Just wondering what the people in this forum think of Cesar and his methods?

Has anyone tried his methods? With or without success?

I am a faithful watcher and fan, but I have not been successful when I try his methods. I do go to dog school continually with my dog, but I have better luck with positive rewards (treats) and never a choke collar. I think he is right on track with excersise, disapline, then affection & treats. The instructor at our dog school does not watch the show but is familiar with it and Cesar and has a fit when we even mention it.

Anyway, wondering what anyone else thinks or if they have tried his methods.

I read his book and wasn't that impressed, but everyone has different ways of training. Then when I heard about him and the tv show that were being sued after a dog died behind the scenes.... I don't remember all the details....it had something to do with putting the dog on a treadmill and running it till it dropped or something. After reading about that I totally disgusted. Maybe that is why your teacher doesn't like him, try asking the reason.

Hello, I am a devoted watcher of Cesar and use his methods on my dog, Sydney. His methods have worked for my dog. But I do warn that you should not try ALL of his techniques(like breaking up dog fight the way he does). You should consult a professional first! I have read his book and watch every episode!

He is very good at what he does and Americians do give their dogs too much affection!

Remember to be Calm and Assertive!

I watch The "Dog Whisperer"!!!! I like that show, Belle, my chihuahua puppy, stopped biting from that show!!! It's cooler than school.

I watch the show occasionally. IMO, he good points but I do not practice or agree with many of the things that he does on the show. Much of the show is edited so we don't get to see the whole picture. I have not read the book but plan to when I get a chance.

Training techniques are highly controversial among trainers and even owners so it is no suprise that some trainers prefer not to discuss Cesar in thier classes. In addition, I'm sure that many trainers find it extremely frustrating when students come to class mimmicking the things they saw on The Dog Whisperer show. "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME" pops up throughout the show.....and for good reason.

So there are mixed opinions but mostly positive, thats good. I really do like his show and I try to take things from both the show and our training classes.
I just want to say that I would never be rude enough to discuss Cesar in a training class, lol. The times I spoke with the instructor are when we first started and she wanted to know what we had been doing for training and again during a private consult about my dogs aggression.
My dog you see hates other dogs except the two he grew up walking daily with. He loves all other animals. I have to go to class early so he can calm down and I have to keep my distance from all dogs, therefore everyone thinks I am a snob. When we walk on the street or trails if another dog comes by I have to pull to the side and hold on for dear life with every bit of strength I have to control him. The noises he emits sound like he is being tortured and he is so intensely focused on the other dog it is unbelievable. Very embarassing.
When I try Cesars way, i block his view to break the focus, tell him "stop" or "knock it off". When he doesn't I try the "hand bite" or the backwards foot tap that Cesar does. Instead of stoping the dog continues or will snap at me. My instructor says doing that is rude to the dog and equated it to me and my husband hiking and upon my seeing a snake (which would give me a heart attack) and screaming that my husband would give me a shove to distract me. So that made me think a little differently.
Bottom line is I don't know what to do. The training had some ideas too that we have tried unsuccessfully. She said honestly she thinks I should talk to the vet about prozac. She thinks he simply has a wire crossed in his brain. I forgot to mention that he is also a fear biter. It figures, I had three children I struggled with for learning disabilitys and autistic disorders, now that they are grown why did I think I could get a dog without trouble, maybe I should just give up, lol.
Didn't mean to rant so much, sorry.

Don't give up! Keep trying! I know that this is hard for you but practice makes perfect! Also, Cesar says to live in the moment and not to get all tense when you are walking. Get into a mode of where you Feel Like You Are A Leader! Like for me, I pretend that I am a Marine and am on patrol duty. I am calm but assertive. I don't panic when a dog comes and it works for my dog. But it just depends on the person. Also, correct your dog the minute he notices the dog. Turn him aorund so he can't see the dog. keep at it! You'll eventually win!

Originally Posted by JeannieDS

Bottom line is I don't know what to do. The training had some ideas too that we have tried unsuccessfully. She said honestly she thinks I should talk to the vet about prozac. She thinks he simply has a wire crossed in his brain. I forgot to mention that he is also a fear biter.

What did the trainer suggest that was unsuccessful?

Have you tried a Gentle Leader yet? Or a Calming Cap?

I would like to suggest some reading material that I think you might find helpful:
"Feisty Fido" and "The Cautious Canine" by Patricia McConnell
"Aggression in Dogs" by Brenda Aloff
"Scardey Dog" by Ali Brown

Also, check out this link:
What is Behavior Modification? | k9aggression,com

Lots of good information...relaxation & deference exercises, counterconditioning & desensitization, desensitization to head collars, and more.

Wow, you guys have been really supportive! I kinda thought that about my trainer, but its the best class we have found around us and we have to travel an hour as it is to class. We tried three other places first. The classes are great and I love the training methods, all positive rewards, it was in the private consult (that cost me $120) that she said he has a wire crossed. She did give us some other advice but it hasn't made a difference. At least I know she knows us and the dog enough to not throw us out of class so I can keep going and trying and bonding. I will be talking to the vet, but I would never put him on meds without consulting the vet just on the say so of a trainer.
I have thought about just keeping on walking past the oncoming dogs (when they have owners bright enough to have them on a leash) but he is so strong, he has taken me down on occasion. I do also work hard on my mental aspect of it because i know some of it is me, my sister lost half her face at two years old walking past a dog fight. (I am just full of issues aren't I) I do refuse to give up on him. My husband has asked me if I want to have him put down and try a different dog but I take the commitment I made to this dog very serious and I can't give up on him, just like I wouldn't give up on my kids, (as tempting as that was, lol)
I will keep pluging along and keep you posted on any progress, now that I have found people that don't think I am crazy. Thanks again for the support.

LOL, I hadn't finished reading all the post apparently. Yes, I love the gentle leader, I call it my attitude adjuster. We also use a sensation halter but the gentle leader works best. I don't like choke collars, I did try it and was very careful to use it correctly, but he was going to kill himself with it.
I will also try the links and look up those books. Right now I am reading "The other end of the leash" by Patricia McConnell. It is good and makes me stop and think how the dog is thinking but it hasn't covered my exact problem yet. I also keep emailing Cesar Milan but apparently he is not taking new clients, that or I am not rich and famous.
Milo is a mix between an english pointer and an english setter. He looks like the breed picture of a pointer though. Maybe that is his problem, he doesn't know whether to point or set???
By the way, about the prozac, my friend has a 17 year old cat that all of a sudden started pacing, and peeing in the house, and doing weird things. The vet put the cat on prozac and it is doing wonderfully.

I use the gentle leader too and it works wonders on my dog. except the fact that we just bought it a month ago and she still throws fits on the ground pawing at her face. But I am working with her to like the muzzle strap part. That is all she doesn't like.

English Setters and Pointers are generally not dog aggressive. They do like a lot of exercise.

I have tried emailing Cesar to without any luck. His Book is good though.

Does your dog lie down on command...and stay down until you tell him he can get up? It is one of the hardest things to teach because they don't like being subordinate on command, but it is also a very useful tool once you have it.

If your dog will do this, when you are walking him and you see another dog, try having him lie down on the side of the trail. That puts him in a subordinate position and may act as a bulwark against the aggression.

Just a thought.

"I don't like choke collars, I did try it and was very careful to use it correctly, but he was going to kill himself with it."

If you are using the choke correctly, your dog won't kill himself with it because it will be slack. The point of the choke is not to discourage them from pulling by depriving them of oxygen, but to do so by the administration of a sharp tug on the back of the neck (along with a "no") that teaches them when they are doing something wrong (like pulling you across the street) and stopping them form doing it. Of course, it take some time and determination to get to that point, but what a difference it makes! A dog who has been properly trained to a choke chain won't "pull" at it - the ends of the rings will hang slack against each other.

BTW... I have a Eng.pointer/boxer mix. Is yours as much of a couch potato as mine is??

Ok, seriously...last post until someone else puts something up...but when I got to the post about thinking about putting the dog down, I had to make one more recommendation.

Have you tried finding a private trainer? That's what I ended up doing with my dog with fabulous results. The difference is that if your dog is fine in class and fine at home and only has a problem when you walk it - a class may not be much help. A private trainer can come with you when you take walks and actually help you work through the situation as you encounter it. Because what works for one dog may not work for another, a private trainer can tailor the training to you and your dogs own personality, idiosyncrasies and needs.

It costs more than a class, but on the upside, a good one will come to you...not the other way around - so no one hour drives - and you can schedule at your convenience. The one I used was about $50 per one hour session and charged by the session...as opposed to a lump sum for a "course." This worked out well for me as my dog trained really fast (in 9 sessions he went from total nutso to coming, sitting, heeling, lieing down, and generally being a well mannered, relatively well adjusted dog) ...so I didn't pay for sessions I didn't need.

Just for background, before I tried a private trainer, my dog was 3 1/2 years old, had eaten through an entire house, escaped from the house, run into the street been hit by a car and disappeared for a week (luckily came back ok, but quite a scare!!), was totally co-dependent and freaked out when I left the house, and was generally unmanageable and incorrigible. Now, I can take him outside our house, let him off the leash and tell him to come or lie down and he does and I can make him stay at heel and behave even if he "really" want to meet the dog walking by. Everyone who knew him before cannot believe the after. He is a totally different dog.

One thing I've learned about pointers is that they are independent thinkers (they have to be to do their "jobs" so they can be stubborn and breaking them of any bad habit may take a lot of repetition and reinforcement...both positive and disciplinary. My dog was simply too smart for just treat training. Sure he was great when you had a treat in your hand but if you didn't...fuhgedabodit!!

Anyway, you should be able to find a private trainer through your local shelter/humane society. Mine specialized in the "alpha dog method"...(a lot of her clients had tough case/naturally dominant breeds - pit bulls, ger. shepherds, chows, etc) but so long as whatever they do works and doesn't involve cruelty, I think that is all that really matters.

Whatever you do, good luck and don't give up. There is someone out there who can help you. You just need to find them.

Thanks to all of your suggestions. I hadn't been on the forum in a while and just saw some of them. Don't worry poohlp, I won't put him down, I made a commitment to him, to love him and take care of him, so I won't give up on him. We thought about it only in the context that if he was going to be a threat to people, he had nipped at even us.
The choke chain really does not work with him even used correctly. The gentle leader is what works best.
We were at the vet this week and he gave me instructions at great length on positive re-condition. So we will continue working on it. I have thought about a private trainer, but the classes are as much for me. My girlfriend and I go together, its girls night out (with our 2 boys). I am afraid my husband will hit the roof if I want to add in the expense of private training with everything else. We do have a kid in college to pay for and are hoping to be able to afford to retire someday, lol. Its not out of the question for me, but not right now. Not so sure how I feel about the "alpha dog method". I will have to look that up.
I appreciate the advice and support though, thanks.