First Do No Harm

By dog worshiper Richard Belzer

For countless years dogs have been bred and nurtured to trust humans. They are by far the best friend of the human race -- they have protected us, worked for us, performed miraculous feats of courage: saving lives, rescuing people and pets, from flattened buildings (after Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters) when humans gave up because of the seeming impossibility of people surviving such daunting destruction...

And yet the dogs did not give up! If any animal is capable of unconditional love it is surely the canine: they are forgiving, caring, life-affirming creatures who humble us and teach us to be more human and compassionate. Also, let us never forget: specially-trained dogs help
physically and mentally handicapped individuals have a much better lifestyle. Plus, when dogs visit hospitals they bring a healing presence to all those they come in contact with in ways humans cannot!

Dog owners and dog lovers recognize and respect the bond that has evolved over the centuries.
To take these divine animals and make them fight each other and kill them in the most heinous and torturous fashion if they are not "tough enough" is unquestionably horrific, vile and degrading behavior. People were reflexively and rightfully sickened, incredulous, heartbroken and beyond shocked. How could anyone so viciously betray this ancient trust that dogs have shown us? What does this tell us about who we are and what we can do to protect our most dear companion?: Raise consciousness about the thousands (yes thousands) of organized dog fights that go in America). Law enforcement and legislators have to be made more aware of these grotesque goings on!

Also of key importance is how to treat our pet dogs that we are so devoted to. Most owners do their best in caring for their dogs. But unfortunately there are some wildly popular training techniques that are misguided and harmful.

An alarming and important press release (that was depressingly ignored by the press and others) issued by the American Humane Association. (Founded in 1877, it is the oldest national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals the association develops policies, legislation, training curricula and training programs to protect children and from abuse, neglect and exploitation.) The release expresses dismay over the "numerous inhumane training techniques" advocated by Cesar Millan on "Dog Whisperer."

Instances of cruel and dangerous treatment -- promoted by Millan as acceptable training methods -- were documented by the American Humane Association, including one in which a dog was partially asphyxiated in an episode. In this instance the dog was pinned to the ground by its neck after first being "hung" by a collar incrementally tightened by Millan. Millan's goal -- of subduing a fractious animal -- was accomplished by partially cutting off the blood supply to its brain.

The AHA has requested that National Geographic stop airing the program immediately and issue a statement explaining that the tactics featured on the program are inhumane, and it encourages National Geographic to begin developing programming that sets a positive example by featuring proper humane animal training. In its letter, AHA said: "we believe that achieving the goal of improving the way people interact with their pets would be far more successful and beneficial for the National Geographic channel if it ceased sending the contradictory message that violent treatment of animals is acceptable."

"As a forerunner in the movement towards dog training, we find the excessively rough handling of animals on the show and inhumane training methods to be potentially harmful for the animals and the people on the show," said Bill Torgerson, DVM, MBA, who is vice president of Animal Protection Services for American Humane. "It also does a disservice to all the program's viewers by espousing an inaccurate message about what constitutes effective training and appropriate treatment of animals."

Torgerson noted that the safety of a woman and her German Shepherd were jeopardized in one episode by the use of a shock collar, which forced the tormented dog to redirect its aggression at its owner, biting her arm.

"Furthermore, the television audience was never told that Mr. Millan was attempting to modify the dog's behavior by causing pain with the shock collar."

The fact that the "Dog Whisperer" has been nominated for an Emmy should give serious pause to all those in the business who are about to vote for the awards. Dog owners and dog lovers would be disturbingly misled if Mr. Millan and his program are honored in such a high-profile way.

There are other highly effective and humane methods for training our beloved companions. Please take note and let others know.

Comments

[beanster]

Leo Tolstoi once wrote that as long as there are slaughterhouses there will be killing fields.
I see a direct corelation between the killing of hundreds of millions animals each year and the killing of more than a million people in Iraq so far.Cruelty by it's very nature makes no distinction.
Real compassion includes all creatures,human or four-legged or shelled or finned or feathered.We all share the same DNA.

[wm1066]

I think Cesar Milan does alot of good for dogs, he is very humane and has great insight in dog/pack behavour. Mr Belzer is wrong...period! I didn't realize PETA was going after Cesar. BTW isn't Milan spelled with one L not two?

[realitytrumpsbull]

I hope they take every penny this guy's ever made in the NFL...which is a people-fight, if you stop to think about it...how far have we really evolved, since Roman times? Let the christians pet the kitty-cats...nice kitty...

[Aunt Shecky]

First, congratulations for producing a well-written blog on the treatment of dogs without mentioning Michael Vick even once.
I read in the paper today that there is a movement to end the breeding of pit bull terriers. It is disgusting that some pit bull owners have them not for pets to love but to
use as. . .forgive me, weapons.
I, too, love dogs (AND cats!) but I would never have either as a pet unless I was 100% sure I could care for them. When you think about it, this is what we should ask ourselves before we have children. Just as some people aren't cut out to be parents, many of us should not be pet owners.
I agree with you, but a question nags me. Why is it whenever there is an incident involving
animal cruelty, outrage sweeps the country like
a wild fire in Greece. Yet men, women, and children die violent deaths every day, and there is scarcely a cry. The worst anecdote of this type happened a few years ago in the Rockies in which a child was attacked by a wild animal, perhaps it was a mountain lion. The attacking animal was destroyed and there were more letters of protest against than sympathy for the poor child himself.

