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Cesar Millan

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Cesar Millan
Born
César Millán Favela

(1969-08-27) August 27, 1969 (age 55)
Culiacán, Mexico
NationalityMexican-American
OccupationDog trainer
Known forDog Whisperer (TV series)
SpouseIlusión Millan
WebsiteOfficial Website

Cesar Millan (born August 27, 1969)[1] is a self-taught, professional dog trainer widely known for his television series The Dog Whisperer, now in its sixth season and broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide,[2] including the US, Canada, Australia and the UK.[3]

Prior to The Dog Whisperer series, Millan had focused on rehabilitating especially aggressive dogs[4] and had founded the Dog Psychology Center[5] in South Los Angeles (2002–2008) — now under construction in a new Los Angeles location to be the first of ultimately many such centers nationwide.[6]

Millan's first three books, including Cesar's Way, all became New York Times best sellers, [6] have cumulatively sold two million copies in the United States[6] and are available in 14 other countries.[6]

With his wife Ilusión, he founded the Cesar and Ilusión Millan Foundation and he is working with Yale University to create a children's curriculum based on his work.[6]

In 2009 in conjunction with IMG, Millan introduced a monthly magazine also titled Cesar's Way — with the Wall Street Journal reporting at that time that half of American consumers recognized Millan.[7]

Millan's most important tool in both his success with dogs and business has been his personal sense of balance,[6] what the New York Times called "a sort of über-balanced mien."[6]

Millan himself calls calm-assertive energy “our most important tool.”[6]

Biography

Born in 1969 to Felipe Millán Guillen and María Teresa Favela de Millán in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, Millan grew up working with animals on his grandfather's Sinaloa farm.[8] Because of his natural way with dogs, he was called el Perrero, "the dog boy."[8] The family later moved to Mazatlán, and there — at age 13, on their way to his judo competition and standing in front of a large statue — Millan declared to his mother he would one day be the best dog trainer in the world.[9]

Millan illegally crossed the border into the US when he was "18 years old, spoke no English and knew no one in America."[10] Other sources indicate he was 21 and crossed in 1990.[3][11][12][13] He first worked in a dog grooming store, working with the most aggressive dogs — later creating the Pacific Point Canine Academy and developing a following. Jada Pinkett Smith (then, Jada Pinkett)[3] became one of Millan's first clients and supporters — when he was working as a limousine driver[2] — providing him an English tutor for a year.[9] Subsequently, Millan created the Dog Psychology Center, a 2-acre (8,100 m2) facility in South Los Angeles—specializing in working with large breed dogs.[14]

Q: What happens after you've rehabilitated the dogs, trained the people and turned off the cameras?

A: They can't blame the dog anymore.

Cesar Millan, 2006 interview [15]

In 2002, after a profile in the Los Angeles Times, Millan worked with MPH Entertainment, Inc. developing a television pilot for the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, pitching it to the National Geographic Channel. The show would become National Geographic's #1 show during its first season.[16]

See Main Article:The Dog Whisperer

Millan's book Cesar's Way debuted with the show's second season, becoming a bestseller.[17] Millan works with a broad spectrum of individuals, including celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Nicolas Cage, Will Smith and Vin Diesel.[14]

Millan lives in Santa Clarita with his wife, Ilusión Wilson Millan, and their sons, Andre (b. 1995) and Calvin (b. 2001). He became a legal resident of the U.S. in 2000 and a U.S. citizen in 2009.

Principles

Millan's work focuses on handling a dog with a calm-assertive energy.[6] He approaches dog behavior by teaching dog owners to understand the natural needs and responses of a dog, to understand that dogs are pack animals, to assist owners in establishing their role as calm-assertive pack leaders.[3]

Millan prioritizes fulfilling and balancing a dog's primary needs:[3] exercise, discipline and affection—in that order.[18] In other words, it is the owner's responsibility to fulfill the dog's energy level through challenging exercise; to provide clearly communicated rules, boundaries and limitations[19] for the dog's behavior; and to give the dog affection at the right time. Millan encourages owners to give affection, but to give affection when the dog is in a balanced state of mind, not when the dog is fearful, anxious, avoidant or excited — when the affection itself can reinforce imbalance. According to Millan, a common pitfall for dog owners is to give a great deal of affection with very little discipline and even less exercise.[19]

Millan emphasizes the importance of walking a dog, not only for the dog's exercise, but for the owner and dog to bond—with the dog ultimately recognizing the owner as its leader. He also encourages owners to watch their dog for subtle cues in the dog's posture, movement and facial expression—to eliminate poor behavior before it arises or escalates. And he encourages owners to understand the profound effect their own attitudes, internal emotions and physical postures have on a dog's behavior, counseling owners to hold strong posture (i.e. shoulders high and chest forward) and to project energy that is calm-assertive.[13][20]

Millan also stresses that owners identify their dog in a hierarchy of three levels:

  • Firstly and most importantly, as a dog with canine rather than human needs.
  • Secondly, as a particular breed of dog — for example, a Boxer-Rottweiler mix — with a breed-specific energy level and behavioral instinct.[21]
  • Thirdly, as their individual dog, e.g. "Bella."

