Member Questions 6-20-26

Hey guys...  here are this weeks member questions.  

Enjoy and if you have any questions, find me in the community section!

Here are the questions as received:

Bruno

Hi Robert! Imagine that one's dog is performing a free search of an object you have hidden. He finds it and it has really been a challenge but he keeps going following the scent cone. Now he gets it! Would you opt by marking the release word "Yes" right away or keep the bridge " gooood" and release only when he gets it to you ( the object). Many thanks! :)

Zachary H

Hello! I’ve been using your training methods for over a year with my 15-month-old Malinois, and she has made excellent progress. She stays neutral around aggressive dogs, responds well to commands, and has been developing into a balanced dog.

About a month ago, however, she suddenly became extremely reactive to cats. What used to be mild curiosity has turned into intense prey drive. We’re in Playa del Carmen, where loose cats are everywhere, so she now spends walks scouting for them, watches for them through windows, and patrols the fence. She has nearly pulled me over several times.

This feels more serious than normal leash reactivity. Should I continue using the slip-lead method, or is there a better way to manage and reduce this level of cat fixation?

Mary

Thank you for taking questions. This is part 2 of a previous question about my 3.5 yr malinois barking at my husband. We have gotten him over barking at the walker and canes, but now he is just charging and barking at my husband. When he sees him move at a distance from the closet to the bathroom, he goes running and barking and when I was upstairs with the dog and the dog heard my husband moving around in the kitchen below, he came barking down and ran up to him barking with hackles fully up. The dog does not settle when my husband talks to him, but does when I come to him. It appears he is trying to protect me and let me know of an “intruder” type reaction. I’m wondering if we can fix this. I don’t have a lot of training time with my husband’s health issues. Should I adopt him out? He is obviously very attached to me and me to him.

Cindy

Hey Robert, Promise has just turned 5 months. My hubby and I love to go for daily walks. Is it okay to walk Promise with no expectation of her heeling, just for mental and physical exercise? Her other training is going well. I understand heeling will take time.