62 May 9 No

No. It’s amazing such a small word can cause such big problems. For some people, the word “no” causes fear or a feeling of defeat. For others, it’s an opportunity to try harder or to look elsewhere. I would guess, for many people, ”no” is one of the first words they utter in the morning (the alarm sounds - “Nooooo!”) and one of the last words spoken at night (“No, you let the dogs out one last time”). We say “no” to spouses, children, siblings, friends, strangers, pets, and bosses – well, maybe not out loud to the bosses. It’s not a four letter word, but at times, it might as well be one.

When training your dog, how can the word “no” be a problem? Most of us use that word without thinking. No, Rover, don’t bark at the people walking by. No, Princess, get off of the furniture. No, Max, don’t take the ham off of the table. I’m guilty, but I do work very hard to avoid saying “no,” especially in a formal training session. For instance, when practicing agility, I may ask Buzz to perform on the teeter, a seesaw obstacle in which the far end of the board must hit the ground before Buzz continues his run. When he gets excited, he will often leap off before the board hits the ground. If I yell “NO!” I run the risk of confusing Buzz. After all, what does “No” mean to him in this case? While I wish he could read my mind, he can’t, and he might interpret my word in different ways. No, don’t ride the board down as far as you did. No, don’t hit the yellow contact zone. No, don’t go forward once the board hits. No, don’t get on the teeter at all. What works infinitely better is to show him what I want (for the teeter I used a technique called shaping) and reinforce each time he completes the obstacle correctly, ignoring any attempts that are incorrect. This works with any behavior you are attempting to teach a dog.

The word “No” can also become just another word attached to a long list of meaningless sounds that humans seem to be so good at producing. “Blah, blah, blah, Rex, No, blah, blah.” Unless one actively teaches Rex a desired behavior that is incompatible with his current undesirable behavior, chances are good Rex will continue whatever it is he is doing. For example, when Sonny comes home, Rex jumps up on Sonny to greet him. Sonny screams “Get off, Rex, No, get down!” Rex is excited and is reinforced by the attention, so he continues to jump. If, instead, Rex was taught to sit for attention, a behavior incompatible with jumping, Sonny would be able to walk through the door and be greeted appropriately by Rex, sitting with all four feet on the floor.

What kind of relationship can a person have with their dog (or spouse, children, siblings, friends) if the majority of the conversation consists of punishing words? The reason we seek out others, including those of different species, is because we long for companionship. What kind of relationship do we build when our primary conversations consist words such as don’t, no, quit, and stop it? Murray Sidman points out in his book Coercion and Its Fallout “…people who use punishment become conditioned punishers themselves. Others will fear, hate, and avoid them.” The beauty of positive training is the emphasis on providing direction rather than correction, enhancing the trust and bond between two beings.

In the owner/dog relationship, the word “no” does have a place. As owners, we each are responsible for the safe treatment and well-being of our pets. When we seek advice from pet professionals, we grant them authority (which may or may not be deserved). As authority figures, they are deemed to be in charge and infallible. Unfortunately, there are still professional practices in existence which are based on superstition or antiquated knowledge. That can lead to trouble for our pets. While we would all like to believe we would neither hurt our pets nor allow another to do so, we only need to look at the Milgram Obedience to Authority Experiment of 1974 to learn that this may be wishful thinking. An astounding 65% of participants, when directed by someone they perceived as authority figure to shock a human subject with up to 450 volts of electricity, did just that, even when the recipient of the shock cried out in pain and eventually became silent as if unconscious (please note: no shock was actually given. The participants were unaware of this and the recipients merely pretended to be shocked. For more details, research “Milgram Experiment”). Knowing this, it really is not so surprising that people accept the use of painful training techniques and outdated procedures on their dogs when dictated by someone they consider an authority. They do not challenge authority, even when they are uncomfortable with the directives. Rather than say “no,” people will ignore the science which has shown us safer, better, and equally effective ways.

Training can and should be fun for you and your dog. Show her what you do want and reward that behavior. Save the word “No!” for the people who offer practices which harm your dog’s well-being.