychologist B.F. Skinner, who introduced the concept of behaviorism into our study of learning. These methods can be over-used in teaching people, but in terms of dog training, their utility is quite evident. They are based upon punishing bad behavior (but not necessarily trying to physically dominate the training subject), rewarding good behavior, and sometimes ignoring bad behavior (extinction). Most dog owners actually reward inappropriate behaviors, and this results in dogs behaving really badly.

Further, we forget that dogs are intelligent animals that have certain biological needs. Dogs need exercise, and many dogs also have predatory motor patters (usually of a modified sort) that need to be put to use. Most dogs living in urban areas really don't get the mental and physical exercise they need. Millan does mention that dogs need exercise, but his view of exercise is strict leash walking all the time. The average person does not exercise at a proper pace to fully exercise most breeds of active dog. What these dogs need is off-leash exercise and a chance to use their predator motor patterns in some form, not rigid leash walking.

The truth of the matter is that, although Millan's methods make for good television, people are far better off using the methods of Victoria Stilwell. They are user friendly, not just for dogs but for people as well. Her methods require us to look at the dog as an organism with an intelligence and needs of its own. They also require us to use methods that fully tap into the dog's potential to learn rules and limitations, as well as useful behaviors. One cannot go wrong with these methods, and if one is really having problems training your dog, it is always better to call in a certified animal behaviorist, who can help you better than anyone on television.

These old-fashioned methods that Koehler once used have largely been abandoned by the dog training public. However, they have been resurrected in the form of Mr. Millain, who further complicates the issues with metaphysics. Dog training is both an art and a science, but one thing it doesn't need is outdated methods masquerading as metaphysics.

Learn more about this author, Scottie Westfall.
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