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Behavior Problems Q&As

March 3, 2024

Recommended My young French Bulldog is marking on all the dog beds and she's trying to be alpha with my other 2 dogs. I need some advice!

Hi Cindy, I have three dogs and my nine month old French Bulldog is marking on all the dog beds. She’s doing great with potty training and their beds is the only place she pees so I know she’s trying to be Alpha. She does other things to prove she’s Alpha like cutting the other dogs off at the water bowl and snapping at them when they walk by. She also doesn’t understand polite play, she ignores the other dogs cues when they don’t want to play anymore. I intervene when I see it hap...
88% (44 out of 50)
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January 2, 2024

Recommended My 3 year old dog tears up packages around the house when we leave her alone, what do you suggest?

Hello Cindy. I have a Bernese Mountain Dog who is reactive and you have helped me modify this behavior! Thank you. Now she (3 years old) has taken to tearing into packages around the house when left alone when we go out. It used to be about food but now she got into xmas ornaments. What do you suggest? I have done the following courses: Leash reactivity; remote collar training and marker training. Thanks
100% (3 out of 3)
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October 22, 2023

Recommended My female dog lifts her leg when peeing. Is this a sign of dominance?

Hi Cindy! How would you explain 3 yo GSD female raising her leg slightly when peeing/ marking ? During heat as well as when not in heat. She does NOT dig/scratch the grass with her back paws after. Is it a sign of a dominant female? Anything to be on the look out for? Thank you!
100% (4 out of 4)
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October 21, 2023

Recommended Our German Shepherd pees when we correct him and chews up items even though he has toys. Please advise.

Cindy we got a German Shepherd puppy at the age of 4 weeks we were told he was 8 weeks old back in August of last year every time we correct the puppy he pees on the floor as well as now is chewing up items that does not pertain to his toys what could be the cause of this. I have a feeling it is separation anxiety. He only choose things that have our scent on it. He is now 11 months old will be a year next month on the 26th what can we do to prevent this from continuing any suggestions or ide...
100% (3 out of 3)
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September 29, 2023

Recommended My dog digs on her bed and won't lay down. How do I correct this?

Hi - I have a 1 yr old Brittany and she digs on her bed -most dogs do the scratch n circle and then lay down - but she scratches/digs and doesn't lay down. This is worse when she is overly tired. How do I help her / correct this behavior? Currently if we go to her and hold her paw and calm her she finally relaxes. Thank you
100% (3 out of 3)
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September 29, 2023

Recommended Does my adult dog need to socialize with other dogs?

Hi, how much socialization with other dogs does my almost 5 year old German Shepherd need? He interacts with my son's golden retriever daily in short increments and is with me pretty much 24/7.
100% (5 out of 5)
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September 9, 2023

Recommended My 12 month old Beauceron will pull and lunge on leash when other leashed dogs walk by. Can you recommend a video so I can teach her to remain calm and ignore the other dogs unless it's playtime?

Hello Cindy: My 12-month spayed Beauceron pulls on her leash to greet/play with other leashed dogs. For example, we are enjoying breakfast at an outdoor coffee shop and a well-mannered dog will walk by, causing our dog to jump up and playfully lunge towards it. Can you recommend a video so that I can teach her to remain calm and ignore other dogs (unless it is play-time) ? Thank you. Cindy
100% (11 out of 11)
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September 9, 2023

Recommended My 8 year old housebroken German Shepherd stays with friends when I travel but he goes to the bathroom in their homes, no matter how much they walk him. How can I correct this?

Hi Cindy. I have an eight year old GSD who is housebroken and obedient. When I'm home he either goes tot he bathroom off-lead in my fenced in back yard along the fence-line, or on-lead when we're walking through the neighborhood. In the yard when I let him out he won't actually go in the yard and do anything until I walk out. The problem is when I travel, which is only once or twice a year, I have friends that were willing to watch him for me but every time they do he just goes to the bat...
100% (6 out of 6)
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August 22, 2023

Recommended My rescued pitbull's oral fixation is getting worse and is becoming a problem, which course should I take?

Hello! I have a 20 month old pit bull mix that I rescued. Her oral fixation is getting worse. Please let me know which course I could take to work with her. It is becoming a problem. Thank you!
100% (1 out of 1)
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August 14, 2023

Recommended My 6 month old pup loves to chew on sticks and branches after a play session but that causes him to vomit wood chips afterwards. Any suggestions or is it OK for him to chew on sticks?

Hi! Thank you for great contents on YouTube! My 6months old mini Australian shepherd loves to chew on sticks and branches when tired after play session and that cause vomiting wood chips afterwards. Any suggestions to stop that behavior or is it ok for him to chew on sticks? Thank you!
100% (6 out of 6)
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August 12, 2023

Recommended My recently adopted 8 month old Husky is frantic if I kennel her and leave. What is the best way to retrain this?

Good morning, I've just recently adopted a 8 month old female husky. Her precious owners were Hobbie breeders, and she was kept in her kennel constantly. I have no other behavior issues with her beside when she is kenneled and I'm not home she becomes frantic and will try to destroy the kennel. What is the best way to recreate train a puppy that panics in their kennel? If I am in her eye sight she will lay in her kennel with the door open or closed with no issues. She will engage in relax...
100% (4 out of 4)
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July 30, 2023

Recommended My new adopted dog is aggressive to my 4 year old dog when I let them run loose in open spaces, she's good on structured walks but free time in the back yard is the problem. What can I do?

