New Q & A

My German Shepherd puppy literally has to be under me ever second I am around. He will not go in the back yard without me to use the restroom, he stays under my feet, in between my legs while we are walking or standing still, he'll sit on my foot when I am cooking, washing...

Hi, we have a 9 month old Berger Blanc Suisse. She is so smart and we are just in love with her. It is our first Shepherd, and our first herding breed, so we are learning a lot! We are struggling with her confidence and building it up. We will be moving in a couple of week...

I was wondering if you could provide some more information about the Michael Ellis On the Road event that is being held at Leerburg in December. How does this program compare to the various courses offered at the Michael Ellis School for Dog Trainers? Is there a certificat...

Hi Cindy, I have been looking into purchasing a working bloodline pup for some time with the goal of going as far as possible with obedience training. The breeder I chose is overseas and currently has an ideal puppy but says they need to wait another month before shippi...

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...

Hello, my dog has a very high food drive, which has aided us in the obedience training we have been doing as he is very motivated by it, but often, particularly if I am using a high value reward, he tends to ?hand mug? or bite at the hand to get to the food. I have been te...

Should I have eye contact in competition Long Sit and Down Stays?

Hi Cindy, FIrst of all, thank you so much for answering my previous question about multiple people in the household and inconsistencies when training a puppy! You were incredibly helpful. I've now purchased 3 of the DVDs from Leerburg (started with "Raising your Pu...

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 pups this ...

Do you have any videos for working with super high energy dogs (usually happy, exhuberant pit mixes in my area), perhaps a video with systematic protocols for helping clients? Thanks again!

Hi Cindy! We rescued a dog about 6 months ago when she was 3 years old. We think she is a Lab/Shepherd/Pit mix? We have no knowledge of her past. She is a great dog, we have done the pack structure ground work process, as well as I am now training her through the Michae...

Hi Cindy, My puppy is just about ten weeks old and is very mouthy and bitey as well as defiant in the yard; going after rocks and sticks (I?m mainly concerned about the rocks). My husband's friend suggested and electric collar to help with the behaviors. I?m concerned h...

Hi Cindy! I'm excited to learn more about engagement! My question is in regards to using food/toys. I understand when first teaching engagement, it is necessary to use food and/or toys, but what do you do afterwards? If you're at an obedience competition trial, you can'...

Hi Cindy, We have recently acquired a GSD girl who is 12 weeks old. She is a good girl and learning but becomes very excited and wants to play when my daughter brings her 8 month old spayed female dachshund over to visit. She also wants to play, but the GSD stands much ...

Looking for information/article/video on teaching our dog to out an object. We have 3 dogs and 2 are great at releasing the object when given the command out, however our 1 1/2 year old Mal is not so good to be nice. Any help recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you.

I bought the 3 DVD set "Heelers Toolbox." I have never been a fan of treat training but I want to try it. My question is, what are the best treats to use when training heeling? I want a treat that will be light and not fill the dogs. What would you recommend?

Cindy,I?m new to the world of competitive dog obedience (getting ready for Novice A this spring) and have a question about the order of training. In my current routine, I take her to a local park - where we train for about 30 minutes. After ending on a high note, I have be...

I have a one year old Belgian Malinois that I want to work with for protection training and bite work. I am fairly new to dog training and would like to know which courses and/or DVDs I should watch, and in what order should I take them to develop a good protection dog. Th...

I have a 3 year old GSD male who failed his first OFA hip exam, mostly because of poor positioning in the xray. I know how to correct the positioning, but is walking (maybe with a weighted pack) good to help strengthen his hips (build muscle mass)? I don't have access to a...