[Purple]

Smallscreen Reviews

Review: NGC goes to the dogs,“Dog Whisperer” and “Explorer”
By April MacIntyre

The National Geographic Channel has a long-standing series, "Explorer," that never fails to deliver well-produced and informative episodes taking you on a ride around the world.


Celebrating more than 20 years and 54 Emmy awards, Explorer is the longest-running documentary series on cable television. The topics never bore as they explore the most amazing places on earth.


The upcoming episode “Explorer Science of Dogs” will thrill the dog lovers of the world as the series examines how selective dog eugenics is accelerating thanks to DNA testing. The show will air on August 15, at 8 pm ET/PT.

Explorer's producers went to great detail of man’s evolutionary manipulation of dogs’ appearance, talents and temperament that have created a wealth of breeds in the last 150 years, informing us that dogs have more physical and behavioral variation than any animal on the planet.

Despite the differences, all dogs are 99.8 % alike. Just one small tweak in a single gene (IGF-1) can cause the size differential between a Chihuahua and a Mastiff.

Hundreds of breeds were created in the mid-19th Century, as the leisure class grew in thanks to the Industrial revolution.

With all the genetic meddling comes a price, one in four dogs that are purebreds have some type of breed specific genetic problem. Hip dysplasia, eye problems, heart defects, deafness and other ailments.


The show examines in detail the origins of the burly dogo Argentino and the whip fast Saluki, both bred regionally for separate but distinct purposes.

The dogo can take down wild boar, and the Saluki bred to race and retrieve game. This episode also has a nice segment on the Russian bomb dogs, the “Sulimovs,” that can sniff out any explosive and who are highly guarded as property of the government agency in charge of them. You cannot get a Sulimov anywhere else in the world.

I would love to see them take this canine subject even further, with a spotlight on more breeds and their history, and the unique attributes that were nurtured.

Grade: A

New York Times bestselling author Cesar Millan is back on NGC debuting September 7, at 8 pm ET/PT.

“When good dogs go bad,” goes the voiceover, “there’s one man who’s their best friend. Cesar Millan.” Then we hear from Cesar himself. “No dog is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate dogs; I train people. I am the Dog Whisperer.”

Cesar in his debut episode for this season is called in to restore the peace at a not so dog friendly apartment complex. When the residents of North Hollywood California apartment building moved in, they assumed all their pets would get along. Wrong. Cesar conducts an intervention styled dog personality makeover that sees the canines learn to live in harmony. Then he turns his attention to the Diazes, who have three problematic pooches.

The second season of Dog Whisperer received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy, and saw Millan made into an honorary member of the International Association of Canine Professionals, as well as The Michael Landon Award for Inspiration to Youth, not too shabby for a non-English speaking kid from Mexico who hit the States in 1990.

Cesar credits his grandfather for the lesson of “never working against mother nature.”

“Dog Whisperer” Producer Jim Milio gives some insight on what we can expect from the new season: “We’re thrilled because we have some really amazing stories so far. We have an extremely fearful Lab mix that Cesar considers the worst case he’s seen in his entire career.

We filmed a fascinating story of six drug sniffing dogs in Florida that get into fights when they’re not working. Cesar also does a ride-along and assists a Los Angeles animal control officer during his rounds.”

Millan's methodology developed from being an astute observer of canine pack behavior. He can mix up breeds that one would be reticent to do, Pit bulls, Bulldogs, Mastiffs, Rotties and small breeds that are aggressive too, like Maltese who have a fierce “big dog” attitude.


The new season for Cesar on National Geographic Channel comes prior to his newest book release on October 2, “Be the Pack Leader,” and after the second season “Dog Whisperer” DVD release due out August 21st.

He and his wife, Illusion run their own Dog Psychology Center on two acres in South Los Angeles where his own canine pack includes his Zen-like Pit bull Daddy, and a Chihuahua named Coco who had some serious little dog big dog attitude issues until he was schooled right by Millan.

Sage advice offered by Millan: “A dog is not a human. A dog is a pack animal. In a pack, there is a pack leader, and there are followers. You are your dog’s natural pack leader: you provide shelter and security and food. But if you don’t take control, your dog will. Dogs communicate through energy; you display leadership by projecting calm, assertive energy.

If you’re tense and nervous, your dog will be tense and nervous; if you project weak energy, your dog will know there’s a leadership vacuum. Your dog needs exercise, discipline, and affection — in that order. Exercise means a long walk every day, not just hanging out in the back yard.


Your dog needs rules, boundaries, and limitations, the same way children do. Your dog needs to socialize with other dogs. Your dog needs you need to understand what it means to be a dog.”

Grade: A-

National Geographic Channel
Tune in August 15 for “Explorer: The Science of Dogs”
And September 7 for “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan”
8 pm ET/PT

http://smallscreen.monstersandcritic...%93Explorer%94

[chinasmom]

I absultely agree with this. Can't wait to watch the shows. Some people say he's crap, but I happen to like the way he handles himself. I have yet seen him tackle a mean pitbull though, have you? Because they are not suppose to be ppl eaters.

[Vanella]

China, I've seen a few episodes where he works with pit bulls....I like to watch his show but I can't say that I agree with everything he does and I certainly wouldn't want a newbie to the breed to try some of his techniques.

[debo-dumbo-ears]

I was actually going to post & ask what y'all's opinions of Cesar are. We started watching his show about 2 yrs ago, right before Debo turned 3. We actually learned a lot from it, stuff about basic dog psychology that had never occured to us. Last year, I started frequenting the pet forum on craigslist & was surprised to learn that a lot of people don't like him or his methods. I've taken all these various opinions into consideration, & I can see how his methods aren't the best in all situations. But I still think the show is worthwhile. The majority of owners on his show are so clueless, as is much of the population, when it comes to dog psychology, that the basic lessons are really good. But, of course, he has to have the disclaimer at the beginning of every segment because this is America & we'll sue over any dumb-ass thing we do, "cuz we saw in on TV!"