We had a silky terrier and even tho we spelt out B A T H ..she would go hide as far back as she could in her kennel
and the mere mention of bath time …
I found I get more out of my dog from a softly spoken, "No," than a yelling reprimand. I don't know why. In obedience training I heard you were supposed to use a commanding voice, I suppose to drive home that you are the boss.
But just last week my dog started an new activity of taking stuff out of the garbage or waste paper baskets. I took these things away with my usual soft, "No," and he was OK, but oddly he kept on doing it. So two days ago I heard this soft rustle behind me. I turned around in my chair and he was in the process of dropping a used tissue and heading out of the room to someplace else. I let out a soft groan, and told him to come, which he had never failed to respond to, because he always gets a pat when responds.
So I repeat "Come," a few times as he passes out of sight into the hall. He was completely unresponsive and dead quiet about it, didn't run, cower, or display any inclination other than to quietly go hide. I found him in the bedroom curled up in a tight place. He was fine. He just didn't seem to want any discussion about the mishap.
What surprises me so much as all I ever gave him for the activity was a soft, "No." But somehow he seemed to know he had done a bad, if just a tiny tiny bad, and he didn't want to talk about it. He hasn't gone dumpster diving since then.
In training him anything, whether to sit, shake, not chase deer, or not to use the house as a bathroom. He never gets it on the first try. Just making him learn to sit required a strenuous fight to force his butt down. He's like, "Oh no. Not that." But then one day he suddenly understands and now he's all happy to do it.
