Meet Cesar Millan

I'm Cesar Millan, star of Dog Whisperer, the Emmy-nominated show airing on the National Geographic Channel, and author of The New York Times bestseller Cesar's Way. I'm eager to share with you the wisdom I've gained from a lifetime of living and working with dogs.

I was born in Culiacan, Mexico. As a child, I was given the name "El Perrero", Spanish for "The Dogman", because everywhere I went, a swirl of dogs surrounded me. I spent much of my youth at my grandfather's ranch. In my years of observing the pack of wild dogs that lived there, I learned and came to understand their behaviors. It was my grandfather who taught me the most important lesson I apply in the work I do today: "Always work with Mother Nature, never against her."

As a child, I was also fascinated by TV dogs Rin Tin Tin and Lassie, and by the behind-the-scenes people training them. It was during that time that I decided I would move to the United States to become the best dog trainer in the world. Years later, I found myself in San Diego working as a dog groomer. My knack for dealing with even the most hard-to-handle dogs became apparent to clients, who started to ask me for help with their dogs' behavior problems.

My "Power of the Pack" methodology was created by both Mother Nature and the basics of canine pack behavior. While most dog trainers relate to one animal at a time, I often use the pack itself, the natural social unit for canines, to rehabilitate a wayward dog. I demonstrate this with my own pack of up to 50 dogs - including rescued Rottweilers, pit bulls, and German shepherds - that all live together harmoniously.

In 2005, my wife Ilusion and I joined with my series producing partners, MPH Entertainment and Emery/Sumner Productions, to form a new entity, Cesar Millan, Inc. CMI develops products, such as the Illusion Dog Training Collar and the DVD series Mastering Leadership, all of which reflect my philosophies and methods. Through this company, we hope to, as we put it, "make the world a better place, one dog at a time."

We also announced in February 2007 the formation of our latest endeavor: the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation. This nonprofit organization will provide financial support and rehabilitation expertise to shelters throughout the United States, helping them maintain the highest standards of care and assistance to the animals under their protection.

Over the years, I've had the honor of working with many celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Denise Richards, Nicolas Cage, and Scarlett Johansson. I've given hundreds of print and radio interviews, including to The New York Times, The New Yorker, USA Today, and National Public Radio, and have appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The View, The Today Show, and CNN. I've even been parodied on Comedy Central's hit show South Park.