Uncle Stonnie Wants Your Opinion About Malinois Training!

Today Uncle Stonnie is asking for your opinion regarding dog training in general and Malinois training in particular!
00:00 Interesting Email Question
02:45 What Is High Level Obedience
04:32 Farm Dog Responsibilities
05:56 Do Farm Dogs Need Formal Protection Training
07:55 What About Separation Anxiety
10:38 The Importance Of Bloodlines
11:53 Do Farm Dogs Need Hobbies
13:36 Should We Pick Up Puppies By Their Scruff
15:24 Is An Electric Collar Necessary For Reliable Obedience
18:52 Stonnie's Approach To Reliable Obedience Under Distraction
21:41 Why Might A Trainer Recommend An Electric Collar
24:40 Off Leash Walk And Final Thoughts
We look forward to hearing your opinions!
#stonnie #malinois #protectiondog

[@StonnieDennis]

Are you a fan of my training style, but can’t travel to Kentucky to see me in person? No worries! I offer an awesome online dog training course, which includes access to an array of exclusive videos and content, personalized coaching, journaling, and in-depth mentoring and evaluation by yours truly! If you just need some an advice or have a couple questions you need answered, I also offer professional consulting by the hour. Both of these great services can be found here: @www.kentuckycanine.com Thank you all for your remarkable support over the years! I cannot express enough how grateful I am for your appreciation and patronage of this channel, my training style, and my kennel. Always remember, it’s a great day for a puppy-sized adventure!

[@FATBOYSxK9S]

I'm a young newwer trainer from Louisville and would love to come help out around the property in exchange for any knowledge you'd be willing to share

[@melblacke5726]

Ecollars not a magic wand or a shortcut. It does not negate the need to start teaching the dog obedience behaviors and what your expectations are and then taking them to various environments and asking for the behaviors and then working your way up by slowly increasing the distraction load. I would never use an ecollar for this.

[@kellycookseyenglish9909]

7-Eleven I will send llllllll

[@PigglyWiggly90120]

I'm interested but I'm not paying $4,000 8x times the cost of other dog trainers 😂 I'm sure the only difference between them and you is they don't have a KZbin channel. Oh and I'm only 30 minutes south of Lexington

[@C.Hawkshaw]

I was blessed with a coonhound and a chihuahua. My husband picked them, l didn’t know anything about dogs. Then my husband went to play banjo in heaven. People gave me lots of grief because my dogs weren’t “trained “. I hired a handful of different trainers to help me. They all failed. I watched half a dozen KZbin channels- my dogs got fat with treats. Then I came across Stonnie’s channel. I relaxed about the coonhound and gave her plenty of exercise and a 6’ fence. I was lucky to join a huge off leash park. My chihuahua and coonhound made an excellent guard dog team for my one acre and kept raccoons, bears and bobcats out. I also give my chihuahua about an hour a day off leash adventuring. I live in the city now and like Stonnie recommended I hunt for unpopulated park-like areas and then tell nobody about them. Five years on l let my chihuahua off leash all the time in the city. People comment that they could never let their little dog off leash because it would run into the street- mine won’t even run after a squirrel or rabbit unless she gets the OK from me. But I’ve done no “formal” training. Just lots of exercise, lots of fun, lots of interaction with other dogs. I slowly over time taught her basic commands WHILE out and about, but not in sessions because that was too frustrating for both of us. I see a lot of dogs that seem miserable and I have to bite my tongue. Stonnie’s method works, and you and your dogs are happy and not fat. 😄

[@sdfghjasdfghjk8175]

Thank you for sharing and stepping up for your dogs. I hope your husband rests in peace. I am sure it's beautiful sight to see the dogs and partner he loved living their best life possible

[@C.Hawkshaw]

@@sdfghjasdfghjk8175 Awww, thank you so much!

[@Kovidkillermalinois]

"A protection dog can't protect you if he isn't with you."~Stonnie

[@slipshft1]

I had a trainer come to my house, they exclusively used electric collars. My dog was about 6 months old, and using the collar shut her down. She would lie down and didn't want to move. I prefer a more relaxed method such as Uncle Stonnie provides. So I watch his videos, and try to remember what I learned. We are both much happier with this style of training. She has 2 acres to run around on, so not technically a farm, but bigger than most lots.

[@Flippokid]

These are the worst trainers. But someone (and admittedly in this industry: a lot of people) using a tool wrong does not mean the tool is bad.

[@lilhooter]

How you intro equipment is huge. I never use equipment (prong, e-collar, etc) until the dog has a positive (or at least neutral) relation with the equipment.

[@melblacke5726]

I have seen dogs that have been trained with an ecollar that do great and some that do not respond to it well at all. That is why dog training is both an art and a science. Some things are quantifiable and some are intuitive.

[@daviddromaine]

@@Flippokid Yes using shock collars is valuable tool for trained professionals not the general public. Certification classes should be required to purchase one. They will do irreparable damage and break their spirit when used irresponsibly.

[@Flippokid]

@@daviddromaine I agree.

[@tesartmania4645]

People constantly tell me what a well trained dog I have. She is a working breed & her abilities exceed my expectations. She makes sound decisions & I attribute this to your sound methods & wisdom. Thank you Uncle Stonnie.

[@Flippokid]

E collars aren't necessary, but they can be useful. They aren't a shortcut for training though, many people think that but the reality is it takes more training. It all depends on the environment and how much freedom you want to give your dog. How much distractions are in the environment, how many risk factors? I got a dog that only had a 12 m2 backyard to go potty in for at least a year, didn't get walked. Reacts to everything. So I want to give him the freedom he deserves. But it's a hunter. Many of the parks in my area have deer, and there are ducks and other water birds everywhere that he goes after. 8 months in and his recall is getting better and better, as long as he's not hunting. I'm even able to yell "no" when he's deciding to go after something, and maybe a second after take off, which is also improving. It sure would be nice to have that back up of remotely touching the dog with an as-low-as-possible stimulus that the dog will listen to. In fact I'm saving up for it now. Do I need one? My first dog got raised almost completely off leash. Her recall is 100%. She sits and stays outside shops when I tell her to. So no, I don't need one. But she was a lot smarter than Diesel, a lot more focused on me already from the start, and I had all the time in the world when I trained her.

[@maxzorin9425]

One function of an "VIBRATION" collar is to train for silent signal recognition. This type of collar does NOT administer any kind of shock, but merely vibrates in different patterns the dogf is taught to recognize. Dogs can be directed beyond line of sight or sound in neutral and hostile environments were positions must remain concealed.

