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In the Doghouse

America’s top canine coach, Cesar Millan, shows you how to raise a happy, healthy pooch

By: Mark J. Miller
[ Updated: Jan 29, 2009 - 10:36:25 AM ]

When Los Angeles firefighters finally tired of sprinting after their fire-truck-chasing dalmatian adolescent, Wilshire, they called Cesar Millan. Dogs charging humans, dogs biting postal workers, dogs scared of cats—Millan sees it all on his highly addictive TV show, Dog Whisperer, a weekly showcase for his uncanny ability to transform terrifyingly bad dogs into amazingly good ones. The Californian attributes his intuitive connection with animals to being raised in a pack mentality (he grew up in Culiacán, Mexico, with four siblings and several dogs), and he’s also able to “retrain” most humans to communicate better with their canines. Millan helped the firefighters by teaching them to set a boundary for Wilshire by physically blocking the dog whenever he tried to leave the garage. “It was amazing,” said a stunned fireman, as Wilshire was miraculously cured from darting after trucks in just one afternoon. Millan arrived solo in the United States 16 years ago, but his pack has since grown to 23, which also includes his wife and their two kids. Here’s what he says it takes to teach all dogs new tricks.

Vetrolin Bath
“This is sold as horse shampoo, but it’s great for dogs. It never dries out the hair or irritates the skin, and it doesn’t leave a residue. Plus, it has a wonderful minty smell. I follow up with the same brand’s finishing spray for a long-lasting shine.” petsmart.com

Tennis Racket and Chuckit!
“I carry these everywhere in my backpack. A racket can be used in many different ways—to bounce, block, and catch, or to hit balls long distances—and it’s good for launching pop flies for Labrador retrievers. They’re bird dogs, so they prefer the ball to come from the sky. The Chuckit! is specifically for distant throws, good for dogs like greyhounds and terriers.” caninehardware.com

Wellness Dog Food
“When you read dog-food labels, you realize why canines develop so much cancer. This is all-natural, human-grade pet food that’s free of growth hormones, steroids, ethoxyquin [a toxic preservative], and wheat gluten, which means it wasn’t part of the recent pet-food recall.” oldmotherhubbard.com

Frontline Plus
“If fleas and ticks become a problem, this is great for killing them, and it prevents a future infestation. It really works, and you only have to apply it once a month.” frontline.us.merial.com

Global Pet Finder
“This is like LoJack for your pet. It has an electronic chip and uses GPS technology. Once you attach it to the collar and activate it, you can monitor your pet’s location in text or map form on your phone or computer. It sends an update every three minutes.” globalpetfinder.com

Garlic
“Garlic is a very good natural flea and tick repellant. I add a little to their dry food every day. It can give them bad gas, but it’s worth it.”