Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan Is Still the Leader of the Pack

More than 20 years ago, Cesar Millan launched a career that would take him from canine rehabilitator to TV personality to bestselling author to entrepreneur.  The journey wasn’t always easy, Millan told The Epoch Times.

However, he persisted with a never-wavering goal in mind.

“I just knew that I wanted to help dogs and people,” he said.

In his most recent series, “Cesar Millan: Better Human Better Dog,” airing on Nat Geo and Disney +, the three-time Emmy nominee for “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” turns his focus on the dog owners. By delving into the relationship between the human and the pet, he works with each side of the equation to ensure a better-behaved dog and, therefore, a happier home.

“I’m from a place where most people become narcos [drug traffickers],” said Millan. “The dog whisperer came from Sinaloa. I follow a formula—God, dogs, family, and to do good in the world. And so there is a formula to be a good human. That’s why the new show is called ‘Better Human Better Dog,’ because now it’s like, ‘Okay, I understand why God gave me this incredible knowledge.’ I know now how to break it down and give it to people.”

Off-screen, Millan’s businesses include his popular YouTube channel, his Training Cesar’s Way programs, and an array of branded products that include the Halo Collar.

“It has to be in the layers of safe, peace, love, and Halo is in the safe, peace, love” space, said Millan about how he chooses products to align himself with.

The smart, GPS-based wireless dog fence and training system—Halo—keeps dogs safe within customizable, virtual boundaries without physical fencing. It uses GPS/GNSS location tracking, haptic vibration, sound, and optional static feedback to guide dogs away from boundaries, making it “a tool that is going to make sure the dogs are safe,” said Millan.

“If dogs are safe, humans are going to feel peaceful. A lot of people go away from home thinking: ‘Is my dog going to destroy the house? Is my dog going to run away? Is my neighbor going to call me because my dog is barking?’ [You] leave home, you automatically leave anxious. And when you come back, you come back with guilt because your dog didn’t go outside. So I remove that unnecessary energy. And of course, I always explain to people, ‘Listen, the best thing you can do for a dog is to walk them for a long time.’ It’s the cheapest way to love a dog, a long walk.”

On National Puppy Day, March 23—a day established to celebrate the positive impact puppies can have on people’s lives but also to bring awareness to the need and care of shelter puppies by encouraging prospective owners to adopt rather than buy from puppy mills—Millan reminds us of the danger that unethical breeders pose to the dog population.

“Most of the people that breed are backyard breeders,” said Millan. “They’re not breeding for health. They’re breeding for money. They’re breeding ‘Frenchies’ left and right,” said Millan about the French Bulldog, the breed that tops the just-released 2025 list of the most popular dog registered with the American Kennel Club for the fourth year in a row.

“They’re popular, they’re cute, and now they’re making it with hair,” he said. “So now it’s the Corgis mixed with ‘Frenchies.’ So they look fluffy. They look cute. And America bites anything that is cute. Why are the Kardashians so popular? They’re so cute.”

But while their short, stocky stature and “smush-nose” face make “Frenchies” adorable and their charming and adaptable nature make them appealing as family pets, French Bulldogs are prone to significant health challenges, according to major veterinary organizations and schools, including the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

The health challenges for this breed can include Brachycephalic airway syndrome (BOAS); joint and spinal problems; food and environmental allergies; brain and heart base tumors; and gastrointestinal and eye disorders. While many of these health issues can be treated, they often require surgery or are chronic, requiring lifelong management, and tend to come with expensive vet bills.

After two decades in the public eye and plenty of positive and negative feedback, Millan has not changed his core beliefs, but rather his delivery.

“I know how to explain it better. A lot of time, the belief system that people develop along the way makes them believe that this word ‘pack leader’ is a harsh word. But if you’re a good ‘pack leader,’ that means you give good direction, good protection. Then your love is pure. Because if you’re only a dog lover, it doesn’t mean you give good direction, good protection.”

Age and experience in the spotlight make it easier for Millan to put it all in perspective.

“Now I understand that the way out is the way in,” Millan said, referring to the handling difficult moments. “It’s a good thing when you feel challenged. That’s when you use your faith, your instinct, your heart, and your mind to keep going. You just go through it. Do not hesitate. Do not feel defeated. Never lose hope. So that way you never lose your heart. So that way you never lose your health. So that way you never lose your happiness. Every obstacle in life you just go through—because that’s how you grow.”