I want to thank you for making me think and re-consider things I haven't thought of before. Now I'm off to buy harnesses for my girls! :)

Great posting.

But why do you have Ceasar Milan under trainers then? He is a big advocate of choke collars and has even designed his own, the Mirage. He uses choke training on almost all his training cases. One of his employees nearly killed a golden retriever when they left him alone with a choke collar on on a treadmill. The damage was so extensive that his treatment was covered in a popular veterinary journal.

It is important to advocate trainers who respect animals, not those that hurt them in the name of training.

>>>KP's Response:

Hi,
Obviously, I couldn't agree with you more about the choke collars. I don't like them, and I wish that Cesar Millan would not use them. And he doesn't use them every time. In fact, I watched the entire first two seasons, and I would guess that he only used choke collars about 40 percent of the time. Which still isn't good, but he doesn't ALWAYS use them. A lot of the time, he simply uses his body language and his energy.
And he emphasizes some important points that I don't see even mentioned at all by other trainers. These include: giving your dog lots of exercise in the morning every single day, changing your way of thinking in order to help your dog change, getting to the root of your own psychological problems in order to change and do better by your dog, and respecting the culture and psychology of dogs and communicating with them accordingly.
I really can't point to one dog trainer who is 100 percent humane, in my estimation, unfortunately. Many so-called "positive" dog trainers reach for a crate to solve almost every single problem. Some of them also use citronella collars. I'm adamantly against this, and in the entire first two seasons of The Dog Whisperer, Cesar only used a crate one time (and even that disappointed me).
He also used a shock collar one time, which really upset me. I believe he could have easily resolved that case without one, but he was probably catering to the time constraints of the TV show format.
I think you just have to pick and choose the best parts from all the dog trainers.
Also, I would not fault Cesar for the screw-up by his employee. Let's remember that he didn't hurt that golden retriever. His mistake was either in hiring the wrong employee or not providing sufficient training to the employee, which is very different from maliciously or negligently hurting a dog.
KP

40% of the time is a LOT of the time to use a painful aversive that causes physical damage on a dog. Also, even when he isn't using a choke collar, he is still using leash pops, which hurt and scare the dog. He also uses flooding (forcing a dog to experience a scary situation with no way out.) I belive that dogs, as sentient and sensitive beings, should be treated with the same respect afforded to a human being. We would never hurt or scare, or yell at a child to teach them something... why do it to a dog?

Nearly all of the better known trainers in the scene (Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnel, and Chris Bach) advocate exercising dogs in their books. They also never hurt or scare a dog during training, nor force them to do anything. Perhaps you could check out Jean's book "The Culture Clash" or Patricia's book "The other End of the Leash" I think that you would really like them. Cesar also doesn't necessarily respect the culture and biology of dogs. He for example, still uses alpha roles and the "wolf pack" theory. Dogs are not wolves, just like humans are not chimpanzees and whales are not sharks. Dogs are individuals, who evolved to fill an entirely different nich than wolves.

Milan uses a lot of body language that makes dogs feel afraid. I strive to have my dog know that I am always "safe" to him and through this we have a wonderful relationship.

http://www.americanhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=nr_news_releases_dog_whisperer

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CE3DF1E3EF932A0575BC0A9609C8B63

>>>KP's Response:

Hi whoever you are (why don't you include your name?),
I totally agree with you on the choke collar, but I think flooding might be a good way to address phobias in dogs. It's similar to when human beings face their fears. A long time ago, I had a driving phobia, and I got over it by getting in the car and driving. Did you see the Dog Whisperer episode with the Great Dane who was afraid to walk into the school because of a prior incident in which he had crashed into a glass door? It was incredibly moving. Cesar did put the dog in the fearful situation, but he stayed with him and encouraged him the whole time, and within a half hour, the dog was fine! It was amazing and deeply emotional. I thought it was way better for the dog than to spend months or even years working incrementally on a phobia. I've done something similar with some of my small foster dogs. If they were really afraid of me, I would pick them up and just hold them on my lap for a couple of hours, and after that, we were best buds!
I also disagree about the looming behavior. I don't think it's all that scary to dogs. It looks scary to us humans, because if a human did that to us, we would expect to be beaten to a pulp. But with dogs it's different. That looming behavior is well within their everyday repertoire. I see my 7-pound Chihuahua do it to my 11-pound Chihuahua when she wants what the big Chihuahua has, and it's just not a big deal. The big Chihuahua freezes for a few seconds, the little Chihuahua takes what she wants, and then it's all over and everybody is back to playing again.
I don't think it's important whether dogs and wolves are
related or not. What's important is to identify body language that dogs can relate to and use it. I think Cesar is a complete expert at that.
KP

I have a no-slip collar for me dog. If I need to grab my dog's collar in an emergency, it's easier to have that then to have your dog slipping out of her collar. Harnesses are ineffective for walking. A harness puts pressure on a dog's chest. They were specifically designed to help a dog pull weight. In the end, the dogs tend to pull more on a harness and it strengthens their chest. The halti, or gentle leader, is a much better option. In a way, think of a dog as a horse. Do you think horses like halters when they first begin to wear them? No, they do not. And why should dogs either? When first training my dog to use a halti, I kept feeding her treats and she loved it. Yes, it took her a while to get used to it. But it's painless and works perfectly.

