Bart was euthanized after Cesar Milan's techniques

Celebrity dog trainer's techniques end a young dog's life

Please note: Some of the names of the people in this article have been changed as per their request.

Bart was a small three year old dog who paid with his life the dangers of reenacting something learned from a so-called dog trainer television star, namely Cesar Milan.

Bart's guardian Jason and his wife Maria, adopted Bart from the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter (SCCAS) in January, 2012. The young couple grew up with and loved dogs, and wanted to bring a dog into their new household.

Jason says, "It was important to us to adopt from a shelter because you hear everyday about the shelters getting flooded with animals so we felt it was our moral obligation to adopt rather than going to a breeder."

When the couple spotted Bart, he climbed right into Maria's lap. As for Jason, he says of Bart, "He liked me okay, but men in general he seemed to have a hard time acclimating to."

Jason and his wife were soon in love with Bart. Jason says, "We taught him how to sit and roll over within only a few months (treats are quite a motivator). Walks were his favorite thing in the world. Whenever we reached for his walking harness, he would make the funniest little moaning sound in excitement."
Although Bart loved belly rubs and naps in laps, Jason and Maria realized he had a darker side that he exhibited with growls and sometimes displays of teeth. "Bart was well mannered and happy, but he showed some signs of aggression around strangers, growling and snapping."

But it was food that appeared to be Bart's key area of protectiveness. While eating, Jason noticed how he would "hunch down low like he was guarding his food."

Jason and Maria took precautions with Bart especially when friends came into their home. They warned people to give Bart space and to not go near him whenever he was eating a meal.

Then one weekend, a very close friend of Jason's came to stay a few nights so they could all attend a wedding together. Jason urged Russ to be cautions around Bart especially if the dog was eating. Jason says, "When I first told Russ about Bart's food aggression he told me he was going to try to "whisper" him."

The night of the wedding, they returned home late. Jason fed Bart and turned to head upstairs. Russ began telling him about seeing Cesar Milan training a food guarding dog using dominance until the dog finally submitted.

Jason watched as Russ began mimicking what he had seen Cesar Milan do. He stood over Bart (who was at his food bowl), and began to assert himself, leaning closer and closer to Bart's face. Bart was frozen, growling at him. Russ moved closer to Bart, never touching him, but challenging him with his face and eye contact.

Jason was about to intervene when he watched in horror as Bart leaped at Russ. Jason says, "Bart jumped right up and grabbed (Russ) on the inside of his cheek." The damage was severe enough that Russ needed ten stitches.

Afterwards, Jason says that Russ was defensive and slightly remorseful. But he was especially angry at Cesar Milan and conceded that what he had seen on TV clearly was not the correct way to train a dog.

Jason and Maria, who wanted to have children, soon, knew that Bart could no longer be a part of their family. Jason brought Bart back to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter where a few days later he was euthanized.

Melanie Sobel, General Manager of SCCAS says, "If a dog bites someone in the face, that's pretty bad. We need to ensure that we are placing dogs in the community that are behaviorally sound." She went onto say that what happened to Bart was a tragedy.

Jason has advice for anyone who watches shows such as The Dog Whisperer and TV personalities like Cesar Milan. "Don't believe anything you see online unless it is from a trusted source. These shows are produced purely for ratings and entertainment, not for education."

For tips on how to train a resource (food) aggressive dog, please click on the video that features Maryam Kamali, a Belmont Dog Behaviorist who trained at the Animal Behavior College and Canine Behavior Academy and continues her education through workshops and seminars around the country given by renowned behaviorists, trainers and educators in the dog training world.