Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Valuable training articles posted by Victoria and other Positively members.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Post Reply
Cassidyyorkie
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:11 pm
Location: USA

Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by Cassidyyorkie »

I just don't get it. You would think that his being bitten on EVERY show would be demonstration enough of what a bad dog trainer he is! Why is it that people still preach his gospel?
britney89b
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2013 6:13 pm

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by britney89b »

i agree. everytime i see him kick a dog in the stomach i get so angry. i wish somebody would dominate him like that.
abbyneo
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:53 am
Location: Illinois

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by abbyneo »

I cannot actually watch him. He makes me physically sick to my stomach, and I want to scream at the people on TV to do some research!

But, I suppose the short answer is that they're ignorant (not in a bad way, just unaware) of the myths of his type of "training" and probably believe that they're doing the right thing for their dog. I would also guess that the people who seek him out are desperate for help from anywhere, anyone. I have been in a position where I just didn't know where to turn, and at some point you just think that anything will do because your life has just become unbearable. Thankfully, I made a choice to seek out a trainer that I knew used only positive methods, but not everyone makes that choice.
User avatar
Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by Nettle »

I find him a very useful training aid.

I tell people to watch with the sound off. Then it is so much easier to see what the dog's body language is really saying. And so people quite naturally begin to understand where he is so wrong, and I ask them to suggest what might be better. People learn faster when they are actively contributing to the analytical process.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Suzette
Posts: 1518
Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 6:45 am

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by Suzette »

I agree Nettle. He exists and he's not going away (apparently!). People watch him because he feeds into many, many, many decades of misinformation that people don't want to let go of because it's comfortable and familiar. He validates what these folks have been doing all along, which of course, makes them feel pretty good about themselves.

So it's not too hard to see why it's often difficult to get people to look at dog training from a whole new perspective (positive training) and see where he, and they, have done more harm than good with their dogs using dominance methods. He plays right into a persons reluctance to admit they've been doing it wrong for a very long time and in some cases, may well have done serious harm using these methods.

Anyway, since CM's not going anywhere, why not use him to our benefit? Nettle, I love your idea of watching him with the sound off. It's a suggestion I'm going to make in the future to folks who still think he's a great trainer.
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
Erica
Posts: 2697
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:35 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by Erica »

I remember reading somewhere that training dogs his way releases testosterone, the same way watching/playing sports or getting in a fight does. So it is a thrill to people.

Training dogs humanely, on the other hand, releases oxytocin, which is the chemical that bonds people to babies (and other people) and is released during pleasurable bonding activities. I know I would rather treat my dog like a kid than a fight, but there are people who prefer fights. :/
Delta, standard poodle, born 6/30/14
gwd
Posts: 1958
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by gwd »

Suzette wrote:Anyway, since CM's not going anywhere, why not use him to our benefit? Nettle, I love your idea of watching him with the sound off. It's a suggestion I'm going to make in the future to folks who still think he's a great trainer.
i turned on his new show the other night. i armed myself with the clicker and a handful of treats. baby girl has recently decided that any animal on tv deserves a good telling off. .....

it started with dogs, then lions and tigers, a few weeks ago it was a cane toad........sheep cattle and deer are now growl worthy........

anyhoo, we turned on the show with the sound turned very low to start with.......and gradually edged it i bit louder as she was responding well to the cc work.

so, i guess it could be said that cm helped me train my dog! :lol:
Image
jacksdad
Posts: 4887
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 10:48 pm

Re: Why do people STILL watch Milan?

Post by jacksdad »

Why is he still watched and has followers? because his show reinforces/feeds the instant solution idea. I want it solved and I want it solved yesterday. The other aspect is NEVER forget, Positive punishment is Positive Reinforcement for the punisher.

When you use positive punishment (adding something to decrease or stop the likelihood of a behavior reoccurring) if the unwanted behavior stops for even a second, that triggers a bunch of reactions in the punisher that reinforces the action or choice to punish.

There are other aspects of his explanations and behavior that plays to the human ego.
Post Reply