What is a 'whisperer'?

Question

With all you folks writing about the various 'whisperers' (horse, dog, cat, bird, etc., etc.) I am wondering if any of you can explain the manner and means by which the mystical 'whisperer' works?

Edit: Come on, folks, the craft (although quite theatric) was perfected, practiced and condemned long before Hollywood met Robert Redford or Cesar Milan.

Lisa, "whisperer" is the correct descriptive narrative. His act would/could not have been mistaken for listening.

Actually, g g, while science can be used to support or destroy a theory ... it does not serve to prove anything. There is no such thing as 'scientific proof,' per se.

"Whisperers" did and do exist, and the effect they have on the subject of their practice is more than evident, at least from the responses thus far.

Laura, charisma is indeed part of the Whisperers tool kit, as is a quick wit, and an uncanny ability to establish a premise & gain acceptance & foster confidence in his position on the question.

But, he must also have a better than rudimentary understanding of the animal he's 'working with' in order to hold the attention of the animal he's working.

So the Whisperer does know jack about Jack.

Laura: An audience is necessary, as the audience IS the subject of their practice. But like I wrote, they've been practicing their craft since way before television.

As to their existence ... anyone with the natural qualities I mentioned in response to your's earlier and the committment to learn the practice of the detail, can become a Whisperer. It takes no special gift from on high.

Good grief, I've about answered my own question ... which is way outside the rules.

Dragon Wolf ... while your answer is indeed interesting, it fails to answer the issues of "manner and means."

BTW- I like Mr. Evans' work. But let's face it, the book on the Fire Jumpers and especially his book on the Loop, were far more representive of the facts than those presented in the Horse Whisperer. But again, the practice of the 'whisperer' pre-dates even Mr. Evans.

To answer my question, you have to remove yourself from the constraints of 'what it has become' to discover why it HAD to become something else (what you all seem to think it is).

Answer 1

someone who has a special understanding of any said animal. by the way body language. to tell the 'mood' of said animal. fixing behavior problems because they can see the root problem. (which like many kids act up with their parnets but a good in school. the problem can be the owner)
I don't think it would take much....but to shut up and watch what animal does.
it was first used to name a person who has a 'gift' with horses
as for being mystical. everyone has something their good at.


as of the HORSE WHISPERER
The main character, according to writer Nicholas Evans' website faq, is modeled after horse trainers Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt and Buck Brannaman, although the training more closely resembles the methods of Frank Bell . Buck Brannaman also doubled for Robert Redford in the film and served as a consultant. from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Horse_Whisperer

sorry I like Cesar. he is a trainer when it comes down to it.
i don't think he can ask the dog do what he wants so he looks good on TV. I'm sure lots is cut out and some even pieced. i don't agree with that. but thats tv they do it with every thing...


EDIT

the manner and means? of a whisperer? how do they go about being one? how do they get the name? how they work with an animal? is that what u want? crap ur making me think! few question on here require much thought....

i believe it is a native american term. i already gave the def.

I think first the whisperer is just a trainer is how it starts. they have worked with many animals. grew up watching them ect. i guess animal pychog. is what we now would call it. it our policatical correct socity. the people that take problem animals to them may give them the name more so then giving it to themselves. and then it starts by mostly word of mouth....
'there is this great trainer that got my dog horse ect to listen when noone else could'

Buck Brannaman is a 3rd gen horse trainer. so i guess he would have learned alot from is father and grandfather. an just being with horses.
like turning ur back on the horse makes them come to u.

the reason that milan is what he is because we as americans think our animal to have feeling like ours. they DO have feeling but not like ours. so he has to teach the owner not just the dog. why did he get so big? i guess maybe because he met the right people. and many understand our animals are not fur-babies(doesn't mean i don't love my pets they are not humans and i don't treat them like humans)

most animals we take as pets are herd/pack animals an there are rules in a pack or herd. when an animals does not follow the rules it is corrected.
a whisperer works on the animals terms. not with a clicker or a whip. with their own body lauquage. its nature. there is no talking....i guess.

and to be whisperer work as a trainer. try to work with problem animals. shut up and watch the animals interact with each other and people interacting with them.....its like people watching....lol. understand body lanquage of animals.

why it has changed because we as a people have. we are not farmers hunters gathers anymore. we don't need to understand the animal as much anymore. so we lost touch with nature. we humantize everything.

is that what u want? good question by the way.

Answer 2

Redford and Milan aside, I'd think that a true "whisperer" has a superior ability to read an animal and communicate with it in a way that the animal can easily understand. They would be masters of mostly non-verbal communication with what is basically an alien intelligence (dogs/animals do not think the way we do and do not see the world the way we do), and be gifted in convincing that animal to work for them because it wants to.

Answer 3

I'm thinking it's someone who has a special gift of relating to animals in an almost magical way. They understand what is necessary to keep the animal happy and healthy, and they do this as though it were second nature. The magical part is they are almost always right!

Answer 4

Someone with charisma and a tv show who doesn't know jack, but makes alot of money making people believe he knows jack.
_______

ADD:

Koehler: I think the whisperer knows a little jack but not alot of jack, certainly not enough to warrant his god-like status.

I think if someone gave me enough money and a tv show and a worshipping audience, I could learn jack pretty quickly too =)

I've never met a "real whisperer" so it's difficult for me to believe such a gift exists. I have taken a dog to a psychic (who did not charge, as she felt her "gift" was something to share, not make money from) so I *am* open-minded. Not that I necessarily believe in psychics, but I respected her and her desire to help.

I guess if I found a whisperer who also did not charge for his or her gift, I'd be more likely to have an open mind about them.

Answer 5

I think that whisperer is the wrong term. I think that anyone who has had some success training animals is a good audio and visual "listener". What I mean is that through experience and practice they recognize many of the signs that most people miss.

Not magic, not folklore just really close listening for cues to behaviors.

Answer 6

A low talker?

The only whispers I've ever heard of is Casar Milian, oh and Robert Redford played one in a movie that was with horses though. I think they are both very good actors!

Answer 7

I read once but don't remember where. . .the term "whisperer" is someone with the gift or ability to communicate with horses, in order to tame them. My great grandpa Tom, from Denmark, immigrated to Canada where he became a forrester. People described him having an almost psychic connection, if you believe in such a thing, with the giant draft horses that he drove. He loved them and could control them the way no one else could.

Answer 8

There is no mystery about it. It is just someone who has a deep understanding of how the animals mind works and therefore can relate to it better.

They then use this to train them. If you understand why and animal is doing a particular thing it is easier to find a way to fix the problem.

Hopefully gg will read this:

Here is what she said:

as for carol, without being an animal of a specific species, how the heck will ANY one know what an animal is thinking or feeling. scientist for many many numbers of year have been studying animal and there is NO scientific proof that humans know how any animals mind "works"

My response:

You must not own very many animals. I can tell you when my horse is happy, when his is mad, when he is just being lazy, when he is threatened by something, when he is being playful, when he wants a treat.. do I need to go on?

If this is not feelings, then what is? Animals will respond to situations just like people. Understanding why they are responding certain ways will help you to find a better way to help the animal cope with them.

Some of the people who are better at this like to call themselves whisperers others just call themselves trainers. The people who are really good at it will take their methods and try to make money off it. Who wouldn't?

Your reponsibility as a pet owner is to check out ALL different methods of training whether it is a "whisperer" or not and use what is best for you and your animal.

Answer 9

Supposedly a person who understands the unspoken language between animals. Don't believe there is such a thing but, others do.

Answer 10

Why did you even ask the question if you only want to critique everyone who responded? You obviously know the "answer" so why bother asking the question.