Cesar Millan
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César Felipe Millán Favela (; ; born August 27, 1969) is a Mexican-American
dog trainer Dog training is the application of behavior analysis which uses the environmental events of antecedents (trigger for a behavior) and consequences to modify the dog behavior, either for it to assist in specific activities or undertake particular ...
. He is widely known for his Emmy-nominated television series ''
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'' is a reality television series that featured dog trainer Cesar Millan's work with problem dogs. After nine seasons, the series finale aired on September 15, 2012. Episodes of ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan ...
'', which was produced from 2004 to 2012 and is broadcast in more than 80 countries worldwide. Millan is a ''
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'' best-selling author and has his own line of dog products and instructional DVDs. Prior to ''The Dog Whisperer'' series, Millan focused on rehabilitating severely aggressive dogs and founded a rehab complex, the Dog Psychology Center, in
South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as ...
(2002–2008). Millan's first three books, including ''Cesar's Way'', all became ''New York Times'' best sellers, have cumulatively sold two million copies in the United States, and are available in 14 other countries. With Ilusión Millan, his former wife, he founded the Millan Foundation – later renamed the Cesar Millan Foundation and currently called the Cesar Millan PACK Project. The foundation was established to provide financial support to animal shelters and organizations engaged in the rescuing, rehabilitating, and re-homing of abused and abandoned animals, and to fund spay/neuter programs.


Early life

Millan was born on August 27, 1969, to Felipe Millán Guillen and María Teresa Favela in rural
Culiacán Culiacán, officially Culiacán Rosales, is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacán Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. The city was founded on 29 September 1531, by the Spanish conquerors Lázar ...
, Sinaloa, Mexico. Millan grew up working with animals on the farm in Sinaloa where his grandfather, Teodoro Millán Ángulo, was a tenant farmer. Because of his natural way with dogs, he was called el Perrero, "the dog herder". The family later moved to
Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding ''municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of ...
. Millan illegally crossed the border into the United States when he was 21 years old, speaking no English and with only US$100. In an interview with long-time friend
Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (; née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress and talk show host. She is co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show '' Red Table Talk'', for which she has received a Daytime Emmy Award. ''Time'' named ...
in July 2018, Millan described his harrowing journey. * On crime along the Mexican border: "Once you get to the border, what you see is wanted to take advantage of you. So that's when you learn about the streets. But that's another level of streets. They can sell you. They can kill you for organs. That is more likely than jumping it." * On
United States Border Patrol The United States Border Patrol (USBP) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States' U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Customs and Border Protection and is responsible for securing ...
: "There were many times I let the border patrol catch me because Americans feed you. So when they catch you, they feed you. Mexican police don't feed you." * On his friendship with Jada Pinkett Smith: Millan met her shortly after arriving in Los Angeles and confided in her his dreams of working with pets on television; she told him that he needed to learn English and set up one of her friends to teach him. "Because of Jada, I speak English."


Career

Millan's first job in the United States was at a dog grooming store He later created the Pacific Point Canine Academy. Jada Pinkett Smith became one of Millan's first clients and supporters when he was working as a limousine driver, providing him with an English tutor for a year. Subsequently, Millan created the Dog Psychology Center, a two-acre (0.81 ha) facility in
South Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as ...
, specializing in working with large breed dogs. In 2009, the Dog Psychology Center moved to
Santa Clarita, California Santa Clarita (; Spanish for "Little St. Clare") is a city in northwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. With a 2020 census population of 228,673, it is the third-largest city by population in Los Angeles County, the 17th ...
. Millan also opened an East Coast clinic at the Country Inn Pet Resort in
Davie, Florida Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States, approximately north of Miami. The town's population was 110,320 at the 2020 census. Davie is a principal town of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,198,782. ...
, near
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. In 2002, after a profile in the ''
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'', Millan worked with MPH Entertainment, Inc. developing a television pilot for ''
Dog Whisperer The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
'', a reality television series that follows Millan as he works in the field of dog rehabilitation. The series premiered on September 13, 2004, on the
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, subsequently moving to the
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channel. The show would become National Geographic's No. 1 show during its first season and was broadcast in more than eighty countries worldwide during its run. The final episode of the show was broadcast in the U.S. on September 15, 2012. In 2009, in conjunction with
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, Millan introduced a monthly magazine also titled ''Cesar's Way'', with ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' reporting at that time that half of American consumers recognized Millan. The magazine combined advice from Millan along with articles about the relationship between dogs and humans. The magazine ceased publication after its November/December 2014 issue. ''
Cesar Millan's Leader of the Pack ''Cesar Millan's Leader of the Pack'' is an American documentary television series on the Nat Geo Wild. The series premiered on January 5, 2013. Premise The series follows Cesar Millan César Felipe Millán Favela (; ; born August 27, 1969 ...
'' was an American documentary television series on the
Nat Geo Wild National Geographic Wild (shortened as Nat Geo Wild and abbreviated NGW) is a global pay television network owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). T ...
channel which ran from January 5, 2013 to March 26, 2013. The next year, 2014, saw the premiere of Millan's new series, ''
Cesar 911 César Felipe Millán Favela (; ; born August 27, 1969) is a Mexican-American dog trainer. He is widely known for his Emmy-nominated television series ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'', which was produced from 2004 to 2012 and is broadcast i ...
'', on the
Nat Geo WILD National Geographic Wild (shortened as Nat Geo Wild and abbreviated NGW) is a global pay television network owned by National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%). T ...
channel; in non-American markets, it is known as ''Cesar to the Rescue''. In 2015, he teamed up with children's television veterans
Sid and Marty Krofft Sid Krofft (born July 30, 1929) and Marty Krofft (born April 9, 1937) are a Canadian sibling team of television creators and puppeteers. Through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures, they have made numerous children's television a ...
to create ''
Mutt & Stuff ''Mutt & Stuff'' is an American children's television series that aired on Nick Jr. The series premiered on March 6, 2015, with an hour-long pilot and began airing regularly on July 10, 2015. It was created by Sid and Marty Krofft (in their first ...
'', a preschool television show for the Nickelodeon channel. Millan's son Calvin stars in the series. In 2017, Millan and his older son Andre appeared in a new series ''Cesar Millan's Dog Nation'', which ran for one season starting on March 3.


