Dog fight: The dominant attitude of American celebrity pet trainer
Cesar Millan is at odds with the more gentle approach favoured by
British trainer Victoria Stilwell

It has become a bitter row, and neither side is likely to roll over any time soon.

A dispute has broken out among Britain’s dog trainers over whether we
should be dominating our pooches or treating them as equals.

One side insists it is fine to pin dogs to the ground in an ‘alpha
roll’, while other trainers are fierce advocates of the more modern
technique of ‘positive rewarding’.

They insist the more traditional method amounts to animal cruelty and
can lead to increased stress for the dog - and they have launched an
organisation to regulate dog trainers and stamp out the practice.

The traditionalists favour techniques espoused by Mexican-American
animal behaviourist Cesar Millan, who has made a fortune from The Dog
Whisperer - a TV series in which he re-trains problem dogs.

Mr Millan, whose clients include actress Scarlett Johansson and chatshow
host Oprah Winfrey, says dogs should be treated as animals, not
substitute children. He advocates the owner ensuring it is clear they
are the ‘pack leader’.

In contrast, English dog trainer Victoria Stilwell’s TV show It’s Me Or
The Dog encourages owners to think of their dogs as equals.

‘Any person can make an animal behave through force and fear,’ the 41-year-old former actress from London told The Sunday Times.

It is supporters of Mrs Stilwell’s doctrine who have created the Animal
Behaviour and Training Council, with the support of animal welfare
groups including the RSPCA and the Dogs Trust.

‘The aim is to standardise what is going on, because at the moment
anybody can say “I know there is a leg on each corner – so I can train
them”,’ said the council’s chairman, David Montgomery.

The council, to be launched next month, will regulate trainers in the
UK, and those practising the ‘alpha roll’ are ‘unlikely’ to make the
grade, Mr Montgomery added.

However, Colin Tennant, who has trained 10,000 dogs and chairs the
Canine and Feline Behaviour Association, said: ‘It is political
correctness. If you treat a dog like a human it will treat you like a
dog.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz0w7ynoZHV

i prefer victoria stillwell all the way

I voted 'u decide'

I like a bit of this and a bit of that

I watch both this is a difficult one but going to vote with my gutt instinct!!!

I thought everyone one here thought that Milan was the dogs Bollocks wait until Shelley sees this she will have a hissy fit

I think they are both up their own arses.

I used to love Cesar but as i got to know my own dogs better i found the stilwell appraoch works better for me... thats not to say i think of them as equals i dont they are dogs and have their place ( lieing next to me on the marital bed with hubby asleep on the couch )

So i suppose you watch both take aspects from both and use what works for you but Stilwell gets my vote.... Ive used a lot of her techniques....

Stilwell Still winning the vote

it depends what works for your dog, not all methods of training works for every dog, theyre all individuals like we are

i tend to think that cesars methods work better for fred

Your right
I don't use either of them tbh
probably why

Bailey has separation anxiety
Tilly hates small dogs
and Shady doesn't listen to me

:san12: :san12: :san12: :san12:

freds had no end of training and he still hates other dogs ..... :2431:


hes getting better though.... depends what mood hes in :rolls eyes: :

:san12: :san12: :san12: :san12:

this must mean that freds not the problem dog i once thought he was then.....

hes normal :tilly: