New Q & A

Hi Cindy, I saw an article recently on the subject of marker training, specifically the use of a no reward marker or negative marker. The article argues that the use of NRM's while it may not seem like it, is actually "aversive" to the dog and that it does not help to t...

Hi, I have a 14 week old Rottweiler puppy. She has a bone and when I went to pick it up, she went after me. I thought she was kind of young to do that. What would be the best plan to handle this?

Hi Cindy, I've purchased all of the Ellis DVDs and the Basic Dog Obedience DVD and the Marker Training DVD but still am unsure how to train the basic "stay" command - whether in a sit or down. All of the DVDs seem to assume the "stay" command has already been taught to ...

Hello! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your website and all of it's contents. We have a 9-week old Golden Retriever puppy and the information you've provided has given us such a firm foundation. Thank you! My question has to do with running. I know pup...

My apartment is right in front of the elevators so people constantly come and go in front of our door. My pitbull always barks and growls at the door when he hears things outside but he is very human friendly and loves people. How do I get him to stop barking every time s...

Greetings, Most of the puppy toys are not made out of burlap, I assume not to associate possible tooth pain with the texture of jute. At what age should a Schutzhund puppy be introduced to burlap? Thank you much for all the great work you do!!!

My 17 month old dog has travel anxiety, she pants and won't relax in the 2nd seat of our SUV. She is in a safety harness and can lay down. I tried a name brand herbal calming product which did not seem to help, I'd like to avoid Benadryl or vet Rx. Chew toys or treats are ...

I have a GSD who can be quite reactive when on-leash and who tends to ?check out? on walks. I?ve used a number of Michael Ellis DVDs for training so far and off-leash he has good engagement, recall and is not particularly reactive around other dogs.It feels like I lose all...

I take my dog to a training group where we train for an 1hr once a week it?s mostly fun stuff, since we finished out good citizen scheme. But I still struggle a lot with her food drive and after about 45mins at training she just switches off and refuses all the treat I off...

I just got 10 week old Australian Cattle Dog. He has been home 5 days now. I read about not letting others not pet you dog and I have a question. I live alone in a rural setting in a neighborhood with about 4 houses pretty close by, so I interact with the neighbors a lot. ...

Hi! I was wondering what characteristics you would advise looking for in a PTSD service dog prospect in a litter of pups? I?ve selected an outstanding breeder, whose previous litters had pups that went on to successfully complete service dog training, so there?s a histo...

Hello, You've probably been asked this a million times but, what treats to do you use when you train? Thanks.

Hi Cindy, I train dogs in the UK and have recently been helping a family with a 7 month old Frenchie. When I first went round it was because he was showing aggression over food and objects but not just his own. If anyone had food he could show signs of aggression toward...

Hi Cindy! I've emailed before for help with my Belgian Malinois pup and your suggestions have been helpful, particularly in regards to puppy biting. A new problem has arisen: he barks, and it appears to be motivated by him seeking my attention (there is also the possibilit...

Thank you for the recent correspondence and the great deal on many of the videos. We chose Ed and your basic and intermediate videos because quite frankly, my fianc? and I are beginners. Our puppy however is brilliant!! We have our first GSD puppy, a female rescue from...

Hi Cindy, I have a two month old puppy that has no treat or enough toy drive. Thus I can't do luring, crate training, etc. He is also very slow eater with same food from breeder. Have never experienced this before so I am a bit perplexed. Any advice please?

I have a 13 1/2 week old puppy that I feed a raw meat and bone diet to. For the last few days I would give her a raw, meaty shank bone to chew on while she?s in the expen. Just today I noticed two of her small front teeth missing and one is loose. It seems too early for he...

Hi Cindy, I looked through the barking Q/A and didn't find anything on young pups - 12 weeks. Initially, regardless of how often I would take him out, my dog would poo while in the crate as he caught on that it would get him out. After isolating him for 24 hours and on...

I am getting a 8 week old Belgian Malinois pup in a couple of weeks. At what age do you recommend that I begin feeding him bully sticks?

I have an 11 month old GSD that hasn?t been socialized much. He is a rescue; I got him at about 4 months old and have had him out in public, but he needs obedience training. He is non-reactive to other dogs, cats, children etc. I want to try and train him to be a service d...