Obedience Q&As

Dear Ed, Hello, I've been a member of your message board for years but haven't visited in a very long time. I'm writing because I've searched your site and cannot find the answer to this problem. I no longer own this puppy I'm writing about but I want to know the answer to this as it plagues me and don't want the same thing to ever happen again. I was bitten by my 16 week old standard poodle puppy. Here's what happened. I wanted to show standard poodles and sought out a breeder that had...

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, Wanted to thank you - I am a big fan of your website and DVD offerings. I wanted to ask your opinion on a particular stumbling point I am having with my mastiff puppy who is now 12 weeks old. It is the steps, she seems afraid of them, and despite my coaxing with food markers refuses to follow a come command to follow me down them or even go to the top of them. Which until today, I've passed off as something she will overcome. However, it is becoming more and more app...

Can you recommend me some good training treats for my german shepherd puppy? Thanks

Hello, Firstly thank you for your amazingly informative website. I am following your advice with my puppy but I have one question - you advise against dog parks and I completely agree, I find the atmosphere of dog parks potentially explosive and therefore quite unnerving. So how do I socialise my puppy if I cannot allow her to meet strange dogs? Suzie

Thank you Ed and Cindy for all the information on the Leerburg website. I just purchased 3 DVDs - puppy, basic obedience, and pack structure and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. I have a 4 month GSD hard puppy. He has strong prey drive and is learning quickly with markers and food (at home, no to low distractions). At weekly obedience school (outdoor, at least 50 other dogs around, super high distraction), he is very unruly. I've used a standard choke chain, a snug prong...

I have a 7 month old, female, Doberman puppy. We purchased her at 5 months from a breeder, so she has been in our home for approx. 2 mnths. She is smart and seems to train fairly easily as far as basic commands. My problem is getting her to focus for any length of time because she is extremely active and has a very high prey drive. Maybe i'm expecting too much too soon...? I've just recently (in the last few days) begun to keep her leashed and at my side at all times when she is in...

Hey Cindy, I have a female German Shepherd dog (Eva). She's three and a half months old. Everything is ok with her except that I'm concerned about her ears. One of her ears is great and standing and moving very smoothly but the other one is not standing and has some limitations in its movements. Note: She had ear infection 1 month ago and that is finished now. But sometimes I notice too much pink color moving to red in her ears. I attached some of her pictures with this mail. I kin...

Hi Cindy, One question about our boxer mix. He is nearly six months old. When we first got him from a shelter at 12 weeks, he was e VERY bold dog, completely outgoing and social, very friendly and eager. In the last month or so, he has very suddenly become shy and fearful. Very nervous around new and sometime familiar people and in strange and sometimes familiar environments. He is not shy around other dogs. He rides with me in the car almost every day but has recently become fearf...

Hi, I have a 4 and a half month old American Bulldog. When I go to correct him with the pinch collar, he flips & turns so I can't correct him. When I do correct him, sometimes he nips back. What can I do to correct him quicker? Thank you, Dawn

Hey Cindy, I have combed over the website, but I have not found anything answering a specific question of mine. It seems that most folks are struggling with dogs that pull when they are taken on walks. In my situation, I have a nine week old mini daschund that does not move when I try to take her for a walk. I walk a few feet away from her, call her name, but she doesn't move. When I squat down, she immediately runs to me. I stand up and walk a few feet away, call her name? nothing...

Hello, We are getting a GS pup on Easter. He was born on Feb 22, but was the only pup in the litter and is all black-very cute of course. Will this pup have some set backs being the only pup? Should I have any socialization concerns when I bring him home since he may have had no inner action with other pups? Should I ask the breeder to socialize the pup with the other litter? Maybe you know of this breeder, his name is Dave (I forget his last name) and lives on the west side of De ...

Hello Cindy, First, I want to thank you for your time. I have extensive experience with German Shepherds. Soon I will be purchasing an 8 week Doberman Pincher. My first one. In the event this puppy should display any aggressive behavior towards me, I realize this behavior must be addressed within a split second it occurs. Please, explain, briefly, how and what do I do? Second, how do you recommend I address aggressive behavior towards new people during the socialization pro...

I was hoping to speak with you regarding what videos you recommend for training my 3.5 month old imported GSD. I am looking at this early age strict obedience and looking for off leash capability, moving towards conformation work. Thanks Mike

Hi, I'm sure you get many emails regarding dogs. I have purchased many of your DVDs and read the wonderful articles you have online. We have a 14 week old boxer/lab who has taken to his crate very nicely, always goes potty outside in the same spot and seems to have a nice personality. I ALWAYS keep the dog on a leash, inside and outside (and have never had an accident because of it!). My question is, you mention not to interact with a puppy unless he is outside until 4-5 months. We...

Hi Cindy, Our yellow lab just turned a year old. He is a VERY ACTIVE, nice puppy, however sometime he loves to take your hand and wrist in his mouth and bites down and wants to lick you. He can also have this behavior when he gets excited when someone comes in the room and that guest wants to pet him. Is this teething, puppy or will he grow out of it? Or better yet how do we stop him and this behavior? Thank you, Lisa

Hi Cindy, I plan on getting a puppy some time in the next 2 to 4 months and have been searching the web for training DVDs and have decided to get some of the ones Leerburg sells. I guess my main question is which ones do you think are appropriate for me? We (me, my girlfriend and currently 20 month old son) are most likely going to adopt a puppy from a local rescue so I'm not sure exactly which breed/mix or what exact age he or she will be, but we'd like a puppy that will be...

Hi Cindy, We have a 15 week old GSD who we want to eventually train in protection. We have several of your dog training DVDs- puppy, 8 weeks to 8 mos, working puppy, puppy bite work, basic obedience, marker training, but I haven't seen the answer to these questions: 1. He is going through a very mouthy stage- we are constantly re-directing him to chew on acceptable items. Is this just what we need to do during this time, verses any corrections? We are working on 'leave it', ...

I have a 4 month old / 30 lb Black Mouth Cur (Mya) and got her when she was 8 weeks old. I want to give you a little background on her before I ask my questions. She is a great dog and very smart and from what I can tell (after watching your videos and reading on your website) has incredible prey drive. I have been teaching her the basic commands; come, sit, and stay as you recommend in your video '8 weeks to 8 months'? and she has picked up on these quite well. She is also crate trained ...

Hello, Please help us settle a question: Do puppies remember their litter mates? My friends have a 7 mo female Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix. Her sister came over to visit. They had not seen each other since 8 wks old. My friend says that she remembers her sister; I say they are puppies just playing. Thank you for your time. Jeannie