Most Popular Q&As

Hi Cindy, Ever since I got my dog (Australian Shepherd mix - 8 months old) 6 months ago I've been on your website, watching your DVDs, podcasts etc nonstop. I cannot thank you and Ed enough for helping me overcome some of the issues I've ran into. She is a great dog and amazingly smart. The problem that I have come across with her which frustrates me beyond belief is that she is leash smart. I can bring her outside and when I leave a short 4 ft leash on her to drag around, she is amazing. ...

Hi Ed, I am moving to Indy from Texas. I have a SchH3 female that I adore. She is very smart and very loyal and very affectionate. I had her bred to a breed certified male SCh and she has had 4 great puppies, all with her smarts and demeanor. I want to get one trained specifically for protection ( as in elite protection) and perhaps tracking/rescue( I am firefighter). The only one I can find nearby that looks like I can trust is Al Gill, but he is too busy with police work. Can you...

Hi Ed. I've emailed you before and I've bought a few of your DVDs. Thanks so much for your continued assistance. Here is my question: "How do you feel about 2 pit bulls in the same household?" From what I have experienced (dog mushing, dog daycare, literature, hands-on experience, etc), as long as dogs receive plenty of exercise, discipline, and routine, they adapt nicely. I currently have a 8.5yr old GSD-mix male and a 3.5 yr old male Pit Bull. They get along GREAT! I'm thinking o...

Overriding instinct: making coming to me better/stronger than chasing a squirrel. When I train recall, my pup will come when she knows I have food/ toys. How do I transition to train without food and toys?

Hi Cindi- what is the best food for puppy & adult malinois? Thank you

I am working my GSD in tracking right now and had a question on corners, I was wondering what your thoughts are. I went out with an RCMP handler and watched him do some tracking practice. When his dog would overshoot a corner he would start circling the dog. I started to use this in my own training with my dog when she would give me a negative. I then went out with my local club and after they watched this I was told not to do this as the dog should find the track again on her own so I should...

We have a 5 month old Doberman, and a 6 year old Doberman. Both are house dogs, but we're also raising the puppy for protection work. Our breeder made us aware of your website, and I must say, it is wonderful!! I've had many dogs, and felt I knew how to train them. But your system of marker training is incredible! It has opened my eyes. Thank you for such a complete and thorough training system and website. We're following your DVD on raising a working puppy, and incorporating the advice y...

Dear Cindy, About a year ago we rescued a beagle/lab that had been shot with a shotgun and rifle. "Freight Train" had been passed through a couple of homes because he would run away through an open door or gate. We contacted you online for advice for dealing with him. You instructed us to keep him on leash for a long period of time to build a good relationship with him around food. He stopped running away and built up enough trust that we allow him supervised yard time with us. Yesterday a...

My 17 month old Dutch Shepherd has travel anxiety, she pants and won't relax in the 2nd seat of our SUV. She is in a safety harness and can lay down. I tried a name brand herbal calming product which did not seem to help, I'd like to avoid Benadryl or vet Rx. Chew toys or treats are ignored. Would it be o.k. to use the e-collar to break her thought process, say as part of saying down, (she ignores commands when so agitated) or would a tap or click make things worse? She didn't have any ...

Hi, my 3 yr old RR is (after years of training) still reactive to most dogs on lead, she wants to say hi. From 8 wks old she has been like this & despite every type of training (I have trained many dogs out of this habit with no problem) she has continued to be a challenge. She walks very well on the lead, unless we encounter a dog. As a puppy I briefly used a prong on her to calm her down and it worked wonders, that in itself taught her to walk well on the lead. I only used it for 1 month...

Hello, you've probably been asked this a million times but, what treats to do you use when you train? Thanks.

I am looking for some guidance as to what type of training my dog needs. I have a female miniature Schnauzer/Maltese mix that will be 2 in January. She has recently began attacking our 11 year old poodle (also female). The poodle is sick with heart problems and the attacks on her are becoming more frequent. Millie, the mixed breed, also chases the cats and tries to go after them but not in the aggressive nature that she has with the poodle. The poodle now trembles when Millie is anywhere near...

Hi, I have been working very successfully with my boxer puppy using both the DVD on training with food and the DVD on training with a tug. Here is my problem: his heeling doesn't click in right away. If I go some place new, for example, he starts out by looking around then looking at me then looking around; then, suddenly, he will be all focus, and I will have no more problems. This same thing often happens when I take him to the Schutzhund field which is familiar to him. At first I don't...

I have an 8 month old male and he has reached puberty and he bites at his private area and tries to pleasure himself and whines while doing this. He does this a lot and we have a friend who has a female that just went into heat and they want to breed her with our dog... Would this be a good idea? Would it maybe help his problem and calm him a little? Thank you, Karri

Hi Cindy, We have purchased 2 of your videos and have been watching several of your free videos on training. We are volunteer puppy raisers for Canine Companions for Independence and have made great progress with our puppy and with our 2 other dogs (lab/golden mixes). We did have a question and have not found it on the videos (although I am sure it is there, we just haven't been able to come across it yet). After marking a behavior with "yes" she will look for the reward/treat. Is it o...

Hello Ed, This is a question about separation anxiety. I've been over all of the posts on your website and on the forum and I am still wondering what you would recommend as my next step with my dog, given what we've done so far. If you have the time to give me even a short answer, that would be great! I have your Pack Structure and Basic Obedience DVDs. I've been following your rules on pack structure and obedience and have a very well behaved 1.5 year old Australian Shepher...

Ed, I just rec'd your puppy video and watched it today. What a super video to watch!! We got a GS puppy (10 weeks) 2 days ago. I only have a couple questions after watching (I know I'm not supposed to have any) :) On crating the pup, how long/often during the day should he be crated so he's used to it and it works effectively? I don't want to be using it too much. Does that time wind down as he gets older? The video states that with food up at about 6:00 and water by 7:00, h...

Cindy, We just got an 8.5 week male Malinois a week ago from a reputable breeder after months of reading and watching DVDs. We are specifically following instructions from the DVDs 'Pack Structure', 'Your Puppy 8 weeks to 8 months' and 'Raising your Working Puppy' (although we have many others). He is a happy, energetic pup that is responding well to most pack structure exercises (doors, gates, sitting for food, etc.). However we are having difficulty in reducing/ eliminati...

How do I determine if my puppy is 'sharp'?

My question is about choosing a helper. Should the helper be someone the dog knows, or not? I have read a lot of articles, and some say the dog shouldn't know the helper, some say they should and some say it doesn't matter. I have read a lot of your articles online and it seems you know what the hell you're talking about. I would appreciate it if you gave me an answer to this question. Sincerely, E. Jones SFC US Army