Recommended Q&As

Hi Cindy, In the Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 12 Months video, it is described to use the exercise pen for the puppy. At what age is too old for the pen? We used ours up until 4 months of age and then stopped but started again 2 days ago. What age is it recommended for while in the house? We are having considerable issues with hierarchy struggles with our puppy and lunging/biting. (Puppy is 18 weeks old now). Thanks!

If I have two dogs and separately they know their names and respond to commands, how do I get them to respond to commands when together depending on whose name I called out? For example, if they're in a sit and I say "Lexi, come" I only want Lexi to come and Roxy to stay seated. They're getting confused when I attempt this. I want to keep the motivation high and not use "no" every time the wrong dog responds.

Cindy, I've made great strides with my dog, thanks to your advice. She displays only brief, calm interest or indifference towards the chicken coop and defers to the cats in the home if they growl, hiss, or run away - no chasing, fixating, etc. Thank you! A new issue has cropped up: yesterday she began to guard high value treats from me (bison or beef bones), growling if I approach, and even snapping to deter me. These treats are new, but 1 week ago I could approach or pet her when she wa...

Do you have a recommendation for protective boots THAT STAY ON the dog. I have a 78 lb, 12 year old GSD female who is "toeing under" and needs protection for her right back foot. I know several other owners that have had this problem and have had trouble finding a comfortable boot that will reliably stay on the dog. Any help you can give will be much appreciated. (I own a boarding and grooming operation and would love to be able to recommend a product you may carry that works...preferably ava...

Hi Cindy, Which puppy harness is recommended in Leerburg's puppy training videos, and which size should be purchased for an 8 week old German Shepherd puppy?

I have an 8-month-old GSD who is very sweet-natured and who I have been successfully working on engagement and luring training since I got him at 8 weeks. He has played successfully with several other dogs that I knew well enough to allow that interaction and had no signs of aggression. However, I started him in obedience and the other two dogs in the class were littermates belonging to a mother and daughter. They were reactive to my dog and began lunging and barking and he lunged and barked ...

Hi Cindy, my 1st DDR sable GSD: She’s now 16 mo, is undergoing her 3rd heat and seems to be blowing her coat in stages. My earlier 3 working line shepherds were West German & all were b & t with stock coats. This little female has had a very thick undercoat. Now it’s all gone & the outer guard hairs are being shed. Please can you give me some idea of how the coat comes back … how long it takes? She currently looks like a coyote! Thanks so much as always!

Hi Cindy, are there any videos about training pet terriers?

Hi Cindy, I hope you are well. I cannot find anything that specifically addresses this question, so I am reaching out. Puppy socialization classes: specifically, a local trainer has classes where puppies, grouped roughly by age, are placed together to "socialize." Do you/Leerburg recommend this sort of class? Thank you!

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, Our family is waiting for our German Shepherd puppy to come to our home in March. We are first time dog owner, and we are serious about properly training our dog. I am amazed by the amount of training material and courses you have made available on your website, but at the same time feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. What would you recommend as we start our preparation and plan our training for the dog in the next 12 months? Looking forward to hearing from you. ...

Hi Cindi- what is the best food for puppy & adult malinois? Thank you

What are the magnetic effects from the magnet and ball on phones, credit cards, and dog microchips? I know to keep magnets away from the cards and electronic devices but how close can you be without effects? What about the dog microchip? Any problems with that?

When I use my electric collar can I have my dog's other collar on without it effecting her? She would be wearing either collar a prong collar or a fur saver collar. I would assume it would be okay. But id rather be safe than sorry. Thank you for your time.

Hello! I have a 9 month old male cockapoo who was recently neutered. He is almost fully house trained, but recently has been jumping up onto my couch and bed and urinating. He is fully eliminating, and has done it about 5 times. I am wondering whether this is a dominance issue, or an issue of insecurity. I have tried to keep him off the furniture but he will run into the other room and do it before I can get to him. I live alone but have a serious boyfriend who is usually around. I am unsu...

Every time I give my German Shepherd a large bone to chew on from the local pet store it gives him major diarrhea. I give him these to keep him busy when I go to work or when I am busy and don't have time to play to keep him busy. He loves them and enjoys holding on to them while chewing on them. What is an alternative or what can I give him to prevent his stomach from getting upset and he still be able to enjoy his bones? I even tried what is called Busy Bones and they do the same thing. I n...

Hi Cindy, I just have a query regarding the bite sleeve with jute cover. My Malinois loves his bite work but we have noticed that he is specifically targeting the jute sleeve where it overhangs the end of the hard arm as this is the area with no hard casing beneath it. He has learned that this is the softest part and has just exhibited re-bite to ensure he gets that part only. Is there a way to soften the hard arm itself? Indy is 16 months of age and plenty big enough to tackle the sleeve...

Hi Cindy, I have used some of your videos and they are great. I have a 3 year old Shiba Inu and I am having problems with putting flea treatment on him. I know that you are not advocates of flea treatment, but I haven't been able to control the fleas through other methods. Last time I put frontline on his neck he was very distressed, snapping and crying. I think its fear rather than aggression. Overall, he is a well trained dog, very polite, and a pleasure to live with. He was stubb...

Hi. I was interested in taking the Basic Obedience course offered online, but I am unsure if it is relevant for me. I have just adopted a 1 year old male German Shepherd from a very good breeder that recommended me to your site. He does know a bit more than the basic commands. I would like to learn the recall, better walking on a leash... he's not bad, but could be better. Basically I think my question is, is this course for teaching a puppy and should I be looking into a different cou...

Hello. Sure love the information you all provide. It has helped me establish a solid relationship with my German Shepherd dogs. I have a question about having 2 German Shepherds at home. My 45 lb. spayed female is scared of our 90 lb. intact (but soon to be neutered) male. She hides and barks when he is out. As a result only one dog can be out at a time. Any tips for settling the female down? Thanks