[@sdfghjasdfghjk8175]

I've also found that dog anxiety is also increased by not giving a dog enough downtime, setting the expectation that they will always have a human around. So it can be just as much about overstimulation as understimulation. Think it falls under the umbrella of managing expectations and taking appropriate responsibility for the animal in your care.

[@thisismylovehandle]

Yep! My dog lives on our homestead. She had to be trained that the house was not for work. She had anxiety when we stopped working. We trained her that relaxing in the house was part of her job too.

[@cgbaldwin]

3:43 "you have a dog that makes really good decisions" Amen! this is the big lesson I take away from Stonnie every time - socialize your dogs young, exercise them daily, reinforce the good behavior and try as best you can to ignore and redirect the unwanted choices - 6:30 protection training for farm dogs - it's a mistake with mals to assume their only outlet for post-adolescent maturation is bite-training - they look like military and police dogs because we all have social media that lets us peruse their portfolios, but just because you can buy a jacked-up 4x4 doesn't mean you know how to go off-roading - same thing with mals - good socialization with other dogs at a young age, and by this I mean regular dog-park sessions with the same crew, is a much kinder and gentler solution that merely weaponizing your dog's looks into some kind of aggressive bidding -

[@StonnieDennis]

Very good post!

[@MargaretYoung-ud8xy]

Funny thing is a Teruvren is basically the same dog, different variety determined by coat. Very few think of them as protection dogs, they end up doing agility, can cross or scent work or just being a pet. It seems it labour perception that causes issues with malinois.

[@mariebowman3472]

I think all Mals like to bite, not all of them need it to be a job.

[@veedebee]

You are like a lighthouse in a sea of gadgets and a storm of trainers with over complicated methodologies and training styles. ‘Advanced training is basic training done very well’ . I knew this, of course I did it’s basic common sense, but I just needed to hear it again, Thankyou x

[@paulaoreilly9112]

Just found your video. Great to see you training with kindness & common sense. My Mali is 19mths old, we compete in obedience & have won classes. We also do agility for fun. Other than still pulling a bit on the lead, he is perfectly well behaved off the lead. No need for shock collars just lots of patience & repetition needed.

[@samanthamartin3298]

Love the reading glasses over the sunglasses look Mr. Stonnie

[@GoodCitizen-jk9lm]

Got that right.. Most Malinois Owners are jaded with low expectations

[@Flippokid]

Regarding seperation anxiety, or just anxiety in general; a lot of people think that just because a dog lives on a farm and has plenty of space, it means that the dog has enough stimulation. That's not automatically the case. They need to be stimulated. They need training to stimulate their brain, 1 on 1 time with the owner to stimulate their bond, and to go out and see new places to not get bored. Sure, if it's patrolling a few miles, or herding sheep, there's not as much need for that as with a dog that lives in a small backyard. But it doesn't go down to zero.

[@dramaqueen3457]

I just wish mine would stop bringing me dead bunnies ♥

[@Flippokid]

@@dramaqueen3457 Why? Bunnies are delicious.

[@dramaqueen3457]

@@Flippokid you sound like my husband !♥. DQ

[@thisismylovehandle]

Yep, my dog lives on 25 acres with many kinds of animals. Minimum 1 hour of walking and training per day with me. Still cries incessantly in my absence. I should say cried. I worked with teaching her to stay in various places, incrementally increasing the time. She's doing better.

[@vargenmusic]

Great Video! I have a Maly (my 9th dog and first Maly) on a 120 acre farm with lots of animals- PERFECT for training in publiic scenarios because there's always a person, horse, pig, or cat you will bump into in the day- or better night! The farm is very interesting for the Maly! Proper attention is the key to the Maly- he goes with me almost everywhere and gets lots of my attention. He is very well behaved in public because he has been very disciplined- no need for electric collar, but training when young will require a slip collar- with teeth. This is a WORKING DOG, and if he's trained well with the basics, he will protect you and your family naturally, and he will know by instincts who is your friend- and who is not- or more importantly- who to watch- they are VERY SMART.

[@Tkidddd]

I have never said " you are such a good boy" to any of my dogs in my life, as much as I say it to the Mal I have now.

[@zoeen5650]

My malinois started to bark at tractors and quads and looked like she was thinking about biting tires. She went on a lead and I towed her around next to the ride on mower every day for a week. After the morning perimeter walk I'd get on my bike and do it again with just her on a lead for a couple of weeks. Cured. My mentor dog for outside is a springer spaniel. Not ideal but he did the job. For indoors it's an elderly pug. My malinois is very respectful and quiet indoors.

[@hendrixsun9372]

Hendrix is 3 and my voice stops him like an electric collar would. I had to change some things in my life. But my dog knows if I’m weak. You have to actually own the dog. You dog reads your stance as much as your voice.

[@donjames5761]

when I was able to buy a farm I got asking near by neighbors I have a doberman she's 7 years old never leaves my side so I can't count on her to watch out for live stock. the old farmers started telling me to get a great pyrenees I did I bought him when he was 7months old. didn't really have to do anything I walked him around the property line a few times watched him around the sheep an cows, he was fine an he just naturally does what's expected

[@matthewsecker2597]

I tip my hat to you @stonnie. You words make sense. "All dogs want to be labs and all labs want to be black" I never forget that. Keeping dogs is a full time training job. Some dogs more than others, If a dog has a job / role in life its easier and better for the dog. Some people get dogs for the wrong reasons, and that's where the troubles start. Keep up the amazing work, much love from the uk 🇬🇧

[@jdoveyk9422]

Uncle Stonnie delivering the no nonsense common sense we all need. You asked so I’m putting a two cents in. Agree with you about protection training. You don’t have to teach a dog to attack a REAL threat but you do need a 100% reliable OFF/RELEASE button no matter if it’s protecting or hunting, retrieving etc. if you do want a dog to ATTACK on command you must be very thorough in showing the dog what is and is not acceptable targets. That’s where your release and get it has to be extremely clear and extremely reliable. Also if you are using your dog to ward off predators you would never want your dog to run headlong into something that could easily kill it/ overpower it. You’d rather teach your dog to alert and then find you so you can grab your pew pew and take care of the situation as a TEAM. Explicit trust in each other and very clear boundaries are needed for “ doin the work”. Obedience custom designed for what situations you require not just attacking a dummy. 👍🐕👏🏼 Excellent video. You hiring? 🤓

[@TheWorkingAussie]

I've been following you for almost 7 years, while there are some things we don't see eye to eye on, you're always making sense and inspire me to be a better trainer to my dogs. While I'm not a professional trainer and don't plan to be, so I don't have a big opinion on this, but I do think you're correct. Your clients and personal dogs are the proof your methods work. I will be getting a Lab for my next dog and hope to be able to work with you, in the future. I think the issue comes when people think dog training is cookie cutter, that all dogs can be trained with one method or tool. Ecollars can be good tools for dogs who absolutely needs it, but I also see people putting prongs and ecollars on literal puppies.

