Most Popular Q&As

Hello, I just got my puppy at 9.5 weeks, I put her in the expen so I could make dinner but she is crying so much and climbing the walls to try to get out. I don’t want to reward this behavior and want her to see the expen as a good thing. How do I stop this? I gave her toys and food in the pen and put her in when she was napping but she’s still fully freaked out. I had her in there earlier playing with toys and food to familiarize herself with it but I’m not sure how else to acclimate h...

Hi Cindy, I have an 11 yr old male Doberman and a 1 yr old female Malinois/GSD cross (neutered and spayed). Both have received their CGC certificates and get along well together. I would like to add a 3rd dog to the family. I was wondering if the sex of the 3rd dog was significant (which would be better) or whether the potential compatibility was more a related to the personality/temperament of the specific dog? Second question: Are there any recommended ages I should be looking for...

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

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!

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.

Hi Cindy, I'm a veterinary technician and have a solid foundation of canine behavior but I happen to be out of town right now and have a puppy coming in ~3 weeks. I would consider myself skilled in Fear Free and balanced approaches to training...but my question is regarding the quantity of food rewards for a puppy. The back of my brain says their metabolism is so high at that age that you can use treats without discretion (for the most part) and it is only when they reach adulthood that you m...

Good morning, Cyndi. First, thank you for the wealth of knowledge you share! We have an 8 year old male GSD and will be getting a female GSD puppy in the spring from the same breeder. We have purchased an extra crate, ex pens, and other items necessary to keep the dogs separate in the house until they can get along (with the knowledge it may never happen). Almost everything I have read online at other websites states that it is necessary to introduce the dogs on 'neutral' ground...

Hi Cindy, my 1st DDR sable GSD: She’s now 16 mo, is undergoing her 3rd heat and seems to be blowing her coat in stages. My earlier 3 working line shepherds were West German & all were b & t with stock coats. This little female has had a very thick undercoat. Now it’s all gone & the outer guard hairs are being shed. Please can you give me some idea of how the coat comes back … how long it takes? She currently looks like a coyote! Thanks so much as always!

Do you have a protection video that focuses on the job of the handler in training? Even such things as keeping long lines (we frequently use 2) from tangling in our dog's legs & equipment, how to set our dogs up quickly and cleanly so we don't spend time "futzing," how to quiet our dog after we out the sleeve and tell him to sit, how to watch the helper & our dog for maximum engagement, how much & timing of praising & correction, can all be helpful to "2 left footed handlers" like me. Thank y...

I recently acquired a new dog (4 y/o lab/shepherd mx)) from my son who got her 2 1/2 years ago from a rescue group. I brought her home because she nipped my grandbaby & I felt she deserved another chance. The problem is she and my 14 y/o Border Collie/Aussie mix HATE each other! The new dog is now dog aggressive with most dogs (especially if they run up to her) although she gets along with my little terrier mix and does not bother my 3 cats. We keep them separated, either with the crate or on...

Hi, I am having a small problem with my Obedience dog that, I don't want to become a big problem. During sit stays he is moving his front feet to the point that he "ooches" sideways. This is my Novice A dog... presently we are working toward our CDX title. This started after a dog went for him. I have been working with "safe dogs," but still moves. I have been to two seminars with Michael Ellis and bought all of his DVDs and numerous other products from Leerburg. Any suggestions you have w...

Hi Cindy, I'm getting an 8 week old Malinois in about a month (just purchased your Ex-Pen the other day). It will be my first working/protection dog. Although I don't possess near the training experience you have, I've trained 2 Chesapeake Bay Retrievers to Master Hunter in NAHRA as well as 2 German Shorthair Pointers that ran in field trials. These were (and 2 still are) my own personal dogs. I realize some aspects of this training are different from the breeds I've worked with, but I'm l...

Hi, I have a question about which sleeve to order from the Leerburg site. My dog is a 6 month old female Malinois. She is done teething, all adult teeth in. She loves to tug, but I don't think she has a particularly hard bite for a Mal. Which sleeve would you recomend to use for her? Thanks

I have a 1 year old female black mouth cur who had 12 pups on 02/20/12, 1 was still born and 2 more have since died. Can you tell me how many normally survive in a litter this large with a first time mom?'

First, let me say all of your videos/articles on engagement have made my life much easier, but I've run into something where I'm stumped, as is everyone at the dog school where I take agility. My 2-year-old Pit runs great for me at home and everywhere, except our dog school, where she will run for everyone but me. When I walk in the main agility ring with her, she stops and looks like I'm about to beat her. I can do my engagement exercises with her and get her engaged and playing with me,...

My question is this, I bought a DVD "8 weeks to 8 months" then went to a link that said watch your "streaming video," is this available to me because I bought the DVD or will it charge me another 40 dollars if I watch the streaming video? Thank you, Brad

Hi Cindy, I'm sure with all the emails that you get, you might not remember me, but you and Ed have been a great help to our family. Your advice, videos, products, and web site helped us to raise a beautiful, well behaved Lab. Jake is now six years old and has been on a raw diet (your exact weekly menu) and the vitamins you recommend since he was about four months old. I know that as cats and dogs get older, they need - and should have - less protein in their diets. As dogs fed a raw d...

Ed and Cindy, Having just read your Dumb & Dumber Q&As I can see that you are not particularly tolerant of stupid questions, but I hope you will treat this seriously since it was a very upsetting event. I have a 5 year old Amer. Staffordshire Terrier (almost 80 pounds) that is very loving and gentle and we were spending a weekend at my daughter's in-laws cabin where several families and their dogs were present. In addition to my dog there were two Maltese and a Black Lab. All of them ge...

I just got home from a dog show where I saw the most awesome German Shorthair Pointer. I asked him where he trained and he gave me your web site. I have a 3 year old Sheltie that has an obedience CDX and am working towards a Utility Title and maybe an OTCH. I hope this doesn't sound silly, but does your method of training help a breed of dog like mine achieve the type of results. I have seen on your web site? Obviously she does not need to learn bite work (or does she?). I believe we could...

Dear Cindy, My question is regarding avoidance corrections. I have a 2.5 year old cattle dog mix that I have just adopted. I am constantly around horses and my dog will be as well. When the horses are not really moving the dog leaves them alone but if they start running around his herding drive takes over and I can not get him out of the zone. He chases them and barks at them while nipping at their heels; characteristically of his breed. He understands "come" and "no" and is almost alwa...