Can I say ‘no’ to my dog?
By Ran Courant-Morgan, M.S., BCBA, LABA
We have recently been hearing people wonder, “Is it okay if I say ‘no’ to my dog?”
This seems like this should be a simple question, answered with either, “Yes, it’s fine!” or “Actually, that can be problematic or detrimental.” But we have a more complex answer, with three main areas to consider: What does “okay” mean? What are the person’s goals? And what are the dog’s needs?
The first piece to consider is what it means for a certain intervention, consequence, or response to be “okay.”
Different people have different values, which can impact the type of relationship they want to cultivate with their dogs. We are all moving through life with our individual backgrounds, experiences, and goals. As such, it is never simple to answer the question “Is it okay?” However, some of the things we might consider when addressing this question are: Is it safe? Is it helpful? What are the benefits and risks to both the person and the dog?
Let’s take a look at an example in this context. Say we have a dog, Remy, who sits at the window of her house and barks at dogs who pass by on the sidewalk in front of the house. When Remy barks, her person, Ada, says “No!” After Ada says “No,” Remy stops barking for a moment, looks at Ada, and then goes back to barking out the window.
Is it safe?
At first glance, it does not seem to be unsafe. No one is getting physically hurt. It is possible that Ada is somewhat stressed, but that may be the case even if she were not saying “no.” It is possible that Remy is somewhat stressed.
However, if the intervention of saying “no” in fact results in a decrease in the frequency of Remy’s barking out the window at other dogs, then this is a punishment contingency. A detailed discussion of punishment is much larger than one blog post (in fact, we will soon be sharing an entire course about it!), but it’s important to note that there are documented side effects of punishment. These side effects can include aggressive and emotional responding, escape and avoidance behaviors, and an increase in other undesired behaviors. So while at first glance it may seem like saying “no” to a dog is safe, it’s also possible that there could be impactful and harmful side effects. While we can’t guarantee that this would be the outcome, we also cannot guarantee that it would not - and if the intervention of saying “no” is effective in decreasing barking, then it is likely that these side effects would occur as well.
Is it helpful?
In other words, does saying “no” reduce barking? There are several possible outcomes here:
1) Saying “no” could reduce barking in the moment. If Remy stops barking for even a moment after Ada says no, this is likely sufficient to reinforce Ada’s saying no, whether or not Ada realizes it. For Ada, it feels like it’s helpful - but just in that moment. It may not have an impact longer term, and therefore is not in fact a helpful intervention.
In addition to not being helpful, this could, in fact, be harmful. One of the potential side effects of punishment is that the person implementing the procedure finds it reinforcing. If Remy’s barking is aversive for Ada, Ada says, “No!” and Remy’s barking pauses for a moment, this can be sufficient to reinforce Ada’s reprimand, even if the barking behavior does not change over time. If, over time, Remy becomes less responsive to Ada’s “no” in the moment, Ada is likely to escalate - and soon we have a situation where someone who loves their dog very much is finding herself yelling at her dog.
2) Saying “no”could reduce barking in the long-term. In this case, yes! This intervention is helpful. However, an intervention being effective does not necessarily mean that intervention is ethical. As discussed above, this intervention could be effective in decreasing the behavior - but this effectiveness would come with problematic side effects, which could in fact be more challenging than the original behavior. It is likely that there are reinforcement-based procedures that can achieve the same outcome with fewer risks.
3) Saying “no” could have no impact on barking. In this case, it is simply not helpful: Remy still barks at dogs walking by the house.
4) Saying “no” could increase the barking. Even though Ada is saying “no,” it is possible that the attention Ada is providing actually functions to reinforce Remy’s barking. The good news? If Remy is barking for Ada’s attention, we could teach Remy other behaviors to get that same attention.
What are the benefits and risks for both the person and the dog?
For Ada it can feel good to express frustration and to do something in the moment that makes the barking pause. However, we’re also starting from a place of stress for Ada, and saying “no” is certainly not relaxing. We often see people who are saying “no” repeatedly getting more agitated with each repetition.
For Remy, it’s possible that the attention from Ada could be valuable, especially if it’s a day where Ada has been busy or Remy has gotten less attention than usual. But it’s more likely, if Remy is barking at passersby regularly, that the reinforcement is occurring outside of Ada’s attention. Many dogs bark at passersby because the passersby then leave; as far as the dog is concerned, their behavior has made the strange dog go away, entirely independently of attention from their person. Therefore, it is unlikely that Remy is benefitting from Ada’s attention.