[@carolinacardozo7184]

My wife and I love you. We watched your videos before we got our last Boxer. We did what you have been saying for years, we exercised her. She was completely reliable on and off leash. We would walk her through Penn Station in NYC off lead and the K9 officer’s would be so amazed that she had better obedience than their “overpriced high level K9”. Even as a 12 week pup I realized she was higher energy than my previous 4 Boxers. We embraced it. Long trail walks in woods and city streets. Play sessions with fetch, tug agility. Only a couple of time in 2 years did she go after a squirrel, but the recalled was perfect. Thanks for all you do. God bless from NYC🙏🏼🇺🇸. Yes, there’s still some Patriots left here😹

[@StonnieDennis]

Great work! I respect you fighting the good fight in the corruption capital of the world…

[@kilgoretrout6136]

NYC ? I live Suffolk. Not many patriots in NYC. Glad you were able to find some.

[@themollymademedoit3899]

Thankyou so much for posting this video, It was everything I needed to hear! And a pleasure to watch!

[@joepro5915]

I’m a big fan of your training style! In fact, I have a well training dog because of your training style. Much appreciated, Stonnie.

[@zoeen5650]

As requested, paused at the bitework comment. I have a malinois x dutch bitch and had the exact same situation as the chap you're talking about. 30 acres of smallholding with some livestock and wanting a dog who won't trash the place and terrorise visitors but give pests a run for their money. 3 years in (and having watched lots of your videos before getting her) I have exactly that dog. No bitework necessary but will bark on command and look fierce. (But we have really strict laws about "dangerous dogs" here in the UK)

[@kyte.the.adventurer9748]

Ive even herd talk of these dogs now looking at being deemed as not being pets bec people dont know how to train and deal with them safely. Im also from Uk

[@paulcroker8459]

Uncle Stonnie.........the voice of reason...........God Bless you

[@0003Zeb]

19 minutes in is gold level dog training Sir! Zena (my real name too) and May are beautiful examples of your training. This video should be shown to all new owners!

[@0003Zeb]

Uncle Stonnie, when you speak, I listen! You are THE only trainer on KZbin I will take time out of my life to watch - you are the best in my opinion! I trained my Lab on your excellent videos! Now I’m training my Working Cocker with them. Can a dog have separation anxiety? Does that not imply dogs can forward think to have anxiety? Grand video Sir!

[@Grinding_Gears]

Some dogs definitely do have separation anxiety. You can measure the stress hormones in their blood (even if they don’t display any external behaviour). Leaving a dog at home or in a kennel alone is an unnatural (and very modern) situation for the dog who has been bred to want to be with humans. Stonnie’s method of tiring your dog so it sleeps when you’re out worked for us

[@0003Zeb]

@@Grinding_Gears That’s my point really, which is a pedantic word problem I have, they can certainly have separation stress, but anxiety…

[@Grinding_Gears]

@@0003Zeb I think there's evidence that dogs can think ahead and make predictions, but their perception of time is different to ours. Anyway, best not to split hairs on what it's called 🙂

[@0003Zeb]

@@Grinding_Gears Many thanks for that Sir, this is exactly what I like, a discussion, and then being educated. And you are right, life’s too short to be pedantic.

[@jimmyvann1238]

Excellent video, thanks Stonnie

[@Mwyse414]

Big fan of the way you train. So many people don’t give their dogs freedom and wonder why they have so many issues. I think people get so caught up in never losing control of their dogs and don’t think about what dogs need to thrive. Being able to give the dogs all the freedom in the world and having them still see value in you and want to be with you is what it is all about! This doesn’t come with strict obedience training like everyone thinks!

[@C.Hawkshaw]

💯

[@lilhooter]

As always, excellent video. Great and honest info.

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

My fiance and I are truly blessed with my Malinois. He's a pure bred, 2 yrs+ and have had him since 6 weeks. He regulates his own energy very well, if for some reason we have a lazy day he understands and stays calm all day. We live in an apartment, but keep him active. He's not a barker when he's annoyed, he may whine a bit, but he quickly stops when he knows he won't have his way. He's incredibly socialized to other humans. However, one thing that did get away from us is his attitude toward other dogs. We were taking him to dog park daily up until 11 months because we moved and life got away from us for a couple of weeks. In the two weeks we didn't go he somehow developed an alpha complex and now is aggressive toward other dogs. It's unfortunate, but we leash him in a majority of public situations so it's not an issue.

[@elliot5008]

Get a shock collar. Easy fix bro. Nuke his ass when he tries dominating. It's better to have that structured discipline than not socializing your dog. If he gets off leash for a sec there's a good chance he'd kill another small dog resulting in him having to be put down. Fix the problem rather than reasoning that its ok.

[@NA-su3jk]

That may be due to age, not skipping 2 weeks at park.... just saying.

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

@@NA-su3jk Perhaps, I truly don't know why he developed that attitude. Wasn't necessarily pointing out that it was the two weeks, just establishing the timeline that he went from loving playing with dogs, to trying to assert dominance and fighting every other dogs, it was like night and day.

[@NA-su3jk]

@@TheArizonaRanger. I hear u. Hopefully will resolve as the dog ages, w good input on your part. Can be a challenge, some dogs are that way... i dont know much on "fixing it" but i do often hear of young male dogs in the 10-24 month age range catching that attitude.

[@TheArizonaRanger.]

@@NA-su3jk thanks for the well wishes. We have tried to introduce him to other dogs, and he does fine initially, but he tends to get territorial/jealous, the basic poor behaviors we wish he never developed and he initiates it quickly. If we pet another dog he loses it, if they play with a toy, eat food around him etc. It's a shame because he loved to wrestle growing up and he still loves to wrestle me, but the goofball picked up some bad habits, I of course blame myself. I should have approached the problem faster.

