Beyond Cesar Millan and an Ethical Standard

While groups such as Beyond Cesar Millan continue to run a campaign of personal attack and hatred one needs to dig a little deeper to see what attracts people to this group and ideology in the first place.  This group states that while Cesar’s methods work they are not recommended due to the discomfort and pain it inflicts on dogs.  My question is “Well what is it ?”  Either they work or they don’t.  This inconsistent statement is a common thread which runs down the middle of this ideology which focuses on the feelings and emotions of dog owners.   My argument has been that if this approach worked as well as it is being promoted than there would be no need to run a negative campaign against those whose methods challenge the core of this ideology .  While this group attempts to counter this by stating the issue is that there is a better way one must go deeper to see what is really going on beyond the marketing, arguments and hype.   The dirty little secret is that this ideology takes priority over dogs.  It is no coincidence that most of my client base comes from those experiencing limited results and failure within these treats and reward based systems of training.  It is natural for the majority of those in need of help to gravitate towards these systems based on the attitudes of society towards dogs.  The lines being crossed when it comes to learning theory and the dominance issue are the very reason why those who are sold out to this ideology must go negative in the first place.  Limited results and failure are merely inconvenient truths which are part of this science experiment.  What I clearly show is that the consistency of those breakdowns lift the curtain on dogs as relational beings.  In my book, Mind & Body Kinetics, I define relational influence and the impact it has on a dog’s decision making process and more specifically unwanted behavior.  While the evidence is indisputable it goes beyond what has now become a hard and difficult truth for many to accept.   Beliefs have the ability to do that and make no mistake that is what this ideology represents, a belief system.    While this ideology continues to gain in popularity it seems that 4 millions dogs being killed every year in North America is not enough to bring most back to their senses.  Perhaps the Beyond Cesar Group merely represents a type of what is happening on a bigger scale.  I tend to think so.  While many continue to focus on their 10 feet of real estate sooner or later they are going to wake up and discover that the rug has been pulled out from under them.