Don't look at that. Don't sniff that. Don't walk ahead of me. Don't pull on the leash. Don't eat the grass. Don't scratch your ear. Don't bark/lunge. . . Isn't it easier to decide what you DO want your dog to do?
I feel bad for some dogs when I’m out walking Risa. While I’m stuffing her full of treats and praising her to the heavens when we pass another dog, those other dogs aren’t always so lucky. Oftentimes, I hear their owners saying “No. No. No. No.” or giving other types of corrections the entire time we pass. I often laugh at the dichotomy in my head. I’m saying “Yes, yes!” and they’re doing the exact opposite!
Correction-based training is definitely more widespread in the general populace. People are focused on what their dog is doing wrong and they act appropriately by trying to let their dog know that the human disapproves. I’ll admit, it’s often easier to point out what is wrong rather than shifting your focus onto what you want. But it’s far more straightforward to your dog if you tell them what you expect from them.
When I’m out working with Risa on her reactivity, there are a lot of behaviors I don’t want from her. Like:
DON’T bark
DON’T stare
DON’T pull on the lead
DON’T lunge
DON’T lag behind
DON’T stop and sniff things
DON’T eat grass
DON’T get tense
DON’T try and sniff the dog as we pass (though, to be fair, I will let her do this because it shows me she is curious and not afraid)
That’s a lot of DON’T. If I were to correct her while we were walking for doing a DON’T, what are my chances that she would pick what I want her to do and not another DON’T?
When the lines of communication are open and clear, training is much easier!
My list of DOs is much shorter. I DO want her to look at me. I DO want her to offer a calming signal. If she does either one of those things, she gets rewarded. Period. It’s pretty black and white for me AND for her.
Besides making communication easier between you and your dog, you also learn to think of your dog in a more positive light. You aren’t focusing on everything your dog does that you dislike. Instead, your focus shifts to watching for everything your dog does that you DO like. You begin to see your dog as a source of things to be happy about. Not more things to correct.