[@annsenior4434]

Great job, most people that I come across want a quick training fix. I train my lab about 20 minutes throughout the day and then we do a lot of adventures. He has some obedience titles, dock diving and trick dog titles, but I always make it fun or we don't do it. Thank you for posting all these amazing videos.

[@mariebowman3472]

I have a malinois from a rescue, that i broght home when she was approximately 9months old. She had a very limited and rough intro to life and so the first 9 months with her were an adventure at best and an anxiety fest at worst. What has worked for us so far had been focusing more on bonding and having good experiences than perfect obedience. That being said, we work on a little bit of obedience everyday, but much more time is dedicated to playing and just hanging out. I found that we started seeing better obedience the more we incorporated play into training and doing training that naturally fit our girl and our lifestyle. Doing alot of tug and giving our girl appropriate outlets to bite and rough house, has made a huge impact on her behavior. She is vzey calm and placid in the house because she gets to be thr maniac she was born to be outside. I do use an E- collar with her, simply because we hike in the woods and the beep is loud enough that if i loose sight of her i can still know where she is. She’s not super food motivated and it is very hard to break her focus is she gets locked in on someone or something, so i use the vibrzte setting to break her focus and redirect it to something more appropriate. In situations wherr its been a matter or safety, i have used the shock setting. That’s been pretty rare though. She’s an awesome dog that gets along with other animals, and remembers who is in her familyand who isn’t. She responds very well to verbal correction (now that we have a very close bond) and will stop impulsive biting immediately. We accomplished this by playing alot of tug and incorporating a very strong drop it and leave it command. In short let a Malinois be a Malinois, just teach then manners along the way. If you’re bonded recall is basically a done deal, the real trick is getting them to leave you alone.

[@ilkatrailrunner467]

Branching off from this comment my experience with an e collar has been ok. I adopted a rescued husky when he was 3 ish who had the worst possible background. He was my 5th dog- I had previously a reliable shepherd and 3 huskies who I had trained to decent recall considering their nature, so I knew my non e collar traditional methods were reasonable for most. But boy he was a difficult ‘math problem, with leash reactivity, uncouth dog manners, selective listening, high prey drive and far ranging habits in spite of wonderful loving nature with his human and canine family. His rescuers had accustomed him to an e collar and transferred what they did to me. It came down to what worked to let him live well. He was safest with it on in many settings because he could interact with other dogs at a lower level of crazy. We used it sparingly after the first months but it became a reminder to him when he was wearing it and even a cue that fun was about to happen. I found it challenging to get everyone in the family to use it as effectively, as timing and reading his ramp up to shenanigans was definitely key. I could snap him out of some bad decision making usually, but if it wasn’t done right he’d be hitchhiking home, or you’d find yourself with a belatedly obliging dog dropping a still very much alive skunk at your feet- or an apologetic yelp from the middle of a bog as you hit the wrong button when he’d disappeared, got into a jam and needed help.

[@tammiebroggins]

I adopted two malinois mixed they are awesome

[@suzie55ful]

Love watching your videos - always very informative and positive. You get an A+

[@betinahristova1132]

great video! thanks

[@aniawarkentin]

So good Stonnie! Love what you do!

[@guardianhounds]

always love uncle Stonnies videos always learn something new!

[@pinktania13]

Great video as always Stonnie! I’ve no experience with Malinois but love to expand my knowledge. Very interesting video, thank you!

[@Sokolva]

Love these points! I do have a thought as someone with a Search and Rescue dog in training with our states group of volunteers. My girl was already trained and a great hiking buddy and adventure companion before we even got into SAR. It happened on accident when she found my husband when he got lost in the woods during a hiking trip and she tracked him down and led us right to him. I’ve taken her all over the country and we constantly have adventures boating, fishing, walking through town, hiking, and lots of off leash enjoyment where she can do anything she wants. The most excited and motivated and focused I’ve ever seen her is when she is going to training and doing SAR to find someone hiding in the woods with me. She gets free time before and after and gets very disappointed if she doesn’t get to search. She will leave her random wandering around in the woods to search, and has a blast doing it. All I have to do is ask if she wants to “go to training” and put in my outfit and she starts dancing around-she gets happy for our walks and hikes but not quite as amped! My girl is a Great Pyrenees rescue dog, and I trained her fully using food work and leash and collar training to have reliable recall and for finds. She isn’t toy driven but she loves to play and run around. So when she makes a successful find she gets delicious food I make for her (like stew beef, liver, etc) and we run around together with lots of praise.

[@akeamee]

Fantastic video as always mate extremely knowledgeable

[@neucounty]

I’ve learned a lot from you. I thank you for taking the time to make these videos. I guess I’m extremely different with my Belgian Malinois. I’m constantly getting bashed for the things I do. I don’t do protection training. I do tricks and everyday life stuff. I’ve never had a issue, I’ve never asked for help from anyone. Why do people constantly bash me??? Why is my method wrong??? My channel is constant being flagged by “Karen’s of the Malinois world”. Why do people treat me like I can’t have a Malinois. My dogs are great and we have room to grow. I’m blessed. Thanks again for all you do! I learned a lot from you!!

[@carolynsearle4328]

Yes!!! This is why I subscribed to your channel!!! xoxo

[@MargaretYoung-ud8xy]

I wish I could find your channel. Why do they bash people like us? Because they insist it is the dogs that are bad when it all fires wrong and people whose dogs are better behaved than theirs without being hurt make them look bad.

[@margaretcole6264]

I've had dogs for 60 years. I didn't know what I was doing before I was 14. My cousin was a dog trainer and showed dogs. She taught me a lot. Then others did too. I've learned from you too. Thank you.

[@StonnieDennis]

You are very welcome!

[@juliehenderson1672]

Love your training style!

[@MDAdams72668]

No need for bite work I have a mel and she is perfectly happy with bark work

[@rico4you]

Great video...you work and play bottom line Happy for all involved. You are their leader and it shows. I follow the same with 14 month Mali girl and we both just enjoy each other. Thanks for video. New sub from Madrid, Spain 🇪🇸

[@hendrixsun9372]

It’s a German shepherd wanna be. :)))) I can take my dog anywhere now. Work with Stonnie. If I left my dog for three hours and told him to stay. He would stay unless a pig or chicken got out. He would herd then come back. I did get lucky with the dog but Stonnie made him even better. So calm. I think all dogs get separation anxiety in your mind. You can’t take a dog everywhere. The dog will be fine, the people have the separation anxiety. The Good Lord made dogs to live outside. You can’t stick them in a box. Best advice hands down. “ A tired dog is a good dog” Stonie Denis

[@armandhammer2235]

Great discussion.

