Recommended Q&As

Owners of loose, undisciplined dogs apparently take it deeply personal when I prevent their charging dogs from "saying hi" to my 3-month old Malinois. It's always "Oh, they won't hurt him" and just now, it was "your attitude needs an adjustment, young lady." I haven't had to kick any (out of a grand total of five dogs) yet, but I can just imagine the city-wide outcry that would follow if I dared to use anything at all beyond body language. These have all been full-sized or full-sized plus obe...

I'm afraid this may be kind of a stupid question to seasoned veterans such as yourselves, but I've seen "dominant"/independent behavior from my 6 month old puppy ever since she came home with me at 10 weeks. She is a corgi so by breeding she's very stubborn and smart. She attempts to jump onto furniture all the time (I tell her OFF and enforce with body block if I have to), blows off my commands even in the house (or complies very slowly), bullies other puppies (not adults), used to be extrem...

Leerburg, Brief history: A majority of my dog training experience through the years has been the "old way" of thinking - and it is frustrating to think of all the mistakes I've made with some wonderful dogs - and how things could have been different. With that said, I'm committed to continually learning so that my future canine relationships will gain the maximum benefit. I appreciate the wonderful accessibility to information your site provides. I've bought several of your videos and have...

Hi Cindy, I hope things are well with you. We are getting on great training our two dogs but we have a problem with our golden retriever who is now nearly three years old. She gulps down her food (we give her Hills JD nuts/kibble). We feed her twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. To try and slow her down eating, we have put a large smooth stone in the middle of her bowl and the nuts around it, this slowed her down a little at the start but she has gone back to her old ways and g...

I didn't read your article to not get 2 puppies at one time. Now that it is too late, we have a female golden retriever and a male cavalier both about 4 months. We have had them for 1 month and potty training is pretty good. We do have the occasional accident. Our big problem is the golden is beating up on the cavalier. We have tried putting her in her crate when she starts, we have tried loud noises and spraying water but to no avail. we can't let either one go as they both have physical pro...

Ed, I recently tried to break up a dog fight between my 4 year old golden retriever and 5 year old yellow lab (both neutered males). The fight occurred in the middle of our large yard. I was alone but still tried to breack up the fight by grabbing the back legs of the dog that was wining and lifting and pulling back. As soon as that dog would let go, the other dog would attack. This went back and forth several times. Each time I was able to get one dog to let go, the other would attack. T...

Ed, I recently tried to break up a dog fight between my 4 year old golden retriever and 5 year old yellow lab (both neutered males). The fight occurred in the middle of our large yard. I was alone but still tried to break up the fight by grabbing the back legs of the dog that was wining and lifting and pulling back. As soon as that dog would let go, the other dog would attack. This went back and forth several times. Each time I was able to get one dog to let go, the other would attack. Th...

Hi Cindy, My 6 month old female GSD has been diagnosed with CHD. The x-rays have been confirmed by another vet as being good, reliable x-rays, and he also says that our dog's hips are "poor" and will need surgery. One vet wants to do Triple Pelvic Osteotomy (TPO) and the other vet wants to do a FHO? Femoral Head Ostectomy. Do you have experience or knowledge about these two procedures? Both break my heart to think about them. The FHO seems to be less traumatic and have a quicker reco...

Why on earth does your page say that you think neutering is bad for a dog's health? Suggesting to owners that they shouldn't neuter is totally irresponsible given the global problem of strays and unwanted pets being put to sleep. There is a dog welfare crisis in every country which isn't helped by this kind of misguided advice. Breeders likewise are responsible for much of this overpopulation and owners should be encouraged to adopt a rescue dog rather than buy from someone who's purely profi...

Hi Cindy, A prominent dog trainer recently said that if a male owner who had a male puppy he couldn't raise himself the first few months of the puppy's life, has the puppy raised by a female, this would cause later problems when the puppy comes back to live with the male owner He said that if she raised a female puppy for the male owner, there would be no such issue He said that if a male raised a puppy for the male owner, there would be no such issue regardless of whether the puppy is a m...

