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Saturday, Jul. 18, 2009

The Old Trainer: Two things Millan always shows

Dear Old Trainer: I would like your opinion of "The Dog Whisperer." I watch the show and he makes it look so easy when he trains a dog. In your opinion is he a good dog trainer?

TV Watcher -- Merced

A: Yes. You might say that Cesar Millan, better known as "The Dog Whisperer," is a wise Latino male, TV Watcher, and he is definitely a good dog trainer.

He has the precise qualities you need to be a good trainer -- patience, an understanding of canine psychology, and a love for dogs.

Bob Dylan sang, "You don't have to be a weatherman to see which way the wind blows," and you don't have to be a dog trainer to watch his show and see that he knows what he's doing.

The most reliable way to evaluate any trainer is to see how his own dog behaves.

The world is full of people who claim to be dog trainers and yet cannot get their own dog to mind, but Millan's dogs, a pack of at least a dozen, are shown on every episode and are some of the happiest and best trained you will see. And all of them were problem dogs when he took them in.

And no, it is not as easy as he makes it look.

We are talking reality TV here and the one thing you can count on with reality TV is that there is not much reality, but the results he obtains are impressive.

Just keep in mind that he is always training a dog to refrain from an unwanted act, the easiest part of dog training.

It is much easier to train a dog not to do something than it is to train a dog to perform an affirmative act.

All dog owners will learn important lessons from watching the show.

In addition to picking up little tips that will help you form a better bond with your dog, there are two very valuable lessons that are part of every episode:

One, it quickly becomes apparent to a viewer that Millan spends the majority of his time training the owner, not the dog. It is a reminder that when a dog has a bad habit the fault almost always lies with the owner, not the dog.

Two, he spends a great deal of time explaining pack psychology and the importance of body language in the canine world. Expanding your understanding of those areas will make you a better dog owner.

Dear Old Trainer: How do I train my English sheep dog, Hector, to walk behind me when we are out for our daily walk?

Clueless -- Le Grand

A: Well, Clueless, The Old Trainer has to admit that he is clueless as to why you would want Hector to walk behind you.

I commend you for taking Hector for a walk every day, one of the most pleasurable activities for any dog and owner, but I can't think of any logical reason to have Hector walk behind you.

You want Hector out front where you can keep track of him.

The hefty ladies of the dog show business want dogs to walk behind them, but that is an artificial world and what they do at dog shows is useless in the real world.

I have spent years trying to convince my border collie, Streak, to walk in front of me and she will as long as I am paying attention, but the minute my mind wanders she is right back behind me where I can't keep track of her.

Just be happy that Hector is more cooperative than Streak, and keep walking him every day.

Send your questions to Theoldtrainer711@yahoo.com.