Cesar Millan Live!

"Cesar Millan Live!" is an international touring dog training lecture and stage performance where Millan presents his techniques and philosophy from his television shows and books in front of a live audience. The show consists of one-half lecture and one-half demonstration with local shelter dogs, in which he uses his pack-leader training techniques to modify negative behaviors.


Dog training technique

Millan's work focuses on handling a dog with what he calls "calm-assertive energy". He believes that dog owners should establish their role as calm-assertive pack leaders. According to Millan, dogs have three primary needs: exercise, discipline and affection, in that order. In other words, it is the owner's responsibility to fulfill the dog's energy level needs through challenging exercise; then to provide clearly communicated rules, boundaries and limitations; and finally, to provide affection. According to Millan, a common pitfall for American dog owners is to give a great deal of affection with very little exercise and even less discipline. He encourages owners to understand the 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. Millan's TV programs are centered on the rehabilitation of dogs while Millan concurrently educates the dog owners in his dog-handling philosophy. Conversations with owners typically revolve around his philosophy: that healthy, balanced dogs require strong "pack leadership" from their owners, while Millan demonstrates how owners can achieve and maintain a leadership role with their dogs. In some cases, Millan takes dogs with severe behavioral problems to his Dog Psychology Center for an extended period of more intensive rehabilitation. The programs are not intended as a dog training guide, and each episode contains repeated warnings that viewers should not try the behavior modification techniques at home without the guidance of a professional. While working with a dog, Millan often uses vocal marks such as ''tsch'', gestures, and body language to communicate with dogs rather than speech or the dog's name. Millan encourages owners to create their own unique sound that works for them. He believes that dogs sense, understand, and respond to a person's energy more easily than their speech. Millan has said, "My goal in rehabilitating dogs and training people is to create balanced relationships between humans and canines." In 2009, ''
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'' attributed Millan's success to his personal sense of balance, describing this as "a sort of
über ''Über'' (, sometimes written ''uber'' in English-language publications) is a German language word meaning "over", "above" or "across". It is an etymological twin with German ''ober'', and is a cognate (through Proto-Germanic) with English ...
-balanced
mien The Yao people (its majority branch is also known as Mien; ; vi, người Dao) is a government classification for various minorities in China and Vietnam. They are one of the 55 officially recognised ethnic minorities in China and reside in t ...
".


Criticism

According to a January 2007 article in the
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n scientific journal ''
Current Science ''Current Science'' is an English-language peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It was established in 1932 and is published by the Current Science Association along with the Indian Academy of Sciences. According to the ''Journal C ...
'', some professional Indian dog trainers find Millan's methods outdated, flawed and "unscientific and inhumane." Millan's detractors say that what Millan calls "calm submission" is in reality a state of helplessness that is the result of adverse dog training techniques.
Malcolm Gladwell Malcolm Timothy Gladwell (born 3 September 1963) is an English-born Canadian journalist, author, and public speaker. He has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' since 1996. He has published seven books: '' The Tipping Point: How Little T ...
, writing in ''
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'', said that critics were responding to the "highly edited" version of Millan's approach shown on television, which exaggerates the frequency and intensity that he uses when he disciplines the dogs. In October 2012, Millan appeared on ''
The Alan Titchmarsh Show ''The Alan Titchmarsh Show'' is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was first broadcast on ITV on 3 September 2007 until 14 November 2014 and aired on weekday afternoons. The show's main focus is the "Best of British" the ...
''. Titchmarsh called his methods "cruel" and "unnecessary", citing a video in which, Titchmarsh said, Millan punched a dog in the throat. Millan called it a touch, not a punch. Titchmarsh read out an
RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...
statement saying that "Adverse training techniques which have been seen to be used by Cesar Millan can cause pain and fear for dogs and may worsen their behavioural problems."(link includes video)


