It's Ok to say "NO!"

In a recent Facebook post, a dog owner with a 6 month old pup is worried her pup will hurt her cat because the puppy plays so rough when he's overexcited.

Looking through the suggested solutions by other dog owners, I saw lots of good advice about redirecting the pup, as well as rewarding him for making the right choices.

But not a single person mentioned correcting the puppy.

Meanwhile, back at the Front Range K9 Academy training facility, we see countless dogs who have never been told "No!"

Many of these dog owners are truly at the end of their ropes, often describing just how awful their dogs are, and some considering giving up on them.

At our first meeting, during temperament testing and consulting with these owners, we are no longer shocked at the number of times a simple "No!" paired with stern eye contact, and a quick squirt with one of our trusty (and CHEAP) squirt bottles immediately stops the barking, lunging, frothing at the mouth and snapping, 'terribly aggressive' dog in its tracks (can you hear the sarcasm as I type?).

We - the trainers - are not surprised.  But you could knock some of these owners over with a feather.

Given the amount of money some of our poor clients have spent elsewhere on other trainers, and some really outrageous 'training equipment' and methods, the trainers at FRK9 and I have often joked that we need to make up some t-shirts that simply say, "Squirt Bottles are Cheap." 

There is a growing, and very worrisome trend in the dog world lately that needs to be talked about.

On social media groups, in dog training articles and blogs, on the evening news... there is a strong resistance by some dog owners (and by many dog trainers) to embrace the concept of "NO!"

I am here to state, for the record:

It's Okay to tell your dog "NO!"

Whether we're talking about a verbal "NO!", a hard stare, or a physical correction, it's not only okay, but sometimes it's downright vital to correct your dog.

When we use verbal or physical corrections, we are helping our dogs learn what is acceptable and what is not.

I think every dog owner and dog trainer out there would agree that this is important.  After all, if WE don't tell the dog what is absolutely NOT OKAY in our human world, they are likely to make a lot more mistakes than if we do tell them.

Now, before you get your panties in a bunch about corrections - let's define what a correction is.

A correction can be anything from a "No!" or "Ah! Ah!" (or any other sound you use to signal to your dog to stop doing something) to shaker can full of coins that startles a dog and stops a behavior, to a squirt from a squirt bottle, to a quick tug & release on leash & collar, or a tap on a remote collar - really, a correction is anything that stops your dog from doing something.

And a correction is just that - a correction of an incorrect behavior.  

It's not mean. 

It's not abuse. 

It's not going to emotionally scar your dog, or damage your relationship with it.  In fact, I'll go so far as to say NOT correcting your dog will do much more damage, in the long run.

I am increasingly worried about the number of times I see dog owners asking questions that reveal they've been brainwashed into believing anything other than treats and redirecting a dog is downright cruelty.

I am not sure if this trend is due to the white-washing of advice found on the internet (as dog trainers, most of us are all too aware of the Animal Rights groups out there that are gunning for us, and really gunning for dog & pet ownership in general), or if our culture really has changed so much in the 33 years since I started training dogs.

Either way, the simple fact remains that dogs need BOTH types of information to succeed.

Let's use the 'roadmap' analogy to make this clear.

If you and I are in a car, and you are driving us to St. Louis, MO, and our GPS system is broken (humor me) - how long do you think it would take to get there if I ONLY tell you when you're going the right direction, but I sit quietly when you make a wrong turn?

If this is the case, we may NEVER get there.

The same is true if I am ONLY telling you when you're going the wrong way, but never acknowledging when you're headed in the right direction.  This will only lead to you being nervous and very stressed and lost.

But, if I am telling you BOTH when you're headed in the right direction, AND when you've made a wrong turn, we should have a pretty smooth trip.

The same is true for your communications with your dog.  If you are ONLY rewarding good behavior, and never correcting bad behavior, it will take much longer (if ever) for your dog to understand what is okay, and what isn't.

The same applies if you are ONLY correcting bad behaviors and never reinforcing good ones - you will create a nervous, anxious, and possibly aggressive dog.

It's only when you give your dog the WHOLE PICTURE that you can move forward smoothly - and much more efficiently and quickly - with your dog's training.

Why wouldn't you want to give your dog a roadmap to success?

That's it from this end of the leash.

Jennifer Hime, is the Owner & Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.  She can be reached through K9counselor.com.

Patterns Vs. Incidents - a Presidential Concern

Maybe the Bidens ought to give up on having German shepherds in the White House.

No matter where you fall on the political scale, or what you think of the current President or state of affairs, having to banish 2 dogs in the span of less than two years is a sign of a serious problem ('Major' was sent off to live with friends - also for biting - in December 2021; now off goes 'Commander' in November 2023).

The latest report on Commander is that in his two years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he's had at least 11 bites to staff - some serious enough to require medical attention.  Additionally, some sources say there have been many more, unreported/untreated bites from the 2 year old German shepherd.

As a professional dog trainer of over 33 years, I am appalled.

Why was this dog allowed to practice this behavior for so long and so many times?  

I'll tell you why:

When it comes to their dogs, Joe & Jill Biden are no different than many of the pet owners we see at Front Range K9 Academy every week.

They love their dog.  

They are exceptionally busy, and dog training doesn't always come first.  

And most importantly, they are in denial (or those advising them about the dog are).

Look folks, it's not rocket science - sometimes dogs bite.  But when this happens, we have to determine whether we're looking at an isolated incident or at a pattern that reveals the nature of the dog itself.

Sometimes, a dog biting is a one-time thing which can be explained - or maybe even excused - by circumstances.  This is an incident of biting.

It might happen when the dog is injured, startled, feeling threatened, or otherwise not acting in character; and, if it truly is incidental, it's not likely to happen again.

What 'Commander' is doing is not incidental biting.  It has crossed a line.  In fact, it has so far surpassed that line, the line has become a dot in the far, far distance!

I've assessed and worked with hundreds (maybe thousands) of aggressive dogs of all breeds.  Any bite is cause for concern.  Anything beyond 2 bites is cause for major concern.

Now we're getting reports of 11 or more bites from this dog.

This, my friends, is a very clear pattern.  And patterns of behavior are notoriously difficult to extinguish.

And this is where understanding the nature of the dog - its breed, temperament, and history are so important when making the right decisions regarding what comes next.  

And that applies whether we're talking about the President's dog, or your dog.

When owners come in with a dog with bites under its belt - whether it's one bite, or many - we are always cautious.

We'd love to tell you "Yes!  Your dog can be 'fixed' and will never bite again!"  But that would be a lie.  A dog who is willing to bite even once, may be willing to do it again.

And the dog who has gotten well-practiced in the habit or pattern of biting is a truly dangerous animal.

This doesn't mean things are hopeless and you have to send your dog away.  

But it DOES mean you have to become fully accountable and responsible for the actions of your dog - for the rest of its life.

And for the love of Mike, you have to step out of denial, and into reality.  Wishing things would be different does you and your dog NO GOOD.

Life with an aggressive dog is hard.  As humans, we're always hoping to explain away bites - "The child scared him."  "He doesn't like to go to the veterinarian."  "She doesn't like men in hats."  "It was windy that day, and she was upset."

But if your explanations are adding up, as your dog wracks up bite after bite, it's time to step back and take a long hard look at what's going on, and what has to change.

Because, as one of our favorite signs at the training facility says, "If you change nothing, nothing will change."

Jennifer Hime is the Owner & Training Director at Front Range K9 Academy in Wheat Ridge, CO.