Obedience Q&As

Hello Cindy, I was wondering if I could get some help and advice. I have a German shepherd puppy who is a few months old. Still a baby of course but we have started marker/clicker training as I do with all my dogs. The shepherds I have had in the past all matured slowly but they at least showed some form of prey drive as babies. This puppy comes from good working lines and is high energy. However, I cannot get him to chase ANYTHING. We have put various tugs on a string, including buffa...

Hi Ed: Dean Campbell here - long time since I talked to you. I bought Kato vom Leerburg from you years ago was a great dog. Thanks. Anyway, my wife has a 13 month old working line GSD male. She is using Michael Ellis approach to dog training, got the 1st DVD from you, will get the second when released. She want to get some tug toys to use with that training, do know what tugs Michael or you would suggest for his style of training. She is planning to attend a tw...

Cindy, What are your best drive building toys and are they different than your training toys. I don't like those tugs with a loop on one end because my dog tends to get to close to my hand. I like something that gives more space and distinction from my hand, like a ball on a rope. But this isn't a good drive building toy is it? What do you recommend ? Thanks a lot, Roz Memphis

Dear Cindy, My 18 month old GSD/golden retriever mix has an extremely high energy level. The way we (try to) tire her out now is by playing lots of fetch with her ball, which she absolutely loves. I would also like to start taking her on runs and eventually on bike rides. My question is whether you can 'teach' a dog that running is fun? Walking her is fine, the issue is that when I run with her now, she lags behind and really doesn't want to pick up pace. I'm trying to encourage he...

Good afternoon! I found an automatic ball launcher for my crazy-ball-drive 14 month old male GSD, but am hesitant to purchase it before I receive expert feedback regarding the safety of using regular size tennis balls. I order the Orbee balls from you guys, preferring the ones on a string because it's easier to throw, and I can use the smaller ball without worrying about him swallowing when he catches them. I have read enough horror stories about tennis balls to be wary of u...

Hi Ed. I've emailed you before and I've bought a few of your DVDs. Thanks so much for your continued assistance. Here is my question: "How do you feel about 2 pit bulls in the same household?" From what I have experienced (dog mushing, dog daycare, literature, hands-on experience, etc), as long as dogs receive plenty of exercise, discipline, and routine, they adapt nicely. I currently have a 8.5yr old GSD-mix male and a 3.5 yr old male Pit Bull. They get along GREAT! I'm thinking o...

Mr. Frawley, Let me first commend you on such an informative and well thought out website. This website keeps me occupied for hours, I just flat out love it. I am new to dog training but have been around dogs for a while. I am a 20 year college student and I own a pit bull, but let's get back to that in a minute. I recently bought your e-collar DVD and I have purchased the Dogtra 1900 ncp collar (I got it because I saw it was one of your favorites on your web site. I have no...

I have two pitbulls that are brother and sister that are almost three years old. I have come home twice now to them being a bloody mess. They get into fights and the sister always loses and this time she could have died... this never happens when I'm home and I really don't want to make one stay inside because of this. I am pretty sure what causes it because when I'm home I see the signs. It starts up because of a neighbor walking her dogs and stopping in front of my house with her dog......

Dear Mr. Frawley, I was just reading an article that you wrote on your website and just felt like telling you my story. My name is Nicole, and my husband, Scot, and I recently had our 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Rudy) put down for aggression problems. This has been the most painful decision we've ever made, and I am having a very difficult time coming to terms with our decision. We got Rudy from an out of state breeder that we thought was reputable. We had Rudy since he ...

Hello Cindy, Question: If I am training heeling and a correction needs to be made while we are walking, is the dominant collar an appropriate tool and will it allow me to give enough of a correction to get the dogs attention or do I need a muzzle with the prong? If the muzzle is the answer, can you help me with the correct size the dog is 13 mths and 110 lbs. History: I have a male Black Russian Terrier that I am taking through obedience training. He is doing well in...

Hi Cindy just a brief question, I?ve read your advice and other peoples on your blog and such and am a little confused on the issue, you and some of the other people say it must be 100% compliance to the COME command, the only thing NEVER mentioned is the type of correction used, (this I find most curious as this is the most important part of it). If I punish or firmly correct my dog when he doesn?t come what motivation is it to come once he has disobeyed it and knows there is a correctio...

Dear Mr Frawley, My german shepard likes to come up to me as soon as I sit down in a chair to put my shoes on and will not leave me alone while I put my shoes on. When I push him away and tell him no, he barks at me. Not in a mean way, but barking to be noticed I guess. How could I fix this problem? I bought your Basic Dog Obedience DVD already but only have got to the intro to markers. Thanks for your time and help. Mike

Greetings, I have a 7 year old Rescue Dutch Shepherd and a 15 week old Australian Cattle dog. I've never had two dogs at the same time before. Following your advice; they are getting along famously. The Dutchie is good on walks (not a perfect "heeler" but stays by my left side and doesn't get ahead or behind). I haven't done any formal leash work with the pup but have taken her out on leash for socialization purposes. At some point I will want to walk both dogs togeth...

I recently purchased your DVD on Basic Obedience Training. My dog is a two year old Yellow Lab. He has been doing well with the marker/treats training. He knows very well the basic commands of sit, down, and stay. He is very attentive when we do the training with treats. However, if we are somewhere and I don't have treats, or if he is distracted by the presence of someone else, he pretty much just ignores me. It's like he is saying 'I know what I'm supposed to do, but if you're not givin...

Dear Leerburg, We purchased your Dog Obedience training DVD. We only have one question. You mentioned correction levels from 1-10. Can you please elaborate on what a level 1 and level 10 correction are? Thank You, Maxine

Dear Cindy, I would be interested in your recommendation of a school which I can attend with my Doberman to become an instructor in all phases of dog training, particularly obedience, protection and tracking. Also, it should provide some kind of certificate. I have a few of your videos, but I really want and require working with instructors who can provide guidance on techniques. I look forward to your response. Many thanks. Best regards, Michael

Cindy, I have a 4 year old female Brittany who was given to us when she was one and a half because she was afraid of the shotgun and wouldn't hunt. She is very obedient around the house and in our backyard but the second you put a leash on her and take her out she forgets you exist. She is too busy observing the birds and squirrels and she pays no attention to the person at the other end of her leash. I had a trainer come to my house and whenever he is around she walks nicely but a...

Hi Ed and Cindy, I adopted a female GSD (then 6 months old) from another family a few months ago. She is now 10 months old. Her previous family trained her in search and rescue at a very young age, and I think they did this without even training her in basic obedience. When we got her, she was practically pulling my arms out of the sockets during walks and sniffing the ground the entire time. They also taught her to "speak" when she wants something, and now she is constantly whining and ye...

Hi Ed and Cindy, First of all, thank you so much for your website. It is the best resource on dog training I have found, and I appreciate the range of information. It is sad that so many trainers seem to think treat training is the only way to go (especially with a stubborn breed). I have a rescue dog - a purebred Basenji - 4 years old. She came to me basically untrained and out-of-control. I trained her initially with markers and treats to learn basic commands like sit, dow...

Dear Cindy, How can I train an adult dog that it's Ok to leave his property? I have a 5 year old Rottweiler that refuses to leave our property. I have tried enticing him to come with me using food and toys. He'll have none of it! He just panics and bolts for home. When I hold him back he almost strangles himself on his collar. This makes vet appointments almost impossible. Any suggestions? Thank you, Fany