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NARRATOR: Cesar Millan is admired the world over for his intuitive and engaging style of dog rehabilitation. But the skills Cesar has learned did not come easily.
CESAR MILLAN: I was born in Culiacan, Sinaloa, in Mexico. My life was very simple, was on a farm. It was very primal, very basic. I saw it as a curse. I'm poor, and I don't have toys.
NARRATOR: Cesar took every opportunity he could to learn. By observing the way his grandfather worked with the family's ranch dogs, Cesar began to develop his own unique approach.
CESAR MILLAN: My greatest influence of who I am is through my grandfather. The peace, understanding, never work against Mother Nature. That was him.
NARRATOR: All the while, Cesar nurtured a dream to become the world's greatest dog trainer. And that meant making the dangerous journey to America.
CESAR MILLAN: December 23, 1990, and I was 21. I said mom I'm leaving. And she saw my determination. She called my dad and say Felipe, your son is leaving. He came. He gave me a hug. And he gave me $100. His whole entire life savings, $100.
NARRATOR: Cesar spent the money on a human smuggler, or coyote, who helped him make an illegal border crossing.
CESAR MILLAN: We're running. We're running. We're running here, it's a little safer. Running and running. Somehow you have so much adrenaline. So much stamina.
NARRATOR: After two months homeless on the streets of San Diego, Cesar made it to Los Angeles and began making his dream come true.
CESAR MILLAN: I started asking people if I can walk their dogs, and I was doing it for free. So then I started walking five dogs and then 10, then 15. And then that's how people started calling me the Mexican guy who can walk a pack of dogs.
NARRATOR: Newspapers and TV producers began paying attention. Now, Cesar may be the most famous dog expert in the world.
Gavin, the yellow Labrador, was trained to sniff out explosives. After serving in the Iraq war, Gavin came back to the United States with an extreme fear of certain sounds.
MAN: It was actually a 4th of July party that we were having down the street. We, all of a sudden, we couldn't find Gavin anywhere. Finally after about half an hour, we found him in our neighbor's bathroom in the shower, curled up quivering because the firecrackers were just too much for him.
NARRATOR: Gavin's reaction appears to be the result of classical conditioning. In Iraq, Gavin was exposed to explosions and other loud sounds.
LA BYKOWSKY: When we went to Iraq, he did an admirable job. He never once shut down. He never once stopped working. He always did what I asked him to do.
NARRATOR: Gavin's fear of these noises became associated with everyday sounds, such as beeping elevators and cell phones. Gavin's trainer turned to Cesar for help.
LA BYKOWSKY: What I really want for Gavin is to not be afraid. I want him to be able to enjoy his retirement and not be petrified.
NARRATOR: Caesar and Gavin's time together would be a learning opportunity for them both. Using the principles of classical conditioning, Caesar began working on Gavin's fear response.
CESAR MILLAN: He's doing good. He's doing great.
NARRATOR: By slowly combining the loud sounds Gavin feared most with treats or activities he found pleasurable, Cesar was able to help Gavin create new associations.
CESAR MILLAN: Such a good boy. Good boy. That's a good boy. Good boy. Pull.
How do we know we are improving his psychological fear to the sound? He's not fleeing. He's not fleeing. He's avoiding, but at the same time, he's also submitting.
MAN: Pull. Head up. Head up, head up, nice.
NARRATOR: It was time for Gavin to go home.
LA BYKOWSKY: This is something he made up for you while he was here. He's a miracle dog. So we just wanted to say thanks--
CESAR MILLAN: Thanks, buddy.
LA BYKOWSKY: For all the help.
CESAR MILLAN: Thanks, buddy. You did really good, boy.
LA BYKOWSKY: Your little tail wag going. That's a boy.
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CESAR MILLAN: March 25, 2009, I became an American citizen. The feeling is like you are accepted. Like you are part of the pack. I know that when I crossed the border, I was breaking the law, breaking the rules of a country, but that's what I needed to do to survive, to achieve a dream, and that's why they call it the American dream.