It is very important on the relationship between dogs and wolves! If we find out one day that humans have a lot more to do with mice then previously though, doesn't that make a difference in how we act and think? If we treat dogs like wolves all the times, and never let them be dogs, we are harming them, not helping them.

>>>KP's Response:

Hi Marie,
Have you tried a Sense-ation harness? It's not the same as a standard H-style harnesses, in that it redirects the dog back to you. They're very effective.
Also, Haltis do put a lot of pressure on the dog's neck! Just looking at them hurts my neck! Dogs hate Haltis. Why not find something to use that they don't hate, rather than spending all that time training them to tolerate something that they do hate?
KP

Hey KP.

Flooding sometimes results in positive results, and sometimes, it results in sensitization. This means that the problem gets worse, almost to astronomical proportions. This is why Certified applied animal behaviorists (those who have a PHD in animal behavior, and years of work in the field) never recommend flooding). Sure, its easier to try, but, the humane option is gradual desensitization. This involves associating things the dog is fearful of with positive things, before the dog becomes stressed. In addition, isn't part of respecting an animal not forcing them to "face their fears" against their wills? You made choice to face your fear, an animal would certainly choose a different choise. Flooding in the situation with the great dane (yes i saw that episode) involved forcing the animal by dragging them through that school door. You made a choice to drive. No one dragged you into that car.

Have you read any of Turrid Ruggass's work? She wrote a book about calming signals that dogs use when they are fearful, to attempt to diffuse situations. When cesar is looming over dogs, often they lick their lips, avert their eyes, scratch themselves, or hard stare, all signs that show they are fearful and uncomfortable.

>>>KP's Response:

Hi Anonymous,
I'm posting a blog today on this topic. (Thanks for the inspiration!) Take a look and let me know what you think.
KP

I have used head halters with positive results

And yeah some dogs get used to them more than others-but gee, why take TIME with your dog to teach it to have a head halter on? That's called common sense.

I use head halters in crowded areas with my dogs-would you put a harness on a horse? Or a collar?

The only situation i would use a shock collar on my dog would be in a life or death situation like if they were messing with cattle or snakes. Put it on them one time they would never go near them again!

My one dog needs to wear a harness since she hurt her back-but everyone else wears collars. At least harnesses are getting more fashionable then the old time black blue and red boring kind!

Haltis put pressure on the muzzle, not the neck. As I said before, haltis are halters for dogs. So far, it's not inhumane for horse to wear one, so why would it be for dogs? Yes, dogs don't like haltis when they first wear one. I don't expect them to. When taking my little dog for walks on cold days, she wears an outfit to keep warm, she wasn't too fond of that either. However, in both cases, plenty of positive reinforcement and treats, and she doesn't notice it. I used to use a harness for my dog at first, she didn't like that either. If I could find something as effective as a halti, that takes less time getting used to, I'd use it in a heartbeat.

Hi Marie,
You've got to try a Sense-ation harness then. It's much more acceptable to dogs than a Halti, and it works. But, gosh, if she's so little, what's the big deal anyway? Just use an H-style harness. She can't pull much if she's small.
And BTW, the muzzle is connected to the head, which is connected to the neck. Have someone grab your nose and pull it down and to the side, and you'll feel it in your neck.
KP

I agree with you on the halti thing. I don't like the halti's design, because it pulls up on the eyes, also. Some people jerk dogs around on the halti, a great way to damage the spine.

There is a new head halter out, which I highly recommend. It is called the Canny Collar, available in the UK. It doesn't ride up on the dogs face, and the point of attachment is behind the head (similar to reins on a horse) not on the chin. I don't like it for everyday walking because it, like the halti "depresses" the dog. This is because it presses down on a nerve in the nose, and the sensation makes the dog more calm, more aware, but also, less happy on the walk. I use the canny when we need that calm, like when we are going to fly on a plane together, or on a train.

It is a very humane option for dogs with leash defensiveness as well. You can watch the video on their site to get a better idea of what it is.

I prefer the sensation harness though. But in some situations and some dogs, the canny is a good temporary option.

Okay, by this point you're probably getting sick of all of my endless comments. :) But I can never get enough where dogs are concerned. My dog is a little girl. But for her size, quite strong. And she loved to lunge ahead and drag me everywhere. It was just not necessary. I used both a harness and halti. In the end, I got better results with a halti. But a halti doesn't force the head cruelly down. And if your dog starts to go in a different direction there's no need to jerk with a halti, you barely need to tug. It could all depend on the dog. I don't care for choke or prong collars, and I've never had good results with any of the harnesses I have used.

>>>P's Response:

Hi Marie,
But have you tried a Sense-ation harness?
KP

Actually, I've never even heard of it before you mentioned it. And if in the future if a gentle leader won't work out for me, I'll have to look into more information about it.

Hey umm... my GSD's "Halti" Keeps coming up under the eyes as well. I'm kinda worried because it looks like the eye may be getting damaged. I only put it on her because she is vicous agianst squirles :) . Does anyone else have this problem. If so what do u do to make the thing stop rubbing in the dogs eye.

>>>KP's Response:

Hi Bill,
I would suggest that you order a Sense-ation harness off the Internet. I prefer them to Haltis.
KP

Aren't you supposed to be AGAINST domesticated animals? That's one of the views for PETA, isn't it?