What do you do when you catch your dog putting his head in the trash or worse yet, the litter box? What do you do when you catch him counter-surfing? Most of us would be tempted to say “no.” But, think about it from the dog’s perspective. What does “no” mean in this situation? What does “no” mean to the dog? What do you want your dog to do? Are you giving your dog any information that he can use to instead do something appropriate?            

I recently read an article that talked about how toddlers do not have the ability to process “don’t do that.” To process “don’t do that” the person first has to figure out what it is they are doing and then the negative of that. That is pretty sophisticated processing that young children just do not have the ability to complete. Rather, what the authors were recommending was redirecting the child and telling the child what you want them to do. Telling the child, “don’t go outside until your coat is on” is different than “I want you to put on your coat before you go outside.”

Many dog trainers believe, including myself, that dogs have processing abilities  that are similar to that of a toddler. So, rather than telling your dog “no” when he gets into the garbage or little box or jumps on the counter, call his name and ask him to come to you. If he knows the cue “leave it,” you can tell him to “leave it.” That way you are giving him information that he can process rather than just saying “no”.   What does “no” mean anyway? No, don’t look at the counter? No, don’t breathe, no don’t smell the garbage or kitty litter?

           Why might your dog respond positively when you tell him/her “no”? One reason might be your tone of voice. You might be saying “no” in a really stern manner that the dog recognizes means you are angry. The dog also might interpret your body language as meaning “uh, oh, mom is mad, better run and hide.”  

            As I write this article, my one dog JJ is barking at my front window. My options are to say “JJ, stop” or “JJ, quiet” but I have never taught him what “stop” or “quiet” means. I could say “JJ, no”, but what does “no” mean? Don’t look out the window, don’t bark, don’t protect the house? So, instead, I have simply said “JJ, look” which made him stop and look at me. Then, I called him over to me and asked him to lay down. At least I gave him instructions that he understood and he could process. I redirected him to an appropriate behavior.

            “Leave it” is a particularly useful cue to teach your dog. That way when you find him going towards the garbage or going towards the cupcakes on the counter or licking his lips in front of the litter box, you can tell him something that means “back off from what you are looking at.” To teach “leave it” I put treats in both hands and let the dog smell the treats from both hands. I then put one hand behind my back with the other one right in front of his face. I let the dog try to get at the treats in the hand in front of his face. I don’t move the hand, I don’t yell at the dog, I simply say “leave it.” During this time the dog might try nibbling on my hand, pawing at it, or licking my hand. I just let him do whatever he wants to try to get at the treats in that hand. Patience is a virtue! Once the dog gets bored or frustrated, he will back off or turn his head. I reward any backing off or turning of the head with a click of a clicker or a “yes” and then offer him a treat from the hand behind my back. What I am telling the dog is “back off from what you want, and I’ll reward you with another treat.” Once the dog is really good at this, I might then put a treat on the ground or on the kitchen counter or on the coffee table. I am ready at an instant to cover it with my hand. As the dog tries to get the treat and I’m covering it I say “leave it” and when the dog backs off, I click or say “yes” and offer him another treat.

            So, next time you find yourself faced with a dog doing something obnoxious or naughty, think before you yell “no.” Is there something else you could be telling your dog that would give him more information as to what you want him to do?