How to teach a dog the No or No command

Experienced breeders recommend that from the very first days of your puppy's stay in your home, you inquire about how to properly teach your dog a "no" command, as well as the difference between the "No" and "No" commands.

Content

1 Which is better, "Ugh" or "No"?
2 At what age should I start teaching?
3 Learning the "Fu" command
4 We teach the command "No"
5 What to do if your dog doesn't listen

Which is better, "Ugh" or "No"?

Attention! Both commands are considered prohibitive, but there is a significant difference between them and they are used in different situations.

"No" is a strict prohibition, a demand to immediately stop any action. Typically, this command applies to actions that a pet should never, under any circumstances, perform, such as:

chew things;
bite hands;
pick something up from the ground;
bark loudly for no reason;
show aggression towards people or other animals.

The command is given clearly and sharply, and is accompanied by a noticeable tug on the leash.

"No" is a temporary prohibition on an action. This command can be given preemptively (before the animal begins the unwanted action) or as a prohibition, directly interrupting the unwanted action, for example, if the dog:

is going to put his paws on the guest;
tries to start eating before you have poured all the food into the bowl;
begins to pull on the leash when seeing a familiar person or other dogs;
reacts to someone else's ball flying nearby;
reacts to a cat running past, etc.

In this case, the “No” command can be cancelled by another enabling command.

At what age should I start teaching?

The "No" command is part of basic obedience training, so your puppy should be introduced to it from the very first day it arrives in your home. The sooner you begin teaching your pet that there are permitted and prohibited actions, the sooner it will accept and remember the mandatory rules.

The "No" command is added when the puppy is at least 4 months old and is ready to consciously hold back from an action, first for a few seconds, and then for several minutes, while waiting for the prohibition to be lifted. As you begin training your dog with more serious commands, the number of "No" commands should decrease significantly. Ideally, some basic prohibitions will transition to the "No" category. Over time, the dog will also understand the difference between commands, which will allow for a faster and more unwavering response to a complete prohibition.

Learning the "Fu" command

A universal algorithm for teaching a puppy or adult dog the "No" command at home:

Step 1: Getting to Know the Team

The first training session can take place in an apartment (if the puppy tries to destroy furniture or shoes) or outside (if the pet is too interested in everything that lies on the ground).

Place the puppy on a leash and lead it past an object that might interest it. As soon as the dog shows interest and moves its nose toward the forbidden object, say "No" and give a firm tug on the leash, stopping the action. The sharp sound and tug will cause the puppy to temporarily forget about the object, but after a few seconds, it will remember and try again. The person conducting the training should then repeat the prohibition and the leash tug.

At the first stage, consider the following rules:

Do not repeat the prohibition more than 5 times (the dog will simply get tired).
Never allow your dog to interact with a forbidden object. After practicing the prohibition several times, distract the dog and continue on your way. Hide the forbidden object (such as shoes) so the puppy cannot access it in your absence.
Don't reward your dog for obeying the "No" command! You can praise and pet it, but don't give it a treat.
If your puppy doesn't respond well to a voice command, follow it up with a loud, sharp sound, such as clapping your hands or slapping your leg.

Stage #2: Practicing unquestioning execution

Obviously, the "No" command isn't the most pleasant for dogs, so owners of small, "strong-willed" puppies often wonder how to train their pup to obey the command without question. There's only one piece of advice: repeat and reinforce the skill as often as necessary until your pet understands that after "No," interacting with the forbidden object is impossible.

Naturally, when initially training a command, you can't do without the leash's secondary force. But try to leave a short pause between the verbal command and the jerk, giving the dog a chance to perform it without physical stimulation. As soon as the puppy independently obeys the command (before the leash jerk), you can consider it a success.

Stage 3. Practicing the off-leash command

You can move on to this level only if the command is firmly established and the dog obeys it unquestioningly while on a leash (without a duplicate jerk).

To practice the command, you must first release the dog close to you, gradually increasing the range of the voice command.

Important! Don't allow your dog to ignore the command. If your dog doesn't respond to "No" off-leash, return to the previous step for a short period of time—practicing the command on-leash.

We teach the command "No"

The algorithms for teaching a dog the "No" or "No" commands are similar in many ways, but also have a number of important differences:

The "No" command trains endurance.
The "No" command is periodically cancelled by other commands that allow the previously prohibited action.
For correctly executing the “No” command, the dog is rewarded with a treat.

Step 1: Meet the Team

The easiest way to explain the "No" command to a dog is with a toy. Place a ball in front of your pet and say "No," restraining the dog from interacting with the object and ensuring obedience. After a few seconds, praise and let your dog enjoy the toy.

Stage 2. Obedience training

Repeat the command with different objects and in different situations, prohibiting your pet from certain actions, increasing the holding period, and then canceling the prohibition with a permissive command (depending on the situation).

Stage 3. Obedience in Difficult Conditions

Once your pet performs a command perfectly in a calm room or area, you can make the task more challenging and train your dog to obey commands without question in the presence of various distractions and without the owner's leash control.

When practicing the "No" command, don't forget about the "No" command, because the dog must clearly understand that after a strict ban, there is no need to wait for a treat or cancellation.

What to do if your dog doesn't listen

Experienced dog trainers cite two main reasons for difficulties in training no-no commands in dogs of any age:

Most often, the reason is in the mistakes made by the person: a prohibited action is allowed in different conditions, after giving a command the person does not always achieve obedience, the command is given with different intonation (sometimes in the context of the game).
The second possible cause is the pet's personality. Adult dogs may not obey commands given by someone other than their primary owner. To resolve this issue, it's worth taking a basic obedience course with an experienced dog trainer.

Remember! During training, you cannot physically punish your dog.

Punishment includes lack of praise, duplicating the command with a leash (at later stages of training), and repeating the command in a sterner voice.