Countless times during training, I’ve heard owners use the phrase, “(Dog’s name), No!” It’s totally a second nature phrase for all of us, especially in a tense, reactive moment. What dog behavior accompanies those words? Bowed head? Tucked tail? Scared expression?
Careful, all! Whether we know it or not, when those words are combined, that negatively-connotated word is automatically being associated with the pup’s name. When your dog hearshis/her name, they should be excited, enthused, and above all else, responsive in a positive way. If the phrase, “(Dog’s name), No!” is commonplace in your household, let’s work to change that. First, change what “no” means. With the right relationship, “no,” should simply mean, “Try again.” We’ll talk more about relationship-building in another post, but for now…
For dogs, language is simple. It has to be. Make no mean no. Don’t make it mean no + a name.