'Dog Whisperer' Cesar Millan brings artificial intelligence to pet training
As pet owners across the country celebrate National Dog Week, dog behaviorist Cesar Millan, best known for his show "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," is introducing a new way to train man's best friend with artificial intelligence.
Millan demonstrated the Halo collar on ABC News Live on Tuesday -- a smart device that uses AI to help keep dogs safe and well-behaved. The collar, which Millan co-founded, creates invisible boundaries and helps monitor dog behavior.
"It's like me being in a collar and I'm just supervising your dog," Millan told ABC News.
According to the company's website, the Halo collar uses GPS to create wireless fences and includes real-time tracking through a smartphone app.
The device works by sending gentle alerts -- whistles and vibrations -- when dogs approach boundaries set by their owners. During the demonstration, Millan showed how the collar helped guide a dog named Pluto to stay within safe zones, even though they had just met minutes before.
But technology isn't everything, Millan emphasized. The key to good dog behavior still comes down to the basics of exercise and consistency.
"What I see in my 20 years on TV is that people don't maintain consistency with exercise, walks and runs," Millan said. "Everybody is really good with affection, but they often miss the walk and the rules."
For dog owners looking to start training, Millan recommends mastering the walk first.
"The more you walk with the dog, the more you connect with the dog," he said. However, the way you walk matters.
Millan advises keeping dogs beside you rather than letting them lead, which helps maintain calm energy. This approach works for dogs of any age, Millan emphasized.
"I've rehabilitated dogs at 12, 13, 14 years old," he said. "As long as the body can do it, you can rehabilitate them."
Above all, Millan stressed the importance of staying calm and quiet during training.
"If you want to change the behavior of a dog, practice a little bit more silence, practice a little bit more calmness, and understand how the mind of a dog works," he said. "Then you can have the best relationship with a dog."
