Obedience Q&As

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...

I have a purebred GSD that is 11 months old now. he went to puppy classes at 10 weeks old and has been going to socialization classes and walks with the class and he is fine around the other dogs and people. He wears a pinch collar and a choke collar when we are at home and he wears a Halti collar when we walk with the class. we bought the Halti collar because he went after a strange dog on the trail one evening. Last night my wife had him out and he went after a dog that he has been aroun...

Hello Ed, Our Golden Retriever who is almost two is still biting...we have tried everything! Sometimes it seems as though she is very serious and uncontrollable. In addition, she hates to walk. Whenever we attempt to go on walks, she jumps up over the leash and bites at our hands and refuses to walk as we try to fix the problem. Also, she is very timid around other people and especially other dogs. She does not show aggression, but puts her tail in between her legs. When attempting...

Hi Ed. Thank you for the continually informative web site. I'm currently doing obedience work with my 7 month old GSD female. She's a fast learner and eager to please, so I don't have much trouble with her. I do take her to training, but I've also ordered some of your videos. She passed her 100 yard down, stay & recall test with flying colors to graduate from puppy class. There is only one problem that I'm encountering that has me puzzled. When off lead, like doing the long ...

I was wondering if you could help me. I am having my dog trained by a very reputable trainer in my area. The pup is 5 months old and when the trainer works with the dog he does everything. When we work him we are causing marks on his neck. Some are scabbed over. It seems like we are not having great success with using corrections on this dog. We are using a choke collar and our trainer says that we should give him a good correction instead of many little ones. We are afraid to hurt him an...

Dear Sir or Madam: After reviewing your web site I learned that I should have contacted you guys about getting a German Shepherd dog to train in Schutzhund as my next purchase. I have had my German Shepherd mix that I adopted as a rescue from the local humane society. He is highly intelligent and has been trained by me and behaves perfect when on the leash. However, when off the leash he tends to want to do his own thing but obeys nearly 70% of the time. He's smaller than most Germ...

Hi Ed, Having some problems handling my 7 month old and I wonder if you can explain them. 3 things happened today 1. He's almost always on a leash, but sometimes I let him walk along as I'm going to the car or garage. I had him outside with me today for a minute as I went to grab something out of the garage- next thing I knew I heard a lady yell out --- hey!!! She was walking a dog and mine went over to see it. I walked over calmly and then grabbed him by the back of the neck and car...

I have a Yorkshire Terrier that is VERY hyper. What do you suggest to correct a small dog?

Hi Ed, I've read about not staring into the eyes of your dog, as it's suppose to be a dominating factor. In your opinion is this true and does it have any bad effects on a dog? Especially a GSD. Thanks, Peter

Hi Ed, I have a 16-month old Boston Terrier and I bought your basic dog obedience training video. My BT obeys my commands very well when he is off leash at home and on leash on the street. He can stay on the street for 10 min. and the distance between he and I is about 50 feet, but I have a problem when I bring him for a walk and try the off leash work. My BT tried to run away. I trained him with a 20-feet long leash before and reduced the length of the leash to 3 feet and at last ...