'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan Trains Dogs in Minnesota, Irks Some Experts

On Friday, Cesar Millan arrived in East Bethel for the taping of one of his four dog training sessions in Minnesota this week. Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Jon Tevlin followed along and got the story.

According to the Star Tribune story, "Local Deviant Dogs Obey 'Cesar's Way,'" Millan came from Mexico to the United States 15 years ago. Even as a kid in Mexico, Millan seemed to have an innate ability to work and communicate effectively with the animals on his grandpa's farm.

Since then, according to the Star Tribune, this Mexican immigrant has gone from picking up other people's trash to starring in the wildly popular National Geographic and Emmy-winning television show, "The Dog Whisperer."

He is also the author of a best-selling book about dog training, and he has produced popular dog training videos. According to the Star Tribune, Millan intends to one day open the "most incredible dog psychology center on Earth," which will be located somewhere in California.

That being said, some people think Millan's dog training ways are for the birds. More accurately, some animal behaviorists and canine psychologists actually believe his methods are appalling, says the Star Tribune.

According to the Star Tribune, Petra Mertens, a certified animal behaviorist and assistant professor at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine, is just one such individual. Mertens said there has been a lot of heated debate in the dog world over Millan's methods, including whether they are effective and humane. "It's a huge topic" in the dog world, said Mertens, who was one of the nationally certified experts asked by National Geographic to review "The Dog Whisperer" television show. "We were unanimously appalled" by some of Millan's tactics, Mertens told the Star Tribune,"and we rarely agree on anything."