Pet owners are being urged to avoid seminars by one of America’s most controversial dog trainers .
Animal behaviour expert, Jeff Gellman, who has been slammed for hitting animals on the head with rolled up towels and using electric shock collars, is touring Scotland later this year.
In one video, the trainer, from Rhode Island, is seen punishing a calm looking dog at a seminar in Las Vegas using his controversial towel method - which he calls “the bonker”
Last year the video went viral prompting over 100 calls from all across the USA to the local animal welfare charity.
Gellman, who owns solid K-9 Training, is hosting a two day seminar in Braco, Perthshire, in August, which will cost punters up to a whopping £750 to watch.
Last night Mike Flynn, chief superintendent of the Scottish SPCA urged people to think twice about attending.
He said: “There’s nothing to stop him coming to Scotland but I wouldn’t encourage people to go to him. I wouldn’t waste £600 to go and learn to be cruel to my dog, thinking I was helping it.”
Gellman was forced to defend himself last December when the video of his Las Vegas seminar was leaked.
He is seen slamming a rolled up towel onto the head of a placid white Pyrenean Mountain Dog.
At the time, Joe Warzycha, President of Rhode Island SPCA said: "It's heartbreaking to see it.
“The dog responds to a manner that's indicative of pain."
Speaking to a local paper at the time, Gellman, who specializes in dogs with aggression and behavioural issues, claimed the video was taken out of context.
He said the owner of the dog came to the seminar because it kept pulling her out of her wheelchair and he used his “bonking” technique to stop the behaviour.
He said: “It looks like I'm hitting a dog that's doing a perfect sit.
"So it's a service dog in training. We have to stop this or she can't use her dog anymore.
“People who come here are really struggling.”
And he added: "To stop them from doing something you can't reward that. You have to make it quick. Unemotional. Matter of fact."
