Obedience Q&As

Hi, Thanks for all your helpful articles, DVDs, nice leather leashes, etc. I have a question regarding my second male labrador retriever. He is currently about 7 months old. About a month ago, I was trying to introduce the Dogtra Electric Collar into some training to advance things a bit. I used the collar one time for a short period (5-10 min) but after watching your Electric Collar Training DVD again, I believe I used it incorrectly. Instead of "Command," "No" and Quic...

Hi Ed; I am from southern Alberta Canada. Weather is a major factor in winter for walking and training dogs here...And I am an outdoor person! I wanted your opinion on this particular dog I rescued last year. Zing, is shep/dobi and very intelligent. He learns fast,and hopefully this year he will be trained for tracking, as he seems to have the qualifications for it. I am a firm believer in Ceaser's (Dog Whisperer) and your type of training, and have been for many years. My issue...

Hi, We're doing really well with the training guides online and with the eBook. Our pup usually pees and poops when asked and when taken to the area we designated for this; however, two of our cats love more than anything to roll, tumble, wrestle and play with Jinx. When they are around, training is out the window! I have been just carrying Jinx back into the house to his crate and then trying peeing and pooping time again in about 20 minutes. Walks are hard too. The cats ha...

Ed, I have a 1 1/2 year old working male Bouvier who is defiant about taking the platz/down command. He knows it, but is giving me the finger. Any ideas? 1. Use the e-collar and MAKE him 2. Use his dinner as the food reward 3. Prong the piss out of him 4. Wait until he gets through this stage... I respect your knowledge of working dogs and this is why I am writing you. Thank you. Sincerely, Howard

I have a springer spaniel/black lab mix who is approximately 4 years old. He is a great dog in all aspects expect strong prey drive and aggression toward other dogs especially. I have bought two of your videos ...Basic Dog Obedience and Dealing with Dominant Aggressive Dogs. They have both helped tremendously but I can't seem to get him to walk behind me or stay at my side during a walk. I say no..and 99 times out of 100 he will come back to position but it seems i'm saying no every 5 seconds...

I have disciplined my rott to the point that she is scared of me. When I walk towards her she turns the other direction, if she knows I'm after her she will pee. When she is next to me, any sudden moves by me causes her to jump. My cousin said I broke her spirit, is this true? And is it correctable? We also have a toy poodle/yorkie mixed and she likes to eat her pooh, how do you stop that? The main reason we got her was to protection.

Dear Mr. Frawley, We have 5 of your videos and just received 5 of your leashes. Thank you for the quality products that you offer. We have been teaching our 14 week old puppy using the marker training outlined in your videos with GREAT success. The puppy minds 95% of the time in the house. However, every time I take him out in public, he gets very distracted and does not mind, doesn't seem to even hear me or my commands, requiring that I go to great lengths to get his attent...

Hi My mother got a white German Shepard.She is 73 years old and lives alone.She wanted the dog for protection to let her know when someone comes up.She has a problem with the dog jumping on her and skinning her arms up. and nipping at her shoes. When she walks.She wants the dog but I don't think she can handle him.He's a smart dog. I thought about getting a shock collar. I have seen some from 90.00 to 450.00.I don't know which one would be best for her. She is on a fixed income. any help woul...

My 8 month German Shepherd accidentaly fell in my swimming and I had difficult time pulling him out of the pool. Can German Shepherds swimming and I had difficulty time pulling him out of the pool. Can German Shepherds swim naturally or must they be taught to swim. Thank you. Joe

Hello, I have an 8 week old puppy. I want to get your DVD Basic Dog Obedience - Video # 302, but I am not sure what program to put him on first. I do not want to make the same mistake that most inexperienced owners/trainers make by teaching him too much too soon. At what age do I initiate the crate training to show who the pack leader is? What puppy DVD is right for me? At what age do I initiate your Basic Dog Obedience Training? Finally at what age do I initiate advanced training?...

