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Cat Repetowski

Saturday, 04 October 2008

Cat Repetowski's Profile Over the first twenty years of my life my family had owned nine dogs.  One was hit by a car, five were given away because of behavioral problems, two were euthanised because of  more serious behavioral problems and one was killed by a neighbor.   After catching Brad's show “At the End of My Leash” by chance one late sleepless night, I was intrigued; even my dog Coda woke up from her slumber on the “couch” to check out the dogs barking on the show.  A few months later I was able to attend one of Brad's seminars and was absolutely amazed at what I saw and heard.  Brad's approach to training made so much sense to me; it is real life, day to day living with your dog.  What he showed us at the seminar got me thinking about all the dogs that had been in my life and I realized that most of those dogs could have been saved if we would have had this approach to training and living with our dogs many years ago. I'm sure now that the “behavioral problems” we experienced with my childhood pets were all because of a lack of education in regards to the needs of the dog and the responsibilities of the owner towards the dog.   I tried clicker/treat training with my current dog (Coda) and it didn't work in everyday life; it only worked indoors  as long as I had treats for her. When she wanted a treat she would clean house; she'd pick up anything off the floor and bring it to me (pens, coins, newspapers, the remote control, etc.) and then stand in front of the cookie jar waiting for her treat. Outside it wouldn't have mattered if I had a steak in my hand; there were too many other distractions that were more interesting than a treat or me, for that matter (we didn't have a bond). Coda still jumped up on people when they came to visit and almost knocked my mom down the stairs many times.  I would have to tire Coda out by throwing a toy for her for up to 30 minutes before we went jogging or she would drag me down the street!   Brad's approach to training a dog and it's owner is a lifestyle change that I  truly believe in because  every day I can see the huge difference in Coda and the relationship that I now have with her.  It makes me proud when family members can't believe the changes that they see in Coda; how calm and obedient she is now.       It's exciting to me to be able to help people live a better  relationship with their dog. Cat Repetowski

 

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