Yesterday I shared a link to a long article I wrote in response to a video by a very respected and influential trainer. Here is the link in case you missed it:
It took me a little while to write the blog post. Not because I am a slow writer, it took me a while because I was criticizing another trainer. I have read, “How To Win Friends And Influence People,” by Dale Carnegie about three times so my article is in direct opposition to the advice in the book.
So why did I do it?
The biggest problem dog owners are facing is confusion and a HUGE distortion of facts.
Let me break it down for you. When you train a dog you need to teach two words. Those two words are: YES and NO. There’s obviously many more words to teach but those are the two main ones.
You teach YES by pairing the word with a positive consequence. This way when your dog does something you want (sit, down, stay, etc) you mark the behavior and say, “YES,” and deliver the positive consequence. This will increase the chances of the behavior occurring again.
Just as important is teaching the word NO. When you dog does a behavior you don’t like (jumping, stealing, barking, etc.) you say, “NO,” and apply a negative consequence. This will decrease the chances of the behavior occurring again.
Now I’ve been in the trenches training dogs for a lotta years. The overwhelming majority of dog owners that I work with are more interested in the NO part of training.
Why you ask? Good question.
BECAUSE the thought of sit and stay and come is nice but what the dog owner really wants AND needs is to stop behaviors, not increase behaviors.
EXAMPLE: I was hired by two new clients yesterday. The first had two boxers that are very sweet but being boxers they love to party. Jumping, barking, stealing off the counters and nibbling on guests is part of everyday life. They are way more interesting in STOPPING these behaviors.
Next….
The other person that decided to hire me has a barking problem. That’s it. No interest in sit, down, stay, etc. Just please help us stop the barking because we live in an apartment building.
Both families have been through all positive training classes with their dogs and the problem behaviors are still there which brings me back to my main point. A negative consequence is punishment. It is unpleasant to the dog, BUT IT IS NOT ABUSE.
So many respected and influential trainers are pushing the “all positive” training agenda when what you need is……
……balance.
Yes, you need to teach your dog “YES” and “NO.” Teaching just Yes OR JUST No would result in a dog that does not behave and respond to you the way you want them to.
In my experience, training a dog with just YES and using just positive consequences results in an easily overstimulated, out of control dog and the best word I could use to describe it would be…..bratty.
A dog trained with just NO and negative consequences results in an inhibited, often aggressive dog.
Here’s the good news:
I can help you teach YES and NO. If you’re ready to take a balanced approach then hop right in and get started for JUST $1.00!
Best,
Eric