Titchmarsh savages dog trainer who caused TV outcry with his unconventional techniques to 'rehabilitate' ill-disciplined dogs

As television’s mild-mannered horticulturalist turned daytime chat-show host, Alan Titchmarsh rarely courts controversy.
But when he invited ‘dog whisperer’ Cesar Millan to appear as a guest it was never going to please everyone.
US-based Millan’s unconventional training methods to ‘rehabilitate’ ill-disciplined dogs, including physically attacking them, using electric shocks and spikes on collars, have split public opinion worldwide and led many to brand him ‘barbaric’.
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Alan Titchmarsh and Dog whisperer Cesar Millan during the heated interview on the 'The Alan Titchmarsh Show' yesterday

Controversy: Millan's methods with training dogs have split opinion

A wave of protests was unleashed even before The Alan Titchmarsh Show went out on ITV yesterday afternoon.
More than 1,000 people joined a Twitter campaign demanding Millan’s appearance be cancelled. Production staff were inundated with calls and Titchmarsh was bombarded with hundreds of emails, while a Facebook page set up by protesters attracted 1,600 followers.

 

And when animal welfare campaigners threatened to disrupt the live show, extra security staff were drafted in.

Alan Titchmarsh, left, gave his guest, dog whisperer Cesar Millan, right, a tough grilling on his show

Although Titchmarsh, 63, refused to cancel the interview, he took on his guest in an uncharacteristically confrontational style.

TWEETERS HAMMER TITCHMARSH

‏
@iChristianMark: Alan titchmarsh clearly has no idea what he's talking about. Cesar Milan has so much respect and affection for dogs.
‏@JenLant: Shocked to see how Alan Titchmarsh treated @cesarmillan on his tv show. Cesar is nothing but professional and works well with dogs.
‏@floatygoat: Alan Titchmarsh interviewing Cesar Milan was so frustrating. Less of an interview, more of a series of stupid accusations.
‏@kjvjude113: Titchmarsh was a complete a***

‏@bigGstacey: very frustrating, the guys has clearly never watched dog whisperer.... I wana punch titchmarsh now. #mynanwillhateme
@ShelleyWolfson: Appalling treatment by Alan Titchmarsh on @ITV of @cesarmillan. Where is your evidence? I have seen nothing but good from Cesar.

Titchmarsh told Millan: ‘You punish dogs, you hit them. I’ve seen you punch a dog in the throat to get it to behave and to most people, like myself, I would say that is totally unacceptable as a way of training a dog.’
An unsettled Millan replied: ‘Well obviously I would respectfully disagree with that. It’s not a punch, it’s a touch.’
Titchmarsh countered: ‘I watched the video of it and if somebody touched me like that I would be hurt. You went for the throat and you punched the dog back and the dog bit you and held on to your hand.
‘Having watched a lot of boxing matches it looked like something Henry Cooper would deliver.’
Millan again insisted that it was nothing more than a touch. ‘But you also work with electric shocks and collars and spikes on collars that really hurt them,’ continued Titchmarsh.
‘You know, this is pretty barbaric treatment. What’s your reasoning for treating dogs like this?’
Millan insisted that his methods were simply used to ‘snap the (dog’s) brain out of it’.
After the interview opinion on Twitter and other social media was divided, with some backing Titchmarsh, while others rounded on him for being ‘abusive’.
In a statement read out on air, the RSPCA said: ‘Adverse training techniques which have been seen to be used by Cesar Millan can cause pain and fear for dogs and may worsen their behavioural problems.
‘The RSPCA believes that using such techniques is unacceptable, nor are they necessary to change dog behaviour for the better when other dog trainers use reward-based methods to train dogs very effectively.’

Controversy: Mexocan-born Millan with one of the animals he has trained