Cesar Millan's dog training philosophy and methods.

Based off my opponents response in round two, I understand that her role is Pro and I am to assume the role of Con.Rebuttal 1: Outdated Research and Cesar MillanMy opponent is attacking scientists previously held notion that wolves engaged in "harsh fighting" with the "alpha pair using force and aggressive dominance to keep incessant control on lower members of the pack". My opponent needs to establish that Cesar Millan holds this belief, not conductors of a past study.Consider this excerpt from Cesar's book "Cesar's Way" we see that his view is quite different from what my opponent is suggesting: "Anger, aggression, or abuse toward a dog will not establish you as pack leader; an angry, aggressive leader is not in control. Calm-assertive energy and daily, consistent leadership behavior will make enforcing the rules easier." [1] Which so happens to be oddly familiar to my opponent's sources' recommendation "The APDT advocates training dogs with an emphasis on rewarding desired behaviors and discouraging undesirable behaviors using clear and consistent instructions and avoiding psychological and physical intimidation"Intimidate: to make timid or fearful: frighten [4]As we see in the latter part of Rebuttal 2, Cesar indicates that when properly disciplined a dog should be calm and attentive, not fearful and whimpering. [1]Rebuttal 2: Defining Dominance, Pack Leader and Pack MemberA key term needing thorough evaluation is dominance, what does it mean to my opponent and more importantly, what does it mean to Cesar Millan?First, I'll establish what dominance means to my opponent using her own sources:I should mention that even my opponent's own source concedes that "dominance is a valid scientific concept" The question is what is dominance to Cesar and is that concept hurtful? [2]One source offers a direct definition of what dominance means to the source author and I'm assuming (since my opponent cited this source) to my opponent as well: "Dominance is defined as a relationship between individual animals that is established by force/aggression and submission, to determine who has priority access to multiple resources such as food, preferred resting spots, and mates" [3]Now, lets review Cesar's philosophy, does he use force and aggression to establish submission (or as I suspect Cesar means; reverence, shown through a calm and obedient state) as my opponent claims he does:Note Cesar's input in Rebuttal 1 and continue with me to consider these additional quotes where Cesar establishes his view on the position of the 'pack leaders' or as my opponent would have us put it 'breeding pair'.For the 'pack leader' we should see: "Calm-assertive energy – This is the energy you project to show your dog you are the calm and assertive pack leader. Note: assertive does not mean angry or aggressive. Calm-assertive means always compassionate, but quietly in control."[1]For the subordinate pack member we should see: "Calm-submissive energy – In nature, this is the appropriate energy for a "follower" in a dog pack, and thus the ideal energy for a dog to project when living in a household with humans. Signs of calm-submissive energy include a relaxed posture, ears held back, and a nearly instinctual response to the "pack leader's" commands"[1]So in the leader we see compassion, assertion and calm energy, we also see similar things in the pack member or dog - certainly not the idea of Cesar's methods portrayed by my opponent.Rebuttal 3: Semantics & Error 404Your first link includes commentary from a Dr. Andrew Luescher who claims that "Millan’s techniques are almost exclusively based on two techniques: flooding and positive punishment. In flooding, an animal is exposed to a fear evoking stimulus (which sometimes results in aggression) and prevented from leaving the situation until the animal stops reacting." I would refute his concern over 'flooding' as he calls it (known in psychology as desensitization) by revealing that it is a commonly practiced psychotherapy on both animals and human beings.[9, 10]As for the other two allegations made in your third argument, your links displayed a 404 error, therefore I cannot take them under consideration.Argument 1: Cesar's Feedback from the Professional and General Community:The "Cesar Millan Foundation" (a non-profit rescue, rehabilitation and educational program) alone has earned a generous degree of recognition from the academic community totalling at over 10 accredited awards for philanthropy and animal rights. [5] It has also brought together the efforts of over 25 corporations, leading animal rights groups and television networks toward the end of putting a stop to animal abuse, rescuing and educating dog lovers everywhere. Some of these endorsements are from the ASPCA, Bergin University of Canine Studies and North Shore Animal League America. [6]Argument 2: Cesar's Success In Spite of OddsWhile success and popularity don't guarantee soundness of argument, it does establish the contrary as unlikely especially when placed against Cesar's odds. Successful rehabilitation or at least the appearance of it must exist prior to success for success to comeCesar Millan was born into Poverty in Mexico, at 21 he came to the US without a visa or even any currency in 1990. His talents of dealing with dogs first landed him a bed to sleep (the floor of his first job - a dog groomer shop), then the creation of his first Pacific Point Canine Academy all the way up to his career at Nat Geo as the Dog Whisperer, it's possible, but highly unlikely that these were achieved with absolutely no efficiency or effectiveness of technique. I would submit that when discussing the nature of animal psychology or even human psychology, these things aren't so quantifiable as mathematics or chemistry. [7, 8]Conclusion:Cesar's techniques are effective, efficient and have saved many, many dogs from being denied families due to behavioral issues or in some tragic cases, euthanasia.I apologize for the oddly placed small font, I'm not sure why it is doing thatCitations:1) Cesar's official site: http://www.cesarsway.com...2) Dominance is valid in Paragraph 3 - https://apdt.com...3) http://behavior.vetmed.ucdavis.edu...4) http://www.merriam-webster.com... 5) http://www.millanfoundation.org... 6) http://www.millanfoundation.org...7) "Cesar Millan". Modern Dog Magazine, Mary-Jo Dionne,. 8) Patterson, John (May 16, 2009). "All heel for Cesar". The Age (Australia). 9) Chamove, A.S. (2005). Spider Phobic Therapy Toy. The Behavior Analyst Today, 6(2), 109–25 BAO 10) CARNAGEY, N; ANDERSON, C; BUSHMAN, B (1 May 2007). "The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violencea34;". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 43 (3): 489–496. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2006.05.003