Send your questions to The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan

[RachelMumsnet]

Great news for all those in The Dog House. We've been given the opportunity to send our canine questions to none other than the Dog Whisperer himself, Cesar Millan. Cesar is over in the UK to promote his forthcoming new series of the UK version of 'The Dog Whisperer' which will be aired in UK on Nat Geo Wild in early February 2011. We'll be filming some members of Mumsnet HQ (plus dogs) putting your questions to Cesar in January and we will be airing the film across the site at the end of January, to coincide with the launch of his new series. To stand a chance of getting your question to Cesar, post them to this thread before end of Tuesday 21st December 2010.

I can't face reading all the posts since I posted as there are a few hundred! Is this still going ahead despite the obvious strength of feeling that there was always going to be as it is quite clear on reading threads in the Doghouse that the overwhelming majority of posters who use that section are firmly opposed to his methods.

MNHQ have not said otherwise as yet Wynken.

I think MNHQ are hiding.

Suspect they may have signed on the dotted line before breaking the 'great news' to us. Ooops. First rule of marketing, MNHQ - know your audience,

I thought that too, Bella. That or they're weighing up the pros and cons of allowing their audience to have a say in their business.

Thank you DMC. I hope next time I look there will be something saying it won't be. Given the strength of feeling against his methods by the various animal organisations I really feel this would be extremely ill advised on so many levels. I think MNHQ need to consider the potential backlash that is likely to result in the press as a result of his tour and whether they want to be seen as condoning his highly controversial methods. Sure that has been said many times on this thread but my phone will be out of battery by the time I read the whole thing.

I like to think MNHQ will spend a little more time reading the boards before entering into such deals in the future, Val

Given that there are only about half a dozen questions posed on here which are not of the "Why are you a complete shit?" variety I think that MNHQ will struggle to cobble anything together anyway.

And I'm all for me people chattering away on this thread to alert the wider public of the cruel practices which Cesar Millan advocates.

Yes. Sadly I think Justine's rationale of accepting his offer on the basis that her kids watch his programme showed a lack of research. Just searching on his name on MN would have thrown up several of the previous threads in which we have discussed the links.

Am very glad we have reached even more people though.

:o

'the clue is in the word think'

more of the same vallhala, more of the same

'I am not suggesting that you know everything'

lol obviously

'you THINK you know better than the acknowledged and eminent professionals in animal welfare'

i told you i didn't know much at all and was repeatedly condemned for saying as such... and now you have gone full circle

i'd like to add that i find it all very interesting but object to the rudeness which is a big shame but there we are

interesting link about the good side and the bad

What I find puzzling Ruby is if you don't know much about dogs or training, then why can you not accept, given that people who do know a fair bit all agree, that Cesar Millan is using cruel and outdated methods?

And people who do know I am not refering to the posters on here (although the vast majority know their stuff) but the RSPCA, WSPA, Dogs Trust and all the organisations mentioned on here.

It doesn't take much to hold you hands up and say "you know what I've read the links, googld a bit and yes, I can see you have a point. Could you direct me to a better trainer please?"

Now, you see, I thought Val was referring to this quote of yours, Ruby:

'one minute i am condemned for knowing nothing, the next for knowing everything'

Think I need another sherry

'studies indicate that one in four dogs trained with pain and fear based aversives will respond with aggression. ' - from your link Ruby. If it is only 1 four dogs that will risk being pts for agressive behavioyr after being subjected to this treatment then I guess that is okay in your eyes?

MNHQ - please may we have our promised update now? Thank you.

ruby you haven't been condemned for knowing nothing. you have been condemned for spouting all that crap about cesar being great despite knowing nothing of the topic.

no-one minds that you are ignorant about dog welfare or training, but what is annoying people is that you are vigourously defending a man who abuses animals, saying he doesn't when actually, you don't really know whethetr her does or not. it seems you are just on CM side for the sake of being on a side.

how many are we up to in the 'no camp' val?

dooin i'm not looking for a trainer. i wanted to find out more and discuss the merits of the various facets of his philosophy as i have watched his show and think alot of the work he has done. i was mildly surprised to find such vitriol on the thread directed at me almost immediately instead of measured discussion. i do find some of his situations stressful, but i have already said that. what i saw on his show was NEVER inhumane at all. it always helped the dog in the end in many situations that were considered a lost cause presumably due to the shortcomings of the previous trainers (if we are to go by the alleged standards of dog training on this thread alone) - surely there are dog trainers in america who have never failed to rehabilitate a highly aggressive dog?!

she was bella. i just should have used to word 'think' to explain it better

iloveitwhenyoucallmeboo i would say i was simply trying to find some balance in the argument. yes some of the situations he has been in have become extremely fraught and whether this inhumane is surely up to the courts to decide using current legislation. nothing i have ever seen would constitute inhumane as the dog is better in the end. within minutes or a couple of hours. considering the damaged nature of the dogs and the life they were living before this is nothing but a good thing in my eyes.

but balance needs to be backed up by facts, your argument was based on nothing except the fact you thought he was great.you opinion isn't based on your knowledge of dogs it's based on teh fact that you watched his show and found it entertaining (which is enough to discredit you in itself tbh)

you are so fucking rude vallhala, and it achieves nothing. is that all you have? that you know everything and i am a thick idiot that deserves nothing from you? you are not fighting your corner with influential discussion, you resort to put downs time and time again. it is really really lame.

'which is enough to discredit you in itself tbh'. only in your eyes. which is the point i am trying to make. he has even been compared to hitler fgs which is laughable and actually totally inappropriate.

and also, you say it isn't humane as teh dog is better in teh end. are you saying teh end justifies the means WRT dog training? it's ok to hurt them as long as it gets the right response? you really are going down in (I@m sure not only) my estimations in every post you write. there is no point engaging with you any more about this. you haven't a clue about this and you clearly have no intention of egtting a clue. carry on with your blind infatuation with an animal abuser. I#m done with you on this thread.

Ruby - I understand what you're saying about wanting to understand the various facets of his philosophy and that you've never seen anything you'd regard as cruel in his programmes.

Will you, however, accept that the treatment of dogs shown in the links posted is cruel and that it's entirely possible that large sections are edited out of Cesar's TV programmes, to show only the good parts. Particularly now that he has the welfare and veterinary lobby on his back? And that people on this thread, who do understand canine body language, can see that the dogs he works with are in fear of him.

Will you?

one last point, ruby you have used up your moral highground card when you called others twats and told me to fuck off so really have no right to call val rude. pot kettle black.