Behavior Problems Q&As

November 15, 2011

Recommended Our 11 month old embarrasses me by humping me or even family members. How do we deal with this?

Hi there... Love your website and everything you do and also as a customer please keep it up... I have a problem with my 11 months German shepherd, he is embarrassing me by humping on my leg or jump and hump on me or even sometimes with other family members especially while we are out for a walk in the beach or other places. Please let me know the correct direction on how to deal with it :(
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November 3, 2011

Recommended Can I use a tether instead of a crate for establishing pack leadership for our aggressive dog? My husband doesn’t want a crate in the house.

Hi Ed, I just ordered a dominant dog collar and a 3 series DVD that you had recommended in one of your Q&As. My question is, my husband doesn't like to have a huge crate hanging around in our house, is it possible to substitute the crate for a 6 ft lead tied either in the dining room or our bed post, to follow your instruction on establishing pack leadership in our house. The only other option is to have the crate in our daughter's bedroom. I want to start from scratch, even though w...
100% (6 out of 6)
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October 20, 2011

Recommended My 11 month old dog gets what we call the zoomies. He tucks his butt and runs around like he's nuts. Why does he do this and what should I do about it?

Hello, I have used 3 of your videos, and they have been of tremendous help to me with my puppy (he is now 11 months old). But there is something I haven't seen addressed, or perhaps I'm not using the right terminology. We got Finley at 6 months of age from a shelter, and he has bouts of what I found on the internet to be called the zoomies. He will all of a sudden just change his demeanor... it used to start with a stare at me with a different look in his eye and you'd know it's coming, an...
99% (89 out of 90)
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October 10, 2011

Recommended We got a new puppy to help our dog get over the loss of our other dog. She has become aggressive towards the puppy. How can I help my older dog get over the loss of her bestfriend and accept the new puppy?

I need help. I recently lost my German Shepherd to cancer, she was only 5 years old. We also have a 3 year old Malamute that is very depressed because of it. Everyone we know told us to get another dog for our Malamute so we did, but she has become very aggressive towards the puppy and I am afraid she is going to hurt her. How can I help my older dog get over the loss of her best friend and accept the new puppy.
88% (22 out of 25)
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October 6, 2011

Recommended I'm considering adding a male GSD puppy to my home. Would you anticipate the same rank structure problems with the age difference between the two dogs, or am I going to have to get a female?

Cindy, I have read the article about introducing new dogs into the home. At the current time, my girlfriend and I have two adult cats, and an 18 month old male collie. The collie is playful and energetic and not dog aggressive. I am considering getting a male GSD puppy around 8 weeks old to add to the mix. Would you anticipate the same rank structure problems with this age difference between the two dogs, or am I going to have to get a female? Thanks, Jeff
100% (6 out of 6)
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October 5, 2011

We recently adopted a 5 year old GSD, we’ve had him 3 weeks. He chases our horses, what can we do? Would an invisible fence work to contain him?

Dear Ed and Cindy, We live have a german shepherd dog who is five years old. We have had him three weeks. He is a super dog, intelligent sweet natured and obedient. A friend of mine asked me to rescue him as his family were divorced and had dumped him with mother/ mother in law who was disabled. He spent his days in a tiny garden as she was unable to walk him. The only problem I have is that he does chase the horses and then he gets so excited that he doesn't hear what you say. I feel t...
100% (4 out of 4)
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September 29, 2011

Recommended My dog is afraid of sneezes and coughs. She cowers and tries to climb in your lap. How can I get her to stop being afraid?

Hello, Love your web site? I have order many products and in the process of getting my 3 Akitas trained, eating better and exercising more. I love your web site and you have amazing helpful tips. One of my female Akitas, when anyone sneezes coughs of clears their throat, she cowers and tries to sit in your lap?? Even if I ignore her so I don't make it seems like a big deal. She has done this since she was a puppy, I have no idea why? I assume she is very sensitive to noise? But thunder ...
83% (15 out of 18)
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September 22, 2011

My dog destroys stuff at night while we are asleep. Can you recommend a muzzle that he can't escape from?

We have a 110lb. Doberman. He is a 2 y.o. At night after everyone goes to sleep he goes through the house and tears up everything. We put out dozens of toys and rawhide chews to keep him busy but to no avail. During the day he has a half acre fenced yard to run in and when I am out working on the farm he has run of all of our acres. We tried the nylon fabric collars that Petco and all of the stores sell but he pulls them off within minutes and destroys them. This time I hooked the clasp aroun...
47% (15 out of 32)
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September 21, 2011

I got a new dog and he is trying to eat both dogs' food. Should there be a 'head' dog when it comes to feeding? Should they be fed together or separate? At the same time, same area or one first then the next? Which dog should be the dominant one? How can I help the dogs get along better?

Hello and thank you! I have a little 7 year old Bichonfrise and 4.5 months ago I brought home a Bull Terrior pup. The Bichon is very reserved and does not like to play with other dogs rather be left alone. The Terrior is a happy energetic pup but has come into the home and dominated the Bichon male. The Terrior intimidates the Bichon with food by trying to eat both their food, cuts in front of human attention and generally annoys the Bichon, sometimes playfully biting him. Maybe it is caus...
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September 21, 2011

On walks, if my puppy is not pulling, is allowing her to walk in front going to be a problem in establishing pack structure?

Hello, I have a five month old GSD that I got at eight weeks. On walks, if she is not pulling, is allowing her to walk in front going to be a problem in establishing pack structure? I find that once our walk gets headed back she likes to be in front and can be quite polite about it. The walk stops if she pulls. Thank you.
71% (5 out of 7)
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September 9, 2011

I recently boarded my dog and his voice seems to have changed. He greets me differently and isn't as chatty. What do you think happened? Will his normal voice come back? What can I do to get it back?

