Saying No is a ...No is Not a 4 Letter Word

Saying no can be the most loving word we can say at times. It doesn't seem that way but it is. It's our responsibility to keep our dawg safe from harm.

When a puppy or an adult dawg does something that he shouldn't do, it's up to us to build a positive relationship filled with trust and teach them right from wrong. That includes teaching them not to chew things they shouldn't, stealing food, using your house as a toilet and much more.

Our dawgs are what we make of them but of course they each have their very own unique personalities that do play a part in the mix.

Some dawgs are step over the line dawgs and others are eager to please every chance they get. As humans, each of us like different types of dawgs due to lifestyles and our own personalities but even with that in mind, the dawgs still need rules, boundaries and consistency.

How do you get 'no' across in a positive way? When you say firmly 'no' and interrupt a behavior, he'll learn to associate the word 'no' with stop and look to you for direction. You can then use affection or a treat as a reward.

Even the most spirited dawg should never be man handled. What you will get in return is a fearful dawg. Fearful dawgs either use flight or bite to deal with fear or worse. Neither is what you want to achieve. What you want is a positive relationship where your dawg looks forward to doing what you want and living by your rules. Once he realizes that by doing so there are many rewards then the rest of the training gets easier.

Sure we all get frustrated but as someone who has seen way too many dawgs that are fearful, positive training is always the way to go.

© Content published on this page has been a collaborative effort and provided by, and copyrighted by Darlah Potechin and Nathan Potechin (talemakerhavanese.com). No unauthorized reproduction or re-publication in any medium whatsoever is permitted without prior written permission.