Hi Cindy, My GSD has had a hard time keeping a solid stool and she does not digest chicken at all. I have had her on a diet of Orijen fish food and she can keep a semi soft stool. My questions is, will grand flex upset her tummy? Thanks

Hi. I have a 10 month old BOERBOEL. I feed him premium dog food but he looks skinny around the hip. I am thinking of the raw diet but, will this change his moods and get aggressive? I have a 3 year old boy that plays with him. If my boy falls and bleeds, will this attract the dog to his wound?

Hi Cindy, I am watching a 12 week old Rottweiler puppy and he is the cutest little guy. He loves to play and seems like a very nice puppy until you pick him up to try to cuddle him. He displays quite a little temper and becomes aggressive. He tried to bite my face. This does not come across as playing as his personality changes to a mean streak. He means business. If I didn't dodge the bite, there is no doubt he might have bit me hard. As much as I like him, I wonder if these are sig...

Hi, Very heartbroken and torn on what to do. We got a Catahoula Leopard Dog when she was 6 weeks old. About 2 years ago she started to look at you scary when you gave her a treat and sat next to her on the couch. I think if I touched it she would bite me. Then she went after my Min Pin's treat and hurt her badly. She also goes crazy if a dog passes our house her hair goes up and when I try to make her stop she will get aggressive with me. But the worst thing about this is she could be so l...

My 11 month old GSD lays down on the ground and refuses to get up when its time to go in the car. Today she mouthed me hard (drew blood, it was on my cuticle) when I tried to pick her up and put her in the back of my SUV. I've tried the following: removed the crate and replaced it with a dog barrier. Treats (high value), toys, excitement, moving my car to a different location and even coming to the car from a different location. Once she's in the car, she's fine. No whining or pacing. S...

Thanks for a great informative site! With that said I have the DVDs on The Power of Playing Tug with Your Dog and The Power of Training Your Dog with Food. I have a 6 month old GSD I am training for Schutzhund. When I tug back and forth for a bit and then let him have the tug, he runs away with the tug and is possesive of it. I tried putting a leash on him, and giving him small pops back to me, but Michael Ellis, in the video, was telling the trainers not to do that. How do I get the dog...

I have been reading different articles on your website and wish to purchase a DVD but only have $ to spend on one maybe 2. I have a 6 month old part lab, part Tibetan terrier with loads of energy. I also have two boys one 5 and one 2 with loads of energy. I need to be a pack leader. I am not with my pup. I am great with my kids. A friend recently suggested the leash training. In the house and outside to establish I am the leader. We do not have a fenced yard and the kids and I were playin...

Good Morning Cindy, My question is this: How do I deal with people who put there hands on/ want to pat my Shepherds? When I walk them (separately), and stop to talk to someone, many times a person will reach out to put their hands on the dog. Despite my telling them to leave the dog alone and putting the dog in a down position, this still happens. Example: I stop to talk to my neighbor, put the dog in a down position, and her husband comes over and puts his hands in the Shepherds face. He ...

Ed/Cindy, I have worked for past 2 months using your "engagement" methods, which I feel is the right way to train. But my 17 month, high energy male lab mix whines far too often that is very disappointing. He whines in the house, he whines when we visit neighbors while he is on leash, he whines on walks on leash. Is it still all about "engagement"? To date, I have not really corrected his whining, although I really feel like some very hard corrections is what is needed, is it? I use a ...

Hello, My otherwise very sweet, well-behaved and house trained cavalier puppy (9 months) has started urinating on our bed frequently. Especially when I'm washing the sheets and the duvet and mattress are bare. She is crated during the night but is allowed in the bed for snuggles. I've ruled out medical issues as she seems fine the rest of the time. Is this a dominance issue? What should we do? Thanks