[@dariuspringle2608]

Great video Uncle Stonnie. I’ve had a Berne-Doodle for a year while his owner was deployed to Djibouti with The USNavy. Worked and worked him with my Labrador, to get him not to be crazy, which he was when he showed up. Chewing, barking, biting. I have to say he learned all his manners, indoor and outdoors from my mentor Lab. He still has some behavior issues on walks, some dogs it’s as if he gets upset if they are looking his way. Like Sebastian Maniscalco jokes about his father, “The EYE, giving you THE EYE” . But it is few and far between now that happens. So tomorrow he goes back to his owner, as he is returning to US soil, which we give thanks for. I just want to say, I’ve watched every one you’ve done, and tried implementing them with this dog, and he is better because of it. We set up our own urban small challenges course, ( in downtown Charlotte NC) with park benches, bus seating, bicycle racks, parking ticket booths and a whole host of weird urban items to navigate. Piles of stuff from the train yard, construction materials for a housing project, we have done it all, and your statement about “When he thinks, that you think it’s a good idea” has been a key point for us on this journey. We get to something new and he literally looks me in the eye, to make the decision about what his next move is. This has been a very humbling experience for me. My Lab was a piece of cake to train compared to this guy, but there was a lot that needed to be “un-Learned” including the shock collar. I took it off him the day he was delivered, and I am not sorry for that decision. Thanks for helping us through this journey, it was my small way of supporting our military, he is a better dog than when he showed up, because of Stonnie and a Lab named Tank.

[@xfoolsgoldx]

Loving your work👍

[@jimbetche7864]

Great video and as always great advice. My malinois "Atlas" just turned 1 year. I got him as a rescue from a guy that payed $600 for him. He tied him up to a tree for three months with nothing more than a food bowl to play with. Apparently his younger child would pull on his tail and Atlas scolded the child for it. The owner thought the dog was attacking the child and made the decision to get rid of him. I've had Atlas for 4 month's now and I've had him around all types of dogs and all ages of people from 2 yrs old to 80 yrs old. And have never had a problem with aggression except 1 time my good buddy pulled on his tail and Atlas warned him but didn't bite him. Needless to say he doesn't mess with the tail anymore. He's very smart and I work with him daily on obedience he's doing good. But I want to train him for protection and be able to have complete control of his actions in times of distress. He already has a protective stance around me witch I feel is a good thing. But better training is definitely something he needs. Personally I can't believe the previous owner gave him up. He's an amazing dog with lot's of potential and is full of love. You seem to know a whole lot about dog training , I wish you lived closer to me as I would have you help with my extensive training. Do you know anyone in the Tulsa Oklahoma area Personally that you would recommend for Atlas's continued training? Thanks in advance. I look forward to watching more of your videos. Jim Inola Oklahoma ..

[@Jbass74]

This is exactly the training style I like.. You guys do a great job.. Thats I have my Malinois.. he understands he can have fun on his walk and explore..as long as he comes when I call him and leaves it when I say leave it .. I let him have fun and burn some energy that way..

[@davidwhitaker7412]

I use redirect for the dog. All of them, 8 at one time, down to 4. All rescues, abandoned in my area. Came to me joined the pack and have enjoyed great lives. They are very social.

[@jimwickham6300]

Stonnie you have mentor dogs and you my friend are a mentor person. The video you share are number 1. Thank you. I am a busy person and take the time and find value in what you teach.

[@StonnieDennis]

I’m glad you enjoy our content!

[@heynow91164]

I really like your style of communicating not only with the dogs but with the people that watch your videos. It's just a very old fashioned and common sense approach. Your advice has made it so much easier communicating with my dogs keep up the great work!

[@StonnieDennis]

Thank you!

[@dramaqueen3457]

You have such a calming demeanor it works on me ! DQ

[@mareamiller6957]

Hi! Great video! And I do agree with your advice. Except. I do play agility with my Jack Russel mix. It's a great way to get her exercise needs met in a small space. We used to live out on a dirt road in the country surrounded by fields and woods. She also didn't run sprinting around in that environment, she'd usually sleep in the sun unless something got her moving. I think dogs, as pack animals love to work with us as well as play with other dogs. So I just wanted put in a good word for the agility games 🥰

[@stannicholson9622]

Were on the same page on yor training. For. Sure. Yor the professional. Thanks. Learned A lot

[@warlockuskta]

For 3 years, I have used an "e-collar" during training sessions but rely less and less on it over time. My Mal is off-leash 99% of the time and I only carry treats with me when we are in areas with a bunch of people. The rest of the time, my Mal is rather well-behaved and we have an almost nearly perfect recall... Nearly, because if she is barking at the deer in the field, she totally ignores me. Keep it up Stonnie! Love ur content, you help make me a confident Mal owner.

[@aprilsmith9210]

One of the biggest benefits of skilled, formal protection training or protection sport in my mind is for dogs to develop reliable obedience while their strong natural drives are engaged - prey drive, for example. Really, it's a very high level of distraction. Of course, there are other ways to proof around high levels of distraction! ;)

[@compa4929]

Stonnie as always I enjoyed your video. It would be amazing to have the adventure area you do. When I was young and had my first Lab, my family lived in the country. We used to go wandering everywhere. I never had a leash when we went in the woods. My dog would wander off but always come back and check in on me or keep me in eyesight. As for electric collars I definitely don't think they are necessary for normal obedience training but they can be useful. My current Lab loves to eat poop. When we would be at the dog park he would always find some. He wouldn't listen to me when I told him to leave it from across the park and I couldn't get to him fast enough. So I got a shock collar. Once he learned what it could do, 9 times out of 10 all I had to do was use the audible warning and he would leave what ever it was I wanted him to leave. I also occasionally would use it for recall. I will admit I didn't do enough of that training when he was young so for me it is a crutch due to a lack of foundational training. I loved how that highly athletic Malinois, the first one, just casually walked over the jumps instead of actually jumping. That made me laugh. Oh, and don't wait so long to post your next video. It's been too long.

