This is probably the most important command that your dog should know therefore it must be understood and taught properly. It can prevent your dog from getting in to all sorts of trouble, from chewing shoes, running in the road, running out of the front door, mugging strangers in the park, or barking, and it can also stop an ongoing and persistent problem immediately, therefore it should not be underestimated or avoided. That’s why I teach this command as part of my Basic and Premium Dog Obedience packages.

There are a few common beliefs about this command that are mistaken, and they are: 1. that it does not need to be taught or 2. that it should not be used at all. The former idea is that it should be used forcefully and this way the dog understands it. The latter’s reasoning is that your dog will become fearful if it is over used. Both of these views are extreme and I will explain why here as I think this an essential point in dog training and behaviour work in general.

When someone is forceful with their dog it is normally done out of frustration and anger. At this time they may shout or strike the dog and say No to try to stop it doing something or may do it after something has happened. In either instance the dog will be fearful, especially if this type of correction is common place. This is a sure way to ruin any potential bond that they may have with their dog as it sees them as someone to fear and someone who is unpredictable. In the dogs eyes this type of an individual is not a leader figure at all and the dog will not respect or understand them.

The owner who refuses to say No to their dog but instead ignores unwanted behaviours whilst rewarding wanted ones in the hope that the dog will stop doing certain things is deluded. It stands to reason that dogs do things because they find them rewarding, so if there is nothing to prevent them from doing something them why should they stop? In fact this view and style of training is not only useless it is a dangerous ideal that frustrates owners because they think they getting it wrong. It is also not fair on the dog because how are they supposed to understand not to do something when they have never been told so?

There are many ways of training the No command but there are a few common aspects that must be adhered to for it to work properly. They are:

1. State of mind – the owner or trainer must have a calm state of mind.
2. Timing – must be perfect so the dog associates the meaning of the verbal No, the correction itself, and the action that it was doing.
3. Effectiveness – the dog must understand that a correction has been made.
4. How it is given – there are many ways to given a correction, depending on when, where and who is receiving or giving it. If it is not effective enough it can make the behaviour worse, or at the other extreme if it is over the top it can cause the dog to be fearful (as in the cases of how not to give corrections above). Therefore the trainer should know how to make a correction in a number of ways given the complete situation.

When all of these are in place an effective No command can be taught. However it should never be the only command a dog knows, in fact relative to positive commands it should be used vey little for best results.

To find out more, please get in touch with The Dog Wizard on 07926 911825 or complete my Online Contact Form.