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Another Pack  of Lies ?

Several weeks ago we blogged about the Ian Dunbar’s article denounces Pack Theory and Off-lead’s report of the lack of pack behavior in free roaming dogs in Romania.   It seems the Pack Theory is under further attack this month by the The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) who issued a statement “

The AVSAB recommends that veterinarians not refer clients to trainers or behavior consultants who coach and advocate dominance hierarchy theory and the subsequent confrontational training that follows from it”

Reported over at VIN, the AVSAB’s executive board also stated that the statement was clearly issued against Cesar Milan.

As usual these groups are over reacting, yes there are con’s involved with Pack Behavior Theory and there are advantages as well.

Cesar is an incredible trainer and no amount of their slander can detract from that fact.  Is his training modality fit for every dog ? No.  Is his training theory 100% accepted by every trainer? No.  But for the dog’s that it does work for in many cases it is a life saver, literally.

Cesar uses a blend of pack behavior theory and positive rewards, all trainers should have a blend of training theories because not every dog or dog owner learns the same way nor do all dogs respond the same.

Instead of demonizing or abolishing training modalities based on pack behavior perhaps the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior should outline the numerous k-9 training theories offering a comparative analysis of the theories without negatively impacting any of them but instead helping trainers and owners understand that each “school of training” has valuable tools that can be used at various times.

Keep up the good work Cesar !