Brandon McMillan, animal expert and host of CBS’ Emmy-nominated series Lucky Dog stops by to visit with Marcie and Whistle about Lucky Dog's new season as part of the Saturday morning CBS Dream Team. Brandon talks about the work he is doing to rescue unadoptable dogs at local shelters and give them a chance to become productive, hard-working dogs that transform the lives of their human partners. You’ll hear about his Seven Common Commands and how he's trained shelter dogs to help people in need. His dogs have been trained to help someone with memory loss find their way home, assist a veteran with a disability to walk up steps, and other amazing tasks. After listening to Brandon, you'll clearly understand that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, and that you can teach an old dog new tricks!

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Brandon McMillan is an animal trainer and behaviorist who has spent his entire life learning about and working with all types of animals—from household pets to the wildest of untamed beasts.

Born into a family of animal entertainers, McMillan has been training wild animals since he was born. Thanks to his father and uncle who gave him the knowledge and work ethic , McMillan developed an attachment to animals at an early age. He jokes that he’s been “picking up tiger poop” as far back as he can remember, but his early years around the animal performers certainly gave him valuable skills that he uses in his current career as a Los Angeles -based animal trainer.

Since becoming an animal trainer, Brandon has trained lions, bears, tigers, reptiles and even insects for such films as The Hangover, We Bought a Zoo, The Jungle Book II, I Am Sam, Buddy, Soul Plane, Red Dragon and television’s 24, Dharma and Greg, Jackass, Wildboyz and Carnivale, plus hundreds of commercials and ads. Even with no formal training, Brandon has built such expertise with animals that he now teaches others how to train wild animals, priding himself on his blue-collar educational background.

Brandon and Conan copy“My school was the school of hard knocks,” he says. “All my educational background is from 100% experience in the field– no books, no classrooms.” When asked if he feels he’s garnered a sixth sense because of all his interactive animal experience, Brandon replies with an emphatic, “No!” He doesn’t see it that way. “I don’t have any special powers, just cut and dry experience. Having a sixth sense won’t save my life if an animal is coming at me, but experience will.”

In his spare time, Brandon brings his vast animal knowledge to the domestic world when he trains dogs at his prestigious canine obedience school the “LA Dog Retreat.” Brandon is well known in Los Angeles for rescuing dogs out of the pound that are just days away from being put to sleep and turn them into movie stars. Many of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities call upon Brandon to help with their out of control pets at home. However, as much as Brandon loves man’s best friend, his wild side and the need for an adrenaline rush always beckon him back to the wild beasts.

“I just need the hairs on the back of my neck to stand up at least once a day,” he admits. “It lets me know that I am alive and living, not just alive. There’s a big difference.”