Edited
Every so often I will check out a YouTube dog training video to see what some of the most well known dog trainers are up to these days. Today, I found Victoria Stillwell working with a pair of amiable Bernese Mountain dogs who had a door dashing problem (1). They also had a window dashing issue, if they passed by the takeout window of a nearby restaurant. It seems the proprietor regularly provides the eager pair with tasty sausages when they jump up to her window. Victoria clapped her hands together and could not suppress some glee at their unruly antics. But this video raised a couple questions for me. The first was why are the dogs not on leash during the door training? How had she so quickly cast that soft, magic “Stay” spell on these dogs? I could not imagine starting training off leash, especially with some of the front door sprinters I have known. The second question I had was, where was the second dog at the end of the clip? Has something terrible happened to Saffy? Or had she simply “gone down the footpath and around the corner” to the sausage place on her own?
Then it struck me that the abrupt disappearance of the charming pet was possibly the result of editing. It took me back to the experience of helping film a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for the service dog outfit I once worked for. I showed up at work one morning, surprised to be redirected to a film shoot in Marin. There was a large film crew waiting with a lot of lights, sound and other equipment. I was as daunted by all the commotion as were the members of the service dog team I was to work with. The PSA director had an impatient, type A personality and could not fathom why a trained dog could not perform any task, even brand new behaviors, like a robot. The service dog team and I had never met and were unaware of each other’s training experience. The director was working without a script and without a clue as to the role of a service dog. This was made obvious as the first task he originally wished to film was the dog opening the refrigerator, retrieving and trotting to his handler with a very large piece of pie on a very small plate.
So began the longest day of my dog training career. Among the tasks eventually determined for the team to carry out, the service dog was to turn on and off a light from a distance, tug open the refrigerator, retrieve a cold drink, shut the door and deliver the drink to his handler. And along the way the dog had to jump up and bop open a swinging door with the drink in his mouth. So we started with the dog opening the fridge with a tug and plucking out a cold drink. This, he did well, several times. A prop team was then instructed to fashion a box simulating the refrigerator and the dog retrieved the drink a number of times from the front of the box. This service dog had not been trained to turn a light on or off, much less to perform the task from a distance. A slather of peanut butter was placed on the switch and he was eventually coaxed to the wall, to jump up and lick it. By now, the dog, his handler and I were all three, pretty darn stressed. At one point, the poor dog bolted off the “set” into the backyard to escape all the brouhaha. His handler and I surely wanted to join him and whisk the three of us away.
As the day extended into an eternity, the anxious dog was somehow taught, after a number of repetitions, to open the scary swinging door. Towards the end of the filming, the dog raced across the house with the drink in jaw, setting a new record land speed recall to get to his handler. It was too fast for the director and more takes were required until the hapless dog ran at a more appropriate, measured pace. At any rate, that day eventually came to an end. Several weeks later the results of our efforts were revealed. The resulting PSA was a flawless depiction of that day’s eternity reduced to an unrecognizable couple minutes. Literally, it was a night and day difference. The filming was all done in daylight but in the PSA, the scene goes from complete darkness to light and vice versa as the switch is flipped. And wow, there was the dog I remembered as so stressed, confidently flicking the switch. There he was again, now tugging open the fridge for his retrieve. Another shot, using the improvised box, showed him head on stretching nose first into the simulated box fridge. The editing was so clever and seamless, it made me doubt I had ever attended that film shoot. I do not recall if the pie was left in the fridge and made the final cut. I can only imagine the miles of footage piled on the editor’s floor.
National Geographic Society is noted for the spectacular editing of its nature programs. It could be easily monikered the National Graphic Society for the amount of explicit, gory content edited into its episodes. There is much in the way of one species stalking, chasing, tussling with, dispatching and even fine dining upon another species. One especially gruesome episode comes to mind- Predators vs Scavengers, which features several species vying over a highly valued resource- a moldering carcass (2). Resource guarding is featured in another National Geographic episode, as well- “Cesar’s Worst Bite.” (3).This episode, which I recently viewed in its entirety, for the first time, issues its best advice upfront- “Do not attempt the techniques you are about to see…” In fact, it would be best to turn off the dialog which can be confusing and conflicting to someone not immersed in the esoteric language of Cesar.
