Most Popular Q&As

We have 2 one year old Dobermans from the same litter. We are having issues with excessive barking. They bark at every noise, person and other animal. Just to give some back ground information. We got the female first at 9 weeks. We later obtained the male when he was 7 months. We suspect that he spent much of his time in a kennel and did not receive much socialization. Therefore he is very timid and nervous around strangers and other animals. He has been displaying some fear aggression be...

Just a quick note about a mistake I made with my big, intact male and the lessons I learned. In retrospect, I had let pack leadership slip big time and was tolerating small problems like getting in the trash. This was the rescue dog I got when he was a year old and untrained. One night he grabbed my dinner off the dining table. I got angry and did something I very well knew (when thinking clearly without anger clouding my judgement) was stupid--crowded him, yelled, and hit him with my kne...

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...

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...

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...

Dear Mr. Frawley: I am writing to say I felt great comfort finding your site with your wisdom about dogs. Yesterday, I took our new puppy (18 days with us) to my vet and had him put down. He was a pit bull mix and approximately 4 months old. When we adopted him from the shelter he was a shy, fearful pup who let me carry him into the car. He had been dumped on a highway at about 2 1/2 months and spent the next at this local kill shelter. I was advised to that training him was...

Dear Ed/Cindy, First I would like to say that I love your website. I have bought several of your DVDs and products and have always been very satisfied. More important than just a supply store is that I have come to have a deep respect for your thoughts on dog training methods/philosophy (I read many of your eBooks, even the ones that don't really pertain to my situation). I even feed completely raw, and it has been great fun. So on with the problem. I have always grown up wi...

Hi Ed and Cindy, I have a question I haven't seen addressed on your website (even though it may very well be there) concerning what to expect from my dog after beginning e-collar corrections. I have a 9 mo old yellow labrador that we purchased at 8 wks of age. He is a really great dog and very smart. I started training basic commands as soon as we got him and he really likes training sessions. He took one obedience class for distractions. (I wish I had spent that $200.00 on ...

Hi Cindy, My 9 months old 60lbs goldendoodle when he gets overstimulated (e.g. by dogs or pedestrians during walk) or frustrated, he redirects (jumping and biting) me and my daughter which each time caused multiple bruises on our hands and legs. We don’t reinforce excitement. We work on exercise to establish leadership role everyday. We tried redirect with toys, used bitter apple spray as suggested by a trainer, all worked only for few days. May I ask what other methods that can help corr...

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...

Hi Cindy, I have a 4 month Rhodesian Ridgeback (45 lb) who wants to sniff everything on leash walks, on public sidewalks and on my own acreage. I walk him 3x per day (10 min) before meals, in addition to various potty breaks. He eliminates on his own property (not on walks) and I would like walks to be steady. I try to redirect him to me, mark and move, followed by a high value reward. Often times he is not pushing for the reward and prefers his nose to the ground but will otherwise redire...

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...

Cindy, I put in "sick not growing puppies bacteria" in my search engine and your webpage came up as #1 at the top of the list and after reading much of your page on saving small pups, etc. I believe you may be able to help me. I have been a dog breeder since 1969 and have, at one time or another, had almost every disease a dog or pup can get, except rabies. Anyway, I now have something I cannot figure out. I currently have French Bulldogs (4 of them) and have been breeding them for ...

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...