Hi Cindy, I recently boarded my dog at a kennel, and when I picked him up three weeks later, his voice had changed. He would normally greet me with happy, excited barks and roo roo roos. But instead, he greeted me with happy, excited squeaks. The kennel owner told me that he had squeaked that way for her and her husband since the first day. He continues to have a deep bark for strangers, but his happy bark is now a squeak. He also used to be very chatty, especially when he wanted attention...
75% (9 out of 12)
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August 9, 2011

I adopted a dog as a companion for my old, deaf dog who suffers from separation anxiety at night. Unfortunately this has not helped with the anxiety. Do you have any advice?

I have a 13 year old lab called Flossy who is deaf and suffers from separation anxiety at night. She paces the floor and scratches at my bedroom door until I can't stand it any longer and I let her in. I have adopted a 2 year old lab/cockerspanial as companion to Flossy hopeing that this would fix the problem, but unfortunately it hasn't. Please can you help as I am getting very little sleep and it is effecting my health.
50% (3 out of 6)
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August 4, 2011

Recommended My friend moved into my brand new home with her untrained dog. My dog is trained but I'm afraid he's going to start marking in the house before I get her dog trained. I'm so upset I am ready to leave my own home and leave her and her dog there. Do you have suggestions?

I am sending you this email from outside of my house. I'm so upset I can't go in right now. I have a 1 year old dog that is house trained and a week ago a friend moved in my brand new home with her dog. Her dog is not house trained and it seems the owner has no desire to train her dog. I am trying the crate training now but her dog and my dog cry all day and night wanting to get to each other. I am afraid my dog is going to start "marking" his territory again before I get her's house trained....
100% (2 out of 2)
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July 20, 2011

How do I know my dog's 'ghosts' are gone and can I transition her back to a reinforced kennel?

Hello, long time no hear (which is good but things have changed so I am back). 6 year old dog aggressive and separation/claustrophobic rescued Akita. Charm to humans. We purchased the aluminium crate about 5 years ago for when we boarded her she would bust of of their crates. It works great as you know. We have an indoor/outdoor kennel at home which until recently she respected. Bad lighting storm surged our house blew out electronics. She has not been happy in her kennel ever since but i...
100% (3 out of 3)
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July 18, 2011

We have been using the Tri-Tronics G3 Bark Limiter on our 1 year old female German Shepherd with great success, but last night the collar malfunctioned.

We have been using the Tri-Tronics G3 Bark Limiter on our 1 year old female German Shepherd with great success. Last night, the collar appears to have malfunctioned, zapping her repeatedly at a 4 setting until we could get the collar off. It has been set at 1, and she was sitting calmly and quietly when it started. She is now extremely skittish and requires constant reassurance from us. Where do we go from here? I have contacted Tritronics about the issue, but I don't think I will be comforta...
100% (11 out of 11)
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July 18, 2011

Recommended Our dog eats paper and clothes. He ate my checkbook, money and disability parking pass. Do you have a muzzle you would suggest?

I have a cocker poo that we love dearly (weights 28 lbs) that eats paper and clothes. We have tried everything-behavior training, lemon juice, etc. If you leave something down for a second he is off and running. I use a walker so it is difficult to get to him. He is also bad when he goes with his dog walker trying to grab paper in the street etc. I even had a nutritional study done but he was fine. I am terrified that he will get ill. Recently a friend left her denim jacket on the couch for a...
89% (17 out of 19)
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July 14, 2011

Our dog constantly breaks out of her kennel. I'm thinking of trying the 24/7 crating with bark collar. How do I know her

Hello, 6 year old dog aggressive and separation/claustrophobic rescued Akita. Charm to humans. We purchased the aluminium crate about 5 years ago for when we boarded her she would bust out of their crates. It works great as you know. We have an indoor/outdoor kennel at home which until recently she respected. Bad lighting storm surged our house, blew out electronics. She has not been happy in her kennel ever since, but it was well constructed. 2 weeks after the storm, we moved to a new st...
18% (2 out of 11)
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July 13, 2011

Recommended My 10 1/2 month old dog has tons of drive to work but I've focused on protection training & I'm afraid I haven't socialized him enough. Can you tell me what to do?

Dear Mr. Frawley, I am a newer, but loyal customer. I just got the new Ellis DVD on working without a decoy and I thinks it's the best one you guys have put out yet. I have a 10 1/2 month old Dutch Shepherd and I have done a poor job socializing him. I have focused too much on protection training. He has tons of drive to work, but I need to really improve his socialization... can you please give me some guidance on how to, and what not to do. I greatly appreciate your time and advice.
65% (11 out of 17)
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July 12, 2011

In pack structure training, what does 'full crate submission' mean?

I just purchased Establishing Pack Structure with the Family Pet DVD and I don't understand what 'full crate submission' means. My dogs are going in & coming out submissively, however they still have moments when they cry/bark, especially at night. Jane
100% (7 out of 7)
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July 1, 2011

Recommended My 4.5 year old dog goes nuts over the vacuum cleaner. Is there any way to train her that the vacuum isn’t for lunch?

Hi Cindy, I have a 4 1/2 year old GSD that I got as a 2 1/2 year old. She absolutely goes nuts over the vacuum cleaner. thought she was afraid of it until I read on the site that her behavior is likely due to prey drive. That makes sense because she has a very strong prey drive as evidenced in play and her interest in chasing squirrels (which she doesn't get to do because she isn't off leash anyplace we might encounter them). Do you have any suggestions on how to train her to know the vacu...
89% (16 out of 18)
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