What you are actually saying when you use the word ‘don’t’

Dogs don’t respond to the words you are using.  Instead they respond to the energy and the pictures that you are sending with the words.  So if you are saying, "Don't bite", you are projecting the image of biting from your head. It is like if I say to you "Don't think of a green apple", not only will you think of one instantly, I am also projecting that image whether I’d like to or not. The word "don't" does not have a picture, so it really means nothing to the dog.  So they will bite which is the opposite of what you are trying to achieve. You are sending a message with the command of "Don't bite", and the energy of urgency along with the picture, of biting. From the dogs point of view you are commanding them to bite, so after the chore is done, they now get punished. For the dog quite a confusing moment.

This might sound really strange, but what if every demand we had of our dog was coming from the place of what should occur, not what should not occur. For example, instead of saying "Don't jump" to a dog jumping up on a person, say "All four feet on the ground" and see the difference. It is a different approach and it might give you a new way of looking at a scenario! Give it a try!