Obedience Q&As

If I have two dogs and separately they know their names and respond to commands, how do I get them to respond to commands when together depending on whose name I called out? For example, if they're in a sit and I say "Lexi, come" I only want Lexi to come and Roxy to stay seated. They're getting confused when I attempt this. I want to keep the motivation high and not use "no" every time the wrong dog responds.

Hi! We adopted a shelter dog around a year ago estimated to be around 4 years old, a female Shepherd mix. She doesn't seem to know how to play with toys, even though she will show some interest in small stuffed toys I toss, she quickly loses any motivation she has. If try to trade or toss her another toy to get her to play with me, she would drop the toy very easily and refuse to get it again. She likes and chooses to play With me, punching and running, play bowing. I just can't get her to ho...

Hello Cindy, I have been following your training advice with my 18-month-old English Lab, gently starting when he was 8 weeks old. He is doing pretty well and we continue to work on commands and manners daily. I don't like for visiting, screaming, small children to have access to my dog, and definitely don't leave him unattended should family members bring kids. In fact, I remove him from the chaos when the kids enter the house. Friends with bratty kids believe there is nothing wrong with ...

Hello Cindy, I really need your help! I own a 2-year-old GSD with a great pedigree and I'm not able to get his attention on the club field only. He works for me perfectly anywhere in public. I also purchased Forrest Micke's Engagement Skills foundation which he mastered just fine and I still continue on a daily routine. What worked in the past was only a deflated big ball, but a workshop trainer from Finland by name of Marko told me to put it away and get back to engagement, which I di...

Hi Cindy, I saw an article recently on the subject of marker training, specifically the use of a no reward marker or negative marker. The article argues that the use of NRM’s while it may not seem like it, is actually “aversive” to the dog and that it does not help to tell the dog that they did not succeed or that they did something wrong. They said that dogs learn faster if just encouraged through what they do correctly. This is the first I had ever heard of this idea and I know you...

At what age/stage is it appropriate to start leash pressure training?

I have a young  Terrier just over a year old. All the training I’ve done to this point he’s doing well with. When he’s training at home anyway. The training includes basic obedience, including long sit and down. And dumbbell retrieve. I get him out to the park to do everything he’s learned and it’s like pulling teeth with him. He’s just not into it. What can I do? Thank you in advance for your response.

Hello, I have a 7-month-old GSD that I'm going to start training the recall with, I'm wondering if certain methods like restrained recalls can cause issues with separation anxiety? My dog is very well behaved in her crate and doesn't have an fearfulness being restrained by others but, inside the house she will continuously whine if I leave, even if other people are with her. If we're at the park, front yard or other public areas and I calmly walk away she will act out as though we're preformi...

I’m sending my 3 yr old GSD to training at a training facility next week for three weeks. I am told that they use e collars and prong collars which I have no problem w/. Just wondering since I have not tried a harness and I see you have quite an array. Maybe this question is premature but do you have a suggestion from your line of products? He’s super athletic and very strong and goes nuts when he sees another dog on walks. I feel much safer walking w/ him than by myself but to what end? ;)

Hello Cindy, I have a year-old German Shepherd. I understand the Continuous, then Variable, then Random Reward System. I have been using the marker training with her. I am finally at the Random Reward System with the Basic Commands sit, down, heel, here, stay, wait, etc... But want to start teaching some new commands like Flip Spin into the heeling position. Do I start over with the continuous reward system with the new commands and keep the Random Reward System for the known command...

Cindy, IS it a good idea to have two different commands for dogs ....... Au Pied ! for heeling in a head up focused eyes position, and Heel for a more relaxed longer lasting heeling of the dog? Thanks.

I’m training a German Shepherd. I am a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. I can’t use my arms or legs but I do have a power wheelchair so I can move a little bit. I can’t run from the dog and feed him with my hand. What I do is spit treats to him. It makes for a great eye Contact but after I give him the first treat, he checks out until I call him back for another command. If I spit a treat at him and he catches it then I can give him another one and he doesn’t check out. But once we miss ...

I have a question which I think could be interesting for various dog owners. My dog loves to be chased. It's by far her favourite game. It seems counter productive to play chase if one try to have a dog who loves to be near you, and hope to build a strong recall. Is there a way to use the chase game in our advantage? Can we transfer chase to a different game? Thank you

What's the best way to teach my adult dog not to jump on me or other people - looking for something that can be relatively fast learning for the dog?

Hello! I love your videos on youtube!! I had 10 years a Briard, now I want to get a doberman. I have 2 more years of university, and I have a lot of time. In 2 years I will have to work mo-fri for 8/9 hours each day. I want to jog or cycle with the dog in the morning before work. After work I want to excersize my dog, mentally/athletically and also do igp(especially in the weekend). Do you think I can get my dog to stay alone for the 8-9 hours per day at an age of 2 years if I train it fro...

Do you have any videos to teach the "out" or "give" command?

Hi Cindy, I am a new trainer looking for some planning/organizing help. I currently have 3 dogs I am training/sitting while owners are on vacation. I am having trouble keeping track in my head where each dog is at in terms of what they have learned, and what I need to teach them next. I have autism so I struggle with planning/memory so I think some sort of flashcard system like quizlet would help cue me if I get stuck training dogs... that's what I've come up with so far. I'm curious if you ...

Hi, how much socialization with other dogs does my almost 5 year old gsd need? He interacts with son's golden daily in short increments and is with me pretty much 24/7.

Hi Cindy, I would like to purchase some of your training videos for my young GSD. He is quite a handful. I am concerned because I am fearful I may have set him back in training because my trainer here has had me be pretty stern with corrections, even in the beggining phases when he was a puppy. Neither do we train with treats. I notice now that he is older, he no longer wants to "come" and is starting to run from me. Have I RUINED OUR RELATIONSHIP with my training? If I purchase s...

My local trainer is requesting I get a 6-foot leather leash. What width of a leash do you recommend for a male Shiba Inu? Thank you!