Animal Planet is not a "animal planet"

**gpigluver14** · #1 03-21-07, 05:28 pm

Came across this when searching on Guinea Lynx, (I hope I am allowed to post it.) Guinea Lynx :: ANIMAL PLANET SINKS TO NEW LOWS

I watched the show a couple of times before, "Pet Star". I didn't see the specific episode, but you can tell enough from the summary, that it was pitiful what she had the guinea pigs do. Them "singing" was actually squealing in pain.

The girl had guinea pigs her whole life, and she didn't recognize/know that rubbing their hair like that hurt them?! It's kind of common sense, I can't believe the judges just laughed, it obvious she was hurting the poor pigs.

**pink piggy lips** · #2 03-21-07, 05:51 pm

I say shame on her and them for doing and supporting that.

I do know if you 'tickle', or touch piggies in certain places, they will squeal. Mine do this sometimes if I'm trying to pick them up or changing position when I hold them.

They have certain 'hot spots' or sensitive spots on their bodies. Lots of piggies hate it when you touch the lower ends of their backs, or their rumps.

Then again, some of mine love it and they rumble/purr. But I don't forcefully squeeze or hurt them to get this reaction. I've just learned over time that they do enjoy it.

**pink piggy lips** · #3 03-21-07, 06:05 pm

Oh! I hope it didn't seem like I was at all justifying what the girls on the show did. I just realized that I have encountered my piggies making little sounds when their sensitive spots are touched. Not full on screaming from being mishandled.

I think it's awful that the show sanctioned this kind of behavior as ok.

**fourbwabbys** · #4 03-21-07, 06:19 pm

I saw that episode and was in complete disbelief. It's like saying "Look, I have a singing cat! When I step on his tail, he screams!"

**cusunfireguy** · #5 03-21-07, 06:58 pm

That's just awful. I know what it sounds like when my long hair gets a mat on her hinnie that I'm trying to remove. It has almost brought me to tears in the past but now I've gotten really good at it and it's over and done in seconds. Shame on that lady for making those babies scream! Here's me screaming at her: AAAARRRRHHHH!

Steven

**Naomi** · #6 03-21-07, 08:26 pm

I haven't seen it so I can't comment but I am sure it was bad if everyone who saw it is this upset.

**cavylover103** · #7 03-23-07, 06:51 pm

That makes me so mad. Some one should write animal planet about that. How can those little girls live with themselves? ugh..

**Terekins** · #8 03-24-07, 07:10 am

Have you guys ever seen The Dog Whisperer? I usually don't mind the show, but the other day I saw an episode where they were attempting to classically condition (basically mentally train) a hunting dog, so that he would stop attacking birds. They used a REAL duck, holding it up to the dog's nose and then pulling it away when the dog tried to snap at it. The dog nipped it a couple of times!! The poor duck must have been terrified, and it was just being used as though it had no value. Just a tool to train a dog.

I don't even agree that they should try and change the nature of a hunting dog and think they've succeeded...and to endanger and terrify an innocent animal---ugh!!

**Clementine** · #9 03-24-07, 07:17 am

If the girl had guinea pigs for a long time like you said it gpigluver14, then I'm sorry to say (I don't want to be mean), but she isn't very... you know. If you had your piggy for quite some time, then it shouldn't be very hard to know if there sqealing in pain or not.My piggy hates it when you poke her
on her side's/stomack.She'll then bite you, not hard but just gently and quickly just to give you a warning, but if you don't stop, then she'll start bitting you harder and harder.

**Clementine** · #10 03-24-07, 07:23 am

Ya I saw dog whisperer. I never saw the one you are talking about, but I do agree that they're using the duck like it had no value. Maybe they should put something on the duck, so that if the dog really got to bite it, it wouldn't be harmed.

Pygmy · #11 03-24-07, 12:40 pm

People like that should be made to "sing" with the help of some baseball bats.

**pink piggy lips** · #12 03-26-07, 01:13 pm

I saw an episode of the Dog Whisperer where he was dealing with a very aggressive dog that would chase and catch squirrels, among other things.

As part of his re-training the dog, he used a rabbit and guinea pig to 'tempt' the dog to see if the training was working.

I suppose if the dog had snapped and eaten/killed the rabbit and guinea pig they wouldn't have aired that particular episode??

Kind of makes me think about the Wife Swap that was never aired. Some father on it slapped and hit his daughter so they cut filming and moved right along to the next contestants.

sollyrules · #13 04-09-07, 11:16 am

I also watch the dog whisperer, but didnt see that one. The girl's are cruel and nasty, thats so mean! I wonder if anyone could be able to get a video of it from the internet. IT MAKES ME SICK THINKING ABOUT IT!

