E-Collar training tip | The Good Dog Training

E-Collar training tip: Why saying “no” when the goal is to create continuous, fluid motion, and clarity of your desired objective/direction to the dog, is often counterproductive.
Many trainers teach owners to say “no” and correct the dog when the dog gets distracted or blows off a motion-based command. While this makes sense in theory-you’re trying to say that’s not what I want/you made a mistake-the reality ends up often creating a “hiccup” in the dog’s motion and confusion about how to complete the command. You see this clearly when Thor deviates towards one of the family’s kids who is out of camera view. And while it’s not catastrophic, it is counterproductive, and creates unnecessary confusion, and more effort for both human and dog to ”clean up”.
Our process for E-Collar correction is a simple one: for a command that is motion-based (sit, down, heel, recall, follow), but the dog is deviating from completing the command, we simply repeat the command with a tap correction. This gives both a correction as well as information to the dog about how to best complete the command, but without creating a “hiccup” or pause or confusion.
For stationary commands that are already completed and need to be held (sit, down, place), but the dog is breaking the position, we simply say “no” with a tap correction. This creates the “hiccup”/pause desired when a dog SHOULD be remaining stationary, returning them to the position, and creates no confusion because the dog (if you’ve caught the infraction early enough) simply stops moving and returns to the position they were in.
While most dogs can eventually learn to overcome motion-based “no”/correction pause/confusion to a large degree, it’s a training concept that is based in a less than practical or helpful approach.
Instead, for motion-based commands where the dog deviates, repeat the desired command with a tap correction and watch the dog fluidly, clearly, and confidently resolve the issue.
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