Book Review: Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan
The Ultimate Episode Guide By Jim Milio and Melissa Jo Peltier
May 8, 2009
The television show, Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan, premiered in September 2004 depicting badly behaved dogs that bite mailmen and boyfriends, attack other animals, and chew through expensive household items. In each episode, Millan, a renowned dog behavior expert, takes on these problem pooches. He trains families and their dogs to live in a peaceful pack with one top dog who stays calm and assertive.
Overview of the Book Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan
The book, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, provides episode summaries for the first three seasons. It also features an introduction written by Millan, a brief preface about “The Genesis of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” and photographs of most of the dogs.
The book includes 150 individual stories broken down by season and then into chapters on specific problems, such as Aggression Toward People, Aggression Toward Dogs and Other Animals, Fears and Phobias, Territorial/Possessive, Dominance, and Obsessions. Each episode summary includes additional features including a follow-up sidebar that discusses how well the training has worked on a long-term basis and a “Key Cesar Tip,” which summarizes the lessons learned about life in each episode.
The structure of each television show is continued in the episode descriptions in the book. First, the dog’s bad behavior is introduced. Then Millan interviews the owners to learn about their problems with the dog and related family information. Next Millan trains the dog, sometimes with other dogs, other people, or other objects to solve the problem. Finally, the dog and the family are revisited to see how the training has worked and if the bad behavior of the dog (or the owner) has returned.
Trivia From Dog Whisperer With Cesar Milan
Among the many interesting facts that readers will learn:
- A 2002 Los Angeles Times article profiling Millan and his miraculous work with dogs prompted the show’s producers to develop the idea for the series.
- The show was originally going to be called Leader of the Pack.
- At first, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan aired for 30 minutes at 6:30 p.m. By the second season, the hugely popular series had been extended to 60-minute episodes and moved to prime time.
- Early dog auditions held in the studio offices necessitated that “carpet cleaning for dog messes” be added to the list of production expenses.
- Not everyone agrees with Millan’s tough-love strategy. Producers received complaints from “positive only” trainers who don’t believe in his forms of correction.
- Because the show comes out of Los Angeles, celebrity dog owners and their problem pets have appeared on the series. A few of them include television host Daisy Fuentes, actress Denise Richards, and Curb Your Enthusiasm director and producer Bob Weide.
The strengths of the book include extra information, such as “Behind the Scenes” sidebars that describe production information about certain eventful episodes. It’s also helpful to have Millan’s key ideas spelled out in easy-to-remember listings within each segment. Unless viewers take notes during the actual television broadcasts, they may not remember important points about doggie psychology. For regular viewers, revisiting the old episodes is fun; for people who have never watched the show, this book serves as an entertaining introduction.
The weaknesses are few, but worth noting: In the still photographs in the book, even NuNu the Demon Chihuahua (featured in the very first episode) looks adorable. There’s nothing like seeing the television footage of the snarling, snapping, sniveling dogs to bring the problems to life. Such a visually oriented series doesn’t completely translate into book form. In addition, this book provides descriptive overviews of the television episodes with an emphasis on entertainment, with education as a secondary benefit. For serious advice about unwanted canine behaviors, read one of Millan’s books or the work of another dog expert.
Book Details
Milio, Jim and Peltier, Melissa Jo. Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan. The Ultimate Episode Guide. Simon & Schuster New York, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-4165-6143-9, 348 pages, Pets, Softcover. $18.00 (U.S.)/$21.00 (Can.)
Television Series Details
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
- This 60-minute reality series presents badly behaved dogs and their enabling owners.
- Starring Cesar Millan
- Airs On: National Geographic Channel, Friday Nights
- In addition to the United States, the show airs in 20 foreign countries including United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, New Zealand, and Thailand.
To learn more about dogs and their owners, read Romantic Comedies With Dogs and Strange Puppy Behaviors.
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