Brandon McMillan

Overview

Brandon McMillan is an American animal trainer and television host best known for CBS's Lucky Dog. Born in 1977 in Trenton, New Jersey, he grew up surrounded by animals because his father and uncle trained exotic animals for the entertainment industry. As a child, he spent time with big cats, bears, primates, wolves, birds of prey, and elephants. At 18, he moved to Los Angeles to work for his uncle's company, which supplied animals for film and television. He began training service and therapy dogs in 2010, and Lucky Dog premiered on CBS in 2013. On the show, he rescued dogs from shelters, trained them, and matched them with new families. He hosted more than 180 episodes, won two Daytime Emmy Awards as host, and returned in 2023 to host Lucky Dog: Reunions. He also wrote Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days (2016), which teaches what he calls the 7 Common Commands: sit, stay, down, come, off, heel, and no.

Why He Matters

Brandon McMillan's career shows how wide the world of animal training can be. His path has taken him from working with animals for film and television to training service dogs and helping shelter dogs find homes. Through Lucky Dog, viewers across the country watched dogs that some people had given up on learn new skills and settle in with new families. His work carries a simple message: a dog that seems difficult may just need patience, structure, and a trainer who believes in it. By sharing his methods on television and in his book, he has made professional training ideas easy for everyday pet owners to try.