Most Recent Q&As

We live by a golf course and I let my 7 month old lab off leash a bit so he can run around. Problem I find is he will catch a ball but then stop and find grass or something else to start eating. Yelling, Yuck or No does nothing to get him to stop. As I approach he'll quickly swallow the stuff. I then say Yuck or No and put him back on lease. Any ideas for me to get him to stop this action??

I’m trying to get my 12-week-old Aussie puppy to focus on me using Michael Ellis’ methods. I want us to have a good relationship. The problem is, she is tepid about me but she ADORES my older Aussie. I started keeping them separate at all times (which is hard) but whenever she’s out of her crate, the puppy goes straight for the big one. And when they are together in person, they are relentless players. The puppy shows ten times the enthusiasm for the old dog and she does for me despite ...

Hi Cindy, I have an 8 week old purebred German Shepherd puppy. We've had the puppy for almost a week now and he is pretty OK to spend time playing in his ex-pen when he is inside and not on leash (this is usually after we have been playing outside for a while trying to blow off some steam). Usually for a minute or two when he is first put in the ex-pen he will have a bit of a short tantrum before flopping down and taking a nap or chewing one of his toys. We try to ignore him and not give him...

Hello! I love your videos and guidance. I do have a question though. My 14 week old Boston Terrier puppy ONLY jumps on my two year old nephew, and in her excitement, she scratches. It is hard to train her out of this because we see my nephew only every few weeks. I know we don’t use positive punishments, but in the moment she’s jumping, what can I do? I don’t want to put her on a leash and pull the leash and make her leash shy (we rarely use the leash and so she doesn’t have enough po...

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...

Hi Cindy, I have a 5 mo. old German shepherd puppy I've had since he was 8 weeks old. I have an 8 lb yorkipoo & a labradoodle. I haven't been able to introduce him to my Yorkipoo because all he wants to do is paw her and mouth her to play and she's too little so we keep them apart. My question is how do I introduce them? He really wants to get to know her but he's too rough. Thank you

when training my puppy what are some of the best training treats?

Hi Cindy. Thanks for your videos. Exceptional! I have two questions: I'm trying to determine if there is any distinction between a "leave it" command versus a "yuck" command. I've done some cursory research, but there is divergent information from sources that do not adhere to marker-based reward training. I trained my last Shepherd with "leave it" as a universal command to, well, leave it. So, is there a difference? Also, I was watching your video training Maru to swim, and I noticed ...

My puppy just turned 9 weeks old and she has recently started barking and trying to bite at my legs. I can't decide what it is she's is wanting. It can happen at times when we are doing something she doesn't want to do, like walking away from something she was trying to eat. (which is everything outside). My response is to stand and tell her nope and if she continues I will put her either in her crate or expen. I've also been trying to direct her to playing tug, which she will do some but not...

Do you have any training or suggestions to train my dog how to go for the ball and not the rope when using the ball on a rope toy? I have a Rottweiler with a huge toy drive. I would like to use the ball on the rope as a training aid for reward when training him. Right now, he keeps going after the rope and not the ball. I purchased the ball on a rope with the handle at the end from your site. I was hope you can point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Thank you so much for taking the time to help, there is so much information I feel like I'm drinking from a fire hydrant. What is the best way to travel with the dog? We have van so a crate would fit just fine in the back of it. I've also seen straps that buckle to the seat belt and clip to the dog's collar but I was kinda of leary about that, maybe when the dog is much older? Also, do you suggest a harness or a collar to start with? I'm leaning towards the slip collar you sell to start.

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!