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AT THE END OF MY LEASH
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Life Network
Does your dog think he’s the boss of you? Fought with your boyfriend lately over your charming pooch’s place on the bed? Got a new girlfriend that Lassie doesn’t like – and shows it with teeth? Is your dog, in short, playing havoc with your home life? Well this may be your lucky day, because the Dog Whisperer is among us – and he’s got his own TV show.
Brad Pattison has been working as an animal behaviourist and trainer for nearly 17 years. When he started, it was from scratch, since there wasn’t information available regarding dogs in modern homes at the time. "A lot of the books and information you could find 20 years ago contained outdated information," Pattison explains. "Not that dogs have changed over the years, but our society has changed significantly, and that’s changed our feelings around our dogs and how we interact with them."
Pattison began by studying the available equipment and training methods, trying to pull apart the canine behaviour he saw, and studying wolves and coyotes as well. He began teaching obedience and behaviour classes, and has been credited for inventing the now-ubiquitous dog daycare concept. "I have trainers come from around the world to work with me," he says, "and I started thinking that what I really needed was a tool to help large numbers of people around the world."
Enter White Iron Productions and the Life Network, who agreed with Pattison. A pilot for At the End of My Leash ran several times last year, and garnered enough interest to earn the go-ahead for a full-fledged shooting schedule. And what’s the show’s hook?
"I go into their homes and sort out the pet issues, which can often cure the resulting relationship issues." In other words, it’s kind of the interspecies version of Dr. Phil. Like Dr. Phil, Pattison’s seen it all, from the guy nauseated by the filthy condition of his girlfriend’s bed, to the couple who broke up thanks to vastly differing ideas on what constitutes healthy discipline.
"I really see it all, like the couple who couldn’t have kids and had a dog instead. They humanized the dog to the point that it had to be put down," Pattison says. "The fact that we have increasing tendencies to humanize our dogs creates confusion for them, and craziness for us. And it can all lead to relationship issues – how to make Rover come back at the park can turn into a massive fight, and little moments can turn into an ongoing shit-show in the relationship.
"You know how it is," Pattison continues. "You can’t criticize people’s dogs or children. But I go in and call it like it is. I don’t provide counselling between couples or family members, per se. I do a lot of counselling to provide clarity between people and their pets."
Pattison speaks enthusiastically of his topic – clearly he could talk all day about dogs. "There’s a lot of incorrect information about training dogs out there. It’s really horrifying. One of my favourites is the myth that you should knee a dog in the chest when it jumps up. The average dog’s rib is the width of an HB pencil. Many dogs have died of a punctured lung thanks to that little piece of wisdom."
At the End of My Leash started filming on Thursday, and they’re looking for local families to appear on the show. For those of you who can’t make it onto the show, Pattison leaves his top three dog-training tips.
"Eliminate treats entirely, establish yourself as alpha with no give and take, and lay down the rules and keep them black and white. And use appropriate equipment: a Martingale collar and a six-foot nylon leash. No choke collars, no halties, no gentle leaders and especially no extenda-leashes, or as I call them, ‘extenda-deaths.’ They give a false sense of security and promote bad behaviour, and it’s always the dog that pays in the end."
For those interested in appearing on the show, visit www.endofmyleash.com. |
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