Hi everyone! Here are todays member Q&A. See you tomorrow for the lesson. – Robert
Anja
Hi Robert, thanks for what you do. My Cane corso Gigi (3 months) is doing great except for what I think is the separation anxiety. She is realy great when I am around, but when put in the crate and left alone she goes crazy. She doesn’t mind the crate if I am around. She settles down immediately when she hears me in the distant. She loves food and toys, but when she gets the sense that I am leaving she stops eating and playing. Do I continue with crate training or is there anything else I have to do?
Tristan
Hey Robert! I was wondering how you would deal with resource guarding issues in an 8 month old mal. I’ve been hand feeding him for a while so food isn’t typically an issue for him but he’s very protective of bones in particular (very rarely with normal toys). What would you do in this situation? I’ve heard taking the bone away immediately can make it worse so when possible we try to trade him treats for the bone. Should we use corrections or maybe only give him bones from our hands? Thank you!
Kyle
What advice would you give to someone thinking about getting a Working line GSD? I currently own a working line Rottweiler(male). What are some of the differences and similarities in the two breeds that may pertain to training? Thank you God bless
Alex n Azula
Hi Robert loving the site! My 8 month female GSD lately hasn’t been responding to her commands. I have been hand feeding most of her food and she usually is driven to work for it but lately is starting to lose interest in working for it. She prefers to play more now. Should I pause the hand feeding for now and just work her obedience through play and special treats? I also started keeping leash on at all times outside of the crate but feel like I’m correcting her more than rewarding.
Lydia H
Hi Robert. Thank you again for all the work and advice you give. Our 1yo male GSD is a relatively good dog and even tempered. Our concern now is when strangers visit on our land, or when he knows he’s going on a car ride he gets overly excited, jumping, pulling and whining/barking excitedly. He is calm in public. It’s just when it’s our territory he first becomes defensive with strangers and that quickly turns into over excitement and he cannot contain himself. How do we work on this?
J
Thank you Robert for all you do. My now 10week old female Mal puppy jumps up to my face and bites me if I’m sitting close enough (not next to her face); I feel so bad when I push her away or accidentally pull too hard with leash correction. she puts up a fight to go in the crate even with treats – anyway should I continue being firm about crating her for 3-4 hours at a time? Just wanna make sure I’m doing the best and right thing to be the best handler for her.
ted h
Luna is a 5 month Mal She does not like the sound of motors Vacuum cleaner, electric drill, cordless dremel, to trim her nails. Can you give me some suggestions to help her get over this?
James P
When my 8 month old GSD gets frustrated on the leash he just begins biting the leash and then eventually towards me. What can I do to curb this?
Lieutenant L
When I got GSD I was a stay at home mom. Now I work away from home an hour away 3-4 days a week subject to more. I also have a 6yo. When we got him we thought he would be a good family pet. Training command wise is great… but any free time he has he nips and jumps up especially on my kid. Scruffing makes it worse. He’s been crate trained and hand fed since day 1. Stopped hand feeding until resource guarding now back to hand feeding. He’s still being a jerk. Spends most of his time in crate bc of it
Jingyun N
Hi Robert, hope you are doing well! Today, I witnessed an intense dog fight at a dog park. A boxer was biting another dog’s ear and would not let go. The boxer’s owner was trying to pull him back but only made it worse. At last, one guy had to keep punching on the boxer’s head to stop him. This actually ruined my day and I could not stop thinking about it. My question is, what would you do if you were there? Do you have any advice for stopping dog fights? Thank you!
Laura
Hi Robert, thank you for the awesome podcast with Michael Goosby. You briefly touched upon puppy selection saying that you want to see how the puppy reacts when you pick it up. What are the signs to look for when selecting a puppy, and what are the red flags? I’m still looking for a GSD puppy and found a promising showline/family breeder. I’ve seen 3 generations of their dogs and they all look very balanced. As an athlete I’m looking for a dog with a bit of drive but not a nervous one. Thank you
Aleksandra
My male 6 y o Chihuahua is well trained, he doesn‘t react to other dogs and people, he ignores them. He never was reactive doesn‘t matter if it was in the yard or on a walk. Since I left him with my grandma for 3 days he became very reactive when it comes to our 500m street and the yard, he just sprints and barks at all the people and dogs that are currently going past him, doesn‘t matter if he is on or off leash. What can I do ?
Maxwell
Hey Robert – Do you offer services to help people become dog trainers?
