Anybody here watch "It's Me Or The Dog?"

[badgerpup]

Got a new job which involves staying up all night...
TV stays on for company and to help keep awake. :hangover:

Four Ay-em pickin's are pretty slim...choice was between It's Me Or The Dog or Paid Programming...
:yoiks: :banghead: :nuke:


The dogs aren't mean, just mostly spoiled and mishandled (they're dogs, not human babies)...
but what struck me was the amount of dysfunction apparent in the human part of the family...
and how it's expressed in the behavior of the dog(s).

Any of you good people who are obedience trainers see this sort of thing in your own work?

Just wondered...


Cat person meself, but watching this program is causing me to re-evaluate some of the feline/human behavior patterns at chez badgerpup....:dilemma:

[HamdenRice]

1. She's no Ceasar Milan!

Just kidding, sort of. I agree that in both "It's Me or the Dog" and "The Dog Whisperer" the owners are incredibly dysfuctional, and most of the problems are created by the owners.

I find Ceasar to be more convincing, although to a certain extent he borders on the mystical in terms of "projecting" energy to your dog.

Victoria what's her name is from a very different background and I'm not sure I buy her act. Ceasar at least comes by his rapport with animals naturally. He grew up on a farm with lots of dogs and horses, and farm people tend to have that kind of almost "Dr. Doolittle" capacity to communicate.

Victoria, by contrast, got her "training" when she was an actress from England living in New York City. Not having steady acting work, she became a dog walker. If you don't live in a big city, I know this sounds bizarre, but wealthy people who work long hours hire people to come to their apartments and take their dogs out for walks, usually in fairly large groups. So you see these young actor types walking six or seven dogs in the wealthy neighborhoods of Manhattan. That's what Victoria did. She actually admitted recently that other than that experience, she never herself owned a dog until recently. I think her "dominatrix" look is part of her "act." Also, I once read (maybe just gossip) that Animal Planet, which broadcasts "IMOTD" was pissed that it passed on Milan and scrambled to find someone colorful to compete, and found Victoria.

Most of Victoria's "method" involves simple positive reinforcement with food. Milan's is a more complex method that involves ensuring that people are in the apex of the "pack" as the dog understands the family.

[badgerpup]

2. Oh yes...

I've heard of Ceasar Milan...he's got his own pack of dogs who assist him with behavior modification, doesn't he?

His pack seems to know that they're teachers too...and 'the leader' (Ceasar) brings in new students for them to teach how to be proper dogs and not...whatever the problem behavior has been.

I remember reading something he said once that struck me as very interesting. Don't remember the exact quote, but he said you can tell if someone is truly a leader by the way dogs respond to him/her. Acid test is a group of dogs (like his)...do the dogs overwhelm him/her, or does the person establish his/herself...without cruelty...right then and there as boss?

My first thought was wondering how badly our soon-to-be-ex-pResident would be overwhelmed...:evilgrin:

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I agree with your assessment 100%. I was about to post exactly what you said.

Cesar Milan seems to have a lot more rapport with both the dogs and their owners.

[Scout]

4. I like Victoria. I've never seen the other guy.

We love "it's me or the dog" at our house.

[elleng]

5. I'm often up at that hour,

and at least enjoy watching the dogs!

[Joe the Liberal]

6. Its a good show but...

in my opinion Ceasar Milan is better. "Dogs 101" is a good show too.