The Vancouver Sun. By Katya Holloway
The Dog Whisperer talks animal behaviour, fulfilment and fur babies
In a canine-crazy city like Vancouver, mention Cesar Millan’s name, and ears perk up. Pet owners are going barking mad for all things involving their four-legged friends and, as far as dog trainers go, the Dog Whisperer is at the head of the pack.
Ten years ago, your typical downtown mutt would be panting with joy over a Milk Bone. Today’s pampered pets are snacking on carob-coated beefy biscuits from the dog bakery before being scooped up into a handbag for a spot of shopping at Barking Babies, followed by a doga (yoga for dogs) class or some playtime at a doggie daycare.
So it’s no surprise Millan’s sold-out shows on Wednesday and Thursday at River Rock Casino and Red Robinson Show Theatre have attracted so much bark. Two additional dates have been added on Nov. 9 and 10, with tickets also selling quickly at $135 each.
Millan’s trek this week across the U.S. border marks his inaugural visit to Vancouver. And yes, he’s pretty excited – in a “calm and assertive” way, no doubt.
“Tell everybody in Vancouver I’m so looking forward to coming,” Millan says cheerily over the telephone from his L.A. home, adding that “everybody tells him” he’ll love it here.
An affable man with a charming smile and relaxed gait, Millan has become a TV sensation by single-handedly wrestling snarling boxers to the floor, speed-walking 40 dogs off-leash, and transforming snappy Chihuahuas into likable lapdogs. He has amassed an empire of Dog Whisperer episodes, training DVDs and books, and worked with some of Hollywood’s most famous pups, owned by Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Nicolas Cage, to name a few.
Local dogs join in the show
Although viewers can’t bring their pets to the Vancouver theatres, Millan has been in touch with a local veterinarian to select a handful of dogs that will demonstrate real-case scenarios onstage. The teacher’s pets, we’ve been told, won’t be picked until the day of the show.
“Believe it or not, it’s a very funny show,” raves Millan, with a chuckle. “I believe that humour is what keeps you attentive… so I like to call my live tour: Broadway, comedy and education.”
It’s all about training people and rehabilitating dogs, as Millan’s mantra goes.
“I really go in-depth to what people hear every day [on my show]: the exercise, the affection, the no-touch, no eye contact, the proximities; all the sentences that I have shared with people for seven years, I break it down,” adds Millan. “So once you understand the formula, once you understand the psychology, it makes you feel confident.”
Dogs are not humans
Whether you have a fur baby Yorkie or a rugged, outdoorsy Labrador retriever, dog lovers living in the Western world are falling into the trap of loving their pets too much.
Today’s dogs are getting fatter, developing cancer, struggling with neurological diseases, anxiety and aggression like never before. Some pocket pooches are being dressed up and toted around in designer handbags. This doesn’t sit well with Millan.
“First of all, it’s not natural. They’re in the mother’s bag. Marsupials should be in the bag,” he says. “Dogs in Beverly Hills often don’t touch the floor because they are being carried around.”
If you are going to carry your dog around, there are a few steps to take to prevent the “toy” from becoming a monster.
“Now, before the dog goes into the bag, he needs to be tired. So he goes for a walk,” suggests Millan. “And when he goes into the bag, he uses it as a transporting mechanism. Many times, if you look at a girl who uses a bag [Millan says in a high-pitched voice]: ‘Baby let’s go! C’mon!’ Dog goes in there excited, and then somebody else comes near, it’s ‘yap, yap, yap!’ It’s because of how he was put in the bag. So the Louis Vuitton bag, $3,000 later, is a jail. It’s a very expensive jail.”
By coddling our dogs too much, says Millan, we are at risk of giving them psychological issues.
“The problem is that you change his identity,” he says. “A dog loves to work for everything: water, food. I’m not saying to love the dog the way you love a human. I’m saying you have to honour his identity in order for him to find happiness.”