Stop Telling Your Dog ‘No’
Your dog messed up. Maybe they ‘had an accident’ in the house. Maybe they jumped on you. You responded by telling them ‘NO.’ Guess what? You are the one who messed up.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love the word “no.” It’s the perfect response to all kinds of situations that you want no part of. “Can I have some money?” “Will you hold this gun for me?” “Do you want to go to a party at Kathy’s house?” No. No thank you. No. (Fuck you, Kathy. You know what you did.) I use “no” at least 10 times a day, and it’s perfect. The only time I ever regret saying no? When I say it to my dog.
Before we dive into exactly why you should stop telling your dog “no,” let’s cover some dog behavior basics. Your disobedient dog is not “dominant.” They’re not seeking “alpha” status in your home. The idea of “dominance” was taken from wolf studies completed in the ’70s by wolf researcher David Mech. If you ask Dr. Mech today however, he’ll tell you that not only do wolves not fight for dominance, but using it to describe your dog’s behavior is just plain wrong. So let’s all agree to stop describing our dogs as “dominant.” If you believe your dog is “dominant,” there’s a communication breakdown happening in your home. And I bet it’s because you overuse “no.”
