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Criticism is part of stardom, says the Dog Whisperer

SINGAPORE — He has had his share of controversies over the years, but “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan remains unfazed by the occasional negative publicity he receives.

Celebrity dog whisperer Cesar Millan is looking for recruits with passion and belief in his new show Cesar's Recruits: Asia. Photo: National Geographic

Celebrity dog whisperer Cesar Millan is looking for recruits with passion and belief in his new show Cesar's Recruits: Asia. Photo: National Geographic

SINGAPORE — He has had his share of controversies over the years, but “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan remains unfazed by the occasional negative publicity he receives.

The Mexican-American dog trainer told TODAY that when one is in the limelight, criticism is quite inevitable.

“So you have two packs, the people who love Cesar and people who don’t understand Cesar, and these people have their own perception of how they would do it. Every time you are in the spotlight, expect to be loved and expect to be criticised,” the 47-year-old said, adding that in spite of that, he has no room for self-doubt.

“Once you have self-doubt, you disrupt the flow.”

He was speaking to TODAY last week after attending a promotional event for his new National Geographic show, Cesar’s Recruit: Asia, which was launched on Jan 11.

Millan became a household name after his popular reality television series Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, which featured his work with problem dogs, premiered in 2004. He went on to publish bestselling books and to star in other dog-related shows after the series ended in 2012.

However, Millan, who practices a more dominant form of dog training and rehabilitating, has also drawn detraction from veterinary behaviourists and animal welfare activists, with some pointing out that his methods were too aggressive.

Last year, during a Feb 26 episode of his show Cesar 911, he sparked furore when he used a potbellied pig to teach an unruly French bulldog named Simon behavioural lessons. Simon — who had a history of murdering pigs — bit the pig’s ear during a training session led by Millan, drawing blood.

A month later, the Los Angeles Times reported that the Los Angeles County animal control officials had wrapped up their probe into the allegations of animal cruelty and were not charging Millan.

Despite the many challenges Millan has had to encounter — he grew up on a farm in Mexico and later crossed the border into the United States without a visa when he was 21-years-old without knowing how to speak English — he says these only help make him stronger.

“You have to have two things to continue — courage and passion. I’m very passionate about working with people, teaching people,” he said.

While in the past he wanted to train animals, he made the transition of focusing on people when he came to America and realised “Americans needed a different perspective” when it comes to caring for their pup, he said.

“(The dogs) spent too much time behind doors, they had no mental challenge and were overly indulged,” he pointed out. “I was going to suggest three things — exercise, discipline and affection. Americans were doing affection, affection, affection.”

He added that dogs are not born with issues. “But if you bring a puppy to a person that does not exercise, the puppy is going to be frustrated. If you bring a puppy to a person who does not challenge them mentally, the puppy is going to become bored. Exercise and mental stimulation plays a big role in your wellbeing. If you only give affection, the dog becomes spoiled.”

He continued: “When you live in an environment with no rules and boundaries, chaos arises.”

This is a teaching he hopes to convey to his “recruits”, as he searches for the region’s best dog trainer as part of his show.

“We are looking for recruits who have the passion (and) the belief...people who are amateurs but have the faith and passion (and) who are creative,” he said.

“This show is the first time in history I am actually recruiting people so they can continue the education. Education is first, then rehabilitation, then there is training,” he added.

As part of his show, Millan selected eight aspiring dog trainers who will compete with each other to prove they have the unique mix of temperament and talent needed to become his trainer. Only one will emerge with the title of Millan’s “Asian Recruit”.

Millan hopes the show will inspire more Asians to step out and help other dogs and dog owners. “I want these recruits to be role models — you want to see somebody who looks like you, you don’t just want to see Caucasian people being heroes,” he mused. “We all want to be part of the pack. It’s very important for people to see their ethnicity on television.”

One of the things he will be teaching them is how to be careful and gentle when correcting dog owners’ perceptions.

An example, he said, is Oprah Winfrey. Millan had worked with the talkshow host and actress in 2011 as she had problems with her cocker spaniel, Sophie.

“For 11 years her dog would bite other dogs, even her own dogs. So in her ginormous home, she would need to separate her golden retrievers from her cocker spaniel. This is the most powerful woman in the world who projects confidence, who projects calm, but when it came to the dog world she became afraid,” he observed.

The problem, he added, stemmed from Winfrey perceiving herself as a mother to her dogs.

“Physically, you are not the mother of the dog but you chose to call yourself that, especially when you don’t have children, because it fulfils an empty space. It misses a reality — you’re not going to be clear with what you’re observing, and your emotions become full of fear — you don’t want your dogs to bite each other because they are your babies...even though they are dogs,” he pointed out. “It’s not real.”

His advice to Winfrey? “What I told her is that the energy you practice on television is the energy you have to practice with the dogs. You have to be body, mind, heart — but she was heart, body and no mind. If you change the formula, the outcome (will be) different,” he said.

 

Cesar’s Recruit: Asia airs every Wednesday at 9pm on National Geographic (StarHub TV Channel 411, Singtel TV Channel 201).

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