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The Dog Whisperer


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We've watched and used (or tried) to use some of his methods. We simply do not have the patience to use his way of doing things. The couple of things we have used did work and work well. Dennis

Trailer: Montana 5th wheel, model 3582Rl, model year 2012

 

Truck: Ford 450 PSD Super Duty, 2002 Crew Cab, Long bed, 4:88 rear end, last of the 7.3 engines, Automatic Transmission.

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Also, if you haven't watched Dog Town (from Best Friends in Kanab, UT), try to find the episodes to compare their methods of dog training to Cesar Milan's. Personally, I much prefer the methods used in the Dog Town episodes.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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I don't know Linda....the Dog Town episodes on training I saw did not impress me much at all. And the trainers themselves impressed me even less. I'll try watching it again, once I get a TV....

 

I'm not a huge fan of Cesar, but his training techniques do work, and they really are nothing new. Most have been around for awhile. As with any sort of training consistency is the key. If you are consistent with your technique and catch ALL the behaviors you wish to influence then almost all the techniques I've seen work. And, like Cesar is sure to point out, the trainer and their attitude make a HUGE difference. I can do things with friends dogs fairly fast and they will listen and perform consistently....but their owners cannot get them to do it. It is all about attitude. That is not a Cesar thing, BTW - it has been around for awhile.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
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We just recently started watching The Dog Whisper on the National Geographic channel. Have you used any of his techniques with your dogs?

 

I have bred, raised and trained working border collies and sheepdogs for over 40 years. Cesar Milan's methods were considered outdated before I started training dogs 20 years before him. Look on YouTube for Cesar Milan, videos many of them show how he treats the dogs in an inhumane manner. A couple of them show how he got some very

from upsetting the dogs he was working with (clue: He gets bit because his face is in the camera not on the dog). Look online at Karen Pryor . Her methods are considered among the best she has an extremely high success rate. I would also like to suggest some books, "The other end of the leash" by Dr. Patricia McConnell, PhD, IO use her methods, she specializes in communicating more effectively with your dog and "Control Unleashed" by Leslie McDevott [sp].

 

Meantime here is a video of my dog Jin to give you an idea of what you can accomplish with your dog in time.

Together we, Ranger and Jin
#111554

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Ranger and Jim's advice is excellent. The Dog Whisperer is not so great...there is a reason it is no longer is a first run program. Positive reinforcement is a much better way to go. It may take longer and you may have to be more consistent but it will produce a trained and loving dog.

2007 Arctic Fox 32.5 rls for full-timing, now sold.

2014 Sunnybrook Sunset Creek 267rl for the local campgrounds now that we are off the road
2007 Silverado 2500 diesel

Loving Green Valley, AZ (just South of Tucson)

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  • 1 month later...

I worked as a vet tech and have access to forums limited to veterinary professionals. I can tell you that Milan's approach is NOT well-regarded by vet behavioral specialists. It all looks so good and simple on camera, but outdated techniques (like flooding) can backfire badly.

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Victoria did not impress us as a good dog trainer.

 

I think your relation with your dog makes a big difference in its training.

Tom & Bonnie

Crossville, TN.

2008 Winnebago Aspect 29H

(No SUch Thing as a B+)

Toad Ford Flex 2010

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We are new to dog ownership though we had dogs when we were growing up, mom pretty much took care, so after 30+ years we got "our" first dog and are learning a lot. Thank you all for your suggestions and recommendations much appreciated.

 

We are subscribing to the cafeteria idea of dog training and picking the ideas that we think we can work with from various sources. As our dog is maturing and getting into a routine we are reading her "signals" more easily to prevent barking or chasing. We also have found in interesting through observing other dog owners in the pet parks as we travel you can tell a lot about an owner by their dogs behavior and personality in addition to possibly reassembling their "four legged best friend"

see photos of how people look like their dogs

 

Some say you may not get the dog you want but you get the dog you need. We needed exercise and our dog is energetic, DH has lost 50lbs the first year and I am more toned (I like to eat so weigh loss is doubtful). She is also in-tune to us; DH has health issues and when not feeling well she will not leave his side and mirrors his energy level.

