Most Popular Q&As

I've read everything I can on prong collars and am trying to learn the art of using one without doing damage to my dog(s) or myself. My collar never sets down on the dog's neck like it should. It doesn't look right compared to the pictures I see of everyone else's. There seems to be too much space between the neck and the collar (I don't mean loose) but instead something's just not quite right. I have noticed a definite difference between my male Doberman's responsiveness. I don't have to...

Hi, Just wanted to let you know that I did my first AI using your AI kit and DVD and it was successful! We took our Mastiff yesterday for x-rays confirmed it. Thanks so much for your website and useful information. My English Mastiffs are 190 lbs and 215 lbs. They are not aggressive at all, but when I take them anywhere they pull me around a lot. I am using a choke collar now. I was thinking of using one of your prong collars. Their neck size is 25 inche...

I'm sorry if this question has already been answered somewhere in your vast amount of information. I searched in your articles and on your Q&A, but my eyes are starting to cross from all the reading! I started training Spencer (2-year-old Dobe) with a prong collar about a year and a half ago. It was a life-saver for him because I wanted to wring his neck every day. There are no trainers in our area who will use a prong collar (they all favor the Gentle Leader, which Spencer hates), so had...

Cindy, I have a two year old Male not neutered german shepherd from working lines. He always mouthed me as a pup and never really liked being touched on the belly, feet, ears. Even though he didn't like it, I continued so he would get used to touching. I do all of your suggestions and also NILF and he listens to me for everything. Lately, he has started growling when I pick up his foot or try to clip his nails. I have your dominant dog collar and have corrected him until he stops and allow...

I have a two year old Rottweiler. He is friendly and we live in an apartment building. He is fully obedience trained. I would like to train him to be capable of protection work. My concern is that he will become aggressive towards neighbors and children during the training period? Will this training program change his personality and make him unpredictable?

I have a male GSD that I have started trailing work with for SAR. I would also like to get into one of the Protection sports, such as NAPD. My questions is this: Can a protection dog be used in an SAR environment? People have hold me that he would be fine for trailing, but could not be trusted, due to his bite work, in air-scenting, when he is running free.

Last night at our Schutzhund Club practice here a member brought by a 15 month old bull mastiff. I have a rottweiler of the same age, and because neither were trained or worked with earlier, neither have much prey or any defensive drive. Do you have any videos or books or advice that deal directly with this problem? Some people do not have the ability or desire to purchase another dog/puppy, but desire to work with the dog they have. Is there anything that they can do? Mike

I have one of your wire muzzles for our Doberman, Nikki & I was wondering if you had any opinion about using it as a Gentle Leader by simply fastening her leash to a wire on the muzzle while she is wearing it. Our local police want us to muzzle Nikki when we walk her in our neighborhood, because she has scared a few joggers by lunging at them when they've startled her (usually from behind). We've been using a Gentle Leader, which gives us good control over her, but the police argue that it...

Hi Cindy, I have read many articles on your website and also purchased and viewed (and still viewing) your DVDs. I have currently got a 4th dog, which I was supposed to have in joint-ownership, however it seems that I will have it all by myself unless we return him to the rescue center. I am currently following your advise from DVD Establishing Pack Structure and Article Ground work. To Explain, my existing pack (I had all 3 dogs from pups) consists of: 1) 3.5 Year old JRT bitch - spaye...

Could someone please guide me in the right direction to finding help with training an aggressive male German shepherd named "Storm?" He is 18 months old and a dear children?s pet but he has a terribly dangerous habit. We have two horses whom he loves to chase and nip at, (he will not respond to our calls when he is doing this and has recently been kicked twice). We are fearful he will be seriously hurt or killed if we cannot control this behavior. He is currently in a dog run but we would lik...

I have been training my dog with your tape for three months now. My dog learns fast, but the problem is that when I tell him to stay, no matter the position, he gets up and runs away when I turn my back. I sit him down and correct him for not staying, but its like he doesn't even care. I have bought him a prong collar. He still doesn't care. What can I do so he listens?

Dear Ed: I have purchased your basic dog obedience tape and it is great. However, I still have a couple of questions if you don't mind answering. My GSD (8 months) knows the sit, lay and stay commands as well as the come command (without the sit. Just started working on that). And you were right in your tape that the lay was much harder for her to comply with. However, now when I ask for the sit she will either sit or lay and it is usually lay. Do I need to work on that a...

I have your Basic Dog Obedience Training video which is great and we are SLOWLY proceeding with our mix golden retriever/yellow lab. now 18 months-neutered male. I have to use a leash from house to car and back as I can't trust him not to bolt if he hears a dog, and he usually hears one somewhere. Also I would like to control his barking at dogs when in the car. I've been told a remote training shock collar will work. . He did learn quickly not to try to jump the back fence. Took only 3...

Hi Ed, Having some problems handling my 7 month old and I wonder if you can explain them. 3 things happened today 1. He's almost always on a leash, but sometimes I let him walk along as I'm going to the car or garage. I had him outside with me today for a minute as I went to grab something out of the garage- next thing I knew I heard a lady yell out --- hey!!! She was walking a dog and mine went over to see it. I walked over calmly and then grabbed him by the back of the neck and car...

Dear Cindy, My blue heeler is a challenge as I am a first time dog owner. She's 18 mos and very alpha. I'm getting burnt out trying to figure her out. I'm in a rally class and can't get her motivated. She crawls through the course, but when I play with her alone, she runs like a bullet. She has a lunging problem so I started using a dominant collar. She won't engage with me anymore unless were training at home with toys. When I'm in rally she ignores me and I have to drag h...

Hello Cindy, I have watched the marker training video several times and there's something I'm not grasping. When you are marking something and the dog is getting it 8 out of the 10 times, as you start to add the command, do you hand signal first then try to say it. I see you hand signal on the video when teaching the look. For example training the look, once the dog understands, how would you go about getting the dog to do that with hand signals or saying the look command? I don't ...

Hi Cindy, Ed & Michael, We bought 4 DVDs from Leeburg: The Power of Training Dogs with Markers, The Power of Training Dogs with Food, The Power of Playing Tug with your Dog and Focused Heeling and we found them to be very informative. We have watched the first two DVDs and we have a few questions for you, which we hope you will be able to clarify for us. We use "Yes" to mark the behaviour and "Yes" to release the dog, as per your DVD. We have trained our dogs to do the touch comman...

Hi Cindy, I train dogs, mostly rehabilitating troubled dogs in animal shelters to help them to be adopted and not live a life in a shelter or be put down. I also have been training my second pit bull rescue. I've been using force training for years (Koehler-type training). I've had much success with this training, however, due to your info. I've become more open-minded. I've poo-poo'd marker training for the same obvious reasons Ed previously had (positive-only blah blah). N...

Hi Cindy, My name is Chris & I would like to gradually switch our 8 & 1/2 year old dogs to this diet. Hobie is a male border collie/shepherd mix & Molly is an Australian Shepherd. Both dogs currently are eating Canidae chicken & rice ( canned) & Molly eats California Naturals lamb & rice kibble as well. About a year ago we added Hill's RX Diet "WD" to Hobie's meals, as he seemed to have recurrent problems with diarrhea ( unless I added loads of rice to his food & I was afrai...

I have purchased a packaged training video from your company and would only trust you folks for advice on hair loss. We have a 4 month old blue APBT that is well on her way in training. We follow everything your vids. say to do and its WORKING out great!!! But, we have a problem with her patches of hair loss around the right eye, chest and front legs and sides. We have tried borax and now Nu Stock. It seemed to be working a little with the Nu Stock. The hair looks like it is growing back ...