Additionally, Ada’s attention could be aversive! Saying “no” at an increasing volume could be uncomfortable for Remy. In this example, there’s no clear way for Remy to get Ada to stop saying no. And, as we’ll discuss in a moment, it’s not clear to Remy what to do instead. So in the worst case scenario, Ada’s saying no is aversive to Remy - but does not actually change Remy’s behavior.
In short, saying “no” to a dog is neutral or has little impact; at worst, it is unsafe, detrimental, and aversive for everyone.
The second piece to consider is the goal for the person asking the question.
Is the person looking to change their dog’s behavior over the long term? Are they looking to impact the behavior only in the moment? Are they actually intending to impact the dog’s behavior at all?
In this example, Ada’s goal is for Remy to stop barking when other dogs walk down the sidewalk in front of their house. In order to effectively teach any learner not to do something, it is best practice to teach them what to do instead. Say you walk into an auditorium and you sit down; the usher then comes over and tells you, “You can’t sit there.” So you get up and move to a different seat. They approach again and say, “No, you can’t sit there.” You continue moving around, likely getting increasingly frustrated, until either you happen upon the appropriate place to sit or you leave. What if, instead, the usher gave you clear instructions? If they instead said, “You can sit in any of those four rows.” it is clear what behaviors are desired in this setting and how to avoid being reprimanded.
So what might Ada want Remy to do instead? The most ethical approach is to teach an alternative behavior as a way to access the same reinforcer. Luckily, people tend to pass by whether or not a dog is barking; so if Remy’s barking has been reinforced by the passersby moving away, then giving Remy almost any other behavior to engage in will likely contact the natural reinforcer of people passing by. Perhaps Remy can look at the dog while lying in a bed; perhaps when a dog walks by, she should go find Ada and Ada will give her a treat. Maybe she rings a bell; maybe she goes to the door.
It’s also possible that Remy’s barking is contacting some other reinforcement beyond passing by. If this is the case, we can also evaluate that reinforcer and provide the same thing for engaging in alternative behaviors. Regardless of the reinforcer, there are endless possibilities in terms of what behavior Remy might learn, and the “right” answer will be different for every family. Above all, though, it is best to decide what the behavior is that should happen instead, teach Remy how, when, and in what context to engage in that behavior, and then ask Remy for that behavior, rather than saying “no” and hoping Remy figures it out.
The third piece to consider is what the dog’s needs are.
Is the dog engaging in some behavior because it has some unmet need? What is happening in the environment that may already be reinforcing the dog’s behavior?
Are the dog’s needs being met?
A dog who hasn’t gotten enough exercise, or needs more attention, or is hungry, or is tired or uncomfortable or bored, may be engaging in what people see as “problem behaviors” in order to try to meet their own needs. If Remy just woke up and hasn’t gone for her typical walk and hasn’t had her breakfast, she may be more likely to bark at something walking by. If she has had her typical morning routine and her basic needs have been met, she may be more content to rest quietly.
Additionally, all behavior serves a function for the organism engaging in that behavior. If Remy is barking at passersby and continuing to do so over time, that tells us that something is reinforcing the behavior. In other words, Remy’s behavior is meeting a need. In order to change behavior ethically, we need to make sure there is always a way for the dog to meet that same need. As discussed above, there are plenty of options for other behaviors that can still access the same reinforcers.
Saying “no” in itself is not inherently detrimental - but it’s also usually not as helpful as it might feel at the moment.
At best, saying “no” may not be harmful - but it is likely also not helpful. At worst, it may be somewhat effective, and as a result, side effects of punishment might emerge as well.
Avoiding saying “no” is not just about “being nice,” though for many people that is a valid and sufficient reason to avoid reprimanding a dog. This is about recognizing that “no” is not a clear instruction, and that we can do better. And the good news is that we don’t need to say no to our dogs. As people with a complex verbal repertoire, in the moments when we recognize that we want to say no, we can instead ask ourselves: What do we want the dog to do instead? Then we can help them engage in that specific behavior, or we can recognize that we need to teach that behavior in an easier context so that we can help our dogs learn to engage in it in “real life” contexts.
We can help set our dogs up for success by changing the environment and teaching our dogs to engage in the behaviors we want to see, and then reinforcing those behaviors in practical contexts. By approaching behavior change by looking for ways to teach and cultivate the outcomes we want to see, we are also setting ourselves up to celebrate our dogs’ progress and find more joy in the time we have with them.
Resources
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2020). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.
Pierce, W.D., Cheney, C.D. (2013) Behavior Analysis and Learning. New York, NY: Psychology Press.