Dog Training Master Keys: Corrective Strategies Part One

Something I use often in my dog training is the notion of “master keys.” 

A physical master key is one that can open many locks, such as the one that the superintendent in an apartment building carries. A master key technique is one that serves a similar function in that if carried and implemented right, can do a lot more with a lot less effort.

So here we go: the first key! This lesson will be directed towards corrective strategies. These are the methods used to communicate to your dog that he or she needs to either a) try again, or b) stop the current behavior.

CORRECTIVE KEY ONE: REPLACE “NO.”

According to Oxford Online, “no” is the 56th most common word in the English language. Out of over a billion words, that’s pretty significant. What that means, though, is that your dog hears the word “no” several hundred times a day, and not even only when you’re talking to him or her. You say “no” to the people you live with, when you talk on the phone, when people come over, and so on.

In short, your dog has become desensitized to the word “no.” He or she is most likely responding to mainly your tone of voice, emphasis and body language; you might as well be saying “purple” or “doorknob.”

So how does one employ the master key here?

Replace “NO” with something else. In my classes I teach “Eh-eh!” It is a sharper, more distinct noise than “no” and therefore stands out more. It also stands out more because you only use it with your dog, or dogs. It carries over longer distances, and you can also vary the emphasis of “Eh-eh” to fit the situation. For example, if I’m training a stay and the dog breaks the stay I’ll mark it with a moderate “Eh-eh.” If I’m playing with a puppy and it nips at me I will give it an assertive, and louder, “EH-EH!” to break up the train of thought (dogs are awfully single minded and “in the moment").

One of my students aptly observed that my particular “Eh-eh” has what vocal teachers call a “fry-tone” making it almost seem like a growl. That kind of makes me smile. Who knew? I do sing in a rock band....

Anyways, if you happen to watch "The Dog Whisperer," you've no doubt seen Cesar Millan's signature "TSCH!" that he does. He calls this a “non-mark,” which is just the same as what I’m calling a correction. This is a no-replacer! This is his version of "Eh-eh!" It doesn’t matter what you call it, or even which no-replacer you use. The key is COMMUNICATE with your dog. Using marks and corrections (non-marks) is the most immediate way to give him or her feedback on whether an activity is what you want or what you don’t want.

Other no-replacers that I use include: 

"Off!" (to address jumping)

"Enough!" (to address barking or activities that should end)

"Leave it!" (to address items the dog wants that you don’t want him or her to have)

REMEMBER: it is very important to follow up! Just using “Eh-eh!” or “Tsch!” or any no-replacers by themselves will eventually be useless if you don’t fill the vacuum with something else. If the behavior stops, MARK that positively (praise, treat, toy, activity, etc) and train/reinforce an alternate behavior. If it does not stop, employ the next phase (body block, remove the dog, redirect, or time-out).

As with anything in dog training, BE PATIENT and BE CONSISTENT. Communicate with your dogs! Otherwise, how can we expect them to ever know or improve?