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Dog Training/Questions Answered by Expert Josh Abrams, Member IACP
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Service Dog Trainer | 3/2/2010 |
| Q: Hey Josh, I would like to work with a Service Dog Training Facility or open up my own training ... A: The best thing you can do is find a good trainer who has a large "toolbox", meaning a variety of ... | |
| Shiapoo not potty trained at 1 yr 4 mo. | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: We have tried everything to potty train our dog. Half shitzu , half toy poodle. We walk him all the ... A: A few suggestions: 1) Schedule his meals and water. Do not leave water down all the time for him, ... | |
| Dog is house trained but pee's if we are gone for more than 4 hours | 1/16/2010 |
| Q: I have a 1.5 year old Siberian Husky. He is fully house trained and will tell us when he has to go ... A: Consider feeding him earlier and withholding water sooner before you leave for the day. Also, buy a ... | |
| my new dog | 1/4/2010 |
| Q: few weeks ago I got a rescue dog named Bella. I was thinking of keeping it inside, in house, but I ... A: You don't mention her age but I would forget about the newspapers. Start by feeding her on a ... | |
| Stuborn dog | 11/20/2009 |
| Q: My dog is an 8 month old Rottweiler Doberman cross, who is very stubborn. While training her I tried ... A: glad you like the site! Depending on the offense, negative attention doesn't really work for some ... | |
| 6mnth old English Black Lab Female Puppy | 11/15/2009 |
| Q: I have done all I can to get my puppy to listen to me and to get her to walk with me and to not ... A: Part of it is the age, as she is at the point of adolescence and having very high energy. You might ... | |
| Getting a 2nd Dog | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: Josh, I'm looking to get a second dog as a companion for my 9 year old black lab. I wanted to ... A: Chris, Thank you for your further clarification as well. I really do empathize with what you must be ... | |
| Getting a 2nd Dog | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: Josh, I'm looking to get a second dog as a companion for my 9 year old black lab. I wanted to ... A: Chris, Thanks for your question. In my opinion this would not work. It is not up to your dog to ... | |
| Biting | 11/8/2009 |
| Q: I just got an 8 week old Anatolian Shepherd/ border collie mix and every time we are sitting on the ... A: It's a phase that she should grow out of. In the meantime, you could also try squirting her directly ... | |
| puppy | 11/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a 10 week old Wheaten puppy that we just got. I am about 99% happy with the amount he is ... A: Both of these behaviors you are describing I would attribute to his age. He'll have a lot of energy ... | |
| Basset Hound | 11/2/2009 |
| Q: We just got a Basset Hound. It is about 4 months old. It always goes outside to go to the bathroom, ... A: He's letting you know he has to go outside. The alternative is having accidents in the house. What ... | |
| exercise & biting | 10/30/2009 |
| Q: We have a female boxer puppy 8 weeks old, she only had 1st shot, she will have the second shot in 4 ... A: She's only 8 weeks old, still too young for puppy kindergarten, too young to expect that she will be ... | |
| House training | 10/26/2009 |
| Q: I am hoping you can help me. I just adopted a bichon/shihtzu from the animal shelter about 3 weeks ... A: He may never have actually been TAUGHT that going outside is a good thing! Monitor his food and ... | |
| Chihuahua not housebroken | 10/15/2009 |
| Q: I'm one of two frustrated housemates of a Chihuahua owner. The dog's name is Kazi, she's almost 2 ... A: Buy a crate suited to her size. Keep her in it until it's time to go outside. If she eliminates ... | |
| Any advices? | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: It's very hard to walk my one year old golden retriever. She is very disobedient. She tries to eat ... A: If you can find a good trainer who can show you the proper way to use a training collar, I would ... | |
| HELP! My puppy still pees/poops in house | 10/2/2009 |
| Q: My puppy is five months old now and still goes to the bathroom in the house, i do everything they ... A: Some dogs aren't fully housetrained until a year old. I would recommend buying a crate and not ... | |
