How to teach a dog 'not allowed'? Learning commands from scratch

The dog's understanding of the "no" command

Generally, the pet learns the social hierarchy among the household members quite quickly. If he is disobedient, it is usually because he does not know how to behave properly. He is often confused because he has no idea what we expect of him. Some problems have surprisingly simple solutions. First of all, you should consider whether your pet is really naughty or whether it behaves this way simply because it is a dog. He has his own instinct, his natural needs (e.g. food, sleep, physical and mental activity, sense of security), which if not satisfied, have a negative impact on his health, well-being and behavior. Part of the difficulty also results from the fact that in everyday relationships we do not show the dog a "good", alternative solution. For example, if a dog destroys objects, you should not shout at him, but distract him with a toy on which he can release his energy.

Of course, in practice it is not always that simple. Most often, an indispensable element of a harmonious life together is consistent and clear behavior with the dog and patient training of basic commands, including: such as the command "no" Generally speaking, you should show your four-legged friend desirable and undesirable behaviors through a clear and unambiguous system of positive reinforcement.

Building the foundations of the "don't" command

Teaching your pet new commands such as "no" is practical and useful. It is also a great way to stimulate his mental and physical activity. It significantly develops the dog's cognitive skills. It increases the sense of security for both parties and has a positive impact on building and strengthening mutual bonds. Training the "no" command should be preceded by learning other basic commands. Mastering the "sit" and "stay" commands allows you to control your pet in certain situations and makes it easier to control its behavior, which is an excellent introduction to more effective training.

How to start training the "no" command?

To motivate your pet to learn the "no" command, we must fully engage in the training process and provide our four-legged friend with optimal conditions for exercise. Firstly, training must be based on clear messages, clear communication, without confusing signals, gestures or unnecessary breaks. Especially in the first stage, you should ensure an appropriate learning environment, i.e. a calm, friendly environment that is familiar to the dog, without stimuli that make it difficult to focus on the task. Only at the stage of perfecting a given element can we gradually add distractions until the pet correctly performs the "no" command in a difficult environment.

Choosing the right moment for learning is also important - your pet should not be tired or hungry, and you should always give him time to rest after physical activity and eating. In addition, we should remember about the dynamics of work (the dog usually gets bored quickly) and divide the training session into sections that focus on the dog's full involvement (usually 5-10 minutes).

Situations in which the "no" command is useful

The benefits of learning the "no" command are tangible, primarily in terms of the safety of your pet, household members and the surroundings. Thanks to it, we can avoid difficult, embarrassing or hazardous situations. The pet may try, among other things, to escape during a walk, eat something harmful, jump on a small child, attack other people or an animal, or destroy a valuable object. At home, we also encounter many situations in which the "no" command turns out to be very useful. First of all, when we want to set some boundaries, e.g. to prevent him from jumping on the bed, entering a specific room, moving some objects or barking excessively. In such situations, the "no" command allows you to control your pet's emotions and makes it easier to enforce the appropriate response.

How to teach your dog "don't do it" in a few steps

To teach your dog the "no" command, you need to prepare the necessary accessories, i.e. a leash and favorite treats that will act as a reward. As we mentioned earlier, at the beginning of training you should choose a quiet place where your pet will feel comfortable.

How to teach a dog "don't do it" - step one

We assume a squatting position, holding the dog on a leash. Then we place the treat on the floor and cover it with our hand. When the dog starts licking and scratching our hand, we give the command "no". When he gives up, we reward him with a second-hand treat and give him additional verbal praise. Otherwise, we ignore his behavior. We only move on to the next step when our four-legged friend responds properly to the "no" command.

How to teach a dog "don't do it" - step II

In the next stage, we assume a standing position and, similarly to the first step, we place the treat on the floor. Cover it with your foot and prevent your pet from eating it. When he responds properly to the "no" command, you can give him a tasty reward, but from your pocket. We repeat the exercise until the dog responds correctly to the command in each case.

How to teach a dog "don't do it" - step three

We put the treat on the floor and move away from it together with the dog. If your pet politely follows us, you can reward him. Otherwise, we attach the dog to the leash and take him a few steps away. Then we return to the place where the treat is and cover it with our foot while saying the command "no". We reward the pet immediately when it responds properly.

Warning: Remember to use the same command each time - "no" - and at the end of each training session, remove the treat used for exercise from the floor.

How to teach a dog "no" - step IV

Over time, you can expand learning the "no" command to include home or everyday situations.

For example, we enter a command when the pet wants to jump on the bed or scratches at the door. The key to effective training of the "no" command is to be patient while waiting for the dog's repeated reactions and to maintain the learned skill in everyday functioning - at home and outside. Often, despite effective training, at the beginning the dog will not respond properly to the command in all situations. Nevertheless, you should consistently, gradually introduce more and more difficult challenges, remembering about the rewards. After some time, our four-legged friend will understand the "no" command and we will be able to give up the treats.

Positive reinforcement in training the "no" command

Training should be a pleasure for both parties. Putting too much pressure on the dog and imposing too fast a pace of work (quick transitions between subsequent stages of training) have the opposite effect than intended. The pet becomes stressed, discouraged from work, and ends up avoiding exercise. We must then consider whether we are not asking too much from him and immediately correct our approach. The best results are brought by exercises based on positive associations and building a friendly atmosphere, for example through stroking, caressing, treats, verbal praise, playing together or cuddling. However, without a doubt, the greatest and most awaited reward for a dog is the attention of those close to him.

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