[Joycelyn]

How can the show be called The Dog Whisperer when what you describe is so far from the method employed by the horse whisperer? I would think that using the name would imply using the same technique of learning the animals natural communication and using that to make training fast and painless.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Because they are totally different animals.

[beanster]

To everybody who thinks that animals are of lesser value and say that that's the way it is or whatever,let's step back and look at this from outside.Imagine you were an alien from another planet or just a very logical person:The only reason that you deem humans to be superior and of more value is because you are human yourself.It was not so long ago that white people deemed themselves of more value and called that to be the natural order of things.Following that line of thought I deem red-haired Germans to be of the most value because I am a red-haired German.It's a dangerous line of thought.
In biological-logical terms no species is without value and wether a species is superior is dependent on their evolutionary survival.We will see if the human species will survive.My bet is that human kind will not only severely decimate themselves but take thousands of species with them.
As to the ability to feel pain and to suffer:that has nothing to do with intelligence.Pain is an ancient response and as far as we know,all creatures with a nervous system can feel pain.Inflicting pain and suffering on any creature and not be bothered by it's cries,scre­ams,writhi­ng or whatever means it has to express suffering shows a severely emotionally handykapped person and anybody who justifies this sort of thing is on the same level.

[CalGal]

I have been watching "It's Me or the Dog" on Animal Planet. It's the English version of "Dog Whisperer", except she uses food rewards. She doesn't do any physical techniques. She uses alarms to go off when the dog is trying to open the fridge door or trash can that scares them. She uses treats to train the dog to sit and down. She shows how quickly they can learn if you do things consistently. She has owners use alarms to remind them to take the dog outside every so many hours to relieve themselves. She finds out that the food they are eating isn't nourishing, etc. I like her methods a lot better than DW.

[Newfycrat]

I have yet to see her take on a "red zone" case - a dog who attacks other dogs on walks or attacks people through fences, who bites. Has she had any dogs that trainers or veterinarians have advised to put down due to aggression? Cesar rarely tackles the normal dog problems, almost always on his show are the dogs that are unsocialized, unstable, aggressive, or with obsessions. When he has a beta dog with unmanageable owners, all he does is his "shushing" sound to tell the dog no. Then he normally tells the owners to exercise the dog and give it rules. Very simple, really.
Just on a personal note, I was always against touching a dog in training, until I had that dog who 'went into another world' when he saw something he wanted to chase (luckily he matured/trained out of it), on my own I figured out that if I touched his side he would snap out of it. Trust me, no sound, no treat, no correction, nothing else worked. It was so nice later on to see Cesar showing this because no trainer I worked with did. I had another dog who was a fear aggressor and this would have been the very worst thing to do with her. She needed a steady hand, a quick, well timed correction and walking with confidence - also everything Cesar teaches.
Both of them did very well with treats only when they were unchallenged in the backyard. But put each in a situation where their adrenaline kicked in, they had no interest in treats what-so-ever.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Nice if everyone has the money and time to put into alarm training. Why not just teach the dog what you expect from him. Then there wont be a need for stimulus and response program.

[wikiwiki]

Rektruax,
please don't get a dog. it's ok to admit you're not a dog person. If you can't accept the dog as a part of the family and treat it as such, don't bother. While I think dogs are great, they are also a huge committment, requiring time, patience and love. They're also expensive. Surely less than a child but don't kid yourself and think you'll become a dog person because you won't, and that's ok.

[wikiwiki]

Thank you for bringing some much needed attention to cesar milan. This guy is the biggest farce and has set back dog training at least 15 years. I can't believe the NG channel continues to air his show, allowing millions to have access to his dangerous and bullying training tactics. There are some great, credible dog trainers available, but milan isn't one of them and I applaud you for so saying so publicly.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

Wikiwiki, please defend your position of Cesar Milian setting back dog training for 15 years.

[TJTelecaster]

"Let loose the dogs of War..!"

"First kill all the Lawyers...!"

Then: "Let loose the dogs of War..!"

So we don't get sued...!

[pros54]

I am tired of this BS about dogs. Dogs are just dogs and if you like to keep something that worships you no matter what you do keep them. I do not like something that worships me no matter what I do and in normal life dogs are of no particular service to me. Anything, animal, plant deadly or nodeadly creature can at sometime be of service to you and such is not perculiar to dogs. As far as I am concerned dogs are like chicken or fish or cats or emm!! may be not snakes for that matter. I do not advocate cruelty to anything and I hope all violent animal sport be banned starting from football, to boxing, wrestling, horse racing, fishing etc, etc. Thank you.