Instead, let’s do a bit of editing, ourselves. Imagine a bit of soft music and add the comforting voiceover of David Attenborough: “The dawn arrives on this day, as it has for countless millennia. The soft breeze whispers no hint of impending conflict approaching this tiny nook, set in the vastness of Suburbia. But here, in this miniscule, enclosed grassland, individuals of two species will soon contend for a prize. And this conflict will forever alter the lives of these two individuals and resonate in the lives of countless members of each species. This teensy territory is home to a member of the species Canis Familiaris, a domesticated descendant of the wolf. The second contender, about to make an appearance in this drama, is a member of the species Homo Sapiens. Translated as “Wise Man,” this species has descended from an obscure, distant primate. These two fabulous creatures, at once incongruous and akin, often freely share not only the same habitat but on occasion, a propensity to resource guard.”
“Over innumerable aeons, dogs have evolved an elaborate communication system involving the use of vocalizations and body language. Blinking, licking the lips, raising a paw, turning the head, a soft eye or a hard stare, the set of the ears, tail and mouth are but a minute glimpse into the fascinating world of how Canis Familiaris communicates. Humans have also developed intricate methods to exchange information, as evidenced in so many different languages across the globe. “Wise Man” also communicates with gestures and body language. While it is possible for the two species to coexist in harmony and communicate efficiently, occasionally, something may be lost in the translation.”
“Resource guarding, in the case of a wild animal, is a quite natural adaptive practice that encourages survival. If rehearsed by a domestic dog, as we are about to witness, the behavior becomes maladaptive. The stressed humans are, in essence, held hostage by the canine perpetrator. Homo Sapiens, as a species, encourages its own members to resource guard on a number of levels. Training commences at an early age, one of the first words, instinctively uttered by many a human infant is…”Mine.” So the “Wise Man,” accompanied by two hench dogs, burst through the gate of the Canis Familiaris and race into her territory. Canis Familiaris flees with tail tucked and full hackles on display with one of the hench dogs in full pursuit. The (now fabled) conflict for the prize had commenced. And what of this grand prize- it was naught but a common bowl containing a handful of kibbles, possibly rife with genetically modified grains and the by-products of questionable animal parts.”
“Fleeing the usurpers, Canis Familiaris is but momentarily thrown off her game. Presently, she has regained composure and returns to the proximity of the food bowl. She goes for the kibble and immediately, the man strikes her with his fist. Canis appears perplexed by this turn of affairs playing out on her turf. Again, she approaches the bowl and is once more struck by the Homo Sapien. The drama painfully continues to unfold. The canid remains focused on the kibble as the humanoid continues to invade her personal space and menace her. He strikes her a third time and she growls, snarls and air snaps. She had tensed her body, flinched, growled, eaten faster- a number of well documented guarding behaviors exhibited by her species. The Homo sapiens has assumed a number of noteworthy, confrontational postures. The two combatants are now squared off, locked in agonistic confrontation.”
“This curious posturing of the human has deep ancestral roots. Many forms of institutionalized resource guarding are embedded in the complex behavioral repertoire of the human species. This species commonly exhibits resource guarding as “play” behavior. The popularity of adult and young male humans, grappling over possession of a euphemistic “pigskin” is well documented in human pictorial records of the 1920s and 1930s. (4), (5), (6). This “game” also simulates the invading and defending of territory. Originally, an inflated (or perhaps straw stuffed) bladder of a pig was the “bone of contention.” (7). The possession of this highly valued treasure determined the dominance of one human ‘tribe’ and the submission of the conquered.”
“Canis Familiaris appears bewildered at times but remains focused on what she considers her bowl and its contents. This, in spite of the prolonged, intimidating glares and blows of the human. The Canid then adopts a clever mimicry to draw her opponent closer. Camouflaging her true intent, she displays a body language the human interprets as a calm and relaxed state. He approaches and touches her muzzle. She strikes. The engagement is brief but decisive. The human, now unsure, again approaches Canis and looms over her for more than five minutes. Again, appearing puzzled, she persists in standing her ground. Finally, Homo Sapiens, protocols depleted, summons his minions and quits the arena. At the end of this day, the victory, the field and the kibble belong to Canis Famiiaris.”
