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

(#5) His Ideas About Dominance Are Derived From Studies On Wolves From The 1940s

Dominance theory comes from several studies on wolves in captivity carried out in the 1940s. Those wolves, researchers found, competed for dominance. But according to Dave Mech, founder of the International Wolf Center in Minnesota, more recent research contradicts this theory, indicating that wild wolves live in nuclear families that don't compete for dominance; the parents serve as the pack leaders.

“In the wild it works just like it does in the human family,” Mech told Live Science. “They don’t have to fight to get to the top. When they mature and find a mate they are at the top.”
(#4) Many Experts Say His Techniques Are Counterproductive

On his show, Cesar Millan often trains a dog by poking it in the stomach or pinning it to the floor and grabbing it by the neck, claiming he's asserting his dominance over the creature. However, many behavioral experts and trainers state that the fear Millan sometimes instills in dogs is actually harmful.

According to a 2009 paper in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, efforts to establish dominance can actually make a dog more aggressive.
(#6) Critics Say He Makes Dogs Insecure

Many trainers and behaviorists now advocate for building trust with dogs as opposed to fostering an aggressive, fearful environment. "Discipline doesn't come in the form of screaming at your dog, hitting your dog or putting it into an alpha roll," trainer and It's Me or the Dog host Victoria Stilwell said, according to Time.

"When you do that, instinct tells the dog to shut down, which is mistaken for calming, but really you're making the dog more insecure."
(#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.'"
(#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.
(#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.