Pack of Lies

I keep an eye on the NYTimes "most EMailed" articles. If a lot of people thought it was worthwhile EMailing something to someone else, it's often interesting. Less interesting is the "most blogged" section, which is probably a better gauge of how hyperventilated the blogosphere is at any point in time. I'd been ignoring a most-EMailed article entitled Pack of Lies for a while. After all, I figured I read enough blogs about that stuff. Surprisingly, it turns out it's about a TV show on the National Geographic Channel called The Dog Whisperer.

While Mr. Millan rejects hitting and yelling at dogs during training, his confrontational methods include physical and psychological intimidation, like finger jabs, choke collars, extended sessions on a treadmill and what is called flooding, or overwhelming the animal with the thing it fears. Compared with some training devices still in use — whips and cattle prods, for example — these are mild, but combined with a lack of positive reinforcement or rewards, they place Mr. Millan firmly in a long tradition of punitive dog trainers.

The article proceeds to rip the guy apart. I won't be tuning in, that's for sure. Our oldest dog, Oreo, is the only one who actually attended training class. Dog training class, if you have never been, is really owner training. Next up, Stormy, got the home-grown training. She is, however, the most eager to please dog you can imagine. Last up, D'Or, is a terrier. When you read about terriers, all the books explain that they are a "challenge" to train. That's because they really just don't give a damn about what you want. They love you to death, but that doesn't mean they're going to come when you call them.