I guess what the television world needs now is an "Iron Dog Trainer" show, similar to the Food Network's, "Iron Chef".

Dogtime ran an article that compares Cesar Millan with Ian Dunbar, and paints Millan as the bad guy, with Dunbar as the good guy, as if Dunbar is the sigh of relief in a world of shock dog trainers.

Most of us don't know Millan, or Dunbar for that matter. All we know about Millan is what we see on television.

What gets missed in all the Millan debates is that dog training is an art, not a science. There is no "best" way to train dogs. Each trainer has their own beliefs and methods on what works best. Just like in healthcare, whether you're talking about allopathic or holistic, each practitioner has their beliefs, and you as the consumer take responsibility on whom you hire.

So why does Millan continue to take his knocks? Because he has a successful television show, period. It's not about his beliefs or methods. In fact, there are other trainers who share similar beliefs and methods as him, yet they never become the subject of debate. If not for Millan's television show, we wouldn't be talking about him.

That means only one thing. Some people out there can't stand it when someone else with differing viewpoints, get so much media attention. Had Ian Dunbar gotten the nod as "Dog Whisperer" instead of Millan, then he too would be criticized by those with differing viewpoints.

Labels: Cesar-Millan, Dog-Training, Ian-Dunbar