 

We have found it difficult not to humanize our dog and we are not alone when you see all the dog accessories etc out there. Yes I bought dog booties for when she wants to go out in the middle of the day to prevent her from burning her paws on the hot desert sand. But she is an animal first, then a dog, then her breed (hunting dog) making it easier to understand why she does what she does. Knock on wood she house trained herself and always lets us know by sitting by the door or if we are not paying attention she will come and bark at us then run to the door. This trait reminded me of the TV show Lassie where the dog always let Timmie know something was up or went for help.

 

Regular exercise is important though challenging at times when traveling. ie small quarters, rain, thunder & lightening, limited leash free area access. We always walk her a couple times a day and in our current RV park they have a HUGE fenced and very grassy dog area at the opposite side of the park from us. I walk her there and play fetch around sunup and in the late evening (because of the heat) and she is sleeping much longer and is less antsy. My neighbor has a miniature poodle she said she was having behavioral problems with until her trainer told her she wasn't getting enough exercise (size doesn't necessarily dictate how much exercise a dog needs) and now has no more problems.

 

I was always worried about my dog barking at golf carts in the park or door knocks and found that when I quit worrying (haven't completely over come it yet) she relaxes. I have to be aware of my surroundings and when I see a golf cart watch where she looks and correct ahead of time and she sits and waits for it to past. With the door knock I just have to acknowledge the person and tell them I will be right there and wait for my dog to relax and be calm. She is responding more quickly and once she sniffs the shoes will go sit in her chair. Thank goodness she no longer jumps on people we at least knew to start correcting that right away and she just wiggles around your ankles.

 

NEVER thought I would take my dog to "doggie day care" but found a cage free groomer that did an excellent job with her bath and offered day care. When we hit 116 degrees and our RV park was experiencing power outages I took her there while we ran errands. We don't have a generator in our rig so didn't want to take a chance on her getting too hot. Knock on wood this will be our first and only summer in the desert. But we have learned never to say "never."

 

We definitely are not the same people we were before we had a dog, she has been good for us and really added to our "family".

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...But she is an animal first, then a dog, then her breed (hunting dog) making it easier to understand why she does what she does...

If you are in fact going to use the dog for hunting, in my opinion you would be far better off reading books and watching videos made by those training hunting dogs than those training pets, companion or service dogs. A hunting dog poses some unique training challenges because they are off leash and far enough away that the handler has no hope of gaining physical control and may not even be able to see what the dog is doing.

The one that dies with the most toys is still dead!

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If you are in fact going to use the dog for hunting, in my opinion you would be far better off reading books and watching videos made by those training hunting dogs than those training pets, companion or service dogs. A hunting dog poses some unique training challenges because they are off leash and far enough away that the handler has no hope of gaining physical control and may not even be able to see what the dog is doing.

attachicon.gifAmy & ducks.jpg

 

 

Good point. Not going to use her for hunting just a companion pet. But it is good to know her breed likes to chase birds and rabbits and such. She also has a soft mussel for retrieving game and doesn't chew toys to destruction. She does fetch and catch balls and Frisbees but not for long. We haven't trained her to hunt but she naturally points and holds on her own when we go for walks. We have a lot of doves in the bushes around the dog park and she will try to flush them out and holds point till we acknowledge what she found. I am interested in agility courses and have attempted them when they are in the dog parks we have visited. Good exercise for both of us. She follows hand commands pretty well as I don't like to shout at her other than call her name to get her attention when necessary.

 

Enthusiastic and beautiful, the Springer is friendly, active, and quick to learn.

http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/english-springer-spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel dog breed was developed as a gun dog to flush, or spring, game in the field, but he's also a popular companion. Athletic and versatile, he's been known to participate in agility, hunt tests, tracking, obedience trials and more, and he's a great pal to have along when you go hiking or camping.

