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When does “No!” mean “No!”…Ask a trainer
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Dear Trainer, My dog jumps on people when they come over. I tell her, “No,” but she doesn’t seem to listen to me. There are other times when I tell her, “No,” and she stops doing what she is doing right away. How come she only listens sometimes? Sometimes, I think she is ignoring me on purpose. Do you have any ideas on how to get her to listen and stop jumping on people? Signed Jumping Jack Dog Mom Dear Jumping,
Over the years, I have had many clients insist their dogs understood what “No” means, all the while their dogs were jumping all over me (or barking, nipping, growling and other behaviors) as I entered their homes.
I have also counted the number of times the word “No” has been used in these situations, and have counted well over 20 times on several occasions, all the while the pet parents wrestled their dogs to try and get them to stop the unwanted behavior.
During encounters with impulsive, fearful or reactive dogs, my first line of defense is to remain as neutral as possible, not making eye contact, not reaching for the dog, or saying anything to them. Most of the dogs stop at some point when they discover that I am not going to respond to the unwanted behavior and this includes your problem of jumping. The majority of dogs simply gave up trying, but to the pet parent, it may seem as though the, “No’s,” did the trick, after all, the dog stopped jumping when they were saying “No!”
What is really going on? The first thing to keep in mind when trying to assess your dog’s behaviors is not why your dog is doing what she is doing, but what is she getting out of the behavior. The reason dogs repeat behaviors, such as jumping up on people, is because there is some sort of payoff for them—dog’s do what works. In the case of jumping, it is usually (a) to appease people, or (b) for attention. Since dogs repeat behaviors that result in reward or other things they enjoy in life, in the case of a jumping dog it’s easy to understand why dogs might continue this behavior if everyone is making such a big deal about it!
As far as your dog not listening to you when she is jumping on people verses other times, you have some pretty strong environmental competition going on in the form of guests, and thus making your dog’s ability to respond that much harder.
However, I would like to take it one step further, and venture to say that your dog may not actually be responding to your “No!” at other times either. Dogs don’t generalize behaviors very well; in other words, just because they know something in one context, it doesn’t mean they understand it in another. Add to that, the fact that humans tend to over use words, such as “No!” in many different contexts, with many different tones of voices (even some cute, cartoon voices when dogs have done something “naughty” but funny) and it’s no wonder they don’t really listen to us all that well. After all, when does “No, mean No?” Is it when they are jumping on people, chewing up a shoe, having an accident in the house, or the many other times humans use that word?
However, I would like to take it one step further, and venture to say that your dog may not actually be responding to your “No!” at other times either. Dogs don’t generalize behaviors very well; in other words, just because they know something in one context, it doesn’t mean they understand it in another. Add to that, the fact that humans tend to over use words, such as “No!” in many different contexts, with many different tones of voices (even some cute, cartoon voices when dogs have done something “naughty” but funny) and it’s no wonder they don’t really listen to us all that well. After all, when does “No, mean No?” Is it when they are jumping on people, chewing up a shoe, having an accident in the house, or the many other times humans use that word?
What really happened here? The child was rewarded for escalating his or her behavior despite the mother’s repeated “No!” Dogs that are given lots of attention when their behaviors are out of control get the same type of reward as the child in the form of lots of feedback from humans, such as our voices, touching them as they are being pulled away, etc.
Think of it this way: your voice is a powerful thing to waste Most dogs that are having a tough time paying attention to their humans usually fall into the categories of either loving to hear the human voice, or having learned to ignore it over time (like the mom ignoring until the child got really loud). Going forward, it’s important that you learn to use your voice at the right time so you can really help your dog learn English as a 2nd language.
Dogs that love the sound of our voices do so because it is often connected with things that dogs enjoy most, such as, “Good dog, or want a cookie?”
Those that have learned to ignore us have probably heard the same old thing, over and over again with no real meaning, “Rex, Rex, Rex, heel, right here. Heel, heel, heel Rex!” All the while Rex is busy pulling to the nearest dog park to hook up with his buddies and wondering what the heck his human is babbling about back there at the other end of the leash.
Whichever category your dog falls into, rest assured your voice has meaning her, so be sure to use it wisely.
Luckily it’s a pretty simple formula: If you want your dog to continue to do something, be sure to talk to him/her. Of course, this, as you can imagine, this can work for things that you might not like, such as pulling on leash, jumping on people, barking, etc. If you are talking to her while she is jumping on people, you are pretty much telling your dog to keep doing what she is doing, “I’m right here with you,” is the message you send. Even using your dog’s name when she is doing something you don’t want can, and often does, reinforce that very behavior!
On the flip side, if you don’t want your dog to do something, be silent. And, like talking, this can also have its downside, such as when your dog has done something wonderful and you don’t communicate that to her. If a behavior doesn’t get reinforced, you dog might “skip” that one for behaviors that do work to get attention.
To sum it all up: Learn to watch for opportunities that you can reward with your voice, and think about what you might be reinforcing if you are talking to your dog. Get rid of the “No” and start teaching your dog what you would like her to do, such as sit when guests come over.
