Quote Originally Posted by scratchin dog View Post
I don't think he is a good dog trainer. I went to one of his seminars many years ago and was not impressed. His pack leader theory sounded good but I just got the feeling it was all theory and his actual training skills were not there. He trains with intimidation and forces dogs to do what he asks. In most of these situations if the dog's owners tried what he does, they would get bit.
There is no way he would be able to train Kitana but I believe this woman could, Dr. Sophia Yin DVM. She is an animal behaviorist and master of behavior modification through counter conditioning and desensitization. Unfortunately she passed away suddenly yesterday and left a huge hole in the dog training world. Here is a link to her site where you can see how she compares her training to that of Cesar Milan. It is clear from the videos near the bottom of the page that her way is much more productive and less stressful to the animal. Some of the video links are missing but there is plenty of info there and on the rest of her site where people can see a huge difference in the way she trains vs the way Cesar trains, and which way is best overall for dogs and their owners.
http://drsophiayin.com/philosophy/dominance

I don't have a set "way" to handle dogs, I just like dogs and dogs tend to just like me.

I think dogs automatically "know" their owner is the boss ... but not so with strangers.

I like some of the things Cesar does, but this whole "pack leader" thing I find annoying. Most dogs simply want to please you. And so all you have to do is praise them by voice, or scold them by voice, and they "get it" (if you start young).

But there are arrogant dogs, shy dogs, and dangerous dogs that throw you a curve ball. A dog like Kitana, that grows up all alone on a chain, with a naturally super-aggressive disposition is always going to be a dangerous dog. I don't care "who" is handling this bitch, as an already-mean adult, Kitana will NEVER be a trustworthy animal with kids, animals, or strangers. NEVER. Period.

Maybe if she were socialized and acclimated as a puppy, but no way are you going to have some woman "train her" after Kitana got set in her ways ... and then think you can turn your back on Kitana in a home full of children, guests, and strangers. Not gonna happen.

Jack