Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan - Program Format

Program Format

Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan is a documentary-style reality television program centering on animal behaviorist Cesar Millan as he works to rehabilitate dogs with behavior problems ranging from inconveniences like excessive barking, to behaviors that could leave the owners little choice but to medicate or euthanize their dogs if not corrected.

Millan said in a number of interviews that the program is not a guide to training, but a demonstration of his rehabilitation techniques. Each episode begins with the statement, "Do not attempt the techniques you are about to see without consulting a professional" and repeats warnings that viewers should not attempt the behavior modification techniques at home.

Viewers are introduced to the difficult dogs, and their owners, through home-movie style footage of their dogs engaging in the behavior its owners find problematic. A voice-over describes the situation briefly; the owners tell their story, and Millan arrives. Program publicity states that Millan does not review the "audition" videos of the dogs and has no advance knowledge of the situation unless the dog’s behavior makes it a potential danger to Millan and the crew. Millan conducts an interview as the owners describe the issues at hand. Millan then usually offers suggestions on how the owners may alter their own habits to become a "pack leader" for their pet. He goes on to demonstrate behavior modification techniques with the dog and shows his expertise at establishing dominance over the troubled canine. Millan frequently brings one or more of his own dogs to a training session, which Millan describes as transferring another dog's "balanced energy." Sometimes, the dog is taken to his Dog Psychology Center where it stays with Millan's own dogs for days or weeks. Each episode ends with a demonstration of the dog's altered behavior and the astonished pleasure of the owner.

Episodes feature the owners and families whose dogs are being rehabilitated. In inviting submissions, the producers look for a wide variety of dog problems, including unusual phobias, obsessions, fearful behavior, aggression, or any other unique situations that Cesar could help transform. They ask owners for anything interesting or funny about their dog, and request a short video showing three instances of the problem behavior. Occasionally the program calls for particular types of dogs for themed episodes, such as "spoiled rotten" dogs for Beverly Hills Divas.

On occasion Dog Whisperer is taken ‘on the road’ with episodes recorded in U.S. cities other than Los Angeles, and from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.