If anyone is considered the demon boy of dog behavior by the professional training community, it would be Cesar Millan, whose "Dog Whisperer" show on the National Geographic Channel has made him a household name.

Millan's techniques, his approach — and, let's face it, his popularity — have stoked the ire of many positive trainers and behaviorists, who offer laundry lists of his inadequacies: His methods are inappropriately force-based. His academic credentials are nonexistent. He relies too heavily on antiquated models of wolf hierarchy and dominance. His success stories cannot be replicated by regular dog owners.

Coincidentally, Millan's second book is hitting bookshelves, along with efforts by some of his critics. Here's a look at these differing views on managing humankind's best friend.

— "Be the Pack Leader," by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier (Harmony Books, $25.95). One of the criticisms of Millan's first, chart-topping book, "Cesar's Way," was that it offered little in the way of specifics. Along with plenty of case studies, Millan's second effort offers a few more tangibles, including a pie chart divvying up the components of an hour-long walk; analyses of different behavior-modification tools, from citronella collars to scat mats; and a discussion of breed differences.

But the linchpin of Millan's philosophy — projecting "calm, assertive energy" — is more an evolution than an endeavor and isn't something you can grasp in an afternoon New School seminar, or a 316-page book, for that matter. Millan notes that he mixes his dogs' food with his bare hands, so that he can transfer his scent and his energy. You gotta feel that.

And while Millan acknowledges the benefits of positive reinforcement, he's not going to do a "Monks of New Skete"-style reversal when it comes to physical correction.

"If a dog is out of control on a leash, I might give a slight tug to the side of the leash or choke chain … or I might use my opposing foot to tap a dog on her hindquarter," he writes. "This has the effect of snapping her out of whatever she is fixating on, and also communicates: That is not an acceptable behavior in my pack.' Again, this is not a kick. It is a touch."

Whatever he calls it, the positive-reinforcement crowd won't be buying. And in that respect, I don't think "Be the Pack Leader" will bridge any of the chasm between Millan and his critics.

And, frankly, I'm not sure he much cares.

— "The Puppy Whisperer," by Paul Owens and Terence Cranendonk (Adams Media, $14.95). Owens was the first to use the "Dog Whisperer" moniker in both books and DVDs. A yoga practitioner and staunch believer in nonviolent training for dogs, he is about as diametrically opposed to Millan as you can get. His new book covers the basic ground about selecting the right puppy, humanely housebreaking, and training and problem-solving with positive reinforcement.

Contemplating his aging Portuguese water dog, Owens writes: "When Molly came into my life, I had been training dogs for many years using the standard methods of the time, including jerking, shocking and pinning a dog to the ground. In 1990, something inside me switched gears. … I realized that physical punishment and aversive training were not necessary."

— "Fighting Dominance in a Dog Whispering World," DVD by Jean Donaldson and Ian Dunbar ($39.95, dogwise.com). A pointed jab at Millan by two of the training world's biggest guns: Donaldson heads the San Francisco SPCA's Academy for Dog Trainers, and her tart, no-nonsense style beautifully informs such books as "Culture Clash" (James & Kenneth, $17.95) and "Dog Are From Neptune" (Lasar Multimedia, $16.95). Dunbar, an English export to these shores, is a veterinarian and animal behaviorist who was a pioneer in puppy-training classes and lure-reward training.

Together, the two use empirical data to discuss whether dominance really exists and what can be expected if owners use it as their primary relationship model with what Donaldson affectionately calls our "lemon brains."

"Saying 'I want to interact with my dog better, so I'll learn from the wolves' makes about as much sense as saying, 'I want to improve my parenting — let's see how the chimps do it,' " Dunbar has said.

Spare the pinch collar and spoil the dog? Not so, says this duo, whose thoughtful analysis and research-based conclusions are a stark contrast to Millan's mostly id-based approach.