KOSTAS KATSIKIS
If you’re struggling with your dog, allow me the opportunity to provide you with some much-needed hope. You absolutely do not need to part with your beloved dog/dogs for several weeks or months at a board and train. Together we can turn your dog around in as few as four short weeks, at a fraction of what most trainers will charge you. I will come to your home, and I will teach you and show you what you need to know. Step by step. If this sounds too good to be true, I’d like to share with you a little bit about myself...
Being from Northern Virginia and having a very large Greek family, my story as an aspiring dog trainer is quite unlike most and begins in the fall of 2013. It was Thanksgiving at my sister’s house where I first laid eyes on her. My wife and I walked in to find what to me looked like a German Shepard-mix running around, bounding from couch to couch. It was then that my nephew told me that his roommate’s four-month-old puppy, Roxy, wasn’t a German Shepard at all, that she was actually a Belgian Malinois - what they use in the Netherlands for K9 police work. I was fascinated and instantly in love with how sweet, funny and cute she was, displaying a rather unusual human-like affection. I was thinking that if I ever decided to get a dog, this would be it.
The following spring, March 2014, my nephew called me and asked me if I knew of anyone interested in getting a dog, and that his roommate was looking to re-home his dog, Roxy. Having an erratic schedule with the State Department, he was unable to properly look after her.
Needless to say, she developed behavioral issues pretty early on. She would routinely go to the bathroom in the house, she was skittish outside, she chewed things up like wallets, furniture and clothing. She even ate a one hundred dollar bill once!
Nevertheless, when my nephew told me about needing new owners, I jumped at the chance. The night I brought her home, my wife could hear us walking all the way down the 100-foot corridor of our garden-style condominium, Roxy coughing and wheezing at the end of the retractable leash as she dragged me along. While I very much enjoyed working and spending time with her, that year Roxy ultimately proved far too much dog for us to handle, having never had such an energetic, working breed before.
Then in the spring of 2015, I purchased an online interactive dog training program from a trainer based in Phoenix, Arizona. The modules in the program proved extremely useful, as they provided a wealth of detailed information on training techniques and overall canine behavior for pet dog owners. The trainer was extremely helpful and diligent about answering questions and providing ongoing one-on-one support.
Things escalated to the point where she became completely intractable, and in early 2016, she ended up attacking a neighbor’s dog in the garage of our condo. I felt absolutely terrible, and of course, apologized profusely, went with the owner to the vet, paid for stitches, antibiotics, and the visit itself, as well as for follow-up visits, removing the stitches, etc. The whole ordeal was extremely upsetting and traumatic for all parties involved. My wife and I were forced to make a decision: Either face the prospect of euthanasia or pay for Roxy to be rehabilitated. Re-homing her was not an option for us as we were far too attached and regarded her as a member of our family. When I mentioned the incident to my mentor in Arizona, and asked about whether he could help with addressing the situation, he indicated that the only viable option would be to board Roxy at his facility for a minimum of four months, and quoted us at a price of 16,000 USD. This was in addition to any airfare costs to have her shipped in cargo from Northern Virginia to Arizona. I asked about the availability of any subsequent interactive modules on behavioral training and/or the prospect of using a web-based communication tool like Skype, but he stated that behavior modification is too complex, and unfortunately, tools like Skype would not be effective in resolving such issues.
In April of 2016, we ended up sending Roxy out to Arizona where she was fully rehabilitated. While we were fortunate enough to be able to pay for her treatment in installments, she ended up staying out there for twelve months, all of which for my wife and I, proved to be some of the most difficult in our lives. In April 2017, we both flew out to Phoenix for a one-week transitional period, at the end of which we brought her home. My mentor reintroduced us to Roxy and taught us how to communicate with her. I enjoyed working with my mentor [and Roxy] so much that I expressed an interest in learning about dog training at the professional and competition levels. I was told about a year-long apprenticeship program that was offered by the trainer.
The following November of 2017, Roxy, my wife, and I set out to make the trek across the country over a four-day drive to Phoenix, AZ. We packed up only essential belongings, leaving a great deal behind. We said goodbye to our family and friends and set out to embark on our journey. Unfortunately, three months into the apprenticeship the relationship with my mentor came to an abrupt end. For the next year and a half, I was utterly discouraged and wanted absolutely nothing to do with dog training, though we never ended up moving back to Virginia.
I then found Ted Efthymiadis of Mango Dogs, who has been an invaluable resource, friend, and mentor. He has shown me a different way to train and has taught me that there is another way to deal with issues. He has helped me regain my confidence and has shared with me some of the greatest insights and techniques in the industry. His immeasurable experience with dogs and clients all over the world with varying degrees of skill and/or difficulty has proven his abilities time and time again. He has shown me the way, and I can show you the way. And the best part is, he works only with difficult dogs and does it entirely in private lessons with the client.
You do not have to go through what we went through. You no longer have to dread the thought of going for a walk. You can have the relationship with your dog that you’ve always wanted. And the best part is, you don’t have to board your dog for months at a time and pay an absurd amount of money. If you want in-home training for your difficult dog, go ahead and set up a time to meet for a free evaluation, I’d love to help.
Kostas