We've all heard the saying “practice makes perfect”, and its true, right? Well I would personally argue that nobody is perfect, but I do believe wholeheartedly that we all get better at whatever we practice. I also believe that this is every bit as true for dogs as it is for us humans. Our dogs get good at the things they practice; but, if we look deeper we realize that dogs (people too) are always practicing something. So the bigger question becomes, what behaviors are our dogs practicing and getting better at? Are they practicing good behaviors or are they practicing annoying,nuisance, dangerous, or negative behaviors?
What does your dog practice when the door bell rings? Or when the man in brown pulls in with your amazon order? Does your dog practice staying calm and letting you handle it? Or do they practice barking and rushing the door? When you take your dog out for a walk do they practice loose leash walking? or pulling? Do they only pull when they see another dog or animal? Then they are practicing pulling in those moments, and will continue to get better pulling in those moments. Do they practice focusing on you and listening for your guidance and responding to known commands or do they practice engaging in their environment and responding when it is convenient for them?
If any of these scenarios hit a little close to home, then you're probably wondering what you can do to help change it. How can we help our dogs stop practicing irritating, embarrassing and unwanted behaviors and start practicing the right things, the good things, the things that make their lives and our lives together better, happier, safer, and more enjoyable? It all boils down to one of the most basic yet most powerful things I've learned as a dog trainer: The lack of a “no” is a “yes”.
What does your dog practice when the door bell rings? Or when the man in brown pulls in with your amazon order? Does your dog practice staying calm and letting you handle it? Or do they practice barking and rushing the door? When you take your dog out for a walk do they practice loose leash walking? or pulling? Do they only pull when they see another dog or animal? Then they are practicing pulling in those moments, and will continue to get better pulling in those moments. Do they practice focusing on you and listening for your guidance and responding to known commands or do they practice engaging in their environment and responding when it is convenient for them?
If any of these scenarios hit a little close to home, then you're probably wondering what you can do to help change it. How can we help our dogs stop practicing irritating, embarrassing and unwanted behaviors and start practicing the right things, the good things, the things that make their lives and our lives together better, happier, safer, and more enjoyable? It all boils down to one of the most basic yet most powerful things I've learned as a dog trainer: The lack of a “no” is a “yes”.
"THE LACK OF A NO IS A YES"
If we don't tell our dogs not to practice an unwanted behavior (in a way that is valuable to them) they will keep practicing it and keep getting better at it. If we are going to help our dogs choose what behaviors to practice or avoid practicing, we have to properly communicate to them. We have to tell them to stop practicing the unwanted behavior (No), and then help them find an appropriate behavior to practice instead (Yes). Once we can have this basic conversation with our dogs, it's a game changer, everything shifts, and our dogs can start moving forward in a positive direction. They can finally begin practicing and getting better at the behaviors and skills needed to help them become their best.