Obedience Q&As

Hi, I'm considering changing my 3 English golden retrievers to this new way of feeding them. I was surprised last night after dinner we had some peas left over so I thought I would see if they would eat it and they all loved it! These are breeding dogs and are 4 yrs, 3 yrs, and 18 months - all about 60 lbs. I like the dehydrated idea but I think it is too expensive for 3 - $450 per month is high for me - can you give me some ideas about maybe using both - like could I use the dehyd...

I adopted a Boston Terrier from FOHA a week ago. He is a sweet little guy to everyone he meets, and loves to give kisses. He loves car rides, walks, toys, sleeps in a crate and is not food aggressive. He plays well with my 4 y.o. F Boston, but snarls at my 15 y.o. M Westie. He is estimated 5 y.o. and neutered. But, HE BITES!! The 1st night home, he jumped up on my daughter to be petted and he was licking her face. Evidently she touched him somewhere on his back or belly and he swung around...

I have just received a 5 month old puppy she seems to have a great temperment and self confidence. I have only had her for 3 weeks. Is it to early in our relationship or for her age to start obediance training? I've already started her on the crate training program but I'm not sure if I am putting to much on her to soon by beginning basic obedience...

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...

Hi, I have read your website with interest and do have a question that is not quite answered on the site. I am not a huge dog person, and have never owned one, although I am ok with well trained dogs I know and like. Planning on having a baby, and my significant other wants to get a purebred German Shepherd and do schutzhund. I have no issue with either of these, but he wants to not get the dog fixed. He is quite good with animals. I, however, do not have a lot of dog experience and this m...

Hi there, We have a new (to us) border collie who is 4 1/2 months old, he has had some basic training from his breeder. But comes to us, his keen but new to it all dog owners. This puppy will no doubt know more than we will! (although we are quick to learn :o) I have been in contact with Michael Ellis and he has recommended the Training with Food, Marker Training, and

Hello, have read your information on keeping dogs seperate and have a question. Some background, I have 2 german shepherds age 9 and 11. I got them in Germany. One is a high line dog and one a working line. Both are well socialized and obedient and have no aggression toward each other or other dogs. They are both trained in schutzhund which I did for 6 years while there. They have always lived together with no issues. I want to get a new working puppy in the next 6 months and I wondered if I ...

We are trying to train a 1 year old dog who is not motivated by food treats (any kind) or toys. He won't even follow a treat with his eyes. He was found at 6 months of age and was adopted by the current handler. He is always cautious and alert, frightened of noises and people he doesn't know, but much more social than when he was found. He is been rewarded for being calm and interracting calmly with people. We are trying to teach him to sit, stay and relax, but he won't respond to treats. ...

Hi Cindy, I've been seriously thinking of rescuing a cat, there's so many homeless ones where I am. Would their diet be similar to a species appropriate diet for dogs, some meat, giblets, and bones? Can they chew bones?? I have no clue. Anita

We have a 6 month old Portugese Water Dog (weighs 40 pounds). He's an awesome dog and did reasonably well in basic obedience training... but I'm having difficulty getting him to stop jumping and nipping on my 5-year old daughter, going after shoes to chew on, and chasing our cat. I've heard great things about your e-collar video -- before I order can you suggest the best e-collar to go with it? Regards, Eric

Hello Cindy, Can I take a wolf pup and live with him as a pet, or will he "eat" me one day when he will be an adult????!! I mean, are wolves like dogs or are they dangerous?? Can a wolf be good at sheep herding? !!! Thank you

I take in and rehab strays. I do a lot of trick training using clickers. However, I have a Blue Heeler who screams and tries to push himself under the bed or cram himself into the corner of a closet when he hears the click. Someone suggested using a retractable pen, but the timing with it is unreliable. The Heeler was not scared of its sound, though, so I am hoping a quieter clicker would do. I saw two in the Leerburg catalog that advertised as being having softer clicks. They were the i-Clic...

I recently purchased a couple of your training streaming videos (Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months and Dealing with Dominant & Aggressive Dogs). They are very helpful and we enjoy learning from them, and I'm sure I will be pursuing others over the next several months as we train our little guy. I recently received my new Malinois puppy and he just turned 8 weeks. He is a voracious eater and is guarding his food and growling. At 8 weeks old should this be corrected and if yes what would you re...

Our GSD is 9 weeks old (and 16 lbs!) and has been taking to training beautifully. We purchased your DVD and I have been scouring your site for information on everything from food to obedience. We purchased your Puppy DVD and are considering the 4 hr obedience training video as well. A couple of nagging questions that I have been grappling with and hoping you can help answer... First, sometimes when we are working on basic commands (sit, stay, wait, plots, etc), he will get frustrated and star...

Hello Cindy. Hope all is well with you. I emailed you from Afghanistan about my female Mal, who is now 14 months old, about her eating her poop. Thanks for the nutritional advice on that; your advice was spot on. Now I have another question. When I play tug with her, she bites my hands (I am sure inadvertently) right by my thumb and forefinger. I have tried widening my grip, but eventually she still bites it. I really do not think she is doing it on purpose. She is very intense about tuggi...

Hello, I recently used your videos to learn how to train my pit bull mix puppy (my first puppy). We adopted him from the shelter at 6 months old; he is 9 months old now. The videos were extremely helpful. My mom also has a puppy (going on a year old), and we have met 2 times, a month apart, to introduce the dogs to one another. I watched carefully the segment you showed on dog interaction hoping I could determine any warning signs ahead of time, especially since my dog is quickly outgrowi...

Hi Ed, I checked out the other questions as well as read most of the articles on your web site and did not find the specific answer to my concern. I had a quick question. We have a wonderful 3 year old English Lab. She respects us as her pack leaders and is great with our three children (12 year, 9 year and 4 year) as well as any friends or visitors. Our 4 year old brushes her teeth and checks her ears. I can groom her nails etc. and she submits to me... this took work! I was happy to see ...

Hi, I feel terrible even writing this email, but I would like your advice on this. 2 weeks ago my fiance and I purchased a rescued 3 month old GSD mix. We were 3 weeks out from our wedding and about to close on a new fixer upper home w/ only floorboards in place. We thought this would be the ideal situation while puppy training. Well, the close on the house got delayed, so we are now 2 adults, 2 cats and an untrained puppy in my 600 sq/ft carpeted condo. The puppy naturally is having ac...

We've had rotties for 24 years. Our dogs are gentle family dogs, with impeccable manners & behavior. We have always played tug with "the tug is mine" rules. Example: When we play tug, if it comes out of their mouth, they sit & wait till we say "OK" before they can gently take it, then the tugging game begins again with gusto. When we say "give" they release. They approach you with a tug in their mouth, ears squiggled backwards, their body's wiggling back & forth as they slowly shake the tug b...

Completed the first two Michael Ellis DVDs and 11 month old dog is progressing great EXCEPT he has "sticky" outs. He understands to out but if it is a tug he will continue to teeth it. If its a ball after a retrieve he will come right to me and will out on command but then when ball hits ground will attack it. I have tried simply saying no for a period of time, have said no followed by continuous tension with the leash until he drops it but once it hits ground he is back on it. I have tried s...