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JM, sounds like you're doing a whole lot right. I had working breeds for many years, and have a hound (mix) now. Training the hound has been more challenging (sometimes outright frustrating) but I found that agility has been very helpful. Even when you don't have a formal agility course & equipment available, you can often improvise with stuff available. For example, at one campground recently, I noticed a series of about 14 or 15 evenly-spaced posts about shoulder height. Those became our weave poles. We practiced every day for about 2 weeks everytime we passed by. She got really good at this skill, even though I kept her on a leash.

 

While my working breeds loved training and could stay focused for an hour, the hound does better with lots of small training sessions--three or four commands at a time--sprinkled throughout the day. She's got great stamina even at 11 years old, and if it weren't for her, I'd be a couch potato. One trainer suggested using food treats to train, but I found that packed on too many pounds; she's happy to get access to a toy as a reward, or even to get a real enthusiastic "good girl!", so that's what I do.

 

Over the years I've tried and disgarded a lot of advice. Pretty much have settled on positive reinforcement as much as possible, making sure the dogs get enough exercise and socialization, and keeping their brains in gear (no problem with that when you RV, because every new location has new smells and sounds).

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...

 

We have found it difficult not to humanize our dog and we are not alone when you see all the dog accessories etc out there. Yes I bought dog booties for when she wants to go out in the middle of the day to prevent her from burning her paws on the hot desert sand. ...

 

JM - I have to tell you I LOLed when I read this - cause it describes us. I don't think we go over-board but I wouldn't dare ask our kids for their opinion - they're worried we'll leave our money to the dog! HaHaHa.

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...We have found it difficult not to humanize our dog and we are not alone when you see all the dog accessories etc out there. Yes I bought dog booties for when she wants to go out in the middle of the day to prevent her from burning her paws on the hot desert sand...

I also try not to attribute human traits to my dogs, but I have known and owned several that appear to suffer from ADHD. I have also had several that were would be juvenile deliquents always testing the borders of acceptable behavior. Nothing wrong with boots to protect a dog's feet. I have boots for the pointing dogs that are necessary to ward off the goatheads and cactus needles in some places we hunt. I have also used the boots in the winter to keep ice from forming between the toes and grinding the area to a bloody pulp. Nothing slows a good dog down like sore feet.

The one that dies with the most toys is still dead!

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What brand of boots have you found work the best. My few attempts at having a dog wear boots has not been successful.

 

Phil

Phil & Susan & Skipton the big friendly Boxer
2005 Itasca Horizon, 2013 Ford C-Max
Bought S&B in Va. in 2013, now part-time. Started fulltime June 2011, Bought S&B in Va. in 2013, now part-time

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I have had some success with something similar to these, but I now make my own from deer skin or raw hide. Soaking the leather to get it to fit the dogs feet really seems to help. I put a band of tape on the dogs legs and then tape the boots to that. I'm only interested in protecting the pads and between the toes so I leave the sides open up on the leg and the outer layer of tape has more surface to stick to. I'll leave the under layer of tape on for several days at a time if hunting every day as long as it is still holding. I've found that the laces, straps, and stretch bands are useless for holding the boots in place. You do need to get the dog use to wearing boots and that can sometimes take a while.

The one that dies with the most toys is still dead!

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What brand of boots have you found work the best. My few attempts at having a dog wear boots has not been successful.

 

Phil

 

I ordered these in medium after reading several reviews but they were too small and she kept trying to chew them off. She is a Springer Spaniel about 65 lbs, I then reordered the large and they are MUCH easier to put on and she doesn't try to take them off. We are still new at this and hopefully will never be in such hot weather for so long again but she is getting use to walking in them.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FYT0CY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

41h0ORoFsRL._SL500_SS100_.jpg

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