**saturn_power** · #14 04-09-07, 03:16 pm

When I watched animal planet they had a guinea pig fighting a ferret!

**DocDolittle** · #15 04-09-07, 09:05 pm

I really wish the entire world saw guinea pigs as we do. Most of the world sees them as disposable pets, so they don't do their research, and realize what's harmful to them. I bet you after that show those pigs got a bad case of the mites, just from the stress of dragging them down to the studio in front of an entertainment hungry, loud audience.

Quote:

I saw an episode of the Dog Whisperer where he was dealing with a very aggressive dog that would chase and catch squirrels, among other things.

As part of his re-training the dog, he used a rabbit and guinea pig to 'tempt' the dog to see if the training was working.

I suppose if the dog had snapped and eaten/killed the rabbit and guinea pig they wouldn't have aired that particular episode??

Don't even get me started on Cesar Milan. The amount of people that he has conned into believing that his methods are humane makes me sick. I like to call his style of training 'Machiavellian training', otherwise known as, the end justifies the means. No matter how many times he has to shock the dog to get it to behave, or pin it, or yank it by it's leash, he'll do it to get the end results, a submissive, fearful dog newly afraid of it's owners. Maybe if he'd start preaching proper prevention, a.k.a socialization and early puppy hood training, he wouldn't have as many ignorant owners and violent dogs on his hands.

**heatherbunnie** · #16 04-10-07, 08:31 am

I've never seen him shock a dog, and I've never though that he's excessively yanked their leashes when walking them. And he does 'socialize' dogs. I agree that proper prevention and early puppy training is very important, but what about people who adopt adult dogs from shelters? A lot of dogs from shelters were neglected, abused, tied to a tree, not socialized, etc. I see his methods as a way of dealing with dogs that have come from ignorant owners and maybe are violent.

I watch Cesar's show every once in a while, and when we were having problems with our dog's behavior, we tried using calm assertive energy like he always says, and it worked great. And I don't think our dog is afraid of us now.

**DocDolittle** · #17 04-10-07, 10:27 am

Quote:

I've never seen him shock a dog

He has shocked dogs before. One episode featured a dog who liked to bite tire tractors. Cesar's method to get him to stop was to use a shock collar everytime he went after it. Not only is this inhumane, but it's all together very bad for the dog. The principle of the shock collar is negative association. It teaches the dog that what it's doing is bad. However, if the dog associated the shock with the wrong stimulus, it could create a number of dangerous coincedences. There have been cases dogs in electric fences rushing forward to greet children or other animals, getting the shock, and learning to associate the shock with those stimulus, causing dangerous aggressive and fearful behavior towards children and animals.

Quote:

I've never though that he's excessively yanked their leashes when walking them

Excessive isn't necessary. The principle of humane training means that any form of punishment is entirely unnecessary. Even small tugs, especially with choke collars, which are dangerous by themselves, can harm and animals esophagus and neck. There are thousands of trainers out there who can train a dog to walk nice on the leash with distracting stimuli nearby without physical corrections.

Quote:

I agree that proper prevention and early puppy training is very important, but what about people who adopt adult dogs from shelters? A lot of dogs from shelters were neglected, abused, tied to a tree, not socialized, etc. I see his methods as a way of dealing with dogs that have come from ignorant owners and maybe are violent.

I guess the issue at hand here is, yes, it may work, but the issue is, the techniques he uses are arcane and old fashioned. Trainers and animal behaviorists today are using operant and Pavlovian conditioning, teaching the dogs to associate the things they fear with good things. Cesar uses a technique called flooding, which basically means he forces the dog to confront his fears constantly without a break until the dog just doesn't react anymore because he is so mentally exhausted. It puts the animal under great stress, and can actually make the dog even more aggressive. It would be like putting an arachnaphobic in a closet, filling the closet with spiders, and locking them in there until they just stopped responding.

Quote:

I watch Cesar's show every once in a while, and when we were having problems with our dog's behavior, we tried using calm assertive energy like he always says, and it worked great. And I don't think our dog is afraid of us now.

I will admit, Milan's basic principles can be humane and effective. Calm assertive energy is a no brainer. If you speak in a hyper tone of voice and jump around, guess what? Your dog's gonna freak. Also, his 'Exercise, discipline, affection' is also very true. A dog is going to be unruly with too much pent up energy and no training or boundaries. But the rest of his methods, in my opinion, are archaic.

The fact of the matter is, he's been denounced by the ASPCA, the Humane Society, Ian Dunbar, and Jean Donaldson, and he's not a real animal behaviorist. Without any college education, the fact that he's preaching his methods to the public is disturbing. His methods have set training back years. A true animal behaviorist needs a pHd, of which he has none.

I'm sorry if I seem pushy or rude in this post, it's just something I feel very strongly about.

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