08/28/2025
❌ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 “𝐍𝐎” 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
Many people instinctively say “No!” when their dog does something unwanted. The problem? Saying “No” doesn’t actually change behavior. Here’s why ⬇️
🚫 𝐖𝐡𝐲 “𝐍𝐨” 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡
1️⃣ It doesn’t say what to do.
Dogs (like children) need guidance. “No” tells them to stop, but it doesn’t offer an alternative.
2️⃣ It can reward the behavior.
• 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 → Even negative attention is attention. Some dogs think you’re “joining in” the alarm.
• 𝐉𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 → Saying “No” still gives attention and may reinforce jumping as a way to greet or start play.
3️⃣ It’s vague and inconsistent.
People use “No” for chewing, barking, jumping, counter-surfing… making it impossible for a dog to connect it with one clear action.
4️⃣ It’s not a true punisher.
Unless paired with harsh yelling or punishment, “No” is usually meaningless. And if it is used harshly, it risks creating fear and damaging trust.
5️⃣ It causes confusion and frustration.
Without knowing what to do instead, dogs often escalate—barking, nipping, or jumping harder out of stress or excitement.
6️⃣ It rehearses the unwanted behavior.
Waiting for the mistake before saying “No” means the dog keeps practicing the behavior, making it stronger over time.
✅ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝
✔ Set your dog up for success.
Use gates, pens, fences, leashes, or muzzles to prevent mistakes. Then teach new behaviors in calm, easy setups before gradually practicing in real-life situations.
✔ Teach and reward the alternative.
Show your dog what to do—like “sit,” “go to mat,” or “drop it.” Reinforce those choices consistently.
✔ Train a positive interrupter.
This isn’t just making a noise. A positive interrupter is a specific word or sound that has been paired with high-value food in a structured way. Once trained, it can break through even in high-arousal situations (dog-dog conflict, guarding, reactivity) and redirect your dog back to you.
✔ Keep it reward-based.
Science shows positive reinforcement builds lasting learning, confidence, and trust—without the fallout of aversive methods.
🐾 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥
Just like kids, dogs don’t thrive on “No” alone. Children learn better with clear direction (“Walk, please” instead of “Don’t run”). Dogs, too, need guidance—not just disapproval.
👉 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: Saying “No” doesn’t solve the problem.
𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 + 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 + 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 = lasting behavior change.
In the photo you can see the Local Crow Supervisor
