If someone were to tell you “NO!” right at this minute, would you understand which of the many things you were saying, doing, and/or thinking was the target of the cease and desist message?
Likely not.
Instead, you would probably freeze on multiple levels and not know what to do next.
Welcome to the life of most puppies (and too many children).
If a human said NO! at that moment: Should the puppy stop biting a sibling? Stop biting the tunnel? Stop having fun? Sit instead of down? Get out of the tunnel? Get off the Cato Board? And so on…
“No!” — an error message — is like a shotgun blast. Good luck just hitting the little target with that. Collateral damage is assured.
Error messages are frustrating for all concerned. They are confusing, ineffective, and most of all — they do not help the puppy (or human) understand what to do instead.
A very pretty Moonshadow.
Our goal is to shape desired behavior — that does not happen when we simply stop undesired behavior. We need to lose the word “NO” and get to “Yes.” This requires that we pay attention to what is going well and consistently reinforce it.
Bright Star Lyra
Undesired behavior needs to be thought of as a television channel — if you do not like what is playing, change the flipping channel — don’t just yell at the television.
We change the channel with a puppy using redirection and distraction, and teaching/reinforcing an incompatible behavior.
Bright Star Orion
Let me give an example: Puppy jumping up.
Puppies are so happy to see us and want to be closer to our faces — so they jump up. Normal. Expected. And maybe best not to reinforce because it won’t be safe when the puppy is big.
What happens when one says “NO!” to puppy jumping up?
First, my puppies are smart and talented but I do not teach them English and so you might as well yell “PANCAKE” for all the effect it will have.
Second, even if your word is loud enough to scare the puppy (#mean) off your new pants (and WHY were you wearing nice pants around a puppy?!), which of the things the puppy was doing at that moment did you want to stop? Being happy to see you?! #fail
Moonshadow Ariel
The solution is easy peasy. Do not give the puppy a chance to jump up — instead, always be ready to help the puppy greet you with a sit. I will do a video later this week — it is not hard at all. And when you are not paying attention and the puppy does jump up, just ignore her until she is four-feet-on-the-floor — and then reinforce that behavior.
Bright Star Mirak
The best way to extinguish a behavior is to ignore it. If it cannot be ignored — redirect and/or remove the puppy.
The best way to get a behavior to happen more is to notice and reinforce it. Practice this on the humans around you — the results will amaze you.