Most Popular Q&As

April 12, 2011

My GSD is very possessive of the food bowl. She growls at me when I go to let her out after she has eaten. What is a good way to fix this problem?

I am in the beginning phases of using remote collar. I purchased your dvd months ago and have been studying it and I am in the conditional phase with my 3 year old bitch. I have an issue and I am not sure how to deal with it. I have gotten my GSD to accept our cats as part of her pack to the point where they coexist with no issues, other then my GSD's food bowl. So fine, not willing of taking the chance of one of the cats getting bit I feed her in her cage. The problem is wh...
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October 4, 2024

Recommended I want to teach my dog to walk with me under any distraction, we live in a big city with narrow sidewalks. Should I teach contact heeling or use a second command for loose leash walking? Do you have any suggestions?

Hi Cindy, My dog is a 3-year old high energy border collie who is trained in obedience and has solid heels and loose leash walking and a bullet-proof stay. I now want to build an equally bullet-proof way to walk with me even under any distractions. My question is, should I 1) build on her loose leash walking, or 2) teach a contact heel, or 3) use a second command for loose leash, or 4) anything else? Since we live in a big city we use loose leash a lot, either on narrow sidewalks, ...
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August 23, 2024

Recommended Our 9 week old cockapoo puppy bites us, runs around like crazy and growls. I'm worried for my children!

Hello Cindy. I really hope you can help us. Less than a week ago, we got a 9-week puppy cockapoo. He is wonderful in many ways, but he really bites when putting into a crate. He also very nippy and saying ouch does not work. Today during playtime outside, when the puppy was on dog run, he started to run around like crazy and growl. Could you please advise me on how to deal with this behavior. I worry for my children. Thank you
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August 12, 2024

Recommended I adopted a Miniature Pinscher a month ago and I'm struggling with loose leash walking, any suggestions?

Hi Cindy, About a month ago I adopted 10 month old intact male Min Pin. For the past month I have worked on just like trick training for fun and stuff like that to build a positive relationship. He is exceptionally food motivated and catches on to things very quickly. However I'm really struggling with loose lead walking (flat collar). He is very inquisitive and has a ton of energy. I don't have a large yard for him to run prior to working with him. Should I carry him to the park and exerci...
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August 1, 2024

Recommended I just got a 9 week old puppy and when I put her in the ex-pen she cries and climbs the sides to get out, I need help!

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...
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June 28, 2024

Recommended Our 14 week old puppy ignores our recall command when she's off leash, do you have any suggestions?

Our German Shepherd pup is 14 weeks old, now, got her at 8 weeks. Bought the Leerburg Come When Called video, and your puppy video, 8 weeks to 1 year. Recently , off leash, mainly outside with distractions and around our horses, puppy is ignoring the come when called command. Suggestion? Too soon for off leash? Goal is a family pet, that comes when called.
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June 17, 2024

Recommended My 2 dogs do not get along and they have been in bloody fights a couple of times. Will muzzling them in the house allow them to get along?

I have two dogs that cannot get along: a 9 year old spayed female lab/shepherd mix, and a 5 year old intact female German Shorthair. The German Shorthair was 11 months old when I got her, and when I brought her home, the mix breed attacked her. She responded by attacking the mixed breed, and they have been enemies ever since. It got bloody a couple of times. Currently, the German Shorthair stays outside most of the time, and the mix stays in the house. I run them daily (separately), and when...
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June 3, 2024

Recommended What are your thoughts on keeping a dog with a retained testicle intact?

I've been exploring the benefits of keeping dogs intact and encountered a predicament with my 5-month-old blue heeler who has a retained testicle. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this specific issue. Local vet recommends neutering him, and I came across the Leerburg article Neutering Male Dogs: Should You or Shouldn't You, which supports neutering monorchid dogs. However Chris Zink cites a study only about 12.8% of dogs with retained testicles developed cancer in the retained testicle, t...
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June 1, 2024

Recommended My 10 week old Labradoodle is doing really well with engagement, when can I start luring and shaping behaviors like sit and down?

My puppy is 10 weeks old and is already engaging really well, even in new places and with small distractions. I plan to continue socializing him by going to new places and doing engagement, with progressively more difficult distractions. He's an Australian labradoodle and obviously doesn't focus as intently as the high drive malinois I've seen but I imagine it continually improves with practice. I'm wondering when I should start luring and shaping behaviors like sit, down, look, etc and in...
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April 7, 2024

Recommended I have two questions on product recommentations. First, I need a leash to keep in my vehicle in case of an emergency and I would like to know what you suggest. Second, I would like to carry a stun gun or spray in case of being attacked by a loose dog. What do you recommend?

I have two questions for you on which products to order or your recommendations. 1. I would like to have a leash in my vehicle I can use in an emergency to get a stray dog safely off the road. I currently carry a regular dog leash, but if the dog is not wearing a collar to attach it to then it does not work out so well. Is there a good leash style that works even if the dog is not wearing a collar? 2. I would like to carry a stun gun and some kind of spray just in case I get attacked by...
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September 30, 2023

Recommended My dog loves playing tug but when I use a ball on a string she prefers to bite the string. Will this hurt her teeth and gums?

