Why "No" isn't Part of My Dog Training Plan, Part 1

To answer this question, let’s go back to the beginning of my dog training career.

“No” to “No” — Where It All Started

When I was in high school, I became aware of a local service dog organization and their foster training volunteer program.

Golden Retriever Dexter settles on his mat

I had long dreamed of fostering a service puppy in training so I eagerly soaked up what information I could find about the experience, included an article written by someone volunteering in their foster training program. I was quite surprised to read the organization did not permit foster trainers to tell the dog, “no.”

At that point, our family didn’t have a pet dog, but I did board dogs out of our home as a hobby and I could not imagine living with a dog and not telling it “no” at someone point. None of the big names I paid attention to or books I’d read taught this approach. It was very foreign.

Nevertheless, I was hungry enough for the fostering opportunity that I was willing to adhere to their guidelines. (#rulefollower)

With “no” removed as an option, I had to stretch to learn new ways of living successfully with dogs and getting what I needed.

The foster training experience became a pivotal stepping stone in my journey to becoming a professional dog trainer. It opened up the world of positive reinforcement training and I got my first, formal instruction, from a professional on how to train dogs.

Since then, I’ve fostered twice more for the organization, earned my Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed certification and now run my own training company.

Making My Own Decisions

What about nowadays? Now that I get to make my own rules, is “no” in my vocabulary?

Yes and no.

Do I ever say, “no,” “uh-uh,” “stop it,” or “that’s enough”? Yes, sometimes. Especially if I’m frustrated.

Are these verbal corrections part of my plan to teach dogs? No.

But Why?

For “no” to be a central part of how we teach a behavior, failure on the dog’s part must also be a central part of how we teach a behavior.

I can’t say, “[insert your preferred verbal correction here]” if the dog hasn’t done the wrong thing.

Here’s the problem with that approach: practice makes permanent for any behavior, good or bad.

In other words, any behavior the dog is repeating is becoming a more permanent part of his behavior repertoire.

If my plan involves the dog failing so I can correct it, that means my plan involves the dog rehearsing (or practicing) the wrong thing. But I want the dog rehearsing the right thing — that’s why I’m there!

If I find myself needing to give verbal corrections, that’s a sign I need to make some changes so the dog doesn’t continue rehearsing the wrong behavior.

Prioritizing rehearsal of the right behaviors and preventing rehearsal of the wrong behaviors is the first reason “no” isn’t part of my training plan. Come back next month for the second reason!