Paws Up To You, Cesar Millan?

There's an awful lot of controversy going around about Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer. No doubt, I have my suspicions about a few things. But I'm not going to use this blog to slander anyone.

Disagreeing with someone is one thing, but no one has any business going around saying Cesar Millan doesn't know anything just because he isn't certified. He has been able to make some completely unmanageable dogs, by our standards, safe.

What I do like about Cesar is his constantly stressing to people that a dog needs to be treated like a DOG. It's not a child.

Cesar is also correct that a dog should not be fed before his walks, or before he is showing submissive obedient behavior. Nor should the dog be in front of you on the walk.

And, stop using your yard as an excuse not to walk your dog!

As for pinning a dog down on the ground... That's not mean. That's the method of discipline I use with my dogs. That would be absolutely stupid for someone to try when they don't know how, but it's a completely natural form of discipline that dogs understand. What's not natural is all this bribing nonsense that so many dog trainers try to use. You won't find that in the wild!

A dog working for you because he respects you is not wrong. A dog who comes to you with his head down is surrendering, not afraid. A dog who is afraid of you will not even come near you.

Again, no one is perfect. But it really disturbs me when people actually chat back and forth with nothing but pure slander about someone, as I have been reading about Cesar Millan.

There was an article written about his treatment of Kane, the Great Dane, saying that he was cruel because of it. Grow up, people! Sometimes when a dog is frightened, you have to make them move!

There's nothing wrong with people disagreeing with someone. But if you are going to post a disagreeing comment, be polite. Just imagine if that was you who people were slandering. You certainly wouldn't like it!

So on those points above I say, "Paws up to you, Cesar!"

Rena Murray
Dog Whisper Woman

Cancer Sniffing Dogs

I'm always amazed at the incredible sensitivity of a dog's nose, aren't you? I've heard a Bloodhound's nose is 100 times as keen as a human's nose, and a German Shepherd's 40-50 times. No wonder they save so many lives by tracking missing persons or felons and by sniffing out bombs and drugs. Now in recent years, I've heard about still another use of their great natural talents – cancer detection!

I have heard about bladder, colon, and lung cancers and malignant melanoma being detected by a cancer sniffing dog. The last study I saw about dogs who had undergone intensive training to learn the special odors of some cancers reported an 85% success rate. Unlike machines, dogs can even sift through the BLENDS of odors to detect cancer!

And get this. Some untrained dogs have this keen talent naturally. I heard a story of a woman who had a gentle, mellow Labrador named Buddy. Then one day he suddenly started pushing her intensely in the breast. The more she pushed him away, the more intense and insistent he got. She wouldn't listen to this "bad dog behavior," so he bit hard. At the time it didn't strike her - but the spot he bit was the 4 o'clock position in her breast. When she had a screening less than a week later, they found a little malignant tumor at that precise spot!

So if your dog suddenly acts out of character, he might be trying to tell you something. Before you overreact, check it out!

The use of cancer sniffing dogs is very attractive to me. After all, it's a non-invasive form of screening which might find early-stage, pre-symptomatic cancers. Much safer and more comfortable than some machine-based procedures – as my friend would agree. The connective tissue in one breast was painfully ripped by a machine operated by a snippy technician during routine cancer screening!

How effective are cancer sniffing dogs?

It varies. Obviously, intensive, specialized dog training using the exact right method is key. And you must use certified utility dogs (highest AKC obedience rating) with keen noses who know at least 400 commands by the end of the training. We all know that there's no such thing as total accuracy with any screening method, either. That's why you shouldn't limit yourself to just one.

The greatest problem faced in getting this out to the community is the scarcity of funding for this life-saving research. And for this specialized dog training. There are phenomenal qualification requirements for the dog trainer, too.

So if you know someone who has the ability and interest to fund some cancer research or training and maintenance of cancer sniffing dogs, contact them! And let me know (through the CONTACT page on PawPersuasion.com) so I can follow up and get them in touch with the right people.

I thank my friend, Karen Chrisman, for commenting on this issue yet again in Cancer Sniffing Canines, a recent blog post on her website - 4TheLuvOfDogs.com.

For more research highlights and commentary on cancer sniffing dogs, you will want to check out the November 15, 2007 article by freelance writer, Stephanie Fox, Paging Dr. Canine - StarTribune.com Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minnesota.

I guess it's obvious that I am very interested in this subject. So if you have a personal story about cancer sniffing dogs to share, or access to research on cancer sniffing dogs, please CONTACT ME!

Rena Murray
Dog Whisper Woman

What Makes A Good Dog Trainer?

I read something last night that absolutely cracked me up. It was a story by another professional dog trainer that addressed an issue I also deal with constantly.

A friend his dog knew, a former dog owner related to a dog breeder, approached his dog in her Halloween costume. The dog freaked out and warned her with his body posture, "back off." The dog trainer warned her, "Stop, you idiot. You're going to get bitten."

But she continued moving toward that dog even when he gave his warning lunge, saying, "He knows me." Well, she ended up being pinned in the corner...

There are those who breed dogs that believe this makes them an expert "dog trainer." Breeding dogs may make you an expert on the dog breed, its tendencies, its looks... that kind of stuff. But it no more makes you an expert dog trainer than owning a dog does. Thousands of people all over the world have dogs that are completely out of control.

Degrees don't really make you an expert, either. A degree comes through studying and fulfilling some requirements.

So what really makes you a "professional?"

EXPERIENCE. And genuine insight.

Dog trainers are not created equal, and many don't really know what they are doing. You don't need to be letting someone handle your dog who goes strictly by the book. Or anyone who believes that every dog is the same. All dogs must be respected and treated as INDIVIDUALS.

By the way, guys, I walked into a hospital a few months ago. I did not come out a doctor.

Rena Murray
DogWhisperWoman

Do not misjudge the trainer if....

If your neighbor has a dog and his problem was solved by a dog trainer's advice...

Please do not say the dog trainer does not know what he/she is talking about if the same thing does not work for your dog.

The truth is that every dog is different, and you need to ask a professional what is best for your unique dog and situation.

Distant Dog Trainer

Do not think the obedience dog trainer you hired does not like your dog if he seems distant with the animal.

He does this for two reasons:

(1) If you start out trying to be a dog's friend first and leader second, you are not the dominant one in the dog's mind. It is very hard to change that concept.

(2) The dog trainer does not want the dog to become too attached to him, because that would make it very hard for the dog's love to transfer from the trainer to the owner.

I had a friend who could not see, and she was given a guide dog. The dog hated her and absolutely refused to work for her... yet when the dog trainer came, the dog was all over him and immediately responsive. The dog was not really a bad dog; she was simply too devoted to the trainer to love anyone else.

Realize that the slight distance between the obedience dog trainer and your dog is for your benefit. Do not think he is uncaring.

You have no idea how hard it has been for me not to love on some of those sweet darlings right away, instead of waiting until the right time much later!