My 14 month old GSD loves playing tug, but often she is biting/holding onto the string (and tugging hard) vs. the ball. I'm worried about the impact on her gums and teeth. I don't see any effect. Should this be a concern? Thanks
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August 2, 2023

Recommended Can a dog bite through a cloth muzzle enough to draw blood?

Hi, we have an 13 year old terrier who is diabetic and blind. Recently we visited a family member with her. Also living there is a sister who has 2 large rescue dogs, both with bite histories. Their owner trains them daily. They are mostly leashed when outside, except when she is out with them. When we arrived for the visit, both of these dogs were off leash but I didn't see their owner (she was around the corner at her car). The female dog was wearing a cloth muzzle. I walked to the hous...
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August 2, 2023

Recommended I have been watching your videos and working on tug with my adopted shepherd mix. I'm having trouble getting play with my dog, I've watched the videos over and over and I think my presentations are good. Do you have any ideas?

I am watching your tug videos. Michael Ellis says that letting your dog carry and keep the toy will build possessiveness. Mark Keating seems to say the opposite. I have a 3.5 year old shepherd mix we adopted. He seems mostly motivated to take whatever toy we tug with to keep and chew. If I give him wins, he keeps walking away and when I bring him back, he gradually loses interest. The other day I thought I would try just tugging and outing, never giving the tug to him completely. Now h...
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July 9, 2023

Recommended I'm working on leash pressure for future heeling work with my dog but when I pull straight back he sits or drops into a down instead of backing up. What can I do to help him learn what I'm asking?

Hello, I’m working my way through Michael Ellis’ focused heeling video and I’ve gotten to the part where I work on leash pressure with my mal. He’s awesome with the forward leash pressure and immediately gives. When I pull straight back to attempt to get him to give backwards he constantly drops into a sit. If I keep applying pressure backwards he drops into a down. What can I do to help him learn what I’m asking? Should I just keep applying steady pressure backwards? I’m using a...
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July 8, 2023

Recommended My 3 year old adopted dog is very anxious and fearful when hearing any type of gunfire. Any suggestions on how to help her?

I have a 3yr old Dutch Shepherd that I adopted a year ago. No background info given. She is very anxious/fearful when hearing gunfire (large or small) from the neighborhood. She is non reactive in almost all other situations including trips to the military base at Ft. Bragg, NC. There the background range noise is 24/7 heavy artillery to smaller arms fire. No problem at all.. Have tried to desensitize with background noise online at home in calm settings, no reaction. Only reacts to live nea...
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April 11, 2014

Recommended Can you recommend some healthy natural supplements for my 12 year old Border Collie?

Hello. My 12 year old Border Collie has been getting peri-anal tumors for the last two years. I don't know what to do to help him. He is slim, doesn't like to eat, very energetic, but tires sooner than before, alert when awake, but like his naps now that he is aging. What can you recommend? We tried Darwin's raw food, but he did not eat at all for days and he is underweight, so I gave him his cooked hamburger, chicken, plus kibble earthborn. I really need help please. Thanks.
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December 10, 2013

Recommended Do you have experience with surgical intervention for a puppy with hip dysplasia?

Hi Cindy, My 6 month old female GSD has been diagnosed with CHD. The x-rays have been confirmed by another vet as being good, reliable x-rays, and he also says that our dog's hips are "poor" and will need surgery. One vet wants to do Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) and the other vet wants to do a FHO? Femoral Head Ostectomy. Do you have experience or knowledge about these two procedures? Both break my heart to think about them. The FHO seems to be less traumatic and have a quicker reco...
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November 22, 2013

Recommended Will Grand Flex help my GSD's digestive issues?

Hi Cindy, My GSD has had a hard time keeping a solid stool and she does not digest chicken at all. I have had her on a diet of Orijen fish food and she can keep a semi soft stool. My questions is, will grand flex upset her tummy? Thanks
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June 10, 2013

Recommended I'm training my dog for competition obedience and he is trained through utility. He anticipates recalls when my back is turned and breaks when I leave, putting him back in place makes him worse. Do you have any ideas?

I own a golden retriever that has been trained through utility but is not ring ready. He is a high boy that anticipates his recalls when my back is turned. He fidgets at the set up point and explodes when I walk across the expanse of the ring. Putting him back into place only makes this much worse. Any ideas? Thank you
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May 28, 2013

Recommended Can you give me your honest opinion on a puppy I plan on importing to my country?

Hi Cindy, Trust you are doing well. I need your help, Cindy. I attached a video of a puppy. This is the puppy the breeder selected for me. He is 8 weeks old in this video. Can you give me your honest opinion? This really is a big step for me and this will be the first Dutch Shepherd in my country. According to me, the dog shows a lack of drive or interest in the bite work. The breeder reckons he is independent and will be a slow maturer. Whatever that means. Maybe his prey drive has...
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