Most Popular Q&As

Cindy, I have recently purchased the videos "dominant and aggressive dogs" and "ecollar training" from your site. I have a 9 month old alpha female doberman and a 4 year old Golden Retriever. The doberman shows handler aggression, aggression towards our golden retriever and toward her bones/toys. I have watched both videos and we have implemented the back to basics approach where we ignore the dog for 2 weeks, keep her on a leash with us in the house at all times, removed all of the t...

Ed, I have bought several books and DVDs from you including a tracking DVD. I have a trained Walker Coonhound that I use to find lost pets - mostly dogs. I volunteer and donate my time here in Sacramento. My question is this: how old can a trail be in the city, city streets, for a dog to reliably track. My Coonhound has proven correct with little trouble on a week old scent in heavy traffic and very busy place, but can do two weeks in a park that is wooded located in the cit...

Dear Mr. Frawley, Thank you for your excellent videos. They are helping me raise my new pup. But I do have a question that is not addressed in the videos: This is a female GSD of excellent working dog bloodlines. She is now 15 weeks. She is doing fine in every aspect, but a week ago she began to bark at people who come to visit us. The bark is not a growl, and she shows no other signs of aggression, but she does appear to be defending her ground. Is this normal? How should I...

We have an 11month GS/rotti mix. She was a rescue and we have had her since she was 11 weeks old. She has completed basic obedience (prong collar was used) and did very well. I do, however, have one main concern in regards to training. When our dog meets new people, or our friends that she doesn't know well, she is relentless to get their attn. by jumping up on them and nipping at their hands and clothes. She has never hurt anyone, never even really nipped hard, but nonetheless it makes u...

Hi, Very heartbroken and torn on what to do. We got a Catahoula Leopard Dog when she was 6 weeks old. About 2 years ago she started to look at you scary when you gave her a treat and sat next to her on the couch. I think if I touched it she would bite me. Then she went after my Min Pin's treat and hurt her badly. She also goes crazy if a dog passes our house her hair goes up and when I try to make her stop she will get aggressive with me. But the worst thing about this is she could be so l...

Hello, Ed and Cindy. I have a question about my 6 months old GSD puppy and his behavior around other dogs. I watched several of your DVDs, also your basic obedience and engagement online classes, but still have a problem with my pup. He gets very excited when he sees other dogs. I guess he feels insecure around them. I do not let him interact with them at all. All I do is go to our local pet store and just let him be in sight of them. He engages fine at home but no matter the distance from...

Cindy, My one year old male has been trained with markers since 8 weeks and has always had an excellent response to the "come' command. As summer has arrived, we have been spending a lot of time in the yard (off leash). Suddenly, when I give him the come command he will start to sprint in circles around the yard. He knows it means time to go inside and he doesn't want too. The stronger my voice gets the faster he runs. I remember in one of the videos it said not to correct a dog for ref...

Hi Ed and Cindy, My question(s) revolve around my 13 month old intact 70 pound GSD (West German) female. Her lineage on both sides for generations is Sch3, including a few World Sieger relatives. She is beautiful dog, very attached to me, and has an EXTREMELY high prey drive. Thank God I work from home and can exercise her vigorously 2-3 times/day utilizing her favorite activity -- fetching a ball. My problem is her distractibility and jumping up with greeting people... lately she is becom...

I have a 2 year old Airedale, high spirited. I live in New York City, in a large apartment building, and work at home. He is free in the apartment when I am there; in the crate when I am not. My question is about barking at outside noises. It's the city, so there are many of them, although he reacts most to hearing other dogs bark. When I hear the bark before he does, I tell him QUIET, and can often avoid barking. But I don't always get that chance. Saying QUIET, NO, etc. after he has star...

