Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, wants to train people, not dogs, into living their best life

[swift-infobox title=”To Go”] Cesar Millan will present his live show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave. in downtown Greeley. Call (970) 356-5000 or go to ucstars.com for tickets. [/swift-infobox]Cesar Millan is known as a dog trainer. Many even call him a “whisperer,” implying he knows dogs so well, it’s almost as if he knows their language. But Millan prefers to think of himself as an inspirational speaker.It’s not the dog’s fault, in other words. It’s yours.”Dog problems are the ultimate in first-world problems,” Millan said in a phone interview. “The people with money are the ones who have problems.”Dogs are different. Families are different. Millan has to approach them all differently. But in general, Millan said people blame their dogs for problems when they’re usually just reacting to the chaotic lifestyle they live. Most of the time, that lifestyle is a reflection of a busy, relatively wealthy society that creates unstable houses.”A dog doesn’t rationalize,” he said. “You would never blame a toddler.”Millan will show off his tricks with local rescue dogs and talk about how to live a balanced life Saturday night at the Union Colony Civic Center. Millan is more known for his TV shows, including the “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.” The live show, he said, gives him a chance to truly show his trade, which includes his experience as founder of the Dog Psychology Center, a place he started in 2002 that led to the series, which ran eight years until 2012.

“On TV, you don’t see why I do what I do,” Millan said. “They focus on the dog and the problems and how the dog developed them. The live show allows me to break it right down from the beginning and make you laugh.”Many times, Millan will knock of the door of a troubled household, and he’ll hear, “SOMEONE IS HERE, GRAB THE DOG AND PUT HIM IN THE BATHROOM, OMG, WAIT DON’T GET THE DOOR JUST YET.” Or something like that. It’s no wonder, he said, that the dog is acting out in the chaotic environment.[swift-blockquote]What’s worse is dogs feel trapped inside a house. They just want to go for a walk to burn off their energy. Instead, they are forced to live with a (human) pack that gives off worry, stress and fear.”Dogs live in a world of frustration and anxiety and excitement,” Millan said. “Imagine putting all that on a predator.”Education is the key, Millan said, just as it’s the key to many problems, pet-related or not. He said 4 million dogs are euthanized every year by shelters. A good portion of those dogs are surrendered or turned in after, say, a dog destroys a couch.But Millan doesn’t like to use the word ‘blame.’ He doesn’t blame humans for a bad dog. He’d rather inspire them to live better.”If I just prove them wrong, they won’t change,” Millan said. “I want to inspire them to be real human beings.”People love their pets. That’s why Millan has had such success, and that’s why he has a great advantage over other inspirational speakers. He can get results, he said, because of that love.”People won’t change for, say, their husbands,” Millan said, “but they will do it for their dog.”