Compare and Contrast: "Cesar’s Way" and "Pack of Lies"

          Comparing and contrasting two items can be challenging. The excerpt from “Cesar’s Way” and “Pack of Lies” are very different. Cesar Millan expresses that the best way to teach dog obedience is by being the pack’s leader. While, Mark Derr thinks that Millan’s ways are harmful. They both have some areas which seem to be valid, although contrarian in point of views.

          The main topic of both excerpts is the behavior of dogs. However, Mark Derr does not agree with Cesar Millan’s dog-training methods. Derr claims that Millan’s method for obedience includes physical and psychological intimidation. He also establishes the fact that Millan points out that one should not reward the dog if they do something correctly, which in his opinion is not right.

          Derr explains in his excerpt that Millan uses aggressive methods to produce intimidation.  I would be against these practices because dogs are living, breathing creatures that can feel pain. However, I agree with Millan’s statement about letting the dog know that you’re the pack’s leader. The dog must know who the boss is because you should be in control of the dog; the dog shouldn’t control of you. How Millan expresses that the dog is the leader when he walks ahead of you or barks when you feed him, I found this a bit exaggerated. It’s probably their instinct to behave the way they do because, after all, they’re animals. Undoubtedly, there’s nothing wrong in rewarding your dog if he behaves well. Derr also expresses a quotation about a doctor who is a wolf expert. He comments about the behavior of wolf packs, there are rarely any dominance contests at all. While, Millan’s “personal” experience is describing how Jada Pinkett Smith handles four Rottweilers because of her energy, therefor implying that she is the “pack’s” leader.

          In my opinion, I feel a little more inclined towards Derr’s point of view. Even though you must let your dog know who the leader is, there is no reason to be so strict. Using physical and psychological intimidation is considered abuse, even if you just want to teach your dog how to behave correctly. A reward once in a while is always good for the self-esteem of humans and animals. It lets them know that they’re doing something good, they’re in the right path and encourages them to keep doing what they’re doing because it assures that it is the right thing to do.