Most Popular Q&As

My name is Chris Srackangast and I have been a student of your website for many months now. I had a dog that I trained about twelve years ago using the old Command Performance by David Dikeman (yank and crank). It worked beautifully and I always had a well mannered dog that everyone loved. He tolerated kids but did not especially love them. HE obeyed me and knew the rules and I got lucky in that regard. I did not realize though that I broke his spirit with my harshness. (I got exposed to ...

I called some trainers this weekend and they said the dog doesn't need to have any genetics and they could teach the dog Personal Protection. Is this true?

Hi Cindy, Could you tell me how you wean pups to the Honest Kitchen product. I usually wean by using baby rice cereal and goats milk, gradually adding powdered kibble, then a little corser until the pups are eating kibble mixed with warm water. I have not weaned a litter to Honest Kitchen or a raw diet. Most of my buyers do not understand the raw concept so I have always gone to kibble. Thanks for help, Lewie

My name is John and I belong to a French Ring club here in California and our club decoy says that he trains all his dogs in Fight Drive. Well, after I purchased your tape on Fight Drive (Bark and Hold for Police Service Dogs) I'm wondering if his dogs are just playing a mean game of tug of war, because as soon as the decoy works the dogs they come right up to him and he pets them and gives them love. He says that they are working in Fight Drive, but it does not look like the dogs really look...

Hi, I've just finished reading the new page on marker training, wow, what a clear description! Thanks for all the great resources on the website and forum. I wanted to ask you a question, and hope you'll have the time to answer it. About 5 years ago, I adopted a 4 year old bull terrier. He had almost no training, and I had to start from scratch. I did marker training with him with food and a clicker, which he loved. A couple of years ago we moved into using toy reward...

Hi, first of all, I would like to thank you for a fabulous web site!!!!!!!!! My question to you is this. I have a 2 year old G/S that is working great on dope. The problem I have is this, The dog knows the scents and indicates very well. I walk him around a lot of vehicles and he finds lots of dope. Lately, When taking him around vehicles, he will automatically go to indicate on the door seams. It is getting to the point that I think he is just looking for the reward. I plan on ord...

Hi, My name is Earl. I have the dept's newest K9. He is a 2 year old GSD. He is dual purpose and for the most part has did very well on the street. I have had success with his tracking abilities. He has only attempted 1 track and it was successful in apprehending a armed robbery suspect. I have also had good success with building search. He has also located someone in a building. He is very obedient to me and I have no control issues with him. The problem that i have is with...

Hello, I don't know if you truly get a chance to answer much of this, but I have a question that stems from a husband/wife debate. I've searched on the forums but I don't see this, and I really want an authority figure that he and I will both respect. My husband is a police officer and we have a female GSD (2 years) who he has been training, in bite work as well as searching, but not in an official capacity. She is a great dog and very obedient. I trust her 100% with us and as well as I...

Hello Mr Frawley, I was a first time visitor to your site today, and what a thorough site it is. Compliments to you. Reading some of your Q&A's made me wonder whether you could offer advice on a problem I have with my (normally) very well-behaved female mixed breed dog. Millie is almost two years old, she is crossed with a Labrador and some small, lean brown and black breed (markings like a Rottweiler). She is a fantastic dog, smart, happy-go-lucky and very loyal to m...

Hi Ed, I read your page on dog fighting and it was pretty helpful, thanks. I still don't feel like I completely understand what to do if attacked by a dog, so if you could consider my specific situation I would greatly appreciate it, as I am somewhat at a loss. Two nights ago I was walking down the main street of my small town with my very docile, friendly, sweet, yellow lab. He's a classic lab, wouldn't hurt a fly. We paused outside of a bar to look at the calendar of event...

Hi. I have a barking question for you. I have a four month old Giant Schnauzer puppy. He is a great pup, he is crate trained, learning obedience quickly but he has one problem I am unable to break him of. Very early in he morning he begins barking/yipping to get out and get fed. I have tried everything I can think of like trying to ignore him, not let him out until he stops, spray with a water bottle, nothing works. I was considering a shock collar on a very low setting but I am ...

I was reading your article on aggression in dogs and I have a question for you. I recently purchased a Beagle/sheltie mix. Well, that's what the mother was in the shelter I got it from. They couldn't tell me what the father was. My question is this; he has a bad habit of biting and nipping at my wife and me. He will be playing fine, but every once in a while he will start barking at us and lunging at our feet, hands etc. He also has a fear or other dogs I think. When I take ...

Dear Ed, I'm using your basic dog obedience DVD for our five month old GSD. I love your training methods. Here's the problem. He is running and barking at the door whenever he hears the key or doorbell. I think he has weak nerves because his bark is fast and sometimes the hair stands up on his back. I have a prong collar that he wears on walks. I want this behavior to stop. Please let me know the proper way to handle this. Thank You, Patti

Dear Cindy, Thank you for the web site and all the information that is available. It has been very valuable and helpful in training our dogs. I have an unusual problem with my dog. Here is a little background on our situation. We have a 13 year old lab/border collie mix and a 2 year old Black Mouth Cur. Our concern is with our BMC. He is a hunting breed and is a very dominant and stubborn dog. We have established the pack leaders in our house as my husband and me and he has ...

I just adopted a female rottweiler, approximately 1 year from the pound the day before getting put to sleep. She is loving, gentle and responds to some commands. I arranged for my boyfriend to bring my male rott, 2 years to the park to meet her. Both dogs were on leashes with pinch collars. They were equally aggressive, with my male dog more out of control than I had anticipated. He has gone through 2 obedience courses. He has been the only Housedog for the past 3 months. He was raised from 1...

Hi Ed, I have a 22 month old intact GSD (German blood line) that I am training for schutzhund. I have most of your DVD's and read all your articles. Thank you for the incredible amount of info both in your web site and your DVD's. I had an episode of unprovoked aggression and I would like your opinion on what happened. Let me start by stating that my dog is very well socialized and has never shown aggression towards strangers both at home and outside. He has a very balanced ...

What is the difference between "stay" and "good" command? I know we use "good" to give duration as per the article on Marker Training.

Hi Cindy, I pick up my new puppy next weekend I have a couple of questions. 1) Its about a 4 hour drive to get the dog. It will have its first immunizations; if I stop on the way home to give it a bathroom break am I putting it at risk of contracting a disease it I stop at a rest area (obviously other dogs would have done their business there too)? 2) The first couple of nights should I have him sleep in a carrier or box next to my bed or just let him tough it out in his crate in the livin...

Hi Cindy, i have a 7 1/2 year old spayed Siberian husky female. She is an obedient, well mannered dog, she has had reward based training with clear expectations since puppyhood, she also has a CGC title but i have one issue. She will hard eye my toddler even growling at times. My soltuion has been seperation, now the dog tolerates and actually enjoys interacting with children who know boundaries. My question is do you recommend counter conditioning or any techniques to help her learn to like ...

Hi Cindy, I have a German Shepherd who is 1 year and 3 months old and is very well trained. My question is a bit of a silly one but it's happened quite a few times now so I'm just curious. Lol. When training at times my dog will regurgitate a treat after he performs a command and he'll immediately go and eat it afterward. (Mind you his treats are small bite-size pieces no bigger than half a pinky.) Does that count as me giving him a reward or should I still reward him after? Thank you and...