Cesar Millan - Cesars Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems

With Scarlett.

Dedicated to the memory of my grandfather

Teodoro Millan Angulo

and

to my father, Felipe Millan Guillen;

I thank them both for teaching me how to truly appreciate, respect, and love Mother Nature

Special thanks to my mother, Maria Teresa Favela dMillan, who taught me the power of a dream

This first book means so much to me, and its important that I give credit to all of the people who have in some way influenced my lifewho helped get me to the point where Im actually fulfilling my dream of writing a book! Some of these people Ive never met, but all have helped to shape the way I think and the way I approach my work.

First among those is Jada Pinkett Smith, who has been more than just a client; she has also been a mentor, a guide, and a role model. Thank you, Jada, for your beautiful spirit, and for showing me the meaning of unconditional friendship.

I want to credit Jay Real for taking me under his wing and teaching me the rules, boundaries, and limitations in the business world. Jay, you are a man of honor. You instinctively knew when to take me by the hand and to lead, but you also knew when it was time for me to leave the nest and fly away. I will always be grateful for that.

There are also two women I need to thank, the women who ran a grooming parlor in San Diego and who hired me when I first came to the United States. Forgive me for not recalling your namesI knew no English then, and American names were very difficult for me. But if you are reading this, please know that Ill never forget what you did for me. I think of you as my first (but not my last!) American guardian angels.

Self-help authors and experts are often trivialized in the media, but I credit several of them with the success I have today. Oprah Winfrey influenced me long before I had the honor of meeting her in person and working with her dogs. Her show How to Say No changed my life early in my career, because at that time I was saying no to my family, but yes to everyone else.

Thank you, Oprah, for your wisdom and insight. To me you will always be the embodiment of calm-assertive energy in the way you approach your life and your work. You are truly a stellar pack leader for the human race!

There are others I want to mention and recommend who have influenced both my life and the way I work with dogs. Anthony Robbins showed me how to set a goal, stick to the tasks required to realize that goal, and reach it. Dr. Wayne Dyer taught me the power of intention. Deepak Chopra helped me clarify my beliefs regarding the balance between body and soul, and our connections with the natural and spiritual worlds. Dr. Phil McGraw taught me how to give people information they may not want to hear in a loving way, and he also helped me gracefully accept the fact that my advice isnt for everyone. The book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, by psychologist John Gray, helped save my marriage.

There was a point in my life when I was desperate to know if I was crazy, when I wondered if I was the only person in the world who believed that dog psychologynot dog trainingwas the key to helping dogs with problems. The late Dr. Leon F. Whitneys Dog Psychology: The Basics of Dog Training and Dr. Bruce Fogles The Dogs Mind were the two books that saved my sanity and helped me to see that I was on the right track.

When the Los Angeles Times published a feature article on me back in 2002, a flock of Hollywood producers descended on my Dog Psychology Center all at once, each one promising me the moon in exchange for signing away my life and my rights. Sheila Emery and Kay Sumner were the only two who didnt want to take something from me, and who didnt make wild promises. I thank them for introducing me to the MPH Entertainment groupJim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier, and Mark Hufnail. The MPH/Emery-Sumner team sold my show, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, to the National Geographic Channel. Unlike other producers who had approached me, the MPH partners didnt want to change me. They never once asked me to pretend to be something I was not. They wanted to present me exactly as I wasno frills, no showmanship, just my essence. Kay, Sheila, and the three MPH partnersI call them my television packhave helped keep me grounded and balanced in a business that can easily cause newcomers to lose their equilibrium.

I especially want to acknowledge my two special kids, Andre and Calvin. They have a father who is extremely dedicated to his mission, a mission that has often taken up time that could have been spent with them. I want them to know as they grow that every second that Im not with them, they are foremost in my thoughts. My amazing boys, you are my reason to keep going; any imprint on the world I make I make for you. I want you to grow up in a family of honor that stands for something important. Andre and Calvin, I hope you will always remember and cherish your roots.

Most important of all, there is my strength, my backbonemy wife, Ilusion Wilson Millan. I believe that no man is luckier than one who has a woman behind him 100 percent, and I am blessed to have that. Ilusion was there with me before I was somebody or had anything. She showed me the importance of unconditional love, and at the same time, she really rehabilitated me. I was born grounded, but before I married my wife, I was starting to get lost. I became selfish and had my priorities mixed up. Ilusion brought me back. She gave me rules, boundaries, and limitations. She always fought for what she believed was best for the relationship, and what was best for our family, and she never backed down from that. She loves human beings the way I love dogs. Earlier in my career, it was easier for me to dismiss the human part of the human-dog relationship, but Ilusion saw right away that it was the humans who had to get it in order for the dogs to be happy. Shes also the most unselfish and forgiving person I have ever met. She knows what true forgiveness isnot just the words, but the action of forgiving; for her this has meant forgiving those responsible for some very traumatic things that happened in her life. That in itself is an inspiration for me. Ilusion, every day I wake up proud and honored to have you as my wife.

Finally, there are the dogs. If I were a tree, all the wonderful people in my life would be the ones who influenced my growth, but dogs would still be my roots. They keep me grounded. In every dog I see, there lives the spirit of my grandfather, the man who most influenced my lifes purpose, who first introduced me to the miracle of animals and the wonders of Mother Nature.

Dogs dont read books, so this acknowledgment means nothing to them. But I hope, when Im near them, that they always sense the energy of my undying gratitude for all they have given me.

Melissa Jo Peltier wishes to thank:

Laureen Ong, John Ford, Colette Beaudry, Mike Beller, and Michael Cascio at the National Geographic Channel, as well as Russel Howard and Chris Albert, their crack publicity department; our crew and staff on Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, for their consistent excellence; Scott Miller at Trident Media Group, for his faith and patience, and the incomparable Ronald Kessler, for introducing me to Trident; Kim Meisner and Julia Pastore of Harmony Books, for their expertise; Heather Mitchell, for her research and fact-checking; Kay Sumner and Sheila Emery, for bringing Cesar into our lives; Ilusion Millan, for her trust and friendship; Jim Milio and Mark Hufnail, for ten amazing years and counting; Euclid J. Peltier (Dad), for inspiration; the lovely Caitlin Gray, for being patient with me during a summer of writing; and John Gray, the love of my lifeyouve changed everything.