 Barked: Sat Nov 24, '12 12:40pm PST |
 | |  | | I agree with the above (Keiko). "No," at least in this english language, is a pretty strong word. I think simply using it can lead to the stereotypical problems. Just because of our language, we have all these lesser phrases we can use, such as "if you don't mind," "could you please," "hey, you know what I think?" and so on. "No," in comparison, is a strong word and....please flow with my humor here....a little bit of defensive drive  intuitively to us.
The concept isn't the problem. I think it's a good concept, a real life concept. Good to have that sort of communication with your dog. I have employed the abstinence approach with some who just can't go there and not get all emotional with it. Just for a while practice alternate ways to get the dog to stop, and then reintroduce the cue when they see the potential once they step away from the mindset.
It's a super critical point when I puppy coach, as there redirection is your golden rule. It's what I always coach, and is nicely foundational, as it enhances lines of communication, really lets you get inside his head as to what can get him to redirect, is a great primary for command transitions. Really important stuff....how do I get my dog to quit that and flow into something else. I know with Onion, a game of "where is that thing?!" and he would go BANANAS! No matter what he was so tanked about, he'd drop it in a split second as we stormed to look under beds, in closets for "that thing." So funny that years down the line, no matter what he was doing and he'd stop on a dime with that one phrase. Massive positive association, and really helped me learn about HIM, that he loved, loved, LOVED games! It was back then feeling around and finding whatever it was inside him, as an individual, that totally lit his rocket. I'd done all the reinforcers, all the long line stuff...whatever you could think of....that weren't proving to dissociate him from the behavior. He'd just go back. But that one phrase really rocked his socks 
At any rate, that is what I coach. Those young ages aren't for "no," but for redirection, which I think is one of the very best ways to get to know your dog. How intense he is about various stimuli, how you work to regain focus, what his values are in terms of stimuli and other things to enjoy. To me, "no" is more of sophisticated command, best introduced a little later. Where you know a dog a bit better, he has more maturity, more history and understanding as to "how the world works" in terms of reinforcers, etc., and the owner can enter the "world of no" with a much better mind frame and even an intuitive skill via the redirection work.Edited by author Sat Nov 24, '12 12:42pm PST
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