Random Controversies Surrounding Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer (11 items)

(#11) A Customer's Dog Developed Serious Problems After Seeing Cesar Millan

Ligia Morris consulted Cesar Millan for help with her three dogs, and she was shocked by the methods he used in attempts to calm them down. According to Morris, Millan told her she wasn't the right fit for her Brazilian mastiff - due to the breed - and only an alpha would be able to take control, which she apparently wasn't.

The small amount of training had some immediate positive effects, and soon Morris decided to board her Brazilian mastiff at Millan's Dog Psychology Center for a trip she was taking abroad. When she went back to pick up her dog, she noticed that it had injured its eyelid. The center informed her that her dog was a "fighter," something that was never apparent before Millan's tutelage.

Shortly after this stay, Morris noticed her pet was acting strangely, getting distraught when she left the house. "My [dog] had been damaged by those methods and developed an anxiety disorder," she wrote. "He had developed noise/storm phobia associated to separation anxiety, which he had never presented before those 10 days he was 'whispered to.'"
(#3) His Training Techniques Have Been Criticized

Cesar Millan's training style has come into some criticism. According to Nicholas Dodman, a dog behaviorist and professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Millan is abusive. Others have pointed out that Millan carries no medical or behavioral psychology credentials to legitimize his theories.

In 2008, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior advocated against the use of punishment when training dogs - like Millan's methods of pulling on a dog's collar, forcing the animal onto its back, or poking it in the stomach - except in specific circumstances.
(#2) A Post On His Blog Claims Science Is Coming Around To His Theories

On Cesar Millan's blog Cesar's Way, a post titled "Science catches up to Cesar" by Jon Bastian highlighted a study in which European researchers used GPS to track the movements of six vizslas over 14 long walks.

"Dogs that led more often had higher dominance ranks in everyday situations, assessed by a dominance questionnaire," the study found. Still, researchers conceded that "there is still much debate as to whether groups of domestic dogs have a social hierarchy."
(#1) Many Experts Dispute His Theories

Cesar Millan bases much of his training techniques on the idea of dominance theory. According to dominance theory, a dog's human owner should display power over the animal to become the alpha leader, stemming from an old understanding of leadership in wolf packs.

However, many behavior experts and dog trainers dispute this theory, claiming it's based in debunked science.
(#8) Cesar Millan Was Investigated For Animal Cruelty

In one episode of Cesar Millan's show, Cesar 911, Millan planned to train a dog that was attacking its family's pigs. During the training session, the dog attacked a pig and blood was shed. As a result, the dog expert was investigated for cruelty toward animals.
(#9) His Results Produce Made-For-TV Moments

The dog training techniques on Cesar Millan's show contrast greatly with the ones advocated for by trainers who use positive reinforcement in part because of the time it takes for the techniques to be effective. Millan gets results almost immediately, which makes for good TV, though critics argue his methods have negative long-term effects which won't make it into an episode.

Positive reinforcement takes a long time to be effective - often too long to be shown on TV. With this method, dogs have to be trained repeatedly until they show results, and there isn't a dramatic turn of events.