Dog Community

C.Millan, grooming and bites

Posted : 1/29/2007 5:03:46 PM

I watched one episode - season 2, when C.Millan goes to Womens Correction Center (they have a dog adoption program). There was a Chow-mix that was very sensitive about having his nails clipped. Millan held him tight on the side while the dog was trying to escape. The dog bit him twice, and scratched his noise (he had to ask for a napkin). Millan held on tight while his partner finished clipping the dog's nails. He said that it's a team sport: one should be holding the dog, another doing the clipping.

Why do you think he doesn't recommend getting a dog to slowly adjust to nail clipping (or grooming for that matter)... taking time, rewarding good behavior incrementally as many trainers suggest?

Trev El

Posted : 1/29/2007 5:11:25 PM

I thought maybe he should have used a grooming table with that dog, with one person holding the the dogs head and the other person doing the clipping.

espencer

Posted : 1/29/2007 5:26:24 PM

Because it was not about the nail clipper itself, it was about the feeling the dog was having when the nails were "getting done" [

], just as there is nothing wrong when the vet has help when is going to give a shot to the dog

He was letting the dog know that there was nothing to be afraid of, he was being calm and the dog was "feeding" himself from that state of mind, thats why they were able to clip the nails, the dog was also more relaxed

I saw the episode, the dog fought the first time because he was not used to, once CM let him know that there was not reason to be afraid the dog didnt fight back anymore, he was holding him still to help him stay relaxed but he let the lady to cut his nails

Deb

Posted : 1/29/2007 6:21:36 PM

Because it's not good TV.

That was a joke. Well, kind of. It would be very boring to watch a dog get gradually desensitized to something, but I don't think this is CM's entire point. He uses flooding a lot.

This technique has been proven to work really well with phobic humans. I think it works with humans in part because we are doing the flooding to ourselves, and can understand what is going on--that it's for our own good.

I think that flooding is riskier with dogs because you can't explain to your dog that you are doing this for his own good and that it's OK. JMHO.

Susan Robertson

Posted : 1/29/2007 6:47:01 PM

It would be very boring to watch a dog get gradually desensitized to something

Right. Like watching paint dry!

I think simply the reason he didn't condition that dog over time is because that is not his philosophy. But, I'd be willing to bet he wouldn't see anything wrong with doing it that way either.

I think like Espenser mentioned, he likes to show the dog right upfront that there isn't anything to be afraid of. He feels that method works best, but in this instance he got nailed! No pun intended.[

] Even CM makes mistakes at times.