Most Popular Q&As

Why is it that my pup will follow me willingly without a leash or long line? Once I attached a line or leash he’ll stop in his tracks. I’ve owned many dogs over the years, and this seems to be the case with all. At least until formal training begins Thank you in advance for your response.

Hi Cindy, we will be bringing an 8-week old Boxer puppy into our family (pet dog) in about a month. We’ve started ordering supplies-crates, toys, equipment-but have a question about the actual trip, which will be a 3-4-hour drive. My understanding is that the safest transport would be in an airline-style crate (which we will have) but it’s a full size-we just plan on putting a large box or something to prevent it from being a pee station until the puppy is bigger. What’s your advice for...

Hi Cindy - I'm rewatching Ed's DVD on your puppy 8 weeks to 12 months - and have a question on how far I should be walking our 10 week old German Shepherd puppy. She loves to walk but I see we shouldn't over do it. Just a general idea - a couple of blocks, 1/2 mile? Thanks in advance

Hello, I purchased the Curogan collar as suggested so it wouldn't discolor my dogs fur, however it still does. Do you have any recommendations?

Hello! I love your videos on youtube!! I had 10 years a Briard, now I want to get a doberman. I have 2 more years of university, and I have a lot of time. In 2 years I will have to work mo-fri for 8/9 hours each day. I want to jog or cycle with the dog in the morning before work. After work I want to excersize my dog, mentally/athletically and also do igp(especially in the weekend). Do you think I can get my dog to stay alone for the 8-9 hours per day at an age of 2 years if I train it fro...

Do you have any videos to teach the "out" or "give" command?

Cindy, I am watching your video on nose work and am getting ready to start training my dog in it. My dog is a house pet and usually is allowed in all of the rooms in the house. When she is home alone, she is either outside in the kennel or inside a closed room in the basement (when the weather is bad). The issue is that the only room I have where I can set up a training space is that room where we keep her. Will that be a problem if she is in the training area with the drawers all set up bu...

I want to be sure I understand Michael Ellis and Ed correctly and that is puppy bite training is used as an engagement tool or activity and that it is a precursor to obedience training. Once you have the dog/puppy really engaged then teaching the dog obedience is easier. I have an 18wk old Golden Doodle and I'm new to dog training. Right now he is very food driven and I have been using a combination of verbal and clicker training with food rewards. My goal is to have a happy well behaved w...

Hi, I am having trouble finding a good tug toy for my 8 month old whippet terrier mix. I purchased the Nylon Tug with Handles which is too fat and hard for him and the Suede Leather Flat Tug which is better but he still doesn't bite well on it so we just use a kong toy... I'm wondering which toy you would recommend for him? I think it needs to be very thin. Thanks!

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 ...

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...

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?

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