Ixas_girl
Posted : 4/10/2007 11:54:22 AM
I'll take the "Millan is not a trainer" mantra one step further.
Nobody, 50 years ago, was being the Tony Robbins of the dog world. In his TV shows, Millan's emphasis on human behavior is readily apparent. His show is not all about training with corrections to the dog, it#%92s all about modifying human-dog relationships by motivating humans.
Millan is a motivational speaker, in the model of our contemporary life coaches, but with a twist, because he makes televised house calls, and is hands-on. He claims Tony Robbins and Wayne Dyer among his heroes. He and his wife are building a growing company that aims to foster betterment for dogs through empowering people. He is not psychologist, biologist, nor ethologist, but rather, like other motivational speakers, he#%92s made himself successful through trial and error, and, yes, by cultivating the instinct he was born with. People are attracted to that, which is why he#%92s popular.
Millan demonstrates, in each episode, that many companion dog problems are created by human psychology. He demonstrates how people use dogs to fulfill their own emotional neediness. His “terse” handling of animals is a logical approach in trying to break a cultural habit of over-emotionalizing pets. He#%92d probably say that coddling does more damage to dogs than slip leads do. He probably finds many so called +R methods to be fraught with unhealthy co-dependent dynamics.
Millan#%92s show is about leaving people, and their dogs, better than he found them, which generally means that they are exercising more self-control. He motivates fatherless boys to become confident young men in handling their feisty GSD, he inspires a chaotic house of young ladies and their mom to create more structure when their pitbull is becoming dangerous, he gets a family to see that they#%92re spoiling their little terrier in deference to the memory of a dead aunt. He motivates people to stop being embarrassed about setting high standards, and he gives them tools to reach those outcomes. Millan gets people to see how they create unhealthy environments for their dogs. He focuses on modifying the human#%92s behavior.
Millan is supremely agile, physically. I#%92m an artist with much background in dance, movement, and performance. When I watch Millan handle animals, I see precise self-control, and a sophisticated knowledge of movement mechanics. On TV, I#%92ve seen him massage dogs, I#%92ve seen him speak softly to them, I#%92ve seen him communicate through the lead with only a wiggle of his pinky. His alpha rolls are delicate, and his so called “hanging” is calm and swift. In both of those controversial moves he redirects the animals own energy, rather than “applying force” to the animal. He#%92s expert at that fundamental martial arts concept because of his training. Millan#%92s not a brute, he#%92s a well developed instrument.
That said, The Millan#%92s are candid in interviews about their learning curve and personal growth, together as a couple, as well as professionally. I wouldn#%92t be surprised that he#%92s modifying his methods in response to criticism. He strikes me as being a lifelong learner. I find the Millans to be a great model for right livelihood, philanthropic work, and good basic values, as imperfect as they may be.
Millan *touches* people. That kind of talent - ya can#%92t buy a diploma for it, ya either got it or ya don#%92t.
Edited to add: IMO, the major "method" he teaches people, besides "mastering the walk" is NILIF. Not bad!