bradpattison.com

North Shore News

Wednesday, 01 October 2008

"The dude is back in town" was the headline to the e-mail from a girlfriend. At first I thought she was talking about an old boyfriend and I was about to send her a message stating, "Stay the heck away this time!" but soon realized that the dude she was talking about was Brad Pattison. Who is Brad Pattison, you ask? He's the dude on that somewhat controversial but extremely popular TV series, At The End of my Leash, about training dogs and their people. Some people can't stand the guy -- not because they have ever met him and found him rude and ignorant, but rather, they don't agree with his dog training methods (I understand the feeling). Personally I've never met him so I can't comment on what kind of a person he is, but I do watch his show when I have a free 30 minutes at the end of my day and I love it! I love his straightforward, hold-no-punches approach to training dogs. He is bold, in your face and tells it like it is -- awesome! These days, when treats are employed for training, boundaries are used for countries rather than dogs, and the word "No" is seen as one that causes psychological distress -- listening to Pattison tell people to get off their couches that they share with their pets and understand that dogs are dogs (not little people) is highly refreshing and entirely entertaining! Pattison is holding a seminar in Vancouver on Sept. 27 and I encourage anyone with an open mind and without a chip on their shoulder to attend. Even if you don't have any issues with your dog you'll learn something about how to interact with them in a way that your they will understand and respect what you are saying. The last time he was in town doing a seminar I encouraged many of my students and trainers to take it and not a one came away with a scowl on their face. In fact, everyone left with an incredible new way to not only look at their dog but interact with them. Pattison's approach is neither old-fashioned (with the use of choke collars and intimidation) nor is it new age (with fancy treats and ways to touch your dog to communicate with them telepathically). Rather it's a tried and true method of dogspeak, or in the trendy term that gets everyone's ears abuzzing: dog whispering. He gets the concept of pack leadership and teaches it in a practical way that both people and dogs understand. The changes that can happen in a dog's behaviour with a few lessons really is quite remarkable. There are many dog training seminars that come into town -- rarely, if ever, do I encourage the general public to attend as they all seem to be speaking the same "Love your dog with treats not discipline" language, and charge hundreds of dollars to participate. Pattison's seminars are affordable and interactive. You will do stuff with your dog during the two hours, not just sit and listen to someone talk about what to do with your dog. I have to admit that I have adopted some of his methods into my own training repertoire such as the umbilical cord walking and walking through your dog. Both are ways to teach a dog to respect your position of alpha and behave accordingly as a dog should. If you are interested visit www.bradpattison.com/vancouver-seminar.html for additional information. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Sign up for a session with the dog whisperer Joan Klucha, Special To North Shore News Published: Sunday, September 21, 2008 © North Shore News 2008 Be the first to comment on this article

 

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