Obedience Q&As

Hi Cindy & Ed, I purchased a german rottwieler pup to raise for personal protection. She is just over 7 weeks and I've had her for 6 days. I studied the video your puppy 8 weeks to 8 months before I got her home and been doing much of the training shown in the video with moderate success. I have established a value for yes, and the pup is consistent with the touch command. I am an amature handler under the supervision of my husband who has a great deal of training experience. My co...

Cindy, What's the deal with having the dogs return on recall to "between the legs" facing forward? Is this a new fad or what? I realize in protection you don't want the dog to "front" and take it's attention off the decoy, but why not to heel position? Karen

We are getting a puppy next month and plan to eventually do protection work with him--this will be our first time. We have watched the following DVDs: Your Puppy 8 wks to 8 months, Basic Dog Obedience, Pack Structure for the family pet, Raising a working puppy, Building Drive & Focus, and the First Steps of Bite Training. I have spent a lot of time on the website reading and trying to put it all together but I am still so confused! For example, in one of the Q&As it says bite work can ...

I have an alaskan husky who is 17 months old. He is a sled dog from racing lines- leaders bred to leaders. I am training him to skijor, and one of the most important things a skijor dog must do is be willing to lead, pull steadily, avoid distractions. I know many trainers say you should always walk in front of your dog to show you are the pack leader. What's your take on this, when I've been training my dog to pull in front, but still respond to my commands from puppyhood? Do you a...

Forgive me if this question has been answered on your web site - I couldn't find it. I have a 16 week old German Shepherd from German working lines. I have trained her to ride beside my bike (at a pretty slow pace). She seems to enjoy the experience, but now I have heard conflicting advice on whether it is hard on her hips and according to some I could cripple her by putting stress on her growing joints. Her vet didn't have an opinion. We only ride for about 20 minutes (at a time) ...

Hello, This is in the comment section of my order I placed earlier today but I was not sure if it would reach you, so am cc'ing it to you both as well. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your extremely informative site, I have been reading articles and watching the streaming videos obsessively ever since I stumbled across it! I am purchasing the Bernhard Fink dvd's to help me begin training with my new Doberman puppy towards Schutzhund. The pup is 4 months old. ...

Hello Cindy! I just got almost $500 worth of your good DVDs. I have seen 2 of them and they are the best. My question for you Cindy is: I have a 2 story house and is it OK for me to let my 8 week old pup go up or down the flight of stairs (about 20 of them) on leash - will this have the potential to mess up his hips and elbows? Or should I just carry him up or down until he is a little older? If this is the case, how old should he be until I let him up or down by himself? Also, is it OK to le...

I recently purchased your Establishing Pack Structure with The Family Pet DVD. I am a bit confused compared to what I was told by others for Schutzhund Sport Dog. I was told don't control the young dog until it is 1 year old because it will suppress the drive. When a young dog comes out from the crate, should I play with the dog to imprint the bite work so that when the dog reaches maturity and it is ready for the formal protection training, the performance will be better? However,...

Hello Cindy, I will be bringing my working puppy home next weekend. I know you should not leave toys with a working dog according to the "Raising a Working Puppy" video. Can you tell me a few items that I can leave with the puppy while he is in his crate or kennel for a few hours at a time? I believe Ed mentioned giving a Knuckle Bone. Thanks.

Hi Cindy, I have a dobe pup 8 months old that has just started her first heat cycle. For the last 2 weeks or so her behavior has completely changed. I have been working on attention and the beginning phases of heeling and she was doing great. Now and for the past 2 or 3 weeks its like I've never taken her out of the yard. All she does is sniff the ground and look everywhere but at me. Is this normal for their first cycle or is she going through something else. I have cut her feedin...

I purchased "How to raise a working puppy." I want to build their drive; I'm concerned that the "Drive & Focus" video won't help. The pups are ~6mos. I've started to seperate them over the past few weeks (especially in the yard), they do alot of whinning. What am I not doing? Or what should I be doing? One is food motivated the other isn't. I take them to the local bus/subway station and playground to expose them I even have them watch schutzhund bitework. Can you help? Thank you, ...

Hi, I have to Presa Canario pups ( 5.5 month - female, 6.5 month - male) that I want to train for protection. My female is more timid than the male. I need to know the basics on how to get them acclimated to increase there drive and educate myself on how to schutzhund train. I have done it with other dogs but I'm a novice and need formal training. What do you recommend from your video line? Patrick

Hello, My name is Kipp, I am about to get my very first Doberman Pincher puppy. I have had 2 puppies in my life both being min pin, this will be my first large dog which I have wanted since I was young. I have spent the last 2 years or so doing research on the breed and finding a good breeder and resources. I myself am a police officer who is currently in between departments and I have the hopes of hopefully being a K9 officer with a Doberman (even though I know this is rare). With...

Hi Cindy or Ed, First I want to thank you for all the great info and products available via your website and secondly thank you for taking the time to answer the numerous emails I am sure you get. I am pretty sure I have answered my own? but want to run it by you before moving on. I have raised quite a few young dogs, conformation, herding, and more recently a great group of sighthounds. I have only had one dog that I had wished to pursue sch. work with but I had made the de...

I have a 9 month old Staffordshire Bull pup, spayed F. She has taken puppy class, 3 competition obedience classes, rally lessons, and foundation agility classes. She got her CGC at 5 months. I got her as a 14 week pup from a shelter already spayed. She is highly social with people and dogs and has been everywhere. Problem: Occasionally she gets freaked out about stupid things. Today, it was a leaf stem with cotton on it. She barked and growled at it and circled it for a coup...

Hi, First off, I have purchased many of your videos, and I have learned so much from them. I watch them over and over to be sure that my mind has absorbed every inch of what you are teaching. I'm writing to you because I have an issue that I would so appreciate your expert advice on. I have a 6-month-old male Malinois and a 3-year-old female Chihuahua. I have had the Malinois since he was 8 weeks old and introduced the Malinois to the Chihuahua, and they get along well. ...

Dear Cindy, I know how busy you must be, but I need some help deciding. I have bought the DVD's on raising a working puppy and basic obedience training and I love them! Our puppy is a 5 month old Bouvier des Flanders. We are going to Estes Park Colorado for a family vacation for 11 days, flying out there and staying in a cabin that will allow for pets. I am highly concerned on whether or not to take our pup with us. I am afraid if I don't, it may effect her the rest of her l...

Interesting that the AKC has developed a working dog title. Didn't they previously have a policy that they would not permit any dog sport that 'allowed a dog to bite a human being'? I'm paraphrasing of course. I'm all for working dog titles and as soon as my breeder in Canada can produce a good working Black Russian Terrier male, I will be starting my dog down the Schutzhund trail. I might even take a look at AKC working title. Just finished your video on pups 8 weeks to 8 mon...

Hello, I have a 13 month old female GSD and I belong to a local Schutzhund club, recently they started obedience class with the younger dogs. I have your video on Basic Obedience and Building Drive and Focus and many more, my problem is she is distracted in the obedience class by other dogs, at home and alone her drive and focus is great. In your video Basic Obedience you say you don't care for these classes because they are crank and pull, should I discontinue these classes and work more...

Hello, I recently found your site and it is a wealth of great information. We are the proud owners of an eight-week old Bull-Boxer and I have been scouring the net for information on the best way to train her. I am certainly not a dog trainer, outside of training my dogs to hunt birds. It does not take a rocket scientist to train a Lab to pheasant hunt. In fact, I gave him most of the credit for training me how to pheasant hunt. My wife wanted a dog that could offe...