Don't Be Afraid To Say 'No'

Connie Cleveland's recent blog on Correction is well worth reading and thinking about. You can read it here.

There's no better method to teach dogs new skills and behaviors than reward based training but at some point - when you are sure your dog understands what you want and how to do it - it needs to be balanced with a correction for lack of effort.  

Lack of effort means your dog knows what to do and how to do it but decides not to do it.  Barring any physical problems (and you would never correct if there was a physical problem), the dog is simply telling you it's not convenient for him to do what you've asked.

The correction can be as simple as saying "No" and identifying the lack of effort the moment it happens.  A simple "No" makes the situation very clear.  It's not the end of the world, it doesn't have to be catastrophic and a dog should not shut down because he's been told 'No'.

We're not always right and our dogs are not always right. If you want your dog to consistently perform to the best of his abilities in the ring, then don't be afraid to say 'no'.