As in all National Geographic endeavors, the visuals are stunning, the music suspenseful or ominous, as required. Herein, we can witness a presentation of toothy displays, elegant posturing, a classic example of human stink eye, lingering images of aggression on a split screen and multiple close ups of a bleeding appendage. In truth, we have witnessed an epic showdown between two species. There is, however, a major problem. The work of the sound editors is unaccountably slack.. Cesar’s soundtrack does not sync with the visuals. One example- at one point (9:03) a dissembling Cesar states, “it broke my heart to say ok,” that is, to use a release word to let the dog access the bowl. Later (12:31), he uses “ok” to release Holly to eat from the bowl before promptly invading her space. Another example- immediately preceding the bite, Cesar points out the relaxed state Holly is in. At that exact moment, Holly appears to be appealing with her eyes and all her heart for an intervention from the cameraman. Perhaps dialogue and visuals would align better if the soundtrack was begun five seconds sooner or later. At any rate, if you are an acolyte of Cesar, these anomalies won’t bother you one wink. If you are new to the jargon and philosophy of Cesar Millan, it will put a confusion on you. Watch this entire video and you will learn everything you need to know about Cesar Millan and nothing you need to know about fixing resource guarding. In one of the most iconic quotes in the history of dog training, Cesar says it all, “I didn’t see that coming!”
Warning: Viewer discretion is strongly advised when viewing Reality Dog Training. This show should be rated M for a mature audience- people whose prior experience includes having successfully trained at least three dogs. The episode I viewed, “How to Stop The Puppy Biting And Chewing Machine,” is rife with gratuitous misbehavior. (7). Trainers in real life, who sternly recommend not letting a puppy or dog ever, ever, practice unwanted behavior without consequence, should stay close to a fainting couch. You will be triggered over threshold into apoplectic reactivity! That said, it is impossible to not like Zak George.
Zak doesn’t look a day older than he did in his earliest videos. This could be due to his diet consisting of Nom Nom, delivered to his door frozen, which both he and he and his dog Inertia, heartily enjoy. The episode opens with Inertia checking out a “new Alaskan species of animal” careening about his household. Inertia has turned out to be an exemplar of canine resiliency in spite of the experiences of her upbringing, as documented in previous videos. She puts me in mind of our daughter and her childhood. We had a tall stack of the most up to date, well researched books on child rearing but never cracked open one of them. Our daughter, in spite of me, has turned into a mature, delightful adult.
Watching Reality Dog Training raises a number of questions in addition to the amount of graphic naughtiness. Does Zak really have to try to sell us so much stuff? There were five commercials in this clip of less than 17 and 1/2 minutes! As it is, in real life, I spend a good portion of each day deleting “promotions” on my phone. Then I check the snail mail to find a dozen perfect Medicare plans to insure that in my last days on this planet, I can afford my eventual diminishment and demise. Finally, when I arrive at the park to work a dog, I have to dodge the folks selling a generic brand of salvation. I see from their tracts that a harp and a clean robe are provided but there are no dogs. I need to shop around for a better plan that includes a reunion with all the wonderful canine companions that have preceded me to our forever home.
The second question is, why is so much gratuitous misbehavior depicted in this episode of Reality Dog Training? Zak explains that puppies need to experience a variety of textures to chew on. He provides a baby gate, a shoe, various pieces of furniture, clothing, carpet and human flesh. These objects are in addition to numerous appropriate chew toys available for purchase. Trainers, in real life, both of the positive and balanced persuasion, tend to be control freaks. Trainers will ask, “Dude, how many episodes have you presented on puppy biting?” By now the goal should be filming a slow panoramic spectacle of every piece of household furniture unchewed, the shoe unmouthed, clothing untoothed, carpets in place, baby gate unwhittled and a forearm displayed with no lacerations. This would give frustrated puppy owners in the real world some hope and showcase how well the techniques work. Add this disclaimer in bold- No Human Was Injured In The Filming Of This Episode.
A third question is- how many pairs of shoes does Zak George own?
Zak is so skilled at weaving a sales pitch into the fabric of his content, one would expect framed certificates of advanced degrees in Marketing and Communication on his walls. In this episode, two examples of his commercial acumen are the slick introductions of the Snuffle Mat and the Petco puppy class. It turns out Zak’s early career imprinting included a stint in real estate. These early experiences helped shape his choices later in life and polished his skills in the art of the sale.
About the same time Zak was giving up his passion for real estate and embarking on his new passion for dog training, I was literally wearing out shoe leather by walking miles and miles with shelter dogs. A constellation of bright stars illuminated my journey into dog training. John Rogerson, Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar and others showed me the way. My bookshelf included the classics, which I did read, such as The Dog Vinci Code by John Rogerson, How to Raise A Jewish Dog by the Rabbis of Boca Raton and Help! I’m Trapped In Obedience School by Todd Strasser.
