Coming from a family of circus animal entertainers, Brandon McMillan was introduced to the world of animal training at a young age. Beginning with wild animals like tigers and moving on to household canines, he has a long-running love for adrenaline and has mastered the art of command and diligence. On his CBS series Lucky Dog, the animal lover shows off his training skills: Beginning by adopting lonely dogs from shelters, he brings them back to Lucky Dog Ranch to be trained. He then finds homes (often with owners for whom the dog can provide service) for the lucky dogs. In our exclusive celebrity interview, the television star opened up about season two of his hit show and his best dating advice to consider before bringing a furry friend home.
Exclusive Celebrity Interview with ‘Lucky Dog’ Host
The canine transformer reveals that the current season of Lucky Dog involves having a lot more fun and says, “I like to outdo everything I’ve done before.” He mentions that he will even be teaching an eight-year-old doberman mix to stand on a paddle board, joking about the adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Plus, he shares that there will be a lot more service this year as well; for example, he trains a dog to assist an injured war veteran.
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The Lucky Dog Ranch owner wants his viewers to remember “never to underestimate the power of a shelter dog.” He explains, “There’s an old myth that shelter dogs are damaged goods, when in reality they’re just as trainable, if not more trainable, than breeder dogs.” The circus veteran says that, as a teenager, he wanted to make all the money he could training animals, and now, at 37, he wants to make all the difference he can.
Dating Advice for Couples Who Want to Adopt a Pet
McMillan advises couples who are looking to rescue a pet together to remember to compromise. For example, if one partner likes smaller, fluffier dogs, and the other likes bigger dogs, they’ll have to find a way to meet in the middle. He encourages them to “spend week after week at the shelter rather than going off of an immediate reaction or face value. It’s important to remember that a dog’s personality is more important than how aesthetically pleasing he is.” Once the couple does have the dog, he suggests the more patient person train him, while the more energetic one exercises him.
If you already have a pet who’s not quite sure about your new boyfriend, you may want to take your dog’s reaction seriously. The Lucky Dog host humorously recalls that women he knows often utilize a golden rule of, “If my pet doesn’t like you, then I don’t either.” He laughs about this dating advice, saying, “If a woman says her cat hates a man she’s seeing, then that man is toast!”
As far as his own love life goes, the animal trainer is single, attributing his relationship status to the fact that 23 hours of his day are dedicated to Lucky Dog. “Unless a person can dedicate 51 percent of their time to another person, they’re not ready to be in a committed relationship,” he shares in our exclusive celebrity interview. Even though training dogs for service is his priority now, he can see himself settling down with someone special in the next couple of years. So be on the lookout, ladies!
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The adrenaline junkie’s first love was the thrill of training wild animals, and in his opinion, if two people’s interests are too different, then the relationship is a no-go. He feels like his thirst for adventure and desire to do activities like skydiving or swimming with sharks has been incompatible with partners in the past and therefore a deal breaker.
The busy trainer’s dating advice for those with careers that cause them to travel often, like his does, is to make sure every minute is quality time. “No sitting on the couch watching trash television! Really plan your moments for and with each other. Saying ‘I’m too tired’ leads to trouble,” he believes.
Fans can keep up with Brandon on Twitter @BrandonMcMillan. Be sure to catch Lucky Dog weekend mornings on CBS!
