Equipment

1. At what age will my puppy be ready for a chain collar?

   A: Not before than 16 weeks old! Chain collars can choke a young puppy and affect the neck development. You may use a Gentle Leader or No-pull harness to curb pulling.

2. I see people walking their dog with a band around its nose. I'm told it's a more humane system for walking dogs. What's up with that?

   A: You must have seen people using a Gentle Leader. You may think it looks like a muzzle when you first see it. Trust me, it's not a muzzle. Dogs can eat, chew and play happily while sporting this collar. Gentle Leaders are totally humane: both my dogs use it. Think of this collar like a harness for a horse: it eliminates external and internal pressure around the neck. The Gentle Leader works on the "mommy" principle. When your dog was a pup, his mom would correct him by grasping his muzzle and shaking it. The Gentle Leader has the same effect. Left on during play, the pressure on the nose discourages rowdiness and mouthing. By placing a short lead on your dog when you're expecting company, you can effectively curb your dog's jumping habits. Barking frenzies are drastically reduced and training is made simple as you guide your dog from one exercise to the next.

3. When should I start to leash train my puppy?

   A: Leash training can begin when your puppy is fairly young, 8 or 9 weeks old. First get your pup used to a lightweight collar. Then let her drag a 4' nylon lead around when you can supervise. Using a Treat Cup encourage her to follow you, slowly increasing pressure until she's familiar with it. When outside, let your puppy drag a long line. This allows you to direct your puppy without having to chase her.

4. I'm getting an older dog. What should I have prepared?

   A: Bedding, food and water bowls, a collar, a leash, toys, a chewing deterrent, a soft grooming brush, treats, and a lot of patience.

5. I leave my puppy during the day. I do have a dog walker come in a break up the day but I feel guilty leaving her in the crate. Is there another option?

   A: You can try gating your puppy in your kitchen while you are gone or using a puppy playpen. This will give the puppy more freedom while still leaving him confined. Leave him with some favorite toys and put newspaper or wee-wee pads on the floor to plan for any "accidents."

6. My dog can scale my gate. I need to keep her in the kitchen, but yesterday I came back and she climbed out and demolished my house. I don't want to crate her-what can I do?

   A: Try stacking two gates on top of each other. Two in this case will hopefully be better than one! Another option is to make your dog more leery of the gate: While standing in the kitchen with your dog have a helper discretely knock the gate over. Without paying attention to your dog, act very startled and frightened! Ideally your dog will pick up your concern and avoid the gate altogether.

7. How can I introduce my dog to the rest of the house without her going nuts?

   A: Introduce her to one room at a time using my Teaching Lead methodology. You may purchase an actual Lead or shape a leash you already have. By leading your dog using your foundation commands your dog's association will be calm, not frantic. Avoid letting your dog have complete run of the house too soon; it's overwhelming. Guiding your dog through the house, creating special areas in each room for a blanket and toys, will help shape good long-term behavior.

8. What's a Teaching Lead?

   A: The Teaching lead is a leashing system I created for hands-free control over your dog. I invented this method when training one of my own dogs. Its innovative design enables you to quickly clip your dog to your waist or any immovable object without fuss. The Teaching Lead has three applications: Leading, Anchoring and Stationing. All three communicate leadership and control in a friendly fashion. Leading makes your dog learn to follow your lead and you'll be able to quickly discourage all inappropriate behavior. Anchoring allows you to control your dog while you sit down to talk on the phone, do homework or work on the computer without having your dog get into trouble. Stationing gives you the freedom to take your dog into each room of the house. To read more about Sarah's patented Teaching Lead methodology or to download a booklet click here.

9. What sort of bedding should I get for my dog? Should I put a bed in every room?

   A: I'm partial to flat mats. Easy to transport and wash these beds will help your dog identify his space in each room. If your dog sleeps out of the crate consider getting a cozy nighttime bed.

10. My dog chokes like mad on the choke chain. It sounds awful! What am I doing wrong? Would a harness be better?

    A: First let's ensure you're putting the collar on correctly. If put on backward, this collar will catch a vise hold around your dog's neck and do what the collar is not supposed to do- choke! Decide which side you want your dog to walk on, for this example the dog will walk to the left. Take one loop of the collar and slide the chain slack through it. Create the letter "P" with the chain. Holding the chain out, stand in front of your dog and show him the chain. Give your dog a treat as you praise him and slide the loop of the "P" over his head.

    If your dog still pulls incessantly consider a different type of training collar or a No-Pull harness.

11. Prong collars look hideously cruel, but they do seem to work and the dogs don't seem unhappy. Do you ever recommend using this collar?

    A: Yes sometime I do recommend the use of what I call the "self-correcting collar." I know it looks torturous, but it's humane for hard-to-manage dogs- especially if an owner falls into the "I can't stop choking my dog" category. It requires little strength or coordination to use. When the prongs tighten it simulates a scruff shake and often has a calming, cooperative effect on dogs. If you try this collar and your dog becomes aggressive or shrieks in pain discontinue immediately. If you decide to try this collar, be forewarned: Occasionally, these collars pop off. To prevent a possible emergency, purchase an oversized training collar and attach your leash to both when walking in an unconfined area. Remove this collar when you're dog is off lead.

12. How is the Teaching Lead more effective than the traditional "leash" ?

    A: The Teaching Lead is more effective because it offers "hands-free" control of your dog. By simply clipping your dog onto the Teaching Lead, you can go about all of your business with your dog at your side. Helping you control excessive jumping, nipping and counter sniffing, due to instant control the Teaching Lead can also take the place of a crate when you're home.