[@tjava2338]

Aussie is three and basically had me trained fully in the first year. 🤪🤣 Agreed a tired dog is a good dog. Multi environments help greatly. Thx for the videos

[@elbakabey7016]

Your right,this how I work/raise my dogs,there is times of obedience, being next to me,then there is time when in the woods for them to be a dog( chasing,hunting,exploring, sniffing,also at this time in the woods I do hand signals on a simple training with them( come,still,stay,and go also direction pointing right,left when I change direction in a path or in deep woods,but just letting them ROM,and be a dog

[@stuarteckersley8943]

Love the video and agee totaly. I got my Mal as a rescue when he was 9 months old and he's now 2.5 years. We train for the situation before putting him into the situation to help him make good decisions when the distractions are high. This entails playing games with him in the back yard (low distraction area) to have fun and teach engagement with me. We even use a flirt pole sometimes LOL to help him practice recall etc. when in prey drive. We go wandering in the countryside every day, and for nine months I used a 10metre long line and rewarded him with his kibble with when he 'checked in' with me and ignored prey. This has progressed and he is now reliable off lead and stays around me as that is where all the best stuff happens. I recon that your customers Mal could make a great farm dog. No ecollar or protection work needed. Just a long line, a pocketful of food and the owner being good to be around. It' s pretty basic but takes time and consistency. I hope my view helps others.

[@NA-su3jk]

Thats exactly my point, though i am disagreeing w you guys :). Most dogs would not need 8+ months on a long line to have good recall and small offleash radius lol. What you describe as success a call a high maintenance dog, relative to others.

[@stuarteckersley8943]

@@NA-su3jk That's correct. They are high maintenance and not like most dogs.

[@dortenielsen8253]

Brilliant to transform the answer to a questionnaire into a Wiki 👏👏👏

[@beevie4081]

I've been training my first dog the past year, and it has been such a blast. In hindsight, Stonnie's suggestion to incrementally increase challenges as your dog proves themselves seems wise. Instead, I employed a less wise technique I like to call the overstimulation training plan. I went nuts with the environmental socialization. Hours and hours across all manner of terrain and off leash from the start. Hide and seek, tracking, gunfire, wildlife, lightning, blizzards, mountains and mud. I'm sure she learned a lot out there, but I'll admit it... I probably shouldn't have skipped my yard work. I left a few holes in her basic manners, notably recall. I got a collar to help me redefine some limits off leash, and so far it is working nicely. She met a porcupine with it on, and I am happy to report she did not taste any quills. Regardless, the neighbors are convinced she's a good girl because by the time they see her she is tuckered out. So while I wouldn't say I've nailed it, I have implemented some basic Stonnie wisdom.

[@tedstack9833]

Excellent common sense advice , thank you.

[@IAMGiftbearer]

I like this approach. I have a 4 month old Malinois puppy and I'm in the process of exposing him to various things to get him to ignore distractions. I don't live on a farm and probably would not let him off leash in this area on walks off of my property because there are too many cars, and neighbors would report it to animal control if he crossed through their yards, but I agree with you that it is probably better not to use an e-collar if you don't have to. I put a long line on my puppy in the yard to give him more freedom before letting him off leash to run around and work on recall before off-leash but that lasted about 1 minute before he chewed through that. He found it too distracting dragging behind and under him. Luckily I have a fenced back yard, so I have enough area to give him exercise, and I do take him for walks in the neighborhood on leash too. If I had a place in the country that I could get to I would feel more comfortable walking with him off leash, as there is less for him to get into and it would be far enough away from cars, but I don't drive so that probably isn't realistic unless I had somebody to take me and my dog where we could hike. My one friend who could have done so ditched me and hasn't seen me in almost a year, so that's not possible at the moment. I keep him pretty busy indoors and outdoors though because I'm home most of the time. I do think once he is used to lots of distractions he will become more and more reliable. His main issue now is that he likes to jump up and chew on me. Although he's just playing he has enough bite force to cause bruises and draw blood. I am trying some things to get him to lick instead of bite to make a shift in his go-to behavior like putting water or peanut butter on my hand. It does seem to work better than any other technique I've tried. I think too much emphasis has been placed on bitework with Malinois and it has ruined some lines of these dogs. They were not originally meant for that, but instead for herding, and I wish breeders would get back to breeding for that type of purpose, as these dogs are so intelligent that they should be encouraged to use their brain; not be bred as attack robots. Having some natural protective qualities to protect a flock or its owner is one thing, but I believe some breeders have taken this drive too far and created dogs who have no off switch and that can be dangerous. Because of this I've heard some trainers say they shouldn't be pets. That is a shame because humans over the past decade or so have warped them to be that way. When I was a child these were considered exclusively herding dogs (hence the name Belgian Shepherd) and not police or military dogs. Back then they were still pretty rare but now many are dumped in shelters and abandoned on the street because of behavior problems that are man-made. That shift in the dog's purpose has only come recently, and like you said, there are alot of misguided people using them on social media just to look cool by showing how ferocious they can be. I heard one trainer say that the difference between a German Shepherd and Malinois is that if you threw a ball over a cliff the German Shepherd would go up to the edge and stop whereas the Malinois would jump off the cliff without a second thought after that ball. To me that indicates bad breeding. The lack of impulse control blocking out all reasoning is not a good trait to breed for. Malinois do have the innate wish to please and that is what should be capitalized on to get them to make good choices through reasoning. Man should not take advantage of that trust to create a deadly weapon.

[@MacawAviculture]

Priceless advice from Stonnie: "The most important part of being a good Malinois trainer from my perspective is to have a bunch of these around; so if you're going to email me about training your Malinois, I think the first thing you should do is go out and purchase some good black Labrador Retrievers to serve as mentor dogs; because if you raise a Malinois around a Black Labrador, the Malinois training is guaranteed to be successful." Stonnie is the best dog training coach I have ever watched in action.

[@dramaqueen3457]

Boy your right about the agility work ! My farm dog is working even when he off the clock- he brought me a rabbit he killed out by the cows. He's a German - German Shepard work/ farm dog. He's smaller more limber and can jump off the back of one cow to another . I noticed they are mainly black in color And smart soon smart. DQ

[@DarrenakaHeater]

Good stuff Stonnie. Always very direct and informative. We have two Giant Schnauzers and have had success with the e-collar as well as with just treats and praise. They are both tools and when implemented correctly can serve a dog trainer well. But I am sure when used incorrectly the e-collar can/will cause more harm that treats and praise. I'd like to add that we hardly ever use the e-collar any more.

