“No! Off! Down! No Bite! No Bark! Quiet! Leave It!”
When it comes to training your dog I find that most people have way too many words to describe what they want the dog to do. That leads me to recommend the K.I.S.S. method for dog training. K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Why use 10 words when you can use 1? Why have multiple commands for tiny little details when you can just use one?
For example, a lot of people use ‘no, off, down’ or more when they want the dog to stop jumping. Why not just choose one word and stick to it?
A lot of people use the word ‘stop’ when they are heeling with the dog and they come to a halt. Why not simply tell the dog ‘sit’ as that is what was wanted anyway?
A lot of people teach their dog a ‘stay’ command when they don’t want the dog to move. Why do that? If you’ve already told the dog to sit or lie down shouldn’t that also imply that the dog stays put?
Why teach a dog to ‘leave it’ when ‘no’ is a command easier to use and applies to numerous things?
Our dogs are intelligent. They can learn lots of commands. When it comes to communication, though, whether it be with people or dogs I find that it is easiest if you make it simple. So stop trying to teach your dog 20 commands. Find 6-10 that will make it easier for your dog to learn and stick to them.
Image credit: Randy Son Of Robert
