Article on Ian Dunbar

 I am not a Cesar fan but I really wish we could get some good articles where his name wasn't used and compared to in order to make another trainer look good. Each trainer should stand on their own 2 feet imo without doing the compare contrast and bash thing.

That said, I would like to see a TV series with positive based training become popular. 

Thank you so much for posting this.  Great article, but I also LOVE the site!

Jewlieee

I really wish we could get some good articles where his name wasn't used and compared to in order to make another trainer look good.

I agree. And I am a Cesar fan. I don't even want to read the article because it's just a rag on someone I like. When are they going to learn that to be appealing to Cesar fans (and therefore supposedly make an impression on them) they're going to have to leave Cesar out of it?  

I felt that this article did less bashing and more comparison.  It then also went on to discuss  Ian and his training methods and how they've evolved.  I actually thought it was pretty good at comparing and not "bashing". 

Did you see the sidebar?

I don't have a problem with Ian Dunbar. But this article makes it sound like he invented rewards for training. I trained my dogs with rewards way before I ever heard of him.

"Ian Dunbar created an entirely new perspective about dog training. He deserves tremendous credit for teaching us to be loving with our dogs and to have fun with the training."

What? "an entirely new perspective about dog training"? He's the one who taught us to be loving with our dogs? That's pretty insane, IMO.

And this paragraph is just BS.

Rather than leash pops, alpha rollovers, and finger jabs, Dunbar advocates a trusting and respectful relationship, treating dogs as companions and family members as opposed to a lesser species requiring physical dominance.

Millan also advocates a trusting and respectful relationship, treating dogs as companions and family members (just not human beings). Many times, he has said that dogs are NOT lesser, just different.

From the perspective of someone who watches The Dog Whisperer and knows what Cesar actually advocates and not just the sensationalism that anti-Cesar people preach, nearly every paragraph is a cut or jab at Cesar, and not even accurate at that.

Again, if Dunbar can't stand alone, it doesn't look good for "converting" Cesar fans.
 

Jewlieee

I am not a Cesar fan but I really wish we could get some good articles where his name wasn't used and compared to in order to make another trainer look good. Each trainer should stand on their own 2 feet imo without doing the compare contrast and bash thing.

FourIsCompany

What? "an entirely new perspective about dog training"? He's the one who taught us to be loving with our dogs? That's pretty insane, IMO.

Perhaps.  Mind you, I didn't need a professional to tell me my dogs need walking either.  Some people DO need teaching the basics.  It takes all sorts.

Having said that though, Ian Dunbar HAS been around a long time and during that time I think he HAS bought new stuff to the table.  I think he has been pretty instrumental in changing the way people treat their dogs.  I *think* (not 100% sure) that when he started, dogs were still being trained mostly by yank n crank and not considered candidates for training till about 6months or something.... no one even considered training PUPPIES (like, 10 weeks old).  Dunbar started that puppy school thing didn't he?  Sirius Dog Training?

Here's a key point:

"He converted an entire generation of yank 'em, crank 'em dog trainers into better communicators."

If it had not been for him, we still could have that kind of training philosophy all around us... and when something is all around you, you get used to it as the norm and accept it.  That kind of training could still be going on today had someone not put a spoke in the wheels.  That someone just happened to be Dunbar.
 

I honestly didn't read the sidebar until ya'll started fussing about it.  I didn't care for it and I'm NOT a CM fan.  But, overall, I do like the rest of the site.

From the perspective of someone who watches The Dog Whisperer and knows what Cesar actually advocates and not just the sensationalism that anti-Cesar people preach, nearly every paragraph is a cut or jab at Cesar, and not even accurate at that.

Again, if Dunbar can't stand alone, it doesn't look good for "converting" Cesar fans.

Sensationalism??? Oh, please, get a grip.  Ian Dunbar is probably the least sensational guy ever.  Mild mannered, quiet, and not into doggy psychobabble.  He can certainly stand alone on his demeanor and his credentials.  BTW, it is very difficult to convert CM fans - *content removed, inflammatory* 

Chuffy

Having said that though, Ian Dunbar HAS been around a long time and during that time I think he HAS bought new stuff to the table.  I think he has been pretty instrumental in changing the way people treat their dogs.  I *think* (not 100% sure) that when he started, dogs were still being trained mostly by yank n crank and not considered candidates for training till about 6months or something.... no one even considered training PUPPIES (like, 10 weeks old).  Dunbar started that puppy school thing didn't he?  Sirius Dog Training?

Yep, 25 years ago. http://www.siriuspuppy.com/

I attended Sirius classes with Dena & Keefer, and they were great.  

SIRIUS® Puppy Training Classes literally redefined and revolutionized pet dog training. In fact SIRIUS® created the field of pet dog training. Before SIRIUS, there were simply no family puppy classes, virtually no food lures and rewards, and not much fun in dog training. Most classes only taught adult dogs repetitive on-leash obedience drills.

SIRIUS® emphasized the importance of teaching bite inhibition, early socialization, temperament training, and simple solutions for common and predictable behavior problems, as well as basic household manners.

Moreover, SIRIUS® championed user-friendly and dog-friendly dog training—specifically, that training should be as enjoyable for dogs as it is for owners, and that training should only involve quick, easy, and effective methods that are within the capabilities of all family members, especially including children.

 He also produced the first dog training video ever, and founded the Association of Pet Dog Trainers in 1993: http://www.apdt.com/
 

Chuffy

If it had not been for him, we still could have that kind of training philosophy all around us...

I can appreciate that. It's just that I wondered how I (and millions of other people) knew to treat my dogs with love when I had never heard of Ian Dunbar.

I see what you're saying, though, so good for him.   The more people that know to love their dogs and have fun training them, the better. 

I would like to see a TV series with positive based training become popular. 

won't happen. Incredibly boring to watch someone slowly, safely, yet effectively rehabilitate an aggressive dog using positive training. Much more fun to watch someone bully, intimidate, poke, roll, and choke a dog.

Jewlieee

That said, I would like to see a TV series with positive based training become popular. 

Do you watch Victoria Stillwell?  I think she's as close as it gets, as far as the few dog training shows on TV right now.  I've seen her use positive reinforcement in each episode, she often does clicker training, and I like how she makes the "come" command into a tag game.  She's not totally positive/clicker only type of person, but I find her approach more well-rounded and tailored to the individual dog.

I like her too, Liesje. Not all the time and not everything she does or says, but I think much of the time she's got a good diagnosis and recomendation. And one thing I like about that show is that there is a longer time frame happening. She comes in, evaluates the dog(s) and the owner(s), gives them a training plan and demonstrates what to do, then leaves for a couple weeks while the owners work on what she's suggested, and then she comes back and talks to them about it. I've only seen the couple episodes that are availble on YouTube. I would have taken a slightly different approach with the housetraining nightmare of the million peeing chihuahuas, but I don't think what she did was all that bad and I personally have never had to deal with 5 un-house-trained toy dogs!  And I really liked the episode with the greyhounds--that one was just tragic and I think she was really spot-on about what was needed in that case. I like that the owners are really doing the majority of the work, not the trainer. That's how it usually happens in real life anyway. The trainer trains the owner to train the dog, the trainer does not train the dog.