Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
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The Dog Whisperer is a National Geographic Channel reality television series that began broadcasting in 2004 in which Cesar Millan rehabilitates canines and teaches owners to be the "pack leaders" that he believes their pets need.
The show is hosted by dog walker / groomer / dog behaviourist Cesar Millan, who owns around 50 dogs, including Rottweilers, Pit Bulls and German Shepherds, all of whom coexist in peace, uncaged and unchained. The Dog Whisperer is sponsored by Purina and Petco. The series is devoted to teaching people how to exercise their dogs and apply rules, boundaries, and limitations, so that dogs could be rehabilitated; although, a warning on screen often pops up explaining to the viewers at home that this show is not meant to teach dog owners, and that they should contact a trainer if they want to attempt Cesar Millan's techniques (this is to avoid legality issues).
Cesar is a member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, an organization founded by the manufacturers of electronic collars and fences. The IACP promotes the usage of punishment and electronic devices to treat animal behavior.
Format
At the beginning of the show, viewers are introduced to the difficult dog (or dogs), and its owners. Home movies are often shown of the pet's misdeeds, and owners describe the problems that they face. Cesar is then introduced, the narrator describes the experience Cesar has had with difficult cases, often citing his philosophies that no dog is a lost cause, and how he plans to approach this case.
Cesar then sits down with the family and their dog as they describe the issue at hand. He listens, while taking note of their own interaction with the dog. Cesar then offers the owners suggestions on how they may alter their own habits as a pack leader for their pet. He then demonstrates these techniques with the dog, often to the astonishment of the owner. The show would usually show Cesar going through his three step process, which involves exercising the dogs, then discipline to condition the mind, and lastly; affection (in this order). Sometimes, in serious cases, he will take the dog to his own Dog Psychology Center to introduce it to his own pack, and in even worse cases, the dog may stay at the center for a number of days.
External links
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