Cesar Millan says three of the most debated dog breeds in the world helped make him the trainer he became, even though many people still judge them before they understand them.
In a recent video, the Mexican-American dog trainer said German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls are often treated like dangerous breeds first and dogs second. But Millan’s argument was simple: the animals did not create that reputation on their own.
Humans did.
At the Dog Psychology Center, which Millan described as a place designed to “rehabilitate dogs and train people,” he opened with a joke that the video would be about “three breeds I would never own.”
“That’s a lie,” Millan said, before explaining that these were actually three breeds he is “forever grateful” for.
Three Breeds That Shaped His Career
Millan said his early career began in Inglewood, California, and took him through South Central Los Angeles, where German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls were among the most preferred powerful breeds.
Those dogs, he said, allowed him to grow into the trainer people later came to know.
He did not frame them as animals to fear. He framed them as teachers.
That is the interesting turn in Millan’s message. The same breeds many people discuss with alarm are the breeds he credits with opening doors, building trust, and showing him what strong dogs can become when humans guide them the right way.
Millan said the German Shepherd may have “the best public relations in the world” because of its long work beside police officers, military service members, and in film. He pointed to Rin Tin Tin, the famous German Shepherd, as the dog that helped bring the breed into American homes and into his own imagination.
For Millan, the breed was also personal.
He remembered three German Shepherds by name: Howie, Sly, and Julio.
Howie, he said, helped him live in a certain place in Inglewood. Sly helped him establish access to a parking lot that became his first Dog Psychology Center in South Central Los Angeles. Julio, another German Shepherd, helped him with demonstrations when he was training dogs for obedience and personal protection.
“These three beautiful German Shepherds absolutely have made my life beautiful,” Millan said.
The Rottweiler Problem Was Never The Dog
Millan then turned to Rottweilers, describing them as a “beautiful looking bear type of breed,” partly because of their size, strength, and deep growl.
But unlike German Shepherds, he said, Rottweilers have often carried a worse public image.
“They have a bad reputation,” Millan said. “Not because they actually earned it. It’s because the human give it to them.”
He compared that reputation to how people came to fear sharks after the movie “Jaws,” saying the animal itself was not bad, but a story told by humans helped many people believe it was.
Millan recalled a Rottweiler named Psych, the first Rottweiler he worked with closely. He described Psych as obedient, happy-go-lucky, and “middle of the pack,” and said that dog gave him the chance to meet other people who owned Rottweilers.
From there, he said, he met more Rottweilers, including Kenji and Saki. Through Saki, Millan said he met Jada Pinkett Smith and later Will Smith.
He also mentioned Gracie, Tyson, and Indo, another Rottweiler he said belonged to Jada Pinkett Smith. Together, those dogs became a pack that helped people see him differently when he walked down the street.
“When people saw me walking in the streets, they didn’t move for the German Shepherds,” Millan said. “They moved for the Rottweilers.”
That line says a lot about how humans read dogs. A calm dog can still frighten people if the breed already has a shadow over it, while a poorly handled dog of a “friendlier” breed may get more patience than it deserves.
Daddy And The Pit Bull That Changed Minds
Millan said Pit Bulls were beginning to gain a bad reputation when he met Daddy, the dog that would become one of the most important animals of his life.
He credited the rapper Redman with giving him the opportunity to work with Daddy after Redman learned about Millan’s work with German Shepherds and Rottweilers.
Daddy came into Millan’s life at around three months old. He was a little shy, Millan said, and at the time, Millan had no idea what the two of them would eventually mean to each other.
“I have no idea that Daddy and I, we were about to change the world,” Millan said.
He described it as “a Mexican guy and a Pit Bull changing the world,” while both his people and the breed were being placed in what he called the wrong limelight.
That pairing became one of the most powerful parts of Millan’s public career. Daddy was not presented as a monster, a warning, or a problem to be managed. He became a calm example of what many people had been told not to expect from a Pit Bull.
Millan’s larger point was that a breed label can be powerful, but it is not destiny. A dog can be fearful, calm, excited, insecure, balanced, or powerful regardless of what people call it.
Breed Is Preference, Energy Is The Key
For people who want to own German Shepherds, Rottweilers, or Pit Bulls, Millan said the first mistake is judging only by breed.
“The breed is just a preference,” Millan said.
He said the more important thing is the dog’s natural energy level and pack position. In his view, people should look at whether a puppy is low, medium, or high energy before deciding if that dog fits their life.
Millan explained that a fearful dog may be “back of the pack,” while a very excited dog may be “middle of the pack.” A dog that is very strong, very calm, and carries what he called a “beautiful lion presence” may be “front of the pack.”
His recommendation was for people to understand the energy a dog is born with before choosing the breed they want.
That advice may sound simple, but it is often ignored. Many owners choose dogs based on looks, social status, protection fantasies, or online trends, and then act surprised when the dog’s energy does not fit their home.
Millan also repeated one of his best-known formulas: exercise, discipline, and affection.
He said puppies need exercise, mental stimulation, and affection, not just love without structure. In his view, balance starts early.
Why Reputations Go Bad
Millan said dogs get bad reputations when humans choose the wrong goals.
He pointed to people whose intention is not the dog’s happiness, health, good heart, or good mind. He also criticized backyard breeders, beginner breeders, and people who breed without the right spirit or understanding.
According to Millan, dogs by nature can be competitive, dominant, or aggressive, but he believes some people wrongly breed for aggression because they think it represents the strongest energy.
Millan said he does not see aggression as the ideal. Instead, he said humans should focus on breeding dogs that are competitive by nature, comparing healthy competition to chess or the Olympics, where skill and problem-solving matter.
To him, the aggressive side has little to do with Mother Nature and much more to do with human decisions.
That may be the heart of his whole message. Dogs are born with instincts, but humans shape the outcome through breeding, training, environment, and leadership. When that goes badly, the breed often gets blamed before the owner, breeder, or culture around the dog is questioned.
A Better Human Creates A Better Dog
Millan ended the video by thanking the three breeds and then widening the message to all breeds.
“I can’t choose one,” he said. “I want them all.”
His point was not that every powerful dog is right for every person. German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls are strong animals, and strong animals need owners who are prepared, honest, calm, and consistent.
But Millan rejected the idea that these breeds are born guilty.
The better lesson from his report is that a dog’s reputation is often a mirror. It reflects what humans have bred, rewarded, feared, misunderstood, or failed to control.
German Shepherds earned public respect because people saw them working beside trusted institutions. Rottweilers and Pit Bulls, in many cases, became symbols of danger because humans used them, bred them, or described them in ways that fed fear.
Millan’s message is that the dog still pays the price.
If people want calmer dogs and safer communities, his answer is not to start with hate for a breed. It is to start with better humans, better choices, better breeding, and a deeper understanding of the animal in front of them.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