Find a good positive reinforcement trainer or class that can help you teach your dog to listen because you are rewarding good behavior, not reprimanding all the time. Good luck, Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT, KPACTP www.wholedogtraining.com
I have also counted the number of times the word “No” has been used in these situations, and have counted well over 20 times on several occasions, all the while the pet parents wrestled their dogs to try and get them to stop the unwanted behavior.
During encounters with impulsive, fearful or reactive dogs, my first line of defense is to remain as neutral as possible, not making eye contact, not reaching for the dog, or saying anything to them. Most of the dogs stop at some point when they discover that I am not going to respond to the unwanted behavior and this includes your problem of jumping. The majority of dogs simply gave up trying, but to the pet parent, it may seem as though the, “No’s,” did the trick, after all, the dog stopped jumping when they were saying “No!”
What is really going on? The first thing to keep in mind when trying to assess your dog’s behaviors is not why your dog is doing what she is doing, but what is she getting out of the behavior. The reason dogs repeat behaviors, such as jumping up on people, is because there is some sort of payoff for them—dog’s do what works. In the case of jumping, it is usually (a) to appease people, or (b) for attention. Since dogs repeat behaviors that result in reward or other things they enjoy in life, in the case of a jumping dog it’s easy to understand why dogs might continue this behavior if everyone is making such a big deal about it!
As far as your dog not listening to you when she is jumping on people verses other times, you have some pretty strong environmental competition going on in the form of guests, and thus making your dog’s ability to respond that much harder.
However, I would like to take it one step further, and venture to say that your dog may not actually be responding to your “No!” at other times either. Dogs don’t generalize behaviors very well; in other words, just because they know something in one context, it doesn’t mean they understand it in another. Add to that, the fact that humans tend to over use words, such as “No!” in many different contexts, with many different tones of voices (even some cute, cartoon voices when dogs have done something “naughty” but funny) and it’s no wonder they don’t really listen to us all that well. After all, when does “No, mean No?” Is it when they are jumping on people, chewing up a shoe, having an accident in the house, or the many other times humans use that word?
However, I would like to take it one step further, and venture to say that your dog may not actually be responding to your “No!” at other times either. Dogs don’t generalize behaviors very well; in other words, just because they know something in one context, it doesn’t mean they understand it in another. Add to that, the fact that humans tend to over use words, such as “No!” in many different contexts, with many different tones of voices (even some cute, cartoon voices when dogs have done something “naughty” but funny) and it’s no wonder they don’t really listen to us all that well. After all, when does “No, mean No?” Is it when they are jumping on people, chewing up a shoe, having an accident in the house, or the many other times humans use that word?
What really happened here? The child was rewarded for escalating his or her behavior despite the mother’s repeated “No!” Dogs that are given lots of attention when their behaviors are out of control get the same type of reward as the child in the form of lots of feedback from humans, such as our voices, touching them as they are being pulled away, etc.
Think of it this way: your voice is a powerful thing to waste Most dogs that are having a tough time paying attention to their humans usually fall into the categories of either loving to hear the human voice, or having learned to ignore it over time (like the mom ignoring until the child got really loud). Going forward, it’s important that you learn to use your voice at the right time so you can really help your dog learn English as a 2nd language.
Dogs that love the sound of our voices do so because it is often connected with things that dogs enjoy most, such as, “Good dog, or want a cookie?”
Those that have learned to ignore us have probably heard the same old thing, over and over again with no real meaning, “Rex, Rex, Rex, heel, right here. Heel, heel, heel Rex!” All the while Rex is busy pulling to the nearest dog park to hook up with his buddies and wondering what the heck his human is babbling about back there at the other end of the leash.
Whichever category your dog falls into, rest assured your voice has meaning her, so be sure to use it wisely.
Luckily it’s a pretty simple formula: If you want your dog to continue to do something, be sure to talk to him/her. Of course, this, as you can imagine, this can work for things that you might not like, such as pulling on leash, jumping on people, barking, etc. If you are talking to her while she is jumping on people, you are pretty much telling your dog to keep doing what she is doing, “I’m right here with you,” is the message you send. Even using your dog’s name when she is doing something you don’t want can, and often does, reinforce that very behavior!
On the flip side, if you don’t want your dog to do something, be silent. And, like talking, this can also have its downside, such as when your dog has done something wonderful and you don’t communicate that to her. If a behavior doesn’t get reinforced, you dog might “skip” that one for behaviors that do work to get attention.
To sum it all up: Learn to watch for opportunities that you can reward with your voice, and think about what you might be reinforcing if you are talking to your dog. Get rid of the “No” and start teaching your dog what you would like her to do, such as sit when guests come over.
Find a good positive reinforcement trainer or class that can help you teach your dog to listen because you are rewarding good behavior, not reprimanding all the time. Good luck, Nan Arthur, CDBC, CPDT, KPACTP www.wholedogtraining.com
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