[@annealpine]

I totally agree with you on the separation anxiety thing. Having many dogs on our farm, various breeds, never had any issues with separation anxiety. I’ve never heard of separation anxiety in any farm dogs, actually. It seems like dogs that are kenneled outside just learn that humans come and humans go and don’t get so dependent on humans that they get separation anxiety.

[@naturallycurlyhair4413]

I think the scruff of the neck thing makes enough sense assuming the dog is going to be a PPD prospect, K9 prospect, KNPV prospect, IGP prospect, etc. to test nerves/fight drive otherwise it doesn’t make too much sense. In terms of E-collars as long as it’s a Mini-Educator or higher quality system I think it makes sense as long as used properly figuring out the minimal stimuli to cause a reaction in the dog, first exposing it as a good thing rewarding the dog after putting it on and putting it on before eating/training/going outside, and most importantly first teaching the command and then using the stimuli as a negative reinforcer and follow it up with a reward after the desired behavior(s) have been performed.

[@ShaftDrive]

My personal experience with electric collars are for distance work. I find the beep is enough to get the attention. The zap is for bark control and areas if he takes off after something.

[@mattcarey678]

I'm getting a Dutch Shepherd female at the end of the month and I can't wait to try your methods.

[@selfretired3025]

I love the circle magic ;)

[@KevinLaut]

A little off-topic, but I love that Golden Puppy you had out, in my outdoor environment that is the behavior I need. Hiking in the rocky mountains too many other people around not to show real control during an off-leash hike. I am training to follow me on single -rack and not get tangled in my feet. In some places, a trip and fall could be a disaster so follow me and if an Elk or Bear appears in front of us I have a better chance of managing the distraction.

[@rdunnam100]

First point - I agree 100% this guy made an informed decision on breed selection and is very likely to be successful because it seems he is willing to learn and take direction Of course I hope he got a well bred one that is not overly afraid (kidding, through back to our last chat) advanced = reliable; never thought of it that way but I agree. I didn't get to your answer yet but regarding 'need' to do protection work - I would say that is not true. You can train these dogs to stop displays of agression and to not chase or bite things without ever teaching them to engage on a person. I teach all my dogs to 'out' long before they do any bite work (and none bite working dogs) - a puppy running with a sock is a great time to teach that LOL. That said, I do think using tug to play with the dog is a great way to build relationships through game play. To help with separation anxiety I crate them away from people to help them learn from a pup to be calm when alone. Yes, not much exercise and the people treat them like people and are always on top of them. they never learn to be alone. Again, agreed farm dogs (any dogs that get to live life with their people) do not need more structured activity - living a full life is what they need. I grab a pup by the hock (not hard) just to cause them to feel slightly trapped - so similar idea. If they freak out and snap at me I know they may have some handler agression. I prefer the dog to remain neutral or nudge me with the its nose, not freak out and not bite me. Ecollar - I think if the person uses it correctly it can help shape the dogs decision making under distraction but I use low stim settings just to 'tap' the dog (not pups) just to get the dog to refocus when needed. So it is aversive, but it is a minimal amount used to replace pulling on the leash to 'proof' the dog in off leash work. But agreed, it is just a tool and should be used correctly in its place. LOL - yes! All mine try and bite water out of a hose. I would tell him the flirt pole was for play; let the dog be a dog - and when he chases something he shouldn't - tell him no (and teach him to respect that but most Mals are very eager to please and vocal correction is often enough - not always, and not every dog but yeah - teach him to respect 'no'. Love your Mamaw's phrase! In a large area, especially fenced , I don't need any additional tools but if in more dense area, I find those tools helpful, so in that setting no I would not be uncomfortable or need anything more.

[@richardwaid4718]

My Malinois is six and he’s had the advantage of living with a family of four on a farm compound. He’s also had extensive exposure to our grandchildren from 8 weeks and has grown up with them. He’s extremely protective of the children and the women. We do have and have used electric collars to break behaviors like digging in the back yard and chasing the horses ( which could end badly when/if our big gelding decides to stomp him). It didn’t take very long before a warning beep was more than adequate. All other training was done with treats and experiencing endless exposure to Tractor Supply, Home Depot, outdoor dining etc. Now after five years of no shocks the only time he wears his collar is on horseback outings where there’s to much risk for non compliance. In conclusion I believe the shock collar can be a useful tool but only when used sparingly on low levels and transitioning to the beep after only a few shocks. If it wasn’t for the equestrian component the collar would be in the drawer permanently. In conclusion, Zeke is the smartest most loving dog I’ve ever had and if I could’ve figured out how to stop the digging and horse chasing without excluding those components from his life (going to the barn and free play with his lab buddy in the yard ) I would’ve never used the collar.

[@uberrealtyRealtor]

I think it is more of training the trainer. As I watch your videos it is what the owner needs to do to help the dog. I like the idea of your positive reinforcement.

[@kevindwyer2702]

I use Stonnie’s method for off leash training I believe giving the dogs a good amount of freedom from the beginning plays an important role in training off leash a good recall and then transition to a long line. You can’t be afraid or worried about taking a step back to the long line when they hit that adolescent age start lifting there leg and figure out there’s so many smells and other things to explore out there. Focused heel and all that is great for competitions and stuff but not so fun on a Stonnie adventure. oh yeah e- collars great for hunting dogs, can destroy a dog in the wrong hands. Thanks Stonnie love the videos

[@MB-lf8rm]

Wise words.

[@rdwilander]

Green Acres featured Eva Gabor, Zsa Zsa's sister. The 3rd lesser know sister was Magda....liked this video's format,

[@Adventures_ofBuddha]

I have a remote collar on my English pointer not because I think I need to correct his behavior. I use it because I like to be able to communicate with him at distance. Just like we use our acme 210.5 whistle at a distance I like being able to his collars tone function and Pluto knows that means get here if you want to keep having freedom. Can't go blowing a Whistle at the park or dog beach every time I need Pluto to come check in.

[@davidwhitaker7412]

I like your style.

