# Doesn't know "no"



## River123 (Jul 12, 2015)

My vizsla is 14 weeks old. We went out of town this past weekend and stayed in a hotel with him and a yorkie. We put him in his crate when it was time for bed. He wouldn't be quiet, the neighbors started banging on the wall. 

The thing is whenever we tell him no he thinks it's a game and starts barking and trying to play. He doesn't know what no is. I know he is still young but we are going to be going to a hotel again in a week. I gave him a bone and he quieted down. But I need ways to tell him no and for him to stop something. Anything he thinks is a game.

With the yorkie he barks at it and he is to rough with it. I tell him no and he just starts doing it again. 

Thank you for any help!!!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Riv - NO is not a COMMAND !!!!!!!!!! whoa - here - mark - dead bird find - hunt em up are commands etc - they are specific to the situation - whoa is easy 2 teach - it covers everything !!!!!!!!! they stop & look 2 you 4 the next command - NO =counter surfing - barking - humping - drop - here - a direction change - to hand - etc - would not work 4 me or my V !!!!!!!!!!!!V specific in your commands & the results U want !!!!!!!!!!!!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Your only hope is to tire the puppy out, and then cover the crate when you put him inside. Crate him on one side of the bed, and crate the yorkie on the other side of the bed.
My dogs did not know the word No, for a long time. Its a word I try my hardest to not use on pups. Instead giving a command that I want them to learn. They are a lot older before they hear No from me, and it only used under certain situations. If they are giving me a differences response, to a command that they have completed hundreds of times. I might tell one of them No for the wrong response, and then the command again the one I want them to complete.


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## Pecan_and_BB (Jun 15, 2015)

"No" as a command is attempting to tell the dog: "Stop whatever you are doing and do something else other than that thing you are currently doing. Then, if that next thing you are doing is something you shouldn't be doing as well, I'll repeat the command and then do something else again until you do something that I find acceptable." That is a very difficult concept for a puppy or dog to understand.

Pecan is now 3 months old and barking is a tough one since it's such a big part of their communication with us. Reading their body language and tone of the bark for what they are communicating is important in how to deal with how to get them to understand what you are asking of them in return when they bark at you.

TexasRed gives good advice if you feel your puppy is barking for the purposes of play time.

If you feel it is more of a bark that is related to anxiety or stress, then what I have been working on with Pecan is a relaxed down (when they lie down in the position where their back end rolls to one side and both legs face the same direction away from their body). Once in that position, the puppy naturally relaxes and becomes quiet. Having them stay in that position is a much bigger challenge however.

Here's how I've been working on it:

1. Whatever blanket/mat you use for their crate is where you will want to practice this but it should be in an open space and not in the crate.
2. Start with luring them onto the mat/blanket
3. Get them to sit and then into their down position on the blanket (their first down is always where their back legs are underneath them where they can easily just stand right back up).
4. While in their down position, get them to turn their head into their body (like when they curl up) by luring with a treat. This will cause their back end to roll and end up in that relaxed down position. I use the verbal command "relax" once they perform it.
5. Once in that position, praise calmly (no excited praise) and feed a few more treats intermittently to hold them in the position.
6. Give a command to release them from the position "OK, let's go!" or "Get Up!". This is a very important step as it tells them that you are the one to decide when that relaxed down can be released.

I have found that when they are stressed or showing anxiety, this technique has worked for my dogs over the years in letting them know that everything is OK and that they can "relax".


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Pecan_and_BB said:


> If you feel it is more of a bark that is related to anxiety or stress, then what I have been working on with Pecan is a relaxed down (when they lie down in the position where their back end rolls to one side and both legs face the same direction away from their body). Once in that position, the puppy naturally relaxes and becomes quiet.


We call that the "hip flip"


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

I doubt he thinks "No" is a game. If anything, he's simply reacting to your attention without comprehension of the word.

As a public service reminder, those of us who travel with our dogs are acutely aware of the shortage of good will and available hotels that accommodate us. It only takes one really badly behaved dog and attendant complaints by the human cash paying guests in another room to potentially leave us with yet one less dog friendly hotel. If your dog isn't really well behaved, consider not taking him until he is.


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