Most Popular Q&As

Is my (almost) 19 week GS male ready for a prong collar? I don't know what size or how heavy to get or whether a quick release one is better. HELP! Also, I cut his toenails - just the ends - and played with his feet while I had him on his back between my legs. (That was the only way I could see well so as not to "quick" him. I NEVER DID! All of a sudden he will not let me do this and I can tell he is serious about trying to bite me. I don't want to scare him, but I want to be able to cut h...

Hi Ed...sorry to bother you. I have enjoyed your web site over the years and now have a question that I'm sure you can help me with. My 3 year old field trial Labrador Retriever had a litter of 7 puppies 5 days ago. (Surgical A.I. with frozen semen on a maiden bitch) In the week before whelping, she was receiving 4-5 cups of high performance food with about 1/3 cup all-natural canned food on top to make it more palatable. Her appetite decreased in the last week of pregnancy. Whelpin...

Every time I give my German Shepherd a large bone to chew on from the local pet store it gives him major diarrhea. I give him these to keep him busy when I go to work or when I am busy and don't have time to play to keep him busy. He loves them and enjoys holding on to them while chewing on them. What is an alternative or what can I give him to prevent his stomach from getting upset and he still be able to enjoy his bones? I even tried what is called Busy Bones and they do the same thing. I n...

My new border collie puppy is just 10 weeks old; I've had for 1 week. In the last 2 days he has noticed cars and wants to chase them. Is it safe to use a prong collar on such a tiny puppy? If not, what do you recommend as a correction for such a young puppy? I have tried to distract him/hold his attention with a treat as soon as I detect a car approaching, but that is not working - he still looks away toward thee car and/or tries to start after it. I want to nip this in the bud. Thanks

Ed, I read your article on dog on dog aggression and I must say I agree with you 100%. I have owned and bred Kerry Blue terriers for the past 20 years. I find dogs I raise myself have very little dog aggression but when they do they are usually on leash and seam to be trying to protect me. I usually just use the leave it command and they fall back into heel position. I am VERY protective of my dogs because of the once bitten twice shy affect. Plus the fact the althoug...

Dear Mr. Frawley, I am a newer, but loyal customer. I just got the new Ellis DVD on working without a decoy and I thinks it's the best one you guys have put out yet. I have a 10 1/2 month old Dutch Shepherd and I have done a poor job socializing him. I have focused too much on protection training. He has tons of drive to work, but I need to really improve his socialization... can you please give me some guidance on how to, and what not to do. I greatly appreciate your time and advice.

I have a Belgian malw puppy that I want to train in perction work what will it cost me to do this

Hey, Firstly let me say "thank you" for the your website. I have found it very valuable and great info. I am interested in some of your DVDs, as I have a 10 month old shep, but don't know which ones would best suit. We currently attend obedience training at our GSD club every week, my problem isn't the obedience side, it is my dog's reaction to other dogs. When he was approximately 4/5 months old he was barreled over from behind by a strange dog off leash and he got sent flying, since the...

My name is Ralph. I am the Owner/Head Trainer of my own dog training business in Charlottesville, Va called Atlantic Coast K-9 Training Service. I have been a professional dog trainer for 10 years and spent several years before that involved in Search and Rescue work, so I am by no means an amateur. With that being said, right now I'm a little bit lost and need some help. I'm currently in the process of training a 10 month old Shepherd/Chow mix who is Dominant aggressive. Unfortunately, even ...

I saved a starved, mixed breed, 8 week old puppy out of a ditch about 4 months ago. Now he's a healthy 40lb, 6 1/2 month old, super smart dog. He can sit, fetch, shake, high five, lay down all kinds of things. He would be such a smart, obedient, well behaved dog, if I could get him to STOP tearing up EVERYTHING! He is an outside (half Acre to play on in the country guarded by a wireless pet safe fence) dog with my 4 year old, rescued Bull Mastiff female, who doesn't tear anything up. He is pl...

Ed, I recently tried to break up a dog fight between my 4 year old golden retriever and 5 year old yellow lab (both neutered males). The fight occurred in the middle of our large yard. I was alone but still tried to breack up the fight by grabbing the back legs of the dog that was wining and lifting and pulling back. As soon as that dog would let go, the other dog would attack. This went back and forth several times. Each time I was able to get one dog to let go, the other would attack. T...

Mr. Frawley, I recently came across your site and have spent all morning reading your advice on training dogs with behavioral problems. I'm hoping you can take a moment to give me some 1-on-1 training. I have a 2-year old Smooth Collie who has been in obedience training since he was 12 weeks old. The obedience center we attend strongly encourages use of a Gentle Leader while training, and equally as strongly discourages the use of prong or shock collars. My problem is this: When we...

I have 3 labs. A chocolate my male about 120lbs. My yellow female about 80lbs and my black female about 50lbs (she's the baby of the group). My male doesn't know how to mate with my female. This is her second heat and he will only try to hump her head. He does everything else he smells and licks and whines and follows her like a puppy but doesn't understand to mount her from behind. I have showed him a few times and had some talks to him but he doesn't get it. How do I get him to mount her ...

Hello. I am so thrilled to find your web site I have had an ongoing problem with my miniature dachshund, Greta. She pees/poops in her crate when I leave her. I have been told to just leave her out in the house, or pad train her, but she always pees if I leave. I figured crate training is the best way to stop her from eliminating in the house. BUT that is not so. I don't know what to put in the crate with her because she goes on it. For a long time, I just put somethin...

Hello, My 6 month old chihuahua has a very annoying habit and I am hoping you can help me teach him not to do. When I first got him at 12 weeks old, he was perfectly fine around everyone, but one day about a week later out of the blue he just started to get extremely afraid of my dad. He will not sit in the same room as my father and he will pace around the house watching to see were he is. If my father gets up and walks into another room, my dog will start to bark and run upstair...

Hi, I love your site! Wonder if you can identify or advise where we went wrong on a recent failed AI. I am a rookie, alone here in Alberta, Canada, now the stud owner in USA has been very helpful.. The story... Shipped in 6 frozen straws of semen from USA, thaw count at the collection clinic trial was 80%, thaw count here in Alberta on day of implant was 70%. Was told to call AI clinic on first signs of heat... First bloodsighted... Saw it on April 1 just as I was leaving for ...

Greetings Mr. Frawley, I've just spent an hour or so going over many of your articles and have learned quite a bit regarding my dominant female dog. She (Mia) is a rescue dog, boarder collie mix, 35lbs. When we first got her, she was incredibly passive. To this day she won't allow a stranger without a dog to pet her. However, in the year that we've had her she's opened up a lot and now plays energetically with several larger dogs in the neighborhood, mostly chasing but also some wr...

What is your opinion on Bark & Hold vs. Bite & Hold?

Dear Ed, I am going to pray you read this and answer me. I have 2 dogs that have begun fighting and we are at the end of our rope. We know we need professional help, we know that we have made the mistakes that have lead up to this. I have 4 children ages 2, 5, 9, and 12 they all love our dogs, as my husband and I do as well. We have a 4 and ? year old terrier chow mix and a 3 and1/2 year old pit boxer mix. They lived peacefully together until Jan 16, 07. That was their first fight....

I have a major problem with one of my dogs and I am hoping that you can help me or point me in the right direction. I have two dogs Miranda(chow/shepherd mix) and Abby (lab/retriever). I recently got a new puppy Axel(German Shepherd). Miranda does not like Axel and it has taken some time for her to adjust to him, which is understandable. What I did not expect was for Miranda to attack Abby. Miranda and Abby have been together for two years and are buddies. Miranda is definitely the dominant d...