Dog Whisperer Started Career in The Streets Trying to Commit Suicide

“The Dog Whisperer” star, Cesar Millan, opens up in his new National Geographic special on how he took an overdose of pills to end his life in 2010. The man they call “The Dog Whisper” was left unconscious and in the hospital, after his suicide attempt, according to the New York Daily News on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012.

Millan’s popular National Geographic Channel show made his nickname, “The Dog Whisperer,” a household name. Many don’t realize how Millan got his start; he was discovered by Jada Pinkett before she was the wife of Will Smith. The Mexican-born Millan crossed the border to the U.S. and spent two months on the streets until he got a job grooming and walking dogs.

Somehow he crossed paths with Jada and she hired him. She must have realized Millan’s gift with dogs because when she found out he wanted to be on TV, she got him English lessons. It wasn’t long after that when “The Dog Whisperer” was born.

Millan was riding high when his dog, one that fans were very aware of, died. His beloved pit bull, Daddy, died in February of 2010 which left him in deep despair. A month later his wife of 16 years let him know she planned to divorce him. Up until this point he was happily married with two sons with a career that started as a TV personality, but branched into books and movie roles.

The death of his dog and his wife filing for divorce put him in such deep despair that Millan saw no way through this pain and took an overdose of pills. He will go into more detail of how things turned around for him on his National Geographic special, but one thing he did share was that he did it without antidepressants. He turned to his work with his dogs to bring him back to life.

Since that day “The Dog Whisperer” turned his life in another direction. He found a new love, Jahira Dar, who he lives with and is about to ask for her hand in marriage. While “The Dog Whisperer” has ended, Milan has a new show beginning on National Geographic Channel on Jan. 5, called “Leader of the Pack.” He also has a new book coming out and documentaries.

You can catch Cesar Millan's special on National Geographic Wild on Nov. 25.