| Naughty dog in house | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: . My dog Alfie is a 2 year old British Bulldog X Staff and such a handfull! He cant seem to cope ... A: It just sounds like Alfie needs some real good exercise, the kind that leaves him panting and ... | |
| Training Recommends for a 1yr old Labradoodle | 9/25/2009 |
| Q: My family and I have been temporarily keeping a 1 yr old labradoodle. He was kept in his kennel all ... A: Until you get that return call, I have one recommendation: Exercise. The kind that leaves him ... | |
| chihuahua who thinks she's a pitbull | 9/24/2009 |
| Q: Help me PLEASE! 24 days ago we rescued a female dog who's approximately a 1 and a half old - she is ... A: I would recommend a GOOD trainer for issue #1 as this is hard to fix in this space. She needs good ... | |
| 6 month old min pin peeing in crate | 9/11/2009 |
| Q: my Male Min Pin is almost 6 months old. When we first got him about 2 months ago I would get up in ... A: The crate might be too big for him. It should only be large enough for him to stand up, turn around ... | |
| Is is seperation anxiety | 9/10/2009 |
| Q: I have a 6 month old lab and he starts barking and whining everytime I leave him. When I go upstairs ... A: Nida, I think a big part of it is his age. Coming into adolescence, he is going to be pretty active ... | |
| Poop Nuggets | 9/9/2009 |
| Q: I have a 4.5 year old Maltese who for the past few weeks has been leaving little poop nuggets all ... A: A few suggestions: Has his feeding schedule changed? I recommend a regularly scheduled feeding, ... | |
| Dog behavior | 9/8/2009 |
| Q: I have 2 miniature dachshunds. My 3 year old is great. I have no issues with her at all, but my 2 ... A: First thing is to rule out a medical condition, like a urinary tract infection. If not, sometimes ... | |
| How to teach my dog to stop barking while herding? | 9/7/2009 |
| Q: I have a wonderful 1.5 yr old male Border Collie/Australian Cattle dog mix. He is neutered and gets ... A: I like what you have tried so far up to this point, and you are further along with your daily/weekly ... | |
| OLD DOG WETTING | 9/5/2009 |
| Q: I HAVE A 8 YEAR OLD MIX BREED WHO HAS STARTED TO WET IN THE HOUSE ALL OF THE SUDDEN. I DID GET A NEW ... A: Well, I think I have more questions than answers. First thing to check for is an underlying medical ... | |
| My dog is going to get me kicked out of my apt. | 9/4/2009 |
| Q: Abrams, I have a 3 year old mix. She has high anxiety I believe. Lately she has not gotten out as ... A: I can understand the frustration. Know though, that stopping the barking with collars and other ... | |
| lab behavior problem | 9/3/2009 |
| Q: Please help. My husband and I got a Labrador puppy when he was 5 weeks old. At 3 months, we got ... A: Often people buy two dogs thinking that one dog will be better off by having a friend to play with. ... | |
| GSD puppy care | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: Me and my partner have recently bought a gorgeous german shepherd puppy and were wondering if you ... A: The health question is better posed to a veterinarian who really knows about canine growth factors ... | |
| Multi-dog household, one dog urinating on couch... not a seperation issue | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: Let me first say i am disabled and home all the time, so this can not be a separation issue. I have ... A: Even if the site of an accident has been well cleaned dogs' noses can still pick up the scent of ... | |
| Toilet Training | 8/30/2009 |
| Q: We have a 6 year old spaniel who is toilet trained. However, I would like to train him to go in one ... A: I offer this product called the Pee Post through an affiliate partner on my website: ... | |
| Outside bathroom issue for 2 dogs | 8/29/2009 |
| Q: I have two border collie mix dogs. One who is about 5 years old and one that is almost a year old. ... A: Here's a product that you can try: http://www.dogasaur.com/store/products/pee-post-3.html Less than ... | |
| Dog Escaping from Adobe Fence | 8/27/2009 |
| Q: I have a one year old Australian Cattle Dog (heeler). We have a five foot adobe wall (we live in a ... A: While I'm not big on them for every situation, you might consider an invisible fence system like the ... | |
