Should Cesar Millan be fed to pigs? So-called expert lets vicious dog rip pet porker's ear off

I think the “defense” here is that no one in their right mind would think anyone was seriously suggesting Millan be killed and fed to pigs.

You might find the headline vulgar but if your objection here is literally, seriously, based on the assumption that Rob is inciting murder, then you really need to get out more.

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I’ve just got to the end of the first two seasons of Hannibal, and the scene that led to that guy looking like that is the only one that made me cover my eyes…

Hence the “It’s just a prank, bro”.

I’m not assuming he’s condoning murder or mutilation, I was assuming he’s an adult and would know better than to write a headline like that.

I’ve had experience of one of these “dogs are just wolves and we have to be their pack leaders” trainers. The problem is that the things they tell you are demonstrably false. Human relationship with dogs is quite complex, and it’s very obvious that dogs take their behaviour largely from their breed, their surrounding humans, and whether or not they get enough mental stimulation. They are also to a degree infantilised, but then so are we, and as the human race gets more infantilised, with ever longer periods of childhood and adolescence, society as a whole gets less violent and more technologically advanced. Infantilisation of dogs possibly makes their behaviour a lot more plastic, and the notion of the pack can be repurposed. Our dog knows who his “friends” are - both human and canine. But I would never trust him near farm animals because he hasn’t had extensive training in getting used to them.

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TV Exec: Well, Cesar blew it, dust off The Pet Psychic and see what the pig tells her.

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You’re a farmer/livestock owner and have two dogs that are killing your other animals and you haven’t put them down?

I don’t know how it works in whatever part of the world you live in, but I know a few farmers and if they owned any animals, working dogs or pets, that were behaving the way you describe, the situation would have been taken care of long before they had the chance to kill more than one other animal.

I’ve always thought farmers were kind of mercenary in that respect but having had conversations with the farmers I know over the years I’ve come to respect that these are working animals in a working environment. Ultimately, and I’m sorry to hammer this home whilst you’re embroiled in your current situation, you are responsible for those dogs and if they are killers I can’t imagine why you’ve let the situation develop to the stage you describe. Heaven forbid there are ever any children around them.

Apologies for being so abrupt. I hope you find a humane way to remedy the situation.


And just to address the pig chomping, you are quite correct, we are being ridiculous.

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Where did Rob say that he wished for that?

Personally, I have no problem with animal-abusing human animals being given a taste of their own medicine. Lock him in the room with a bunch of large, aggressive dogs.

Why so serious?

And: You don’t get around the internets much, do you.

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Perhaps you assume too much. More likely, you’ve never been snared by one of Rob’s trolley posts before.

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As a professional trainer, I’ve been concerned about Cesar Millan’s methods for many years. I’m not alone. Early on, many veterinarian behaviorists, applied animal behaviorists, and trainers voiced their opinions to NatGeo, all of which fell on deaf ears. So, he continued to practice his brand of “rehabilitation” without regard to industry best practices as outlined by groups such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and others. Those practices, well documented on film include the use of collars that constrict, or collars that cause discomfort, lifting dogs’ forelegs off the ground by using their leashes, kicking dogs in their flank area, or pinning dogs down so that they cannot get up. Most are based in a flawed “dominance model” that is no longer recommended by true experts in the field. (http://avsabonline.org/uploads/position_statements/dominance_statement.pdf)
Perhaps this development will put Mr. Millan, and other professionals who do not keep up with best practices, or who employ harsh but unnecessary techniques, on notice that one cannot put animals at risk or hurt them without consequence.

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I’ve never heard of Cesar Millan, but his Wikipedia page suggests he’s upset Alan Titchmarsh. I wouldn’t have thought that was possible. He must be really awful.

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I know people who think “dogs need dominance,” and people who treat their dogs like friends and family members. The latter are always happier dogs, and usually just as obedient.

Same with children, come to think of it.

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Now imagine any pet that is kept in an aquarium doing that. By your standards coral is probably the worst pet.

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Yeah, who would think that is just a pleasant arraignment for everyone.

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It sounds like the headline really upset you. I think from the response you are getting it’s safe to say that most of us really don’t understand why. I don’t think we have to worry about anyone taking it seriously as a threat (including Millan) and I don’t think it will be triggering people who have been exposed to this kind of violence in real life (though if someone came on to say, “I’ve seen someone be fed to pigs and it is nothing to joke about.” I’d have to respect that).

“I wish that Millan would die horribly” is not a nice thing to say about someone, but it seems like a common enough way for people to express their anger about something. Maybe we shouldn’t express ourselves that way, is that the problem?

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Thank you for that link. I agree with their assessment of Mr. Millan - sometimes his methods are useful and effective, and sometimes he makes mistakes and overdoes the dominance. With the caveat that anecdotes are not evidence; it’s been my experience, as a substitute teacher and dog owner, that both children and dogs are calmer and less anxious when clear limits are set and enforced. The tricky part is communicating and enforcing those limits, and I think it requires more nuance and flexibility than Millan uses.

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Yeah, same here in the USA, in the South. Any dog that pestered the cows would get winged by a .22mm or outright shot, even if it was one of the farm dogs.

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Excepting Mondays, Wednesdays and Palm Sunday, we are not a hive mind

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Pigs are prey animals, and dogs are dangerous predators.

Kill them both as humanely as possible and make BLTs from the pig.

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