Mary aka Gandalf the Caramel
Gandalf is self-confident. In puppy school, the B Malinois who trains the pups to “give up” actually gave up with Gandalf. Trainer said: you have a lot of work with Gandalf. Fine. working now 1 year with Schlegel and Gandalf is coming along fine, but very distracted always. I train daily 3-4 times also during walks. He plays with the big dogs…shepherds, podencos. E-collars are not an option in CH, ideas how I can focus Gandalf from a distance. He is 18 months old. thank you.
Naomi K
Recently my 8 mo GSD started lunging and barking at other dogs on walks. If the other dog is behind the fence or not moving, I can work through with her from a distance using your method. But if the other dog is walking toward us, I cannot get her focus back on me. So these days I walk away as soon as I spot a dog approaching. Her basic obedience/walk is good thanks to your lessons. Should I start using a prong collar? My concern is my dog is very skittish. Appreciate your advice.
Alex S
Hi Robert, my dog sometimes jumps up and forward when we’re playing tug. He lands sort of hugging my leg, still tugging but pulling side to side. I try to always keep backward pressure on the tug but it’s difficult when he crowds me like that. I’ve tried not engaging until he starts backing up, and I’ve tried pushing the tug into his mouth to get him back, but I’m not sure those are the right responses. How should I respond to this? He’s a large 22 month old husky/gsd mix.
Don
Hi. I have a 17 mo rescued German shepherd that survived Parvovirus as a puppy. He doesn’t like cats – but tolerates ours and lives with another dog (both rescues). My question is that at 17 months old we’re starting to see some aggression when walking him (city streets in Brooklyn NY) with certain dogs (or storefront mannequins). Will neutering help with that or certain aggression or is it better to leave him intact for health reasons and correct his behavior with continued training? Thank you
Nick
Hey Robert, I’m looking for a recommendation on a Prong Collar. I went to obedience class this week and the trainer put a prong collar on my 8th-month English Cocker Spaniel for the first time. I was so impressed, he pretty much self-corrected himself and executed all the commands with minimal correction. I would like to know what size you recommend on your site: the Small 2.25 or Medium 3mm or Large prong collar? Thanks so much!
Marilyn
Hi Robert, Love your videos We have 2 4 yo female dogs who are socialized and well behaved ( usually) one is a golden the other is an American Staffordshire/ goldendoodle. They play well with other family dogs and have been boarded at facilities like Wag Hotels The dogs were reevaluated and Pit bull mix was “overwhelmed” in a large dog group but did better with smaller dogs. I was told my dog has low continence and low self esteem. She was not aggressive. How do you help with self esteem? and low confidence Recommend 1 of your videos?
Agnes
11 month Mali whining/howling in the crate in the morning. He starts vocalizing when he hears us get up or randomly between 5 and 7am. Not found a pattern to this behavior (looking at activity level from the day before etc). Think he is eager to start the day. Used to bark but telling him to settle mostly sorted that. Never let him out until he is quiet and lying down. Not anxious in the crate & if we get up in the night he stays sleeping.I know he also isn’t desperate for the toilet either.
Adam
I introduced the E-collar to my 11 month old a few days ago. She picked up on the idea of coming to me when she starts wandering and gets a stim. However, When I try to use a stim as a correction (after a no) she becomes confused, detached, and starts sniffing. The setting in very low and if I turn the stim up, it does not help. Have you seen this behavior? will it change as she becomes more conditioned to the collar? any suggestions? Thank you so much.
NATHAN J
My 6-month-old Giant Schnauzer becomes very excited when my daughter (2.5) runs in the house. My pup wants to chase after her. Of course, I don’t allow the pup to chase my daughter. Should I put my puppy in her crate when my daughter is running around, or is it better for her to be exposed to the running and just keep her restrained (via a leash).
Grady B
I know I’m just missing the right verbiage that said when I send my Mal out how can I train him to drop to an immediate down without returning to me. I know I’ve forgotten something in the training. He recalls great but I want to have him stop and drop to a down Thank you
Fernando L
Hi Robert, I have a two year old Dutch Shepherd(Fausto), that is highly reactive and aggressive towards other dogs. I adopted him about a year ago, we have made good progress, but I feel I need more learning and training to properly address this situation. I would love to go hiking, camping, and on peaceful walks with him. Would board and training be a good idea? Or should I go with private lessons instead? By the way, I just joined your site, I’m excited for the knowledge that awaits. Thanks.
Ed
We have an eight month old rescue puppy. She has been with us for the last 5 months. We have been to basic trading from the local AKC. She is a good dog and has come a long way. Very responsive to basic commands with her weakest being “leave it”. She gets excited when meeting other dogs, but this has improved using your suggestions on loose leash. My question, when walking on a loose leash, how much leeway is allowed for her exploring with her nose?