[@darrenthompson6115]

Stonnie… great thoughts and considerations there… we have rehomed, not rescued 2.5 Yr old huge make Mal. We are lucky as he is very chilled at home. But he is very winney, constantly whimpering. We have been suggested that an E collar is the way forward. I’m not yet convinced. Our Mal, we think has been denied access to other dogs. So is just totally reactive around them. Very forward and constantly scanning whilst walking. So we are working on the basic obedience. But our issue is we live in the UK and just don’t have the safe space to let him roam and recall. Anyway… I’m totally relating to you ‘style’ and take a lot from you video etc… thanks Bud..👍👍

[@MB-lf8rm]

My 18-month 'Mal' and I have learned so much from Stonnie; and continue to learn from his videos. But, may I suggest you add one more trainer, one whose videos may also be of some help -- Joel Beckman. Start with this short one kzbin.infoGGT9Y3uXlOI and then look at this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipCaZJ2sjN2Aeas&ab_channel=Beckman%27sDogTraining I understand what you are dealing with. To the good things you learn from Stonnie, add Beckman's "doorway method" and a few other things you'll find in his videos -- including that "changing of collar type" every week or so. These little things actually matter. As to roaming and recall: Yes, a young dog does need to roam and to run. I live in town, and have no yard, no garden. So every day I drive fifteen minutes to a big park, we stay for about two hours, and then drive fifteen minutes back to my flat. All this driving has cost me a lot of money (gas/petrol). But, it's necessary. Out there are 1500 acres of fields and woods and a big pond. So my dog runs and runs and hunts and swims and plays with other free-running dogs. I understand what you are dealing with. We all have a lot of work to do.

[@darrenthompson6115]

@@MB-lf8rm … thanks for taking the time to other your thoughts. Yes… I/ we have already fond JB and I agree both he and Stonnie I feel have it nailed. Both basic to basics and none of this shite you being pushed around. However, this nervous whining is a difficult one to get over. We are working around other dogs (group) but not of the lead/ leash play. Have not yet got the trust it will not elevate… thanks Stonnie and also to you MB…❤️

[@jdoveyk9422]

@@darrenthompson6115 hi Darren I’m a trainer and have been working with a client with a male Mal 18 mos also very vocal and pushy and whiny. We’ve been working on “ capturing calm”. Being vigilant about marking the down time with rewards but in a calm way , gentle tone of voice and right between his paws so that he doesn’t move or get aroused by our energy. It’s had great results so far. Examples having him lay on his dog hammock while working computer or watching tv and just putting a treat down when he’s not paying attention, teaching his “ settle” cue, good settle. Using little breaks, by going outside for 5 mins and doing some tricks and tossing ball up close to us so that we are associated with the fun instead of going away being fun. It gets his engagement going and then we say “ go settle” and then go back to chilling. It’s not going to solve all your probs maybe but could be a good place to start to help the conditioned EMOTIONAL response come online. Also something else, journaling the triggers, so the thing that happened right before the whining started. Changing up any routine or behaviors that trigger. Example... picking up the jingling car keys, instead pick up the keys often and then just put them back down, don’t go anywhere, desensitize that keys jingling doesn’t mean you are leaving. Going to the car... open doors on both sides and just get in and out of car a few times, then go back in house. Repeat reward when done without whining, anxiety or arousal, capture the calm. If it’s with other dogs, all this calming work will help when it’s time to greet, you can use your settle soothing cue and then allow a short and sweet sniff and then say let’s go and move on, all on leash. Keep him moving, do something he knows like a sit or recall, and when he’s calmed down then he’s earned a longer sniff/ re-greet. It make take a few times of practice but he will learn that greeting other dogs is no big deal and that he will have more than one opportunity to sniff so he won’t try to make a meal out of it when he first gets there. Good luck and if this is helpful to you then 🌼👍🐶

[@darrenthompson6115]

@@jdoveyk9422… thank you for your thoughts/ advise. The last sentence did make me laugh… ‘make a meal out of it’… exactly what we are trying to avoid…🤣🤣🤣

[@chevy-is-a-good-boy]

Different methods/tools work for different handlers/dogs. E-collars, prong collars etc, all have their place and shouldn't be demonized, they are humane & VERY effective tools when used with skill/knowledge. I do like your style, but like all effective training methods i.e. training in drive; it's a long road before the ACTUAL handler becomes effective. There's never a quick long-term fix with tools or otherwise. Aside from the "positive only" training lie, there's a multitude of ways to effectively work with dogs & I think you're one of the better ones. For my needs, Robert Cabral is more suited, but I do indeed love your work too.

[@samuelkobielnikjr.9817]

Great Job…!!! Where can I get a training vest like you

[@tommyandreassen7406]

From a sleddog owner this seems very natural

[@greenwave819]

My opinion is that Uncle Stonnie should run for Governor, or something cool like that

[@maryharvold5874]

Start early! I started walking off leash on my farm when my puppies came home at 8 weeks. I ask for recall often and reward. I don't have any issues. Thanks for the great content.

[@StonnieDennis]

Major Key!

[@KevinLaut]

@@StonnieDennis Man I just watched another you tube trainer say he wouldn't trust his border collie off leash for two years!! It certainly worked but why so long?

[@armandhammer2235]

I've been serious learning about dog training for about a year now. My buddy volunteered to wear the bite suit. This should be interesting.

[@margaretcole6264]

I think what you said earlier about nervous owners have nervous dogs or something like that. If you are calm the dog is calm. Well, exceptions are there. I watched a blind woman on a bus. She had a dog in harness. She was worried she wouldn't get off at the right stop. The further we went the more tense she got. So the dog began to pant and dance. The dog was calm until then.

[@pinktania13]

Do you always use the leather show lead? Are they the best in your opinion? I always use slip leads but the rope kind, they look much thicker compared to yours.

[@sdfghjasdfghjk8175]

I think ecollars are more for people who aren't making the time to train the dog for the house, not train the house for the dog. Sometimes there's justification, sometimes not. I will also say that I've had 25 dogs in my charge for 8 hours a day for several years now and I have never needed an ecollar.

[@felathar1985]

Uncle Stonnie looking sharp.

[@StonnieDennis]

Thank you!

[@rarays8290]

I like the training perspective. I definitely agree with the stonnie! Im liking the energy compared to cesar milan but respect both styles

[@melblacke5726]

Smart move about getting a dog that didn't come from working bloodlines!!

[@jakedogg4206]

Stonnie, great content as always. In my opinion, no one does it better. To keep this short- On a stranger picking up a dog by the scruff- Well, it depends, right, is it a dog that will be or is expected to be a protection dog or will it be fetching birds. Think the appropriate reactions are obvious. Do I believe it is a best practice, No. I believe there are other more valuable traits to look for in puppies.