The Australian government is facing mounting pressure to prohibit the entry of dog trainer Augusto Deoliveira, widely known as the “Dog Daddy,” into the country. Accusations of promoting animal cruelty through his training techniques, which include the use of prong collars and physical punishment, have sparked a Change.org petition garnering over 6,000 signatures, urging authorities to block his visit to Sydney scheduled for the end of September.
Deoliveira, originally from Brazil and now based in the United States, claims that his methods are aimed at helping dogs suffering from severe aggression and anxiety, particularly those for whom all other training interventions have failed. He argues that his techniques, including the use of prong collars, are intended to reestablish control over these dogs’ behavior rather than causing harm.
“I teach the dog to respond again to the sensation of the collar, and the collar is not designed to cause pain,” Deoliveira explained.
However, the RSPCA Australia strongly opposes Deoliveira’s training methods, categorizing them as aversive training techniques that rely on correcting a dog’s behavior through punishment rather than positive reinforcement, deeming them hazardous.