I recently adopeted/rescued husky mix female dog from its owner in February of this year. She was I year old at the time. She is now 16 months and the one thing I havent been able to retrain this lady out of is her agressive attitude in open spaces with my 4 year old siberian husky. Everyone keeps telling me she is a puppy and thats how dogs figure out who is top dog, yet watching her pounce and attack from behind, chace and nip his hind quarters AND watching my 4 year olds reaction to th...
100% (8 out of 8)
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July 24, 2023

Recommended My young Golden Retriever lunges and jumps all over people and other dogs. He is not at all aggressive but he never calms down. Which of your courses would best help me learn to train him?

I have a 10 month old golden who has not been properly socialized. He is very reactive to people and other dogs. He lunges at them and jumps all over them wanting attention. He never calms down. High energy level no matter how much exercise he's had. He is not at all aggressive. I don't know how to teach him to be calm and not jump and lunge at people / other dogs. He knows basic commands, although he considers commands to be temporary and thinks its ok, for instance, to only sit or stay for ...
100% (5 out of 5)
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July 8, 2023

Recommended My 3 year old adopted dog is very anxious and fearful when hearing any type of gunfire. Any suggestions on how to help her?

I have a 3yr old Dutch Shepherd that I adopted a year ago. No background info given. She is very anxious/fearful when hearing gunfire (large or small) from the neighborhood. She is non reactive in almost all other situations including trips to the military base at Ft. Bragg, NC. There the background range noise is 24/7 heavy artillery to smaller arms fire. No problem at all.. Have tried to desensitize with background noise online at home in calm settings, no reaction. Only reacts to live nea...
100% (2 out of 2)
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June 20, 2023

I went to a dog park against what I was taught and lost control of my dog.

I did it. Went to a dog park. Against what was taught in the course. Everything was great for 2 months. My dog is a European Doberman, female, 1-year-old. Needs a lot of exercise. Today, she is great at the park until a woman shows up with a ball and a long stick for throwing it. My dog is excited, chases the ball, runs back to the lady, and jumps on her. She starts yelling and swinging the stick, kicking my dog. I'm running to grab my dog as she thinks the lady is playing. Not good, my dog ...
100% (12 out of 12)
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May 30, 2023

I have 2 dogs. How do I handle situations where one of my dogs inappropriately overcorrects the other one?

Hi Cindy! I have a 7 year old female fixed lab mix who is balanced, social, and all around great dog. I also have a 3 year old male hound mix (fixed) who has struggled with reactivity. I am very proud of our training with him - he is now neutral to dogs, people, and other previous triggers and his obedience is very strong. In this training, we did a lot of groundwork to provide structure and leadership in our home. However, infrequently (once a month or so), my younger dog will correct my ...
100% (7 out of 7)
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May 12, 2023

Do you have a muzzle I can feed rewards through?

Hi Cindy, I have a 9-month-old GSD and I cannot get him to stop eating rocks. I have bought a muzzle from you and I was wondering if you have a plastic muzzle that I can feed food rewards through to him?
100% (2 out of 2)
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March 23, 2023

Should I neuter my Malinois to prevent potential aggression in the future?

Hi Cindy! I have a 1 y/o Belgian Malinois. He has had a history of aggressive behavior, specifically biting, and has bitten me, my wife, and my trainer. I had him evaluated by Tarheel Canine Center, in Sanford NC. They are well familiar with working with Belgian Malinois and other shepherd breeds. To address the biting they recommended: 1 Plenty of exercise. He gets exercised 2 hours a day and 2. Obedience Training. He attended in-board basic obedience training for 5 weeks and advanced ob...
100% (4 out of 4)
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January 13, 2023

Our German Shepherd barks and lunges at the windows of our van she sees people, bikes or passing trucks. It makes car rides very challenging, how can we help her?

Hi Cindy, Would you please give me some advice? My 13-month GSD would bark like crazy and lunge at the windows from within our van ride at the passing by trucks, people standing at the crosswalk, people riding bikes! We popped her prong collar and told her “leave it” or “quiet” but she couldn’t stop as we saw her hair on her back standing up. It looks like she’s very panicky and scared. But when we took her out of the van and walked her, she’s totally fine with people, animals, ...
100% (4 out of 4)
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December 23, 2022

My 18-month-old Golden Retriever lifts his leg and marks inside stores or homes we visit if other dogs have been there. He also does this while walking with no warning. How can I stop this? 

Hello. I have an intact male 18-month-old Golden Retriever. For a few months, I would take him on a long walk on a jogging trail using a 20 ft long line so he could run around and sniff and mark. NOW, I don't allow him on a 20ft line instead I only use a 6 ft line and I take him on "structured" walks and not free roaming walks. He marks inside a store if there were previous dog smells like a pet store. But he does not mark if I take him to dept stores or hobby stores where there are no dog sm...
100% (2 out of 2)
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