Most Popular Q&As

We rescued a 2+ yearod abused lab/chow mix. He was not neutered or trained. After 3 years, he is both, and we've tried to make up for the lack of socialization. However, he still -- very rarely -- bites. He's fine and then something scares him and there he goes. I know we can't make up for his first two years of abuse. And I know the conventional wisdom is to put him to sleep. I wonder, though -- what if we removed some/all of his teeth? I imagine it's expensive, but I don't see why it's not ...

Hi Cindy, I want to start off by telling you what a great help you and Ed have been with my training! I love your videos, especially the Training with markers video. My question for you is, I have a female Dobie and I am unsure what the best reaction should be when she barks at people or noises (for example: people walking through the neighborhood at night or noises outside). I want my dog to be naturally protective and watch/alert me when she senses something is not quite right. W...

Hello, This is in the comment section of my order I placed earlier today but I was not sure if it would reach you, so am cc'ing it to you both as well. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your extremely informative site, I have been reading articles and watching the streaming videos obsessively ever since I stumbled across it! I am purchasing the Bernhard Fink dvd's to help me begin training with my new Doberman puppy towards Schutzhund. The pup is 4 months old. ...

Hi, My female terrier dog is 6 years old. She was attacked on a local dog beach by a big dog that just ran in from nowhere as she was playing in the sea. The attack resulted in 3 stitches to her neck. Now my dog is aggressive with other dogs. If they approach her she tries to bite and warn them away. This is a problem as obviously many dogs use that beach and there is always a dog that approaches her. My dog does not initiate an attack, she just warns them off when they come too near. How ...

Hey, I have a question about your muzzles. I have two male hounds just reached two and they have been together since 2006 with no problems until now. It is a pecking order thing that has gotten worse one fight. I have wire mess muzzles that are working ok that I had to modify with a strap between the ears to keep them from pulling them off. I have several of your videos - dominant dog and becoming the pack leader. I have read and listened to all or your info on the site. Since using the m...

I’ve followed your recall and remote collar program and my dog is near perfect on recall mostly. He was very well behaved off leash on our property. We are very protective of the collar training only me and my wife but we left the dog with family for vacation who used old school shock punishment style and made my cattle dog collar-wise. Haven’t been able to break it. He now won’t come without the remote collar on and will hide from putting it on. The no longer coming without ...

Hey Cindy, I got the new Nosework DVD and just had a few questions. I didn't see puppies in the video (maybe I just missed them). I have a new puppy so was wondering when you start doing nosework with a puppy? Also, is there an odor that you typically start with so the dog always smells that at first, then switch later? If so when, do you add the additional odors? Thanks so much. Its an interesting sport and think it could be a fun side sport to play with. Thanks as always, David

Cindy, My 4 year old GSD does not bother with two of my three cats. They are smart enough to know that he's a big goof ball, so they let him lick them a few times until he gets bored and walks away. He likes all the cats, BUT the third cat is too damn stupid to realize the dog is just being playful. He's not afraid of the dog, he just doesn't want to be bothered. Of course, the dog's natural prey drive kicks in when the cat runs from him. The dog would NEVER harm any of the cats, but how d...

Hi, I have a six year old intact male GSD. He is an excellent dog in all respects. He is well trained, respectful of us in our home, sweet tempered, and responds well to voice commands and corrections. We have one problem which is my fault, and I am wondering if there is a way to solve it. He barks at other dogs when he is on leash. He is not aggressive with other dogs when he gets to know them properly and has readily accepted other dogs in the house when we have had visitors. The problem...

Hello Mr. Frawley, My name is Michael. I am currently on active duty in the united states marine corps. I can all ways be found going threw your web site reading as much information as I can take in on dog training. With all the so called " trainers" out there you are by far the only one I would consider to let train my dog. To make this email short and sweet I came across an article entitled "Real men don't lynch" http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/08/174957.php I have plans on ...

Hi Cindy, I have a 4 1/2 month doberman pup that I'm considering feeding Force. The breeder feels strongly that the puppy should be feed adult food with a protein content less than 20% so that she does not grow too quickly. So I'm think of feeding her a little less of the Force than recommended but mixing in some fruits, vegetables, oils, yogurt, etc. (items that have low protein content). Could you please let me know what you think about this? I'm also considering the Keen...

Hi, My husband and I have a four month old Boxer who likes to put his open mouth on our hands, arms, feet while playing, but he never clamps down. How should we discourage this behavior? We have been holding his jaw closed and saying "no biting" and then putting him in his crate, but this seems to be unsuccessful as he continues later on. What are your ideas on improving the situation? And now when we come to the crate to let him out, he has been cowering his head. We ignore this and ...

Would you recommend training a dog for explosive detection after it failed out of a narcotic detection course? And if so, what could we do to ensure he is no longer alerting on narcotics?

Hi Cindy, I hope things are well with you. We are getting on great training our two dogs but we have a problem with our golden retriever who is now nearly three years old. She gulps down her food (we give her Hills JD nuts/kibble). We feed her twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. To try and slow her down eating, we have put a large smooth stone in the middle of her bowl and the nuts around it, this slowed her down a little at the start but she has gone back to her old ways and g...

Cindy, I have had a few high drive GSD. Great dogs, except when we are in the home relaxing. I am relaxing but the dog is pacing and whining. He never seems to be able to turn it off. I was not able to ever find his "off" switch. Can you help me with some ideas or make a DVD on how to turn your dog off when you are not working? Think there is a need for us novice dogsters. Thanks

My 3 y/o intact and 18 m/o spayed GSDs are contained in our small recessed fenced yard and exercised elsewhere. Our neighbors own a 4 y/o spayed Newfie and 2 y/o intact Pit Bull who run loose on their larger property. When their dogs run up to our fence, no reward or deterrent is effective to get our dogs to stop their fence fighting which has progressed to the males locking teeth through the chain links. Also, the fence goes up a rocky and now icy hill so that it is difficult to get to the d...

Hello Cindy, I'm not planning on this happening again, but recently I walked past my dog who was lying on the floor. As I walked past him, he popped his head up and my knee clipped his snout. This was accidental, not intentional. It hurt him and he yelped. I felt very bad and went to 'apologize' (pet/reassure) and he growled at me! I told him in a low firm voice, 'no.' Then I left him alone to give him time to forgive me or forget about it. He doesn't growl at me; this is not a pattern. ...

Hello, I found your site while looking for answers for our puppy's on-again/off-again "pudding diarrhea" and I will try the pumpkin you suggest. But my question for you is when can you start feeding a raw diet to puppies? Our cat eats a raw diet and its great for him. But our breeder recommends puppy kibble for the first year and our vet is aghast at the idea of feeding anything other than Science Diet >ick< ( e.coli, salmonella, etc.). We give our cat pancreatic enzymes on his food to ...

Dear Mr. Frawley, I was just reading an article that you wrote on your website and just felt like telling you my story. My name is Nicole, and my husband, Scot, and I recently had our 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Rudy) put down for aggression problems. This has been the most painful decision we've ever made, and I am having a very difficult time coming to terms with our decision. We got Rudy from an out of state breeder that we thought was reputable. We had Rudy since he ...

I have read through some of your articles and feedback to relative questions by your audience, yet I still have no idea what to do. I had been with my boyfriend for approximately a year when he came home with a 13 month old shelter pup (German Sheppard mix) which he named Shadow. From the get go it was obvious that this dog had some behavioral problems (he growled & tried to bite the vet at his first check up). [**A little of my history, I have NEVER been fearful of dogs. I have had extre...