It's Me or the Dog

heheehee

I am a professional dog trainer and I am completely appalled by this show. Her methods are avoidance not problem solvers and there is definite editing and cutting things out that they don't want you to see. I have read some reviews so far and people actually believe everything they see on tv. There is a lot they don't show you and on top of that Ms.positive reinforcement is a fraud. As a dog trainer/behaviorist I know all aspects of dog training. Therefore I have done at some point or another many many methods of training. Positive reinforcement should not be the only method of training, a good trainer uses whatever the situation calls for and Victorias methods do not teach pack leadership. Each episode I watch I notice more and more things they are faking on the show. There was one episode where the dog was opening the stove door, to get on the counter and eat food. Victorias uses this so called sound aversion which by the way can make your dog petrified of loud noises. She set up a siren to go off when the stove door opens. If this was to work on a dog the dog would immediately back away from the area. This particular dog did not back away, he kept moving forward and victoria says oh he's still trying to go, then all of a sudden the dog gives a little shake of his head and backs away from the stove. Now anyone who is a real trainer would know that dog has just been shocked by an electronic collar. The dogs reaction was to flip his head a little, that is the reaction to a shock collar. I guess due to the popular demand for positive reinforcement training because it is so called humane has caused television to fake the fact that it works. When the situation calls for it you can use a few treats here and there but most of the time there is not reason to bribe your dog. That is not teaching pack leadership therefore Victoria is a fake trainer and is merely just a host of the show and an actress. On other episodes when you see the dogs start behaving they don't look submissive they look exhausted. Something has been done prior to that scene and those dogs are so tired why would they bother to misbehave. Its not the things she is doing that is working, it is the things someone else is doing and she is pretending to be the reason. Pay attention the next time you watch an episode do some pausing and rewinding if you can and think about if what you are seeing makes any sense that it can work that fast. This show teaches that this is the only way to be with a dog and if it doesn't work the dog should be put to sleep. I have seen these types of trainers actually advise that a dog be rehomed or put to sleep because it is too out of control, I would estimate 90% of the time the dog can be fixed with the right training, patience and behavior modification. This show is just sad.

This show does more damage than help. A Dog that is aggressive thinks it is the 'Leader' and needs to be shown that the owner is the 'Leader' NOT given treats. This 'Treat' training of Aggressive Dogs will lead to those Dogs biting someone at some point. Terrible show and should be taken off the air. I recommend to anyone who truly cares about Dogs to write Animal Planet TV Station and tell them that show needs to end !!!

I love it, it's much better then "Dog Whisperer" the dogs can get aggressive so it's better for a older kids, Victoria Stilwell always wears appropriate clothes (and cute too), and is kind but firm with the dogs. I Love this show and I can't think of any concerns.