He's the man to call when your dog flips you a dew claw.

Or growls. Or bites.

Human translation for such deeds: Fido is thumbing his snout at you.

So, as thousands of TV viewers know, it may be time for an all-pointer bulletin to Cesar Millan, a.k.a. "The Dog Whisperer."

That's the tag he wears on "The Dog Whisperer," the National Geographic Channel's highest-rated series. Never mind that other trainers and behaviorists before him have claimed the same label. Millan is the ultimate breed brand.

His show has been expanded and renewed for its next season and will soon go into international syndication. His new book, "Cesar's Way," has romped at the top of bestseller lists since its release this spring. He's issued a DVD titled "People Training for Dogs" showing highlights from his live seminar series to pair with the sale of the show's first-season DVD.

And he has created a tremendous popular buzz about dog training.

"My clients mention him over and over and over," said Amy Ammen, owner of Amiable Dog Training in Milwaukee. "Now people are motivated to pick up the phone and ask about him. They ask, 'How "Cesar" is the class?' "

Does the success surprise him?

"Yes, but people love dogs, and they were lacking information and common sense," said Millan by phone last week, while taping his new season of shows. "Everyone wants a dog who follows them, but nobody plays a leadership role. Everyone is playing Mommy."

Millan has given the American dog world a leader — himself — and his techniques demonstrate "not how to become a spiritual pack leader, but a real pack leader," he said.

Still, Millan's credentials for this fame might make a pit bull cringe. He has no formal training in dog behavior, and his expertise developed from working on his grandfather's farm in Mexico.

"On the farm, the farmer controls not just dogs but cows and horses and all the other animals," he said. "The farmer is viewed as the dominant force."

National Geographic Channel producers say Millan doesn't meet the canines he confronts on his show before taping. So what happens next on air can seem miraculous:

Match: Millan vs. NuNu the Demon Chihuahua. In The Kingdom of NuNu, this little bugger rules, keeping humans off "his" furniture and biting everyone who comes near his owner.

Match: Millan vs. Bubba, the Maltese who wears $300 smoking jackets while bushwhacking visitors leaving his owner's office.

Match: Millan vs. Leo, the basset who has to be dragged along the sidewalk for his "walk."

Takedown winner: Always Millan. Using a combination of body blocks, neck pins, roll-overs and the sound "Shhhttzz!" delivered with a pointed finger, Millan makes canines change their evil ways.

He has other weapons as well. Millan calls up "positive energy" to help calm and guide the dogs on the show, and he describes animals in rehabilitation as "releasing toxic energy." These are concepts many dog lovers can connect with.

"I rehabilitate dogs. I train people," he said. "The worst kind of owner is the one that blames the dog for everything. It's not the dog's fault. The dog doesn't premeditate. For the owners, that's the highest form of denial. But I pop their bubbles."

Not everyone joins in singing his praise. He has been the target of lawsuits, including one claiming that a Labrador was choked at his Dog Psychology Center. The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists has written to the National Geographic Channel expressing concerns about techniques used on the show.

"They are basically abuse," said Nicholas Dodman, program director for the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, author of "Dogs Behaving Badly" (Bantam) and a member of the veterinary group.

He said Millan's first offense is not having the problem dogs checked for possible underlying medical conditions. But the main issue, said Dodman, is that "Millan is using the same methods used by military trainers to train the dogs of war during World War II."

"All these people understand is that you have to be alpha. There's nothing new about what he's doing."

Cis Frankel, the author of "The Urban Dog, the Ultimate Street Smarts Training Manual" noted that "If you put aggression into aggression it can only come out that way. Some day that dog is going to snap."

And Patti Muraczewski, owner of For Pet's Sake dog training schools in the Milwaukee area, warned: "I feel he has some aggressive moves that should not be universally applied. Finger pointing at the dog is aggressive and can lead to a bite."

Millan shakes off such criticism like water off a spaniel's fur.

"That is the beauty of America. People can say what they want. I don't see things that way. I'm bringing back common sense, as far as I'm concerned. There are 68 million dogs in America, and they need help. I'm helping them. I'm saving lives.

"I use many different techniques — whatever suits the dog and makes the owner feel empowered. Sometimes I use the energy, sometimes the body language, sometimes the food. But my goal is always a calm-assertive human and a calm-submissive dog."

The next "Dog Whisperer" season promises a whole new set of memorable canine characters, including, Millan says, "an aggressive 6-month-old Maltese that the owner treats like a toy."

"People say, 'How can that cute little dog do anything wrong?' But the owner is obsessive. Everything in the house is pink. So the dog is obsessive. The dog has become extremely aggressive, attacks big dogs and urinates in the house."

Millan also has plans to create a "sanctuary, where you can go on safari and walk with a pack and get a massage and swim with the dogs."

But even here, Millan says, "You will walk first, and then you get your breakfast."

SOME PET PHRASES

In order to understand "The Dog Whisperer," you need to speak his language. Here's a quick glossary of some of his terms: