How to Teach Your Dog “No!”

A “no” command is when you ask your dog in a firm voice to stop doing something. Or, in the case of advanced trainers, have your dog backtrack from his actions and do the correct one. it. It also works as a stop-gap measure between “go” and “leave it”. It is the command that runs along the same lines as “stay” or “sit” in which your dog stands immobile or just plain not doing anything.

The difference between “no” and its closest alternative “sit” or “stay” is that, “no” just stops your pet in his tracks., period. There is no follow-up command to it, just the marker “yes”. “No” is very effective but highly incomplete.

It can also be described as the command given to either correct an undesired behavior or just plain stop your dog which is mostly for safety reasons. Certain examples would be when your dog is about to race across the street to oncoming traffic, or maybe chase a car. This “no” cue signal also comes in real handy when your dog is about to eat something he is not supposed to, such as things that he finds in the dirt.

How to Teach Your Dog No

Why is teaching “no” to your dog important?

“No” is a necessary command that not all trainers and owners are inclined to teach. This is for the reason that it has a negative connotation and there are some opposing opinions about it as well. However, if you love your dog and you want to have a well-bonded relationship, one that is born out of having fun together, worry-free playtime, and reduced damage to your furniture, might as well teach him “no” and what’s more, your dog will love you for letting him know how to please you better.

Whenever you may have already decided to teach your dog “no”, there are 2 easy methods that you can go about doing it. As follows:

Method 1: Teaching Plain “No” with Release
Method 2: Teaching “No” with “Leave It” as s Subsequent Command”

These 2 methods when done correctly, will help you and your dog establish boundaries that will be put to good use in certain situations. Without this command, you can have negative outcomes because your dog simply didn’t know what his limitations were.

The first method is a “general” way of teaching your dog the word, and what he can do to obey it. For dogs, it’s just another trick that they need to learn and perform. They have little concept of “no” being used as a restraint and they just understand that they have to “do” something whenever you want them not to do something.

Your dog is built to please you, They do not have that in-depth understanding of why he can’t eat poop. So, do make it simple and be clear as to what you want him to do.

Basic Commands and equipment needed

“No”: This command is given to outright stop and correct an action/mistake by your dog that is not desired. It is not angry but is firm and with some level of authority in terms of tonality. It is designed to catch your dog just right before or in the middle of doing something you don’t want.
“Leave it“: This is the subsequent command that you give your dog after saying no. “Leave it” gives your dog direction after your correction
“Sit”: This command allows your dog to rest in a sitting position looking up while waiting for you to conduct his “no” exercises.
“Okay” or “Yes”: These are verbal markers that help you mark the correct behavior of your dog. About halfway, just right before you give him his reward.
“Good!“: This verbal praise or reward may be followed by “girl” or “boy”. This is to acknowledge your dog for a job well done. This verbal praise should be spoken with enthusiasm and with a tone of satisfaction. It is released simultaneously with the treat.

A leash: It will firmly emphasize the “no” command as you gently and quickly, tug and say “no” to your dog while trying to pull him back. Do not jerk, (it’s your dog’s neck) just continue pulling.
Treats: This is a favorite snack of your dog which will be used as a lure and reward. Along with it comes an easy-access treats pouch.

Hand Signal

So far, “no” is just a short verbal prompt with no real hand signal for a supplement. Possibly, the nearest hand signal to “no” is the act of forming a stop sign with your hand. Look your dog in the eye (which should work for deaf dogs too) and raise your hand at chest level with your palm facing outward. Mouth or say the word “stop” with it. If your dog was trained to do “stop” he should be able to perform it correctly.

Method # 1 Teaching “No” with Release

This method will introduce and familiarize your dog with the command “no”. This will get him ready to either stick to just “no”, or with added subsequent commands such as. “sit”, “stay”, and or “leave it”.

STEP 1: Pick a Good Time to Train when Your Dog is not Full.

Try to train during snack time or when your dog has just finished spending a lot of energy. This will make him a bit hungry (but not too hungry) to keep going after those treats. We recommend high-value treats like small pieces of cheese, or maybe roasted chicken, which your dog can choose.

STEP 2: Show Your Dog the Treat

Lay the treat on your hand and hold it out about 7 inches away from his nose., then wait for your dog to try and go for it.

STEP 3: Saying No When Your Dog Lunges

Naturally, your dog will try to get the food from your hand, however, you will close your hand into a fist and say “no” firmly to your dog. If your dog insists on pushing his nose up against your hand while sniffing and licking, pull back your hand to reset him. Repeat the exercise until he no longer attempts to get the treat from you.

STEP 4: Teach your Dog when to Release

Right at that moment when he stops going after your closed fist and turns his head away, marks that action with a “yes” or “okay”. And then, let him eat the treat straight out of your hand with verbal praises.

STEP 5: Repeat Steps 3 and 4

By this time your dog may already understand that when he hears “no” your fist closes. It means not to go after it. Whenever he shows that he already understands, you can try tossing the treat right in front of him, then say “no”. As he remains still by not going after the treat on the floor it means he already gets it. Pick up the treat and give it to him from your hand and praise him for a job well done.

STEP 6: Practice, Practice, Practice

Keep the edge on your dog’s performance by consistently exercising the “no” command. Do it regularly for as long as you see the need for improvement. As an option, you may get him ready for attaching other commands such as, “stay”, “sit”, and “lie down” Overall this method allows your dog to master the base action of “no” which is to stop and wait for your next instruction.

Method #2 Teaching “No” with a Specific Follow-up Command “Leave it!”

Completing method #1 will help your dog master the base “no”, however, it is open-ended. One way to loop it in a closed action is to add “leave it”. This way he will know when to back away and stay.

STEP 1: Put your Dog on a Long Line or Leash and Prepare the Treats

Take your line and attach it to your dog’s collar. Make sure the collar is of a type that would comfortably fit your dog’s neck. Use a high-value treat like some roast chicken pieces, or stick cheese for your dog. Stand in front of him, and ask him to sit and pay attention to you and the treats.

STEP 2: Use the Lure and Throw it to the Ground

With your right hand holding on to the leash all poised and ready, take a treat into your left hand and throw it to the side about 3-4 feet away from you and your dog. Upon seeing this, your dog will lunge and try to get it from the ground.

STEP 3: Use “no” Command Together with the Leash

Using the leash, quickly but gently restrain your dog (do not jerk) to put a firm hold and stop him from getting the food. Pull him back about 1 foot backward while simultaneously saying “No”. Do this until you feel him relent and face you for the next instruction.

Be sure to oppose his lunging consistently by pulling back with a “no” every time he lunges. Do this as many times as necessary for as long as he is trying to reach for the distraction treat.

STEP 4: Add “Leave it” as a Follow Up Command and Reward Your Dog for Obedience

Because it is the nature of your dog to be a good follower, once he understands that he couldn’t get that food that is on the ground, he will realize that he will always be held back. Eventually, he will stop and wait for you. Say a firm “no” every time you restrain him with the leash and expect to do it repeatedly In the first many instances. He might fight and lunge (especially for puppies) because of hunger and instinct. Gently persist in going back and forth with your dog and reward him when he performs correctly.

At this point, you may now add the “leave it” command right after “no”. Remember: allow him to ignore the distraction treat first, then on the opposite side reward him with another piece of cheese from your hand.

STEP 5: Pick Up the Distraction Treat

Don’t forget to pick up the treat and not let your dog get to it. 1 mistake could unravel a day’s worth of training for you. So pick it up quickly before he gets to it. Repeat exercise.

The goal is, that your dog is to no longer go after the distraction treat, or he may turn his head a bit but will keep his attention on you. When this happens hold on a few more seconds before releasing him with a “yes” along with a treat (on the other hand), coupled with a pleased verbal praise. It is important to make that extra effort because this activity is a negative reinforcement exercise, and an extra positive reward will work well to balance your dog’s disposition.

STEP 6: Ease Up on the Leash

Depending on your dog’s progress, keep the leash on your dog but no longer use it for restraint. Drop his leash to the ground and do the same exercise as outlined above. If your dog keeps himself steady and does the desired behavior mark it and reward it.

In the end, expect your dog to obey when he hears the words “no” and “leave it”. He will stay still until you release him with a “yes” or “okay”. When he is already able to consistently do it on cue. You may now assume that he already understands the command. Repeat the exercise until it becomes second nature to him.

Proofing Your Dog

Assuming that he is already performing as desired. Take your dog to some other place like the park and train him there, see how he responds. If he responds well despite increased distraction, move on up by allowing him to explore and see if he comes on to something he shouldn’t be eating or even be near.

Test his memory and instinct by giving a firm “no”. If you are already a few weeks into training or have progressed well enough, he will obey and will leave it. Take the feedback from that practical test as this will tell you if he is already good and ready. If not, you may have to revert to some training. In the meantime, continue practicing on medium to high distraction areas to proof your dog.

You can also fade treats gradually according to you, and your dog’s comfort level.

How Long Does it Take to Teach a Dog NO?

As with any basic command, “no” can be learned and mastered within 1-2 weeks. But it largely depends on how much time and effort you are willing to invest in training your dog.

You may want to check online on what breeds are fast learners and others that may take a little more time to master skills. We will defer to the dogs that you like and just find out if they are easier to train or not. It doesn’t necessarily mean one is smarter than the other, but some are predisposed to learning a little faster.

You can get optimal results by training your dog 3x a week, at three sessions a day, with 15 minutes per session (or even less). You can move along the program depending on your dog’s ability to learn and retain.

Puppies may start at 7-8 weeks old with a schedule of 3 times a week, at 3 times a day, with 5 minutes for each session.

Troubleshooting

Should You Teach Your Dog No?

There have been some issues in the training community about teaching dogs “no”. We believe that teaching your dog “no” is just a small but important part of his social skills overall. It serves as a negative balance to the go-go carefree culture and ways of training nowadays.

Being positive and having a positive mindset as a trainer is a good basis for your dog to learn his way around other dogs, people, and other animals. Having a little bit of negative counterweight against an overwhelmingly positive culture and positive ways of doing, somehow creates a balance. With balance comes fewer problems and very few behavior spikes that could sometimes be a little more trouble than the owner can handle.

However, there are a few points that are worth noting about the risks of teaching your dog “no”. And, this could also be some of the reasons why your dog may appear to be “stubborn”.

Your Dog May Begin to Fear You Due to Negative Association.

Your dog starts distrusting you because saying “no” in a somehow aggressive manner can be a dampener in his enthusiasm which may result in him tiptoeing around you. We would rather have a dog with a happy disposition, right?

Bad Timing

You could risk telling your dog “no” when it’s already too late. For example, you may have said no when your dog’s mouth is already full of sausage that he swiped from the center table which was supposed to be your snack. Your dog could associate no with food in his mouth instead of stopping to pay attention to you.

You Might Not Be Meeting Your Dog’s Needs

When you find yourself often shouting “no” to your pet, it could be that he hasn’t been out of the house for some time now. Or, he is forced to steal food because of missed mealtimes. There could be many more examples of why your dog might be acting up, and this could mean that his needs might not have been met.

These are just a few of the possible reasons and conditions which make us wonder if we should be teaching our dogs “no”. In all fairness though, no one can argue that the “no” command can be very useful and is adaptable. This is especially true when your pet is in a hyper mode.

“No” is mainly a correction tool that will help your dog repeat the previous correct action, or initiate a new one. And the good thing about it is, your dog will ultimately understand “no” which will make it easier for him and you to add on, or even level up to the next related command.

How Do You Scold a Dog?

Don’ts

One important thing NOT to do is hit your dog or yell at him in frustration and anger. It has been known that hitting your dog does nothing to improve his behavior. All that it does is leave your dog timid and unhappy. He may also become immune to constant yelling and will eventually learn to tune you out. And since he already knows how to tune you out, he’d probably do exactly the opposite of what you say.

Don’t tolerate destructive behavior like chewing and playing with things that are not his toys. You can stop this unwanted behavior by telling your pup or dog “no” while referring to the item or restricting playtime in a room where they don’t have a couch to chew on.

Do’s

Do positive reinforcement by rewarding your dog when he does the desired behavior on his own. Be generous with vocal and tactile rewards like rubbing your dog’s head to keep away from fragile furniture.

Do follow up “no” (which stops him from doing something) with another command that he knows like “sit” or “leave it”. This way he doesn’t get confused

These are just some of the few examples of how you can discipline your dog effectively without worrying about negative effects.

How Do I Train My Dog “NO” Without Treats?

For this particular cue, negative reinforcement is being utilized to create a lasting impact. One that your dog will always remember and not even struggle to remember. Good old chicken roasts and smelly delicious liver will give him the motivation to hold himself together since he knows that if he obeys he might receive some form of reward. And as you fade out the treats, it will already be easy for him to obey and hold himself longer.

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