Hi Ed, First I want to say thanks for your videos, web page, and all of your products. Everything I have from you is top notch. I'm training my dog using a prong collar because of your video (Basic Dog Obedience) and your articles. I use the collar on our walks and during any training sessions. Here's my question (I hope it's not a dumb one): Is the ultimate goal to "graduate" to a flat collar after the dog listens, or is the prong collar intended to be used for the rest of ...

Hi Ed, I am interested in purchasing a DVD from your site. I have a couple of questions about which one I should purchase. I have 2 dogs both 2yrs old. 1 is a Cavalier King Charles and 1 is a Maltese Shitzu. They have both attended 10 weeks of obedience training with a halti/gentle leader collar. The dog trainer there recommended I get an electric collar for them as they bark incessantly at home and around other dogs. My question is should I purchase your basic obedienc...

My almost 5 month old miniature schnauzer puppy has been in puppy obedience class for 3 weeks. She is doing very well with her commands (sit, down, come) and up until this past Saturday has interacted well with all the other handlers and dogs in the class. However, at our last class, she growled at and bit the training instructor when she touched her feet. The bite did not break the skin or leave any red marks. I was very surprised by her reaction since she has never before displayed any ...

Hello, I was wondering if all breeds, even toy breeds (Havanese) should be trained in the fashion described on your web site. I read all the puppy articles. One question I especially have is Should I get a prong collar or just try a normal one? Thanks.

I got this puppy in July. He was 3 months when I received him. I work 2 full time jobs therefore,leaving me with little time to train him properly so, I FOUND A TRAINER FOR HIM. HE WAS AWAY FOR THREE WEEKS IN TRAINING. I want to know if that was a good idea. He learned the very basic: sit, stay, down, and recall. The trainer instructed me that I'd need to work with him still. I was under the impression that if I sent him to be trained that this would do it,however the trainer said that my dog...

Mr. Frawley, I am very glad to have found your site. I have spent many hours reading the great material you have posted. I have ordered and am waiting on your video Basic Obedience. Having read your philosophy and the basics of marker training and the three phases of training, I have one small question for you. Our dog is about a year and a half old. I have been on the scene for the last several months and gradually learning how the dog should be trained. Due to mishandling ...

I was wanting to buy your Basic Dog Obedience - Video 302 - 1 Hr. 50 Min. I have two small dogs 10 and 12 pounds. The 12 pound dog cannot wear a collar because of a trachea problem. Do you have any videos that would deal with this. How would I do a correction on her without a collar? I wouldn't think it would be possible to give a correction with a harness. I am doing positive food rewards with her now to get her to walk with the halter on. (She is very gentle, shy.) Thank You, Terri

Hello. I have a lab mix who will turn 2 years this October. When I first got him I took care of him inside 24/7. Since then, he has been completely an outside dog. I will be moving into an apartment in August next year (2006), and I will have to keep him indoors. I was told by family it was cruel to do that to a dog. I was told it would be taking away the "freedom" he's had. So...my first question is...Is it cruel to change an outside dog to an inside dog. Second is it okay to crate train...

Mr. Frawley, I recently came across your site and have spent all morning reading your advice on training dogs with behavioral problems. I'm hoping you can take a moment to give me some 1-on-1 training. I have a 2-year old Smooth Collie who has been in obedience training since he was 12 weeks old. The obedience center we attend strongly encourages use of a Gentle Leader while training, and equally as strongly discourages the use of prong or shock collars. My problem is this: When we...

Hi Ed, I'm a trainer/certified behaviorist in Virginia. I've been training dogs by the good old "German Methods" for years, since that is where I'm from. The way I deal with my dogs and attempted to deal with clients dogs with behavioral problems seem to be almost identical. The reason I'm writing you is because I'm finding myself in a lose-lose situation. In the DC Metro area, everyone seems to have been brainwashed and wanting to do "positive reinforcement" as they call it...