| kennel training | 8/25/2009 |
| Q: is it too late to kennel train my 2 yrs old german pincher/ mini pin! A: No, it's not too late. Little dogs can be tougher beyond the puppy years, but you just have to stay ... | |
| housetraining a poodle | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: I have had 3 poodles since birth; a female, 8 yrs; a male, 8 yrs, and a new male puppy a little over ... A: It sounds like your youngest dog is marking, and the older one is marking on top of his. It can ... | |
| housebreaking a rescue dog | 8/24/2009 |
| Q: My male cockapoo is almost 2 years old...i adopted him @ 9 months. he was not housebroken. i have ... A: I'm sure it's a frustrating problem considering you've worked so hard it. If there is no urinary ... | |
| Rescue Basset Hound Afraid of Husband | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: Our family rescued a 5 year old basset hound from a rescue group about 5 weeks ago. "Georgia" was ... A: 5 weeks is not a very long time to overcome what may have been a bad experience with certain men. ... | |
| Dogs Fighting | 8/22/2009 |
| Q: We have 2 miniature dachshunds, actual blood sisters, from two different litters; one is 2 and the ... A: You have two options as I see it. A lot of behavior management, separations, control over toys and ... | |
| Two dogs can't get along | 8/17/2009 |
| Q: I have never had a two dog household so this is new to me. We have 7 year old neutered male border ... A: Multi-dog households can often have problems related to mixed messages by the owner(s). Are you sure ... | |
| UNIQUE Housebreaking Problem | 8/12/2009 |
| Q: I believe we have a unique housebreaking issue with our puppy, Artie. He is a Bouvier-Des-Flanders ... A: Not too old to crate train. Invest in a crate just big enough for him to stand up in and turn ... | |
| Dog afraid to go outside now | 8/8/2009 |
| Q: We are really in need of help. Our 5 year old mini dachshund has always been a nervous dog. Well, ... A: Since the hot dogs didn't work, try putting your Doxie on a long leash attached to her buckle ... | |
| Housebreaking | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I am having trouble house training my 12 week old Lab girl. The techniques I used with the other ... A: Every dog is different, even within breeds, so don't be surprised about that. Some dogs do not ... | |
| pooping in crate | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: I have a 5 month beagle pup, female. Bella can go all night without pooping in her crate but when I ... A: Dogs don't poop as a way of showing spite; it might be that the crate is too big. Is it big enough ... | |
| naughty dogs | 8/4/2009 |
| Q: I hope you can help me with my two very naughty jack russels. I have a four year old neutered male ... A: A couple of ideas: Have your dogs wear a canine backpack, weighted down in the pockets with water ... | |
| Sudden Peeing | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: My dog has started peeing in the house. I adopted him in October of last year. I have 2 other dogs ... A: First thing to consider is a possible urinary tract infection which can be confirmed or refuted by ... | |
Dog Training
Answers by Expert:
Josh Abrams, Member IACP
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer most dog training-related questions. Housetraining, basic obedience, barking, jumping, different types of aggression, separation anxiety, multi-dog household issues, and assistance dog questions to name a few. I can offer some suggestions for physical problems but usually would recommend a vet in those cases.
Experience
5 years as an Instructor for a nationally known Service Dog organization. 5 more years running my own pet dog training business. Has been a volunteer trainer of shelter dogs. Currently running a web site for dog professionals and owners called Dogasaur.com. I like to think of myself as a results-oriented trainer that looks at the dog and owner as a team striving for clarity in pack roles, which will result in harmony for both.
Organizations
APDT, IACP
Publications
Boca/Delray Life magazine, Parkland Life Magazine
Education/Credentials
BA, Drew University
Awards and Honors
Was certified Instructor of Assistance dogs for Canine Companions for Independence in Farmingdale, NY.
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