Aulani Cash knew her golden retriever, Sonic, needed exercise.

She figured he got enough of that just running around the family's Hawai'i Kai home.

It wasn't until she saw an episode of "The Dog Whisperer" on the National Geographic Channel that she realized Sonic needed more than a yard to run around in. He needed to be walked.

"My dog needs that one-on-one walk," said Cash, 40, a stay-at-home mom of two. "I never really realized that before. I have to show him who's the leader, so he knows where his place is in the family. I never knew that before."

Cesar Millan, the host of the show and world-renowned dog behavior specialist, would be so proud.

"Animals are simple, humans are complicated," said the 36-year-old from Englewood, Calif., who will be in Hawai'i sharing his expert advice next week. (See box.) "What I'm bringing to Hawai'i is the understanding of Mother Nature, how everybody can go back to the basic connection between humans and dogs."

There are about 65 million owned dogs nationwide. In Hawai'i 29 percent of households support more than 220,000 canines. And many of them — and their owners — could use Millan's help.

He rehabilitates dogs, but he trains people. This is his mission in life.

"You don't have to train a dog as much as you have to train a human," said Millan, who founded the Dog Psychology Center in Los Angeles, where he rehabilitates desperate, last-chance canines. "During the show you see dogs that are super trained ... but they have issues. They attack humans or they have psychological issues. They're trained but not balanced."

Tina Sasada doesn't own a dog right now, though she grew up with a white spitz, German shepherds and three golden retrievers.

But she would if she had the space and time.

"I'd love to have a dog, but in the right setting," said Sasada, 43, who owns a drafting and design service and lives in Waipahu. "We don't have a yard for it to run around in. And it's a lot of care to have a dog. It's not right to have a dog when you don't have the right place for it."

She's been a fan of Millan since the show debuted last year on the National Geographic Channel, living vicariously through other dog owners and learning what to do when she does have her own pooch someday.

"I was really intrigued when I watched the show," said Sasada, who shares a tri-colored cat named Coko with her husband, George. "(Millan is) an extremely unique individual with this knowledge. No one has ever brought (these behavior issues) to light the way he has ... He just understands it all. It's like he was meant to do this."

Born and raised on a small farm in Mexico, Millan always felt a strong connection to nature.

His unique relationship with canines really became apparent as a teenager. Dogs just seemed to follow him wherever he went. In fact, folks nicknamed him "El Perrero," which means "The Dog Man."

He knew at age 13 exactly what he wanted to do with his life: to be the best dog trainer in the world.

"I made that declaration and I didn't question it," Millan said. "It was clear to me what I wanted to be. My dad said there was no money in that, but that's what I wanted to do ... Thank God my mom said I could be whatever I wanted. I listened to her because that made sense."

At 21, barely able to speak English, Millan moved to California to pursue his dream. In between washing dishes and sweeping floors, he worked as a dog groomer and walker. He was shocked to see how Americans treated their canines.

"What's missing for most dogs in America isn't food, shelter or affection," he said. "It's exercise with a psychological challenge. In other countries, they get exercise and discipline, they get to live the dog side, they don't have names. In America, everyone is so focused on naming the dog. In the animal world, names have no meaning. Who you are is your energy, that's who you are."

One of the biggest mistakes Americans make with their dogs is treating them like they're humans, he said. They give them silly names, dress them in costumes, give them fluffy beds to sleep in. To a dog, living in a mansion is no different than a goldfish living in a bowl. He doesn't know he's living in Beverly Hills; he knows he's living behind walls.

"They're on a mission to make a dog human," Millan said. "This is something that's benefiting humans only. We're becoming a very selfish society."

About eight years ago, Millan started the Dog Psychology Center in South Central Los Angeles. He converted a large warehouse into a two-acre facility to rehabilitate distraught canines.

Local newspapers profiled Millan and his uncanny ability to work with aggressive dogs. That created a little buzz. Then a story that ran in the Los Angeles Times catapulted him to worldwide fame. The story was read by dog lovers from Australia to France. Producers from TV talk shows started calling. At that point, he had another idea.

Now he wanted his own TV show.

It took about a year of knocking on doors, he said, before National Geographic Channel agreed to give him a shot.

"I wanted to reach out to more people," he said. "I didn't matter if it took three days or three years, I just didn't stop believing in it. It's partly me being stubborn, but it's a good, healthy stubborn. This is what I want and that's it. There's no space for anything else. I live my life that way."

Today, with more than 20 years of experience, Millan is one of the most sought-after specialists in his field. His client list includes celebrities such as Will Smith, Nicolas Cage and Hilary Duff.

He's married with two sons, living the life of his childhood dreams. And this month he'll be in Hawai'i for the second time in three months — this time without the kids. He and his wife, Illusion, will be on their honeymoon after 11 years of marriage.

"I don't have any plans," said Millan, who will be staying in Waikiki. "I don't create the plans; my wife does. Put me in front of a dog and I'll make sure the dog has a plan for his life. But with my life, I think my wife is much better at that than me."

And life, for Millan, is definitely good.

"My dad still doesn't understand why people are paying me to walk their dogs," Millan said, with a laugh. "America is a very positive country. Here, you can be whatever you want. It's awesome. A guy can cross the border 14 years ago and now have his own TV show. Only in America."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.