Teach the Yes: Show Your Dog What Works

If you have worked through the first two parts of the HPDT Framework, you will already know two important things:

• Find the Why: behaviour happens for a reason.
• Prevent Practice: behaviour gets stronger when it is rehearsed.

Now we get to the part many owners accidentally skip.

Once we understand why the behaviour is happening, and once we have stopped our dog practising it over and over again, we need to ask the most useful training question of all:

What do I want my dog to do instead?

This is where Teach the Yes comes in.

Because if we only tell dogs what not to do, we leave them guessing. And dogs guessing their way through human expectations is often where pulling, barking, jumping, grabbing, chasing, stealing and general “why are you like this?” moments begin.

The HPDT Framework

The HPDT Framework is the process I use when looking at almost any dog behaviour problem. It helps owners move away from quick fixes, corrections, and symptom-chasing, and instead build a plan that actually makes sense for the dog in