[beanster]

According to PETA I am a bad person.I have read what they have on their websites about the keeping of reptiles and they clearly have no idea about the natural behavior of reptiles or their perils in nature,of which there is hardly any left.Habitat is destroyed all the time.Iguanas are hunted by large snakes,eag­les,jaguar­s,caimans and even people to eat them.My Lola lives a life without fear.Nobody will hunt and eat her.
Now,a person who willfully acts cruelly against any living creature that is able to show fear and pain has emotional deficiencies and that counts farmers and hunters and baby-seal clubbers.Once I start to think of all the cruelty committed against people and animals right now I would be unable to function.I have seen footage of turtles being dismembered alive and animals cooked alive,elephants being shot with their babies in anguish,whales harpuned,sharks having their fins cut off(they scream in pain)and what-not.
Micheal Vick is just the tip of the ice-berg.
Our modern society worships cruelty.Look at the countless movies,video games and so on that glorify violence.
I looked on YouTube for footage about reptiles and there people posted stuff of dogs vs. iguanas,bears against tigers and so on.It's sick stuff and happens all the time.
All I can do is educate and give my critters the best care I can.
What can you do?

[beanster]

Firstly,let me tell you that in Germany,where I am from,all that discussion happened already thirty years ago.Horst Stern did a marvelous job when he created the TV shows about the inhumane treatment of cows,pigs,chickens and breeding dogs and the outcry led to laws that made it illegal to sell pups or kittens in petstores and that put the puppymills out of business.Farm animals have some protection against cruelty there which they don't get in the US and the pet industry adjusted.F­urther,any­body owning or working in a petstore has to have a certification as an animal care specialist.And the German constitution now has included the protection against cruel treatment for all vertebrate­s.Here,far­m animals and reptiles/amphibians are not even included into the woefully inadequate humane treatment laws.
My parents bred German Shephards and my mom put it into the contracts that she had the right to take the dog back if she found out that it was not loved and treated badly.
Now about PETA and the HSUS-they go way over the top with many things.
I love reptiles and rehab and adopt out many all the time.According to PETA my reptiles should be living in hell.Hmmmm,let's see:Lola,my beloved iguana girl sleeps on clean towels with a heatpad underneath in the winter,keeping her roasty-toasty.She gets the best greens and fruit and veggies to eat,hell!She eats better then I do.At the least sign of illness she goes to the vet and gets meds and she is a sweet-heart.I right now am re-habbing a large male iguana who was abused although his owner did not intent to.He just did not know how to respond to the antics of a large male iguana.Ziggy has calmed down and become a joy to have around.He had some surgery and is on meds and then goes to a family who are awaiting him eagerly.
Next part coming....

[Tennessean]

In psychopathological terms, cruelty to animals is a sign of sociopathic personality disorders. Children who engage in animal cruelty have already exhibited one of the warnings for future extreme criminal behavior. Anyone who would intentionally perpetrate inhumane, barbaric and cruel treatment to another creature, a cat, a dog, a horse, or even a wild animal or a farm animal raised for food, is basically a sadistic sociopath, who would do the same thing to another human being without a twinge of conscience. Arguments about 'cultural norms' cannot justify cruelty toward other living creatures; if human life is valued highly in a culture, one generally finds evolved thinking about domesticated animals whether for food or companionship. The most highly evolved societies are peaceful ones which consider food sources--vegetable or animal--as part of the chain of life, not a creature to be exploited with sadistic treatment. This society of ours, for example, is not a very highly evolved one, since we think nothing of napalming children and burning them alive, or blowing them apart with bombs, or forcing them to drink water filled with depleted uranium, until their organs fail from radioactive poisoning. "What's wrong with killing dogs?" Well, nothing, Lawrence O'Donnell, is wrong with "killing dogs" as long as it is done humanely and with compassion. It's the manner in which dogs and other creatures are killed that determines whether or not the killer is a sociopath or a caring, humane person. I would argue that any person who would use dogs as a source of gambling revenue in such a cruel and barbaric and brutal fashion is, from the onset, a sociopath anyway. But, to then execute them by torturing them? Well. The diagnosis is now complete, isn't it? Sociopath.

[DrFish]

No one loves dogs more than I; however, I suggest that Mr. Belzer read "Mother Knows Best: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog" by Carol Lea Benjamin. In that wonderful book he will discover that "pinning" a dog down by the neck is the very same way that a mother dog trains her puppies about unacceptable behavior.
Perhaps Mr. Belzer forgets that dogs come equipped with instincts and built-in weapons (teeth!) that we don't have and that certain behaviors must be curtailed in the best interest of both pets and their masters.
Dogs are canids subject to the same behaviors of all members of that family of critters - most of whom are wild and pretty ferocious!
We can firmly and lovingingly teach our pets what behaviors are undesirable.
My last dog was pampered until after his 17th birthday. My current dog is 13 and in failing health. I have had wonderful dogs - but I have taught them using the methods suggested in the aforementioned book with great success and happiness for everybody involved.