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Stilwell

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Having been a dog-owner most of my life, and having trained some of the worst dogs into loving pets, I prefer Stillwell's approach to training. Her style is much closer to my style as well.

Whereas Millan holds to immersion therapy, or "flooding", that is, putting a fearful dog in the very situation that it fears in order to show it no harm will come, I believe it intensifies the fear and anxiety of the animal. I feel it puts more stress on a creature that cannot understand why it's being forced into scary situations.

Stillwell respects the dog's nature and its willingness to please its master, whom it perceives as its pack leader. She introduces the fear-producing situations gradually and uses distractions to acclimate the animal without causing it more stress. I was using this method years before I heard of Victoria Stillwell. I had a husky mix who had been abused before I got her. She was very definitely an alpha female, who had fear aggression and food aggression. I worked with her every day gaining her trust. The worst problem was the food aggression. She bit all three people in the household when we went too near her food dish while she was eating. By sitting beside her talking to her and hand feeding her, she learned I was not going to take away her food. I eventually was able to put my hand in her bowl without her snapping or biting.

My current pet, whom I feel is a beta female, had a fear of men. Had I used the immersion therapy as Millan does, I'm sure she would have become a nervous animal with a real behavioural problem. Instead, I used the method Stillwell uses. I introduced her to situations gradually and used treats and praise. I asked the neighbor males to throw her favorite toy for her. I took her to stores and stood outside with her while people walked past her. After a few weeks, I took her to the local military recruitment office, where young recruits frequently gathered, and had them talk to her and pet her. The second visit, she went up to a young man and leaned against him. She has not shown any fear of men since then. She now goes anywhere pets are allowed, and is a Red Cross Therapy Animal.

There is, however, a difference between an animal having behavioural problems and it being dangerous or vicious. As I have seen Stillwell handle both situations without causing the animal more stress, I would definitely call her rather than Millan if I had an animal I could not train.

Learn more about this author, Liane Laskoske.
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