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Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 121
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Hi there
I have to say I am really disappointed at how some of the more experienced people on this site see - and rate CM. People that I would have thought would have known better and been able to see through the hype.
I am a moderator on another site and I had never heard of the guy until about a year ago when one of the members from the US mentioned this guy and asked if we'd seen him. Because I like to keep up to date with issues relating to dog behaviour I decided to watch the programme. All I can say is what I saw really distressed me - and also one of my friends who was with me at the time (and she is no dog behaviourist!).
I thought this forum was all about advocating kind, reward based behaviour and training. I didnt think it was about advocating - and supporting - the use of prong collars (whether they are supplied by the owner or not!), e-collars, contraptions that fit around a dog's neck so it can't move; kicking dogs; alpha rolls and basically bullying dogs into submission. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG BUT CM USES ALL THESE METHODS WHICH ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT POSITIVE, REWARD BASED STRATEGIES. Anybody with a real knowledge of dogs and dog behaviour can recognise in an instant when a dog is distressed, stressed and fearful. That is exactly what I saw when I watched his "show". Because that is all that it is; a show that is dedicated to CM.
CM has no real methods of dealing with dogs; in fact, I am degree educated and have spent all my career working in communication, and I couldnt understand what exactly he was trying to say - or what he was trying to advocate to the owners!!! To me the man is a bully. If anybody came into my house and treated my dogs like that I would be asking him to leave - NO - forcing him to leave through the window!!!!!!
Now, before anybody tells me I am into all the clicker training crap and anthromorphisise (sp!) my dogs. Let me tell you categorically that I am not and I do not!!!
I have a variety of dogs - some I have reared from puppies, one that I have had since she was 9 months and came from the rescue and one who was so severely traumatised when I took him from a family that I spent a long time trying to "rehabilitate" him and none of the methods I used were anywhere near what CM would have advised me to do. I now have a dog that has great trust in humans, loves everybody and everything and everybody loves him. I must have done something right!!!
All my dogs have routine, plenty of relevant exercise (and by that I mean time to sniff, hunt, play and interact with other dogs!), they eat good, nutritious food and they are well loved - and they know it. They all sleep in my bedroom at night and lounge about on sofas during the day. I have not one dog that has a behaviour problem that I see as a "problem that can't be fixed if
I put some work into fixing it - kindly!!! The problem is that most people are lazy and expect others to do it for them without really taking the time to find out what the underlying problem is. Fix that, and the problem is eliminated.
Anybody who needs to look at TV programmes to get guidance about dog behaviour or training IMO doesnt really know dogs. Having worked in the industry I know that they wouldnt show something that wasnt going to get the ratings hence the reason VS wears her dominatrix outfits; CM does all the showbiz stuff and Dog Borstal has all the music, hard man shots etc., to go along with it.
Why dont people just concentrate on achieving a bond with their dogs. Make yourself so interesting to the dog by playing, interacting, taking them for lively fun walks and - most importantly - before you try out anything you see on the TV - think how you would feel if somebody did that to you. Don't treat your dogs with disrespect and try to "dominate" them; they dont understand that. All any animal wants is somebody to try and understand them.
There is no quick fix for a behaviour problem with a dog. You will learn absolutely nothing about true dog behaviour by watching these types of programmes. What you will learn is how to do it all wrong and the only "being" that will be affected is your dog. Dogs are sentient animals, they love to be with us and be part of our world. Stop thinking about
methods and
theories and start concentrating on your relationship with your dog. Everything will then just fall into place.
Give your dog what it needs to survive; make its life happy; and most of all dont get bogged down with all the showbiz rubbish. Enjoy your dog. You never know you might just learn more than you are seeing on the TV.
Spettadog