Effectively Using "No"

What is this trend with not telling your dog "no"?  I understand that it comes from wanting to keep to the purest ideal of "positive" dog training, but I tell you what, I think it's bogus.

Let's talk about how to effectively use this small word.  I feel like it has been omitted from some training programs, and replaced with the much more annoying, "EH EH" sound.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you, as a grown, functioning, socially acceptable adult really want to be belting "EH EH" or "AH AH AH!" in front of strangers?  I know I don't.  I would much rather my dog respond to a calmly stated, "no" or even "no please" at a conversational level.

This means a few things to me:
1. My dog is paying enough attention to my voice that he is responding to that quieter tone, which means he is most likely in a better state of mind. 

2. I am not using a louder, more emotionally uncontrolled tone to gain his attention.  If I have done my homework correctly, he is also cued to at least look my direction at the sound of his name, so my calm "no," is going to work.

3. Since my use of this word, is more like how I would explain to a young child that whatever response they gave me wasn't right, this is more a marker than a correction.  Using no as a correction, sounds something like this, "NO NO! BAD! YOU IDIOT! YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID OF ME BECAUSE I'M SCREAMING AT YOU! I AM USING FEAR TO STOP YOUR MOTIONS!" or at least that's what I get out of something like the loud "EH" or "NO."

Even worse...Humans who scream their dogs names as correctives...  All.  The.  Time.  Get up and go get the dog....Stop screaming...Please....

When using 'no' as a marker, it becomes more of a tool the dog can use to 'correct himself.'  Take asking your dog to Sit.  If you have already taken the time to patiently teach the dog what Sit is, and you have seen the dog demonstrate a Sit for you in other times, you can use 'no' as a marker for not doing a Sit.  Example:  "Sit, Ubu.....(Ubu does not sit, but stares at me)...no...Sit...(this time, I help with a hand signal to remind Ubu what a Sit is)...Good...(i now reward Ubu for the sit).

 Or if you are calling your dog to you.  Say you know the dog understands what Come is, and you call her.  She begins to move towards you, but gets a little distracted on the way and begins to veer off to smell something.  If the dog is at this stage, you can say something little, like "No,..." and most dogs will have that lightbulb moment and resume their trek towards you, at which point you should immediately say "Good."  Mind you, your voice inflection matters A Lot here.  If you say "no" in a flat, lower tone, (not mean, just flat and firm) followed by a more upbeat sounding tone when you say "good," Sasha is more likely to be happily reminded of what she was doing.

I love this cue when working up to longer Stays as well.  When I've started them right, I can ask for a Sit, Stay, and if the dog stands up too soon...I say 'no' and I wait for it.  Most of the time, the pup will sit right back down (self-correction) and I can resume rewarding for good staying.  Rather than teach my pup that I will repeat myself with Sit Sit Sit, or Stay Stay Stay.

Provided you have taken time to teach your dog that a word like "good, " "yes" or "right" means they are doing the right thing, why not teach them a word that helps them learn that what they are up to might be off track?

Dogs are simple, but not stupid.  Using no as a marker, is sort of like playing that Warmer/Colder game.  "No," means change your course, "good" can mean continue, Sir. 

The second part of using 'no' effectively means you will follow up your word with touch of some kind, or body language, if necessary.  If your pup is getting into the trash, and you say "no," but do not follow it up with having the pup drop what's in his mouth, and then body blocking him away from the mess 'til he stops trying to pick up the scattered things, he most likely will not stop rummaging.  After you have stopped the foraging, and his attempted eating thereof, then you pick up the trash, call the pup away from it and decide to add Leave It to something you must work on around the trash.  Words without follow-through mean nothing.  With proper follow through, the next time you see him nosing near the can, you can simply say "Rossco, no..." and he should drop his nose from that trash can.  Then you can call him to do something more interesting.

Using 'no' as a catch-all is not the answer either.  Over-using, and yelling "no" all the time creates a dog who begins to hear you, but you become background sound that means nothing. When you use any word as a cue for some kind of action, even if that action is to cease existing action, you must attach cause and effect.   Remember, we are trying to expand our dogs learning, and therefore their cognitive abilities.

"No" is simply a marker word for "not quite what I wanted," or "try again Bub."  It also is a warning of sorts..."no" means I am about to get out of my chair, and come move you off of whatever it is you are into, so you now have a choice; are you gonna stop it, or am I getting up?