Hello Cindy, I am hoping you can help shed some light on a particular chewing behavior our dog has. He's a 7-month-old male Malinois who has grown up the Leerburg way and he's a great dog with no real problems. However, he can sit for hours constantly mouthing a stuffed animal toy. If there's no stuffed animal, he will do this with his dog bed. By mouthing, I mean he chews on the toys. He's not tearing it or trying to destroy it, just repetitively "mouthing" it and he looks like he's zoned...

I am having a problem with my dog and since I have seen some of your videos before, I know you are the expert to come to. I adopted a 10 month old Caanan breed dog. The dog has been in shelter and rescue his whole life until I got him at 9 months. He is a typical Caanan, will do circles around you constantly. He is very fearful. He has warmed up to my husband and I, but he will bolt if he gets scared. The problem I have with his training is he won't take treats. I have cooked hot ...

Our dog is a 3 year old Malinois and extremely friendly to people on our walks, and gets very excited when he sees other dogs. I seldom let him interact with people on our walks and never with other animals. When he sees a dog passing us he strains at his leash, gets quite excited, and will sometimes start barking. To date I have been unable to get him to ignore any of the distractions we encounter on our walks. When it is just he and I he is fine, walks properly beside me b...

We have a Welsh Springer Spaniel who is three years old We are the dog?s third owners. Cooper is basically a sweet loving dog, but definitely has some very defined aggressive characteristics. 1) He will growl and show his teeth if I ask him to get off something or move. If I continue, he will lunge at me until I walk away. 2) He will growl and show his teeth if he is sitting on a chair and my husband comes and tells him to move (same behavior as above). ...

I adopted an 8 month old0 Pitt/Vizla mix from the humane society 4 months ago. She was an extremely great pet. Very loving, we could poke at her paws, ears and mouth. She loves to play with other dogs. This past week I began fostering a 10 month American Bulldog that she had previously played with. He is also a loving secure dog. Since the foster has come into our lives - my dog has become aggressive to my husband and myself. She won't let us look at her paws or rub her belly. She begins to l...

Hello, Love your web site? I have order many products and in the process of getting my 3 Akitas trained, eating better and exercising more. I love your web site and you have amazing helpful tips. One of my female Akitas, when anyone sneezes coughs of clears their throat, she cowers and tries to sit in your lap?? Even if I ignore her so I don't make it seems like a big deal. She has done this since she was a puppy, I have no idea why? I assume she is very sensitive to noise? But thunder ...

We bought a cocker spaniel around 12 weeks old. He will be five months next week. He is so smart and very easily house trained and learns new tricks/commands daily. He is very friendly when he meets new people and dogs. However, at home sometimes he is quite scary to me. Mason, our new dog, has some behaviors that make me nervous. If you go close to him when he is eating, he growls and if you get too close will show his teeth. If he is laying on the floor and you go to close to his toy, he wi...

Hi Ed, My female lab gave birth to 11 puppies starting early (4:30) Tuesday morning. Nine were born within a 4 hours window. The last two were born about 4 hours later. Sadly, the last two, a yellow and a black male, were the smallest. Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, I noticed the yellow male was somewhat lethargic. Unlike all of the others, we could see his ribs. We immediately went and purchased commercial newborn pup formula and started giving it to him orally with a syringe. H...

Ed, You have been most helpful in the past. I read an article on your web site regarding 'tail chasing' where you indicated that the dog is just 'nuts'. We have a beautiful year old bitch Gretchen. She is walked miles every day, heels like second nature; has plenty of space to run; plays aggressively all the time with our male GS. She is not crated, and is rarely left alone. She just started pacing and chasing her tail in the last month. I am at home all day and she is ALWAYS ...

I have watched the course on how to establish pack structure and have a question regarding dog behavior during play. I am researching as much as I can on the subject of dog body language and signs that could prevent a dog fight. In the situation when a female and male that meet on a regular basis, have structured walks and play, is it possible that neither of them be dominant over another? The GSD female is 3 years old and the GSD male is 4 years old. They no longer play as much with each ...

How can I get my 11 week old pup to sleep longer. We take his water up an hour before bedtime and he still wakes up at 4AM?