Personal life

Millan became a permanent resident of the United States in 2000, became a
United States citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
in 2009. He lives in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. He married Ilusión Wilson in 1994, with whom he has two sons. In May 2010, after his dog
Daddy A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
died in February and he learned of his wife's intent to divorce him, Millan
attempted suicide A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide resu ...
."'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan attempted suicide"
''
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''. November 15, 2012.
In June 2010, Ilusión Millan filed for
divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
. In August 2010, he began a relationship with Jahira Dar, an actress and former stylist and wardrobe consultant. The couple announced their engagement in April 2016.


Daddy and Junior

One of Millan's many dogs, Daddy, was an
American Pit Bull Terrier The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), but not the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is a medium-sized, short-haired dog, of a solid build, ...
integral to Millan's work and his television series, ''
The Dog Whisperer ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan'' is a reality television series that featured dog trainer Cesar Millan's work with problem dogs. After nine seasons, the series finale aired on September 15, 2012. Episodes of ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan ...
''. Millan later selected another pit bull puppy, Junior, as Daddy's
protégé Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
— to
apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
, learn his temperament and prepare to assume Daddy's role after his death. Daddy's death came at age 16 in February 2010. After the death of Daddy, Junior assumed Daddy's role and helped Millan with rehabilitating dogs by using what Millan refers to as calm, assertive energy. Junior died on July 21, 2021. Cesar announced his passing in a video titled 'A Tribute To My Best Friend (Junior Millan)' on his YouTube channel.


Legal issues

In 2006, Millan was
sued - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil acti ...
by a television producer who claimed his dog was choked and forced to run on a treadmill at Millan’s Dog Psychology Center. In 2015, Millan was sued by a Florida nurse after she was attacked by a dog that Millan had released from his Dog Psychology Center earlier that week. In 2017 Millan was sued by gymnast Lidia Matiss who claimed that Millan's dog attacked her and killed
Queen Latifah Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
's dog. Millan publicly denied claims that his
pit bull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
, Junior, killed Queen Latifah's dog.


In Media


In popular culture

*A satirized version of Millan was portrayed in "
Tsst "Tsst" is the seventh episode in the tenth season of the American animated television series ''South Park''. The 146th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on May 3, 2006. In the episode, Lian ...
", the May 3, 2006, episode of the
Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programming ...
animated series ''
South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...
''. In the episode, Liane Cartman enlists Millan's help in applying his principles to her misbehaving son, Eric Cartman. The principles work and Eric temporarily becomes completely reformed. However, in the end when he refuses to go on an outing with his mother, she caves in to his demands in order to persuade him to go along with her, thus reverting his behavior to its original state. In 2010, when Millan was asked if he was offended at all by the episode, he stated that the creators of the show (
Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. ...
and
Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...
) contacted him to inform him of their intentions beforehand and that he found the episode fantastic. Millan reacted to the episode in a video posted on November 13, 2019 to his YouTube channel. *Millan made a guest appearance presenting clues in a category in the April 27, 2011 episode of ''
Jeopardy! ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
''


Filmography


Bibliography

* * * * * * *


Videography

* ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 1: People Training for Dogs'' (2005) * ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 2: Becoming a Pack Leader'' (2006) * ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 3: Your New Dog: First Day and Beyond'' (2007) * ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 4: Sit and Stay the Cesar Way'' (2008) * ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 5: Common Canine Misbehaviors'' (2009) * ''Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership Series, Volume 6: Raising the Perfect Puppy'' (2010) * ''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) * ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan – Celebrity Edition'' (2008) * ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan – The Complete Fourth Season, Volume 1'' (2010) * ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan – The Complete Fourth Season, Volume 2'' (2010) * ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan – Season 5'' (2011) * ''Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan – Season 6'' (2009) * ''Cesar Millan's Leader of the Pack'' (2013) * ''Cesar Millan: Love My Pit Bull'' (2014) * ''Essentials of Dog Behavior, Volume 1: Socialization'' (2014) * ''Essentials of Dog Behavior, Volume 2: The Language of Dogs'' (2015) * ''Cesar Millan: Viva Las Vegas'' (2015) * "Mutt & Stuff, Season 1" (2015) * "Mutt & Stuff, Season 2" (2016)


References


External links

*
The Cesar Millan Foundation
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Millan, Cesar 1969 births Dog trainers Living people American television personalities of Mexican descent Mexican emigrants to the United States People from Culiacán People with acquired American citizenship