Zak’s earlier journey, influenced by real estate and sales, provides clear insight to his present success. No doubt, he was influenced by Ron Popeil, famously known, not only as the inventor of the Popeil Pocket Fisherman but as a pioneer of the infomercial. (9), (10). Mary Kay Ash of cosmetics and pink cadillac fame must have figured prominently. (11). Another influential sales giant, perhaps not so well known to the public, is Napolean Barragon. Baragon began his legendary career “selling beer and soda from the back of a burro.” (12). He was a pioneer of online sales “when few retailers were thinking about the Web.” Books on Zak’s shelf must have included Zig Ziglar’s classic, See You At The Top, Dale Carnegie’s, How To Win Friends And Influence People and How To Dress For Success, by John T. Molloy. This last volume explains why Zak has invested in so many new pairs of shoes. A bit of a distraction, for those interested, Imelda Marcos had 2,700 pairs of shoes in her closet.
Editing is a lonely, thankless job done behind the scenes. I have spent the last few days searching for upbeat, positive things to say about Reality Dog Training. Several proverbial red pencils have been worn down to the nub. For the first time in my life, my sainted mother’s advice failed me. To her children she had repeatedly stated, “if you can’t say something nice…..” Not at all helpful in this case, mother, as the page remained blank. Then it struck me that Reality Dog Training was actually, really, a Reality show. It fits in somewhere between the Kardashians and Duck Dynasty. Zak works by the episode, not by the hour.
I, like many real life dog trainers, can be a bit control freakish. We get cranky and have little or no sense of humor witnessing misbehavior. Our livelihood depends on editing dog unruliness out of the lives of our clients. But I suppose I need to take a deep breath, lighten up a bit and simply view Reality Dog Training as a mockumentary. Recall Eugene Levy (and John Candy) in The Last Polka. Or Eugene Levy, again, in Best Of Show. That helps a lot! Will I ever watch another episode of Reality Dog Training? Well, I already did. (13). In a recent episode, July of this year, there is Zak, “½ half off two week trial,” George, less than thirty seconds into the episode, looking youthful as ever. He is wearing a chef’s hat, calling himself Chef PomPom and hawking the myriad benefits of Nom Nom. Ron, “now with bonus Caviar Bait pack” freeze dried ‘fish treats,’ Popeil, looks down from his niche in the after-world and smiles. I wonder if Ron has any dogs with him.
The big question yet remains to be answered. Where in the world has Saffy gotten herself off to? Editing can depict reality, alter it or even generate alternative realities. Editing can create magic, as shown in the case of Yogi and Saffy in Victoria’s video. Victoria has transmuted the base, disorderly conduct of two furry miscreants into golden compliance. In three minutes and forty six seconds! She has passed this power on to her clients. All this, without a leash! However, similar to the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, unknown forces have been altered and unfortunately, one of the dogs has gone missing in the process. Somewhere, there must exist a full episode that explains this mystery. We hope Saffy can be found safe and sound within this footage. Perhaps, this less edited video will show Victoria working one of the two dogs at a time. Seriously, Victoria must possess real magical powers if she did all the training off leash! And let’s hope that sausages are not edited out of the two dogs’ lives. Saffy and Yogi enjoyed their sausages so much that surely Victoria must have taught the pair to approach the takeout window with decorum and accept their snacks politely.
(1). (610) Dog Gets Out of Control When Around Guests | It's Me or The Dog - YouTube
(2). Predators vs. Scavengers | National Geographic Society
(3). Cesar's Worst Bite - video Dailymotion
(4). From the NFL Archives: The 1930s
(5). History for Sale! 1930s 1940s YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYER BOY POSING WITH FOOTBALL WEARING KNICKERS AND HELMET LEFT HAND AND ARM OUT FOR DEFENSE - SuperStock
(6). More history for sale! Boy Learning Play Football Young America Editorial Stock Photo - Stock Image | Shutterstock | Shutterstock Editorial
(7). Were Footballs Ever Really Made of Pigskin?
(8). (607) How to STOP The PUPPY BITING & CHEWING MACHINE! Reality Dog Training - YouTube
(9). The 10 Greatest Salespeople of All Time
(10). (619) Popeil's Pocket Fisherman with Caviar Bait (Commercial, 1976) - YouTube
(11). The 10 Greatest Salespeople of All Time
(12). Ibid