Build a relationship with the animal, based on love, trust, and mutual respect. Help the animal understand that I will protect them, ensure their needs are met, and that I am someone they can turn to when they need something.

Her sweet boy was looking for pets in the way she taught him to, and she got mad about it. How frustrating that must be! I often hear pet parents say in exasperation, "He knows he's not allowed up there!" when that really isn't the case at all. They have sent him mixed signals.

When she did that, she just made her own job so much harder. Let's fast forward to next time.

So let's say that cute cat gets app on the counter again and she is feeling less patient than she was last time. She gets upset with him and shoos him off. This only confuses the cat and causes distress.

"Hey, you aren't supposed to be up there! Oh, but you're so cute." and then she starts petting him and cooing at him affectionately.

She just told him something. What did she communicate?

She reinforced that the counter is where you go if you want affection from her.

I mean, it's not like they have any instinctual or learned knowledge from their parents that countertops are off limits. That's where it's our job as the humans who adopted them to communicate our expecting to them effectively, right?

So this owner watches him get up on the counter and says....

Yanking a leash can harm a dog's esophagus or vocal chords and is the least effective way to teach them to do what you want. What it does teach them is that you inflict pain for what probably seems like no reason to them.

If you make training enjoyable, it goes SO much smoother.

Yanking a leash can harm a dog's esophagus or vocal chords and is the least effective way to teach them to do what you want. What it does teach them is that you inflict pain for what probably seems like no reason to them.

If you make training enjoyable, it goes SO much smoother.