"...many experts say Millan's philosophy is based on now-debunked animal studies and that some of his techniques ? most famously the alpha roll, in which he pins a dog on its back and holds it by the throat ? are downright cruel."
One of Millan's outspoken critics is star of rival show It's Me or the Dog, Victoria Stilwell. Rather than preaching training by dominance, she employs a method she calls training by positive reinforcement. She claims that yelling, hitting, or "alpha-rolling" your dog can actually make your dog more aggressive, not less.
Bonnie Beaver, former president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), also feels that many of Millan's techniques are inappropriate and goes on to state that the fear created by the dominance method can be physically harmful as well.
"'Fear increases cortisol,' says AVMA's Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M's College of Veterinary Medicine. 'Long-term fear increases it significantly and can lead to long-term health problems associated with stress.'"
What do you think is the best way to train a dog?
