How I Handle a “No” 🐶 #shorts

How I handle a “no” in a cooperative care training session with my dog… I reinforce it. 👏

In this context, Wrigley is completely allowed to say no to whatever she wants. That option is intentionally built into the session. When she chooses “no,” I reinforce it—because honoring that choice builds safety and trust over time. And when a dog feels safe, they’re much more likely to say yes in the future.

In this clip, I actually know exactly why she said no. We’ve been doing a lot of “no-choice” nail sessions lately. Those are the sessions where the care still needs to happen, and she isn’t given the option to opt out. I try to make sure our choice-based sessions outweigh the no-choice ones, but recently that balance tipped a bit… which led to this very easy “no.”

And honestly? That’s really good feedback for me. It tells me I need to rebalance things again.

So I reinforced her choice and then worked back toward a happier place with our “can I see?” cue. Some days I would simply end the session after a no. In this moment though, I could tell she still wanted to stay and work, so we kept going—just with me backing off when she needed space and slowly building back up.

And we did end the session in a really good spot. 🐾 Interested in learning more about cooperative care? Check out my YouTube channel for more helpful videos!

Видео How I Handle a “No” 🐶 #shorts канала Sarah Certified - Dog Training