Most Popular Q&As

Is there any videos, streaming or articles about how to phase out treats while Training? Long story short-- my dog has recently decided that she refuses to perform anything I ask if her unless I've got a treat for her... Even tasks she USED to perform perfectly with NO treats--- now I've got to lure her into correct position with a treat... If I refuse to give a treat she LITERALLY sat there making eye contact for nearly 10 minutes refusing to do a task unless I had a treat!!!!! I'm desperat...

I am interested in ordering the Michael Ellis puppy workshop course. I own a copy of Michael Ellis Raising Your Puppy course and am concerned the workshop may contain a bulk of information I already have. Is there a way for me to audit the course before purchasing it? Due to the price of the course, I want to make sure I am not paying a huge premium for content I already have.

Hi Cindy, Training question for the GSD puppy: I never ask her to do anything she cannot do, however, our trainer felt it would be good for her to do basic obedience in the class with 3 other puppies. We failed miserably. She was focused on the other puppies. I had a really hard time getting her attention with treats and tug. Am I wrong to think that we should stay away from group classes now or should we participate even if it means a whole lot of corrections with the prong? Also, at what...

Does the Basic Obedience Course go into how to practice the skills being taught -- when, how much, how long, etc.?

My dog will play tug with me and bring the tug back but when I go to grab it to reengage he drops it. How would I go about countering this tendency?

My four and half-month-old lab puppy has started barking while training. I don't think that I have accidentally cued this, and it may be frustration or excitement. But I want to make sure it doesn't become a habit, as it will not be acceptable in an obedience ring. I start each session with engagement. Any suggestions?

I had my first Rally class today, and they recommended a thin leash. They said I had too much leash in my hand and requested I get something really thin. What is the thinnest leather leash you carry? I like your leather leashes and would love to use one in my Rally training.

Dear Cindy, I may need a bit of encouragement here on a 6mos GSD we have. FYI, He is our fifth German Shepherd so not new to the breed. Anyways, he is very leash reactive, more so than any of our other GSDs in the past. I have Tyler Muto's Leash Reactivity DVD. I take him to parks, pet stores, walks in the neighborhood, etc. he seems most fixated in our neighborhood environment. He’s not mean at all he would just sniff the dog if given the chance and prob play -also people he would lic...

I have a peek that barks at everything. Is there a muzzle to use for a short nosed/pug nosed dogs? I don't want to stop all barking because I may need the warning if something is truly wrong. Just don't want constant barking.

I have a 6 year old male German Shepherd who has not been socialized very well and when I try to board him he becomes aggressive to whoever is trying to take him into the boarding area. Once in the area it takes him forever to calm down before the staff can do anything with him. My Vet has him on Prozac to keep him calm. I am not comfortable with doing that because he is fine with me and doesn't act out. I am currently working with a personal trainer who has me using a muzzle on him whenever ...

Hi Cindy, We purchased an Educator ET300 Mini Ecollar from you a few months ago, and the collar that goes around the dog's neck is made like a belt. We were wondering if you have a collar that would fit through the Educator ET300 Collar that snaps (like many cat collars are made) in place instead of buckles. This dog is a hard dog, and despite the commands that he knows, insists on fighting the buckling part of the Ecollar when we put it on him. In fact, he jumps and bites in play anytime ...

I recently purchased a box of The Honest Kitchen Preference dog food from Leerburg. How much raw vs. cooked meat measured by weight should I add to 1 cup of Preference (is there enough difference to matter)? Also, would the calcium/phosphorus ratios be balanced if I don't add any raw bone, such as ground turkey or chicken necks and backs, to my dog's diet? Thanks!

Hi Ed, Our eight month old Doberman was suffering with pano. We were pretty sure it was pano due to reading up on it, but were willing for vets to do x-rays to make sure there was nothing broke or fractured. The x-ray confirmed our suspicions and we were given pain relief for her. It was sad to watch our beautiful loving puppy suffer so much. So on searching for more info on pano, came across your page. We followed your advice about stopping the puppy food and the MSM, etc. and we have no...

On the ecollar comparison chart, 5 tabs down it says "Different Levels for Each Dog" What is that?

Hi, I want to order the prong collar leash and the dominant dog collar. If the shorter tab on the leash is connected to the lower collar (the prong) and thus corrections go to this collar since the tab is shorter, how do you engage the dominant dog collar? Also, what is the reason one would want a two-handle leash? Vicky

Hi Cindy, I have a small 14 lb dog that I want to keep in the kitchen during the day while at work. I want to give her some area to exercise while I?m gone.?I was wondering how well this pen would work. Does it have stabilizers that would keep the dog from knocking over the pen??I?m sure she would be jumping up on the sides while I?m gone. Do you have any other recommendations short of using a crate? I do live in a small apartment. Thanks, Angie

I found your site very informative. If a dog is friendly with other dogs, cats and people but attacks one specific dog more than once, would this dog be considered aggressive? Recently, she attacked this much smaller dog beyond repair and sadly the dog didn't survive. Is this dog to be trusted around small children? I know with any dog, there should always be close supervision. But knowing she has this ability in her, is it too risky to keep her in the home with children?

I got a 6-month-old male German Rottweiler I got from a good breeder when he was 10 weeks old. We set up a crate that with a doggie door that goes outside. So basically, he is in and out all the time. I try to put a collar on him (since we got him) but he fussed too much. He runs away, uses his mouth to warn us... does a hand bite but doesn't bite down (I yell loud no). Since he goes in his crate, it is not a good idea to have his collar on him all the time (strangulation) so we take it o...

Hi, I have read through your website and I love it. You know your stuff and give great advice. I have a shih tzu x chihuahua who had a litter of 3 just over four weeks ago. The first two pups were born naturally but after a long struggle with the the third she needed to have a c section and that poor baby was dead. The 2 surviving pups are doing really well and Bella is a great mum. After the pups were born Bella had discharge for a few days but that cleared up when it should have...

I have a 1 1/2 year old Malinois. He thinks that everywhere we go we are going to do bite work. How do I train him to relax? He has good obedience but sometimes he wants to bite everyone. He won't do it if I give him his negative maker "No." But I don't trust him or my own reflexes so I muzzle him everywhere. I would like him to be safe around strangers. He doesn't need to be their friend, just ignore them. I am guessing you are going to tell me to work on engagement so he will focus on me in...