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Review: Cesar Millan at the Birmingham NIA
Mar 5 2010 By Edward Chadwick
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THE packed NIA rises to its feet and goes wild as a middle-aged man strolls out on to the stage bathed in light.
He’s not a pop star or even a stand-up comedian – the rapturous reception is for a dog trainer.
But not just any dog trainer; Cesar Millan is a canine agony uncle to stars including Oprah Winfrey, Nicolas Cage and Will Smith.
The 40-year-old has become as big a name as his celebrity clients in the US and now the phenomenon has arrived in the UK.
So how does the States’ answer to Barbara Woodhouse fill a performance at one of the country’s biggest arenas?
The audience is treated mainly to a two-hour journey through the mind of a dog.
At times the show lumbers like a sleepy bloodhound, but Millan managed to keep up the pace with anecdotes about his life as an illegal immigrant who fled Mexico for America before becoming a professional dog walker.
There’s also comedy as he mimics countless different breeds of dogs, to hoots of laughter from the mainly middle-aged crowd, and lampoon the behaviour of owners.
But for all his charisma, the real stars of the show are clearly the procession of dogs which are led on to the stage to illustrate his mantras for the treatment of pets.
The audience gasps and cranes its neck to watch Jack Russells, spaniels and a Labrador puppy standing bemused at the fuss.
Millan also melts hearts with an big-screen montage chronicling his love for Daddy, the pit bull terrier which became a star of his American TV show and died last month.
He’s visibly choked to the point of tears as we head in to the interval but manages to compose himself for more of the same in the second half before wrapping up by answering submitted questions.
So, is it worth the £38.50 per ticket? Just ask the 5,000 fans who went home with their tails wagging after a minute-long ovation.

Yep he did a memorial to Daddy with some film clips of him. The last picture was Daddy having a cuddle from Cesar, Ilusion and their two boys - taken minutes before he died. Very Sad.

He was an illegal imigrant from Mexico working as a dog walker in LA. Couldn't speak any English, so he has come a long way.

The show was very informative, comparing dog to human and very easy to understand, very well presented.

You must go and get a ticket whilst he is on tour in UK!

I have watched several of his tv series. Very good looking and lovely smile and is very genuine in wanting to help dogs and their owners. He had very poor beginnings too.

His lovely old steady pitbull helper, Daddy, died recently. Junior is to be his replacement helper.

I would love to have seen his show!!

Wow! Went to see him last night at NIA Birmingham.
He is goooorgeous!
Very humorous show. I loved it