who was fascinated by dogs. Little did this young man know that his love and passion for these animals would make him one of the top dog experts in the world!
O Cesar Millan was born and raised in
a small house with his parents Felipe Millan Guillen and María Teresa Favela de Millan in Culiacan, a city in the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. As a young boy, Millan enjoyed observing the packs of wild dogs on his grandfather’s farm and was quick to learn their behav- ior. There, he began to understand the natural behavior of dogs and the way they related to one another and the people around them. He watched carefully and saw that his grandfather was accepted by the wild dogs as the pack’s leader noting that he carried a calm and assertive energy that drew the dogs in. In his early teens, the Millan fam-
ily relocated to Mazatlán where they purchased their first television set. The classic “Lassie” and “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin” quickly became Millan’s favorite shows. Inspired by what he saw on television and what he had observed on his grandfather’s farm, he declared that he would become the best dog trainer in the world. In 1990 at the age of 21, with very
little money and no knowledge of the English language, Millan crossed the San Diego border into California where he lived on the streets until he landed a job grooming dogs. As a dog groomer, he gained a reputation for working well with even the most difficult and ag- gressive dogs. People took note of how he calmly handled the dogs and how well the dogs responded to him. Pretty soon, Millan had made some money and moved to Los Angeles where he took a job washing cars, bought a van and began a dog training company. The Pacific Point Canine Academy was Millan’s first dog training business that allowed his reputation to spread to the home of the most elite in Hollywood. Jada Pinkett Smith was one of his first clients and biggest supporters began recommending him to many of her ce-
www.hnmagazine.com Celebrating 18 Years of Diversity HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE 63
nce upon a time, on a little farm called Ixpalino, was a young boy
lebrity friends. She provided him with an English tutor for a whole year while his dog training business flourished. By 1998, Cesar Millan opened his
now famous 2-acre Dog Psychology Center in the heart of Southern Los An- geles. His clientele continued to grow and he became quite popular among the A-list crowd. He began being fea- tured in magazines and newspapers for his natural way with dogs. In 2004, The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan aired on the National Geographic Channel and became the #1 show during its first season. Cesar Millan’s natural talent with
dogs has led him to become a best-sell- ing author of 4 books, including a New York Times #1 Best Seller Cesar’s Way, the New York Times Bestseller Be The Pack Leader, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Ultimate Episode Guide, A Member of the Family, and his latest, How to Raise the Perfect Dog. Millan has expanded his talent into a $40 bil- lion pet care industry empire that in- cludes instructional DVD’s, CD’s, sem- inars and television series. He recently partnered with the national pet supply chain Petco to design, create and sell an exclusive line of products that include,
organic dog food, natural treats, leash- es, health aids, breed-specific beds and so much more. Cesar Millan’s rags to riches story
comes as a no brainer for Millan who is doing what he loves, and loves what he does. His genius and natural talent with dogs has brought him to become a world known dog trainer and rehabili- tator. The man we know today as The Dog Whisperer shared some time with Hispanic Network Magazine and offered some great insight on his experiences, ideas and goals: As a young child, were you aware of your skills with dogs? I grew up on a farm in Ixpalino,
Mexico where there were many dogs. I got to observe their behavior with my grandfather and with each other, both on the farm and in the city. Interest and observation over time is how I devel- oped most of my philosophies, but I first recognized that natural “way” with dogs while working in a canine grooming salon in San Diego. I was the only one there who was able to work with even the most unruly dogs, and I was able to win their trust, loyalty, and respect. That’s when I started to see the gift I had been given.
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