Mimicking the way dogs communicate with each other, Millan is widely known for using vocal marks, e.g., his tsch or tsst[9] sounds, while working with a dog (rather than words, especially the dog's name), and he encourages owners to create their own unique sound that works for them.[20]

Millan stresses that when meeting a new dog, not to make eye contact, not to speak, and not to touch the new dog[3] — rather letting the dog approach on its own terms.

Millan quotes

  • "It’s not about the dog. It’s always about us. It’s always about the owner. It’s up to us to create an environment and circumstances in which the dog can thrive and be itself.” [22]
  • "To be happy, (dogs) basically need a good job, and good food, and a pat on the head. Americans tend to over-do on the affection and under-do on the exercise.[23]
  • "Stay calm and assertive." [11]
  • "Never work against Mother Nature."[24]
  • "You can say as much as you want, but the (dogs are) picking up what is... inside of you."[20]
  • "Humans are the only animals who will follow unstable pack leaders."[6]
  • "No dog is too much for me to handle. I rehabilitate dogs, I train people. I am the dog whisperer."[20]

Daddy

External images
image icon Daddy, as puppy
image icon Daddy, Cesar Millan's pit bull terrier
image icon Cesar Millan with Daddy
image icon Daddy with his protégé Junior
(Junior, here as a puppy)
image icon Daddy, with his protégé, Junior
(Junior, here as an adult)

Daddy was one of Millan's many dogs — a pit bull terrier who ultimately became integral to his work and his television series, Dog Whisperer[25] — and became known for his calm temperament, tolerance for smaller dogs and capacity for empathy.[26]

Millan employed Daddy's temperament to rehabilitate dogs, train dog owners and serve as a role model for a breed often associated with aggressiveness. Daddy appeared frequently[27] in episodes of the Dog Whisperer, with Millan referring to him as his right-hand man.[28] According to Millan, Daddy "never made a mistake — never, never. He's never displayed aggression or any other negative behavior. He's just always helped me."[29] In 2009, Millan added "I have never had a dog like Daddy. I've been astounded by his intuition, consoled by his affection, and awed by his silent empathy."[30]

Daddy had been with Millan since he was 4 months old, when his previous owner, rapper Redman, asked Millan to care for him.[26] As a puppy he demonstrated a natural insecurity (from having been constantly on the move with Redman) and pronounced strength.[29] By the time Daddy was ten years old — still with Millan, having been raised with a pack of Rottweilers[31]and having survived both cancer and chemotherapy[32] — Millan asked Redman if he could formally adopt Daddy. The two agreed, with Millan continuing to work with Daddy.

Millan later selected another pit bull puppy, Junior, as Daddy's protégé — to apprentice, learn his temperament and prepare to assume Daddy's role upon his passing.[28] At the time of Daddy's death at age 16 in February 2010,[28] Millan noted, "he represented what my grandfather taught me, never work against Mother Nature."[24]

Reception

Millan has been featured twice on The Oprah Winfrey Show,[33][34] as well as on ABC World News Tonight (2002), CBS-TV (2001), Channel 7 News (May 2005), CNN (April 2006), Creative Arts Emmys 2006 (August 2006), Entertainment Insider (December 2004), Good Day Live (February 2005), Good Morning America With Diane Sawyer (September 2004), KTLA-TV (2002), Last Call with Carson Daly (November 2006), Martha Stewart Show (April 2006), Megan Mullally Show (November 2006), Nightline (July 2006), NBC-TV (2001), Today Show (April 2006), Tonight Show With Jay Leno (February 2005), The View (July 2006), WUSA-TV 9 News (April 2006), season 4 of the Emmy Award winning reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List.

Awards

In 2005, the Humane Society of the United States Genesis Award Committee presented Millan with a Special Commendation for his work in rehabilitating animals.

In 2007, Millan was awarded the Michael Landon Award for Inspiration to Youth Through Television. Young Artists Awards.org In 2008, Millan was recognized as a "Treasure of Los Angeles" for his contributions to the City of Los Angeles.[35]

In 2006, 2007 and 2009, Millan's TV show, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program.

In 2006, Millan and his wife, Ilusión, were awarded honorary membership of the International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP). [36]

In 2008, The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan won the award for TV Best Variety or Reality Show at the 23rd Annual Imagine Awards.

In 2010, Millan's TV show, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Animal Show.[37]

Criticism and response

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, an animal behavior pharmacologist and the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, contended in a February 2006 article for the New York Times that Millan had set dog training back considerably.[38] Dodman agrees, however, that the most important preventative measure people can take to help avoid behavioral problems in their pets would be to provide leadership.

Leadership is very important because of the pack mentality of dogs. If you are the leader, I don’t think that the dog is unhappy about having you as the leader ... They don’t care about being at the top of the hierarchy, they just need to know where they are in it.[39]

Jean Donaldson, the San Francisco SPCA director of The Academy for Dog Trainers, has criticized Millan for physically confronting aggressive dogs and using choke chains for fearful dogs.[40]

Despite "sharp differences of view in the past" and some lingering areas of disagreement, the American Humane Association announced in February 2010 that the group shared a surprising number of areas of interest with Millan and invited him to participate in a symposium on humane dog training.[41]

Guest appearances

Millan guest-starred as himself in Ghost Whisperer in Season 2, Episode 218, "Children of Ghost". In the episode, Melinda (Jennifer Love Hewitt) seeks out Millan for advice on how to help "Homer", Ghost Whisperer's Ghost Dog (from Season 1), cross over into the light.

Millan was portrayed in a tenth-season episode of the Comedy Central animated series South Park (entitled "Tsst") that aired on May 3, 2006. In the episode, Millan is hired to train Eric Cartman to behave after popular "nannies" (see Nanny 911, Super Nanny) have failed.

Millan played himself on the September 17, 2008, episode of Bones ("The Finger in the Nest") helping the lead characters to determine if a location was used for dogfighting.

In 2006, Millan's original publicists, Makeda Smith and Foster Corder, sued Millan[42] — later settling out of court.[43] Also in 2006, Floyd Suarez sued Millan, claiming that his dog had been injured while on a treadmill at the Dog Psychology Center,[44] with Suarez's personal dog trainer present and Millan absent at the time. Suarez later settled out of court.[45]

Philanthropy

In 2007, Cesar and Ilusión Millan created the Cesar and Ilusión Millan Foundation: "a national, non-profit foundation designed to aid and support the rescue, rehabilitation and placement of abused and abandoned dogs."[46] Together they have also founded the Shelter Stars program to provide education materials to new dog adopters,[6]

Millan has supported other projects, including K-9 Connection, for at-risk teens;[47] Pups on Parole, a program for inmates;[48] and the Pets911 project,[49] which works to "effect social change in this country by providing a free public service that will one day ensure an environment where all animals are valued companions and have lifetime, loving homes."[50] His 2006 seminar tour donated a portion of the proceeds to the hosting rescue groups.

Bibliography and DVDs

Books:

  • Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems. New York: Three Rivers Press. March 2007. ISBN 978-0307337979. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  • Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life. New York: Three Rivers Press. March 2007. ISBN 978-0307381675. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  • A Member of the Family: Cesar Millan's Guide to a Lifetime of Fulfillment with Your Dog. New York: Three Rivers Press. March 2008. ISBN 978-0307408914. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  • How to Raise the Perfect Dog: Through Puppyhood and Beyond. New York: Three Rivers Press. pending: 2009. ISBN 978-0307461292. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: year (link)

DVDs: Template:Multicol

  • People Training for Dogs
  • Becoming a Pack Leader
  • Your New Dog: First Day and Beyond
  • Sit and Stay the Cesar Way
  • Common Canine Misbehaviors
  • Power of the Pack

Template:Multicol-break

  • Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - The Complete First Season, 2006
  • Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - The Complete Second Season, 2007
  • Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan - The Complete Third Season, 2008

Template:Multicol-end

References

  1. ^ IMDB Profile of Cesar Millan
  2. ^ a b "Pack is back: A week of 'Whisperer'". USA Today, Ann Oldenburg, 8/1/2006.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "All Heel for Cesar". Theage.com.au, May 16, 2009.
  4. ^ "Cesar Millan". The Charlie Rose Show.
  5. ^ Cesar Millan - Dog Psychology Center
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Whispering to Rottweilers, and to C.E.O.'s". The New York Times, Amy Wallace, Oct 10 2009.
  7. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' Hopes to Lead Pack at Newsstand". The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2009, Suzanne Vranica.
  8. ^ a b "What the Dog Saw". The New Yorker, Malcom Gladwell, May 22 2006.
  9. ^ a b c "Cesar Millan". Modern Dog Magazine, Mary-Jo Dionne,.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  10. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' spreads the word". The Boston Globe, Mimi Avins, Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2004.
  11. ^ a b "Cesar Millan Q&A". San Antonio.com, The Creature Beat, Brian Chasnoff, July 7, 2009.
  12. ^ "Immigrant of the Day: Cesar Millan (Mexico)". Immigration Prof Blog.
  13. ^ a b "What the Dog Saw". The New Yorker, Malcom Gladwell, May 22, 2006.
  14. ^ a b "DVD: The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan". The Chortler.com, May 5, 2006.
  15. ^ Johnson, Morieka V. (2006-04-04). "Dog's best friend". AZ Central. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  16. ^ "The snarls don't faze trainer". USAtoday, Sharon L. Peters, 31 May 2007.
  17. ^ New York Times Bestsellers List dated August 6, 2006
  18. ^ Johnson, Morieka V. (2006-04-04). "Dog's best friend". AZ Central. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  19. ^ a b "The Dog Whisperer's Magic Touch". ABC, NHancy Weiner, July 31, 2006.
  20. ^ a b c d "The `Dog Whisperer' has a gift with canines -- and humans". The Boston Globe, October 5, 2007.
  21. ^ "Ask the Dog Whisperer". The Washington Post, October 5, 2007.
  22. ^ "Jada Pinkett Smith Takes the Lead". Cesarsway.com, Larry Sutton.
  23. ^ "'Whisperer': We love our dogs too much". The Boston Globe, Matthew Gilbert, ,July 26, 2006.
  24. ^ a b "Cesar Millan's dog Daddy dead at 16". United Press International, Feb. 22, 2010.
  25. ^ Lee, Jasen (2008-04-27). "Top dawgs: Smart shopping for a trainer can lead to well-behaved pets". Deseret News. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  26. ^ a b "Daddy". Ceser's Way. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  27. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan's pit bull sidekick Daddy dies at age 16". New York Daily News, Lauren Johnston, Feb 23, 2010.
  28. ^ a b c "In Memoriam: Daddy the Pit Bull". Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  29. ^ a b "Daddy: The Early Years". Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  30. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan and His Pit Bull, Daddy". PAWnation.com, Helena Sung, Oct 23rd 2009.
  31. ^ Johnson, Morieka V. (2006-04-04). "Dog's best friend". AZ Central. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  32. ^ "Cesar Millan's Jerseyan pack leader". Inside New Jersey, Linda Fowler, February 2010.
  33. ^ "The Dog Whisperer Rescues Nate"
  34. ^ "The Dog Whisperer Helps Oprah and Stedman"
  35. ^ "The 14th Annual Treasures of Los Angeles". Tadashi Collection.
  36. ^ [1]
  37. ^ [2]
  38. ^ "C'mon, Pooch, Get With the Program". The New York Times, Anna Bahney, February 23, 2006.
  39. ^ "An Interview with Dr. Nicholas Dodman". Bark Magazine, Sophia Yin and Claudia Kawczynska.
  40. ^ Blauvelt, R (2006). "Dog Whisperer Training Approach More Harmful Than Helpful" (pdf). 23 (3): 1–2. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Text "SpokAnimal C.A.R.E." ignored (help)
  41. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' Training Approach More Harmful Than Helpful". American Humane Association. 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  42. ^ Lawsuit against Millan
  43. ^ WKTV website (Defunct prior to 1/10)
  44. ^ "'Dog Whisperer' sued by his TV producer", Associated Press, May 9, 2006. Last retrieved March 6, 2009.
  45. ^ CBS2.com website (Page Not Found: 1/10)
  46. ^ Millan Foundation
  47. ^ "Cesar's way" approved as public school textbook. cesarmillaninc.com, Features. See also K9 Connection. Last retrieved March 6, 2009.
  48. ^ Millan, Cesar (2006-04-24). "Rehab Behind Bars: Pups on Parole". National Geographic. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  49. ^ Pets911.com Q&A with Cesar!. Cesar Millan, Inc. Newsletter, January 2006 Issue, January 1, 2006. Last retrieved March 6, 2009.
  50. ^ About www.pets911.com
  • Biography Today, Vol. 15 (3): pp. 73–83
  • Millan, Cesar and Peltier, Melissa Jo (2006), Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems, Harmony Books, New York, ISBN 0-307-33733-2.
  • Millan, Cesar and Peltier, Melissa Jo (2007), Be the Pack Leader, Harmony Books, New York, ISBN
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