Well, I have nothing else to do....
Just sit at home and deal with the dog.
We are marching...haha. Every day.

Thanks!!!
We also cured her chronic diarrhea, killed abundance of fleas on her...got her up to date on shots. She eats grain-free good kibble now (we can't afford raw, I am on Food Stamps myself). Stupid vets, stuffed her with antibiotics when all she needed was a normal food with good meat-bone ratio and no grains. Crating was hard to teach. She went all Incredible Hulk in the crate. So scared...but now she goes there on command, sleeps there, and you can leave it open she will just chill in it like nothing is wrong. She sits at every intersection without a command now, too. And knows "get busy" (pee) command! Our rebel is a smart girl, I know.

Well, sounds like you are well on your way! Good for you!

Just keep at it, and keep consistent. It will get better over time.

We often see people attempt ground work like its doggie jail. Like the dog is just going to come out of the crate one day and be good. We all know that dogs don't repent. So long as you remember that things take time, and that the groundwork program is a teaching tool, you will be ok.

I'm glad that you have stopped the alpha rolling business. It is extremely dangerous, and it really does no good. Unfortunately because of the Dog Whisperer people think its the way to go. I really wish he would do a PSA telling people not to do it!

Really, when I think about it, the few truly dominant dogs that have ever been on that show didn't get rolled. He dealt with them in other ways.

Cesar is no fool, he knows which dogs would rip his face off.

 Quote:

Lauren: Cesar is no fool, he knows which dogs would rip his face off.

I know! I watched a lot of re-runs (we caught on too late with that) and he is very, very intuitive. He spent so much time being in a dog pack he feels what dog is serious, what dog is just showing off, which one is fear aggressive and which one has strong nerves...His advice works great for people who know dogs well. That's why he often takes dogs to his center and works with them there, besides of course the owner being the bad influence He certainly did not roll that huge Akita mix that was dog aggressive and dominant with his owners. I would not want to see how that would go, it's sheer size and power of the dog that is important. He did say in his book that it's not cool to roll dogs if you don't know what you are doing. I also wish he said it on the show. He has been bitten many times...but no, he does not roll Rottweilers or Akitas:-) he rolled a Malamute once haha. It's the confidence of the dog that he reads well. I would not say I am such a good doggie behaviour reader, so no rolls for me. He's a smart trainer.

That british tart ...hmm...lady on the Animal Planet though...that's a different story, for another forum probably. IMO, totally lost her marbles. I write down her wondrous advice and then my husband and me laugh together at dinner...good Lord.

I beg to differ with your opinion of Victoria Stillwell. I think she has a lot to offer, and never claims that the fix is going to be easy or quick. Cesar's tv show tends to make people think they can "tcht" at their dog and like magic the problem is fixed.
Sorry. Not buying it.

I tend to be skeptical of all professionals, and hope I know enough to discern which advice is less than stellar.

I think the problem with Cesar is that the show's emphasis is on least important parts of what he is doing. Its not about the "tsst" and the alpha roll, its the rest of his subtle communication with the dog that accomplishes the control.

Anybody who has ever watched a good professional trainer work with a pet knows that if you can square your shoulders and keep clear movements you can easily control most dogs. At least in the begining. Most pet dogs are really responsive to new authority. This is especialy true if the owner is out to lunch.

His major gift is in his ability to read them. That's where his magic really comes from.

(And the occasional e collar remote kept hidden in his pocket helps, too. )

Personaly, I think Victoria Stillwell is annoying. But that's just me, no comment on her as a pro. She just aggravates me.

I'm not taken with her dominatrix look on the show, but hey. Normal people don't get tee vee shows.

Lol!

What, you aren't into the tight black outfit and Barbie ponytail?

My issue with Cesar is the flooding. Any dog with a fear response is flooded with the item. Sad, really. He is GREAT at what he does, but I don't think his methods are acceptable for the general public. Like you said Lauren, it's his understand of body language, and subtle communications that make him good at what he does. Most pet owners (myself included!) CANNOT, and SHOULD NOT attempt half the stuff he does on his shows.

(and I feel like they don't make enough of a fuss about the exercise. They show him rollerblading with the dog for 30 seconds. Don't let you know that probably went on for 10 miles)

 Quote: lauren jeffery

I think the problem with Cesar is that the show's emphasis is on least important parts of what he is doing. Its not about the "tsst" and the alpha roll, its the rest of his subtle communication with the dog that accomplishes the control.

Anybody who has ever watched a good professional trainer work with a pet knows that if you can square your shoulders and keep clear movements you can easily control most dogs. At least in the begining. Most pet dogs are really responsive to new authority. This is especialy true if the owner is out to lunch.

His major gift is in his ability to read them. That's where his magic really comes from. ...

Yup!

and

" Most pet owners (myself included!) CANNOT, and SHOULD NOT attempt half the stuff he does on his shows. "

and
"My issue with Cesar is the flooding. Any dog with a fear response is flooded with the item. Sad, really. He is GREAT at what he does, but I don't think his methods are acceptable for the general public. "

I agree. Flooding, in particular, is best left to the top 5% of the dog-behavior world. JMO!

He is part dog, IMO, and incredibly good at what he does (a few bad mistakes on TV notwithstanding).

The first e-collar episode was a big mistake, and this board emailed his assistant to point out that hiding it was extremely unwise. (The second one was a big mistake too, with his own bad use of it highlighted for anyone watching who knows anything at all about them.)

We received a detailed response explaining the part that the Nat Geo producers had in that whole e-collar thing as well as the owner's insistence on its use. (Anyone who has worked with CM knows that his reliance on special tools is close to zero. He's the last person to explain or show the best use of any tool like that.)

He is an amazing man. He's kind, confident, very open and accepting, and just amazing in his dog-sense. "Back in the day," pre Nat Geo, his seminars were wonderful, with every person's dog worked with (along with every person). Folks from where I live would pile into a couple of cars and drive down together to attend his seminars. (He was well-known throughout California long before his national TV fame.)

Even if nothing else ever happened, it would have been worth the trip to see him demonstrate dog behaviors and facial expressions.



I think he deserves his fame. JMO, though!