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Cesar Milan came along at exactly the right time in terms of television it was
really the dawn of reality television
and he had a special talent. He could make problem dogs
actually obey what he did and how he did it made him a wealthy man and made him
well known.
But we only saw the TV show version
we couldn't see what was going on in his personal life and the steep drop he was
going through.
Tonight he opens up about that and the rebuilding process
with our own Kate Snow. No dog can take that place yet. When you go out for a
walk with Cesar Milan at his ranch in the mountains outside LA
Cesar and his pack take you to the top with his world
The top of the mountain is mine. This forty three acre ranch
is his dog psychology center and the symbol
of his international success. This is a view.
He was the star of the hit TV show
the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan which ran for nine seasons
on National Geographic Channel. When good dogs go bad-
11 million people a week tuned in to see him taking the kind of dogs most people
avoid
they bought his best-selling books dog products and sold out his live stage
shows
Welcome Cesar Millan! [applause] Cesar specialized in training the toughest dogs
with his own trademark philosophy that he is the leader of his pack
Have these dogs all bitten people? yeah. Tsssh. What was that sound for?
That 'tsssh' you're famous for that. The sound means whatever you're doing
is unwanted right now. Tsssh. See that the touch
Hey. In sign of his pop culture status
Cesar made it on to South Park. This guy doesn't. Tsssh. Ah, quit it.
His was the classic american success story
of poor kid from Mexico who cross the border illegally
and slept under a highway overpass. He married and had two children
and began his career walking unruly dogs in bad neighborhoods
When people saw you in Los Angeles walking the pack and doing what you do
Were they scare of you? yeah. It's a Mexican with a pack of dogs, yeah.
On TV Cesar seemed in control of his pack
and his life. He was proud to become a US citizen
I wanted to have a place
only for him. But most people don't know what happened to Cesar Milan
off-camera. At the height of his popularity he almost lost everything
Come on daddy. It started three years ago when the dog who had been at his side season
after season
a pit bull named daddy, died. Was he
like an extension of you? No, he was better than me. Way better. Yeah, way
better.
Still reeling from that loss, days later Cesar was in England on tour
when the phone rang. It was his wife of 16 years
I get a call you, know I'm getting a divorce. Your wife just called you and
says
"I wanted divorce"? Yeah. Did she say why? Well...
you know for the sake of the kids, I think it's better
not to touch that point so much. Cesar and his ex-wife have agreed not to talk
publicly about the divorce
which damaged his relationship with his boys. All he had now
was his work and there were problems there too. Cesar claims he never paid
much attention to the business side of his empire
it turned out that he actually owned very little of it
not even the name of his own TV show. I am
the dog whisper. the production company says he was paid more than ten million
dollars for his works
in the midst of a legal battle, cesar's lawyer says the company
still owes him millions. At the end of the day I end up with no money
and so now.. What do you mean you end up with no money? Right
0 money. you were broke
I was broke. for the first time in his life
Cesar Milan felt like he'd lost control but OK
I'm a failure there is and what this has happened is it good to me
you got to a point where you didn't think it was worth living now
site dis made a decision took a whole bunch bills and tachymeter
should really wanna die yeah he mixed several bottles of pills
but they call the paramedics who called the Bama the kids
kid you kidding by me yeah you boys yeah
I renegade saying a that I say
take me out to the ranch I wanna die with Daddy when Caesar woke up in a
psychiatric hospital
he found himself in a surreal situation surrounded
by fans other patients there knew me and
and Anna didn't trust the psychologist
but they trusted me so they wanna Cesar to be and the consultations
in out so I became there pappy
so I at the hospital the past with the patient's
yet and so that's why say is okay so
I can help people you got your self-esteem back and sounds like
x's a purpose I I like to have a purpose in life I wanna
I wanna do something i wanna I want to help others that
that's what drives me he vowed to focus on his relationships with humans
not just dogs by with dogs I have all the empathy and compassion and the
calmness and the patience
that it is cuz I know what they want
but sometimes people don't know what they want he's mended things with his
boys
the youngest Calvin lives with Cesar now and he has a new partner
a girlfriend just hired a Cesar Milan
is the best man for the challenge last year sees work with the dog whisperer
and created a new program Cesar Millan's leader of the pack
on Nat Geo Wild while way to evaluate a program he controls
and plans to grow around the world do you have what it takes to be the leader
on the back
this program seems to showcase a gentler Cesar Milan
we're gonna find your new home it is a contrast to the old C's around the dog
whisperer
the one who was criticised by animal behaviorist for being
too aggressive a
your help badly about doing something to a dog now
90 nyse: I'm not doing it to hurt him you know it's not my intention
asthma that the whole essence of what I do
I'm gonna show you what I'm gonna build a waterfall a waterfall
the essence of what he does he says is connecting the world
through dogs back to focus on back to
a new dream you know some I'm inspired and motivated
and along with his motivation a new perspective
what makes a wise in life is now the successes
s is when you go down and come back
Kate snow on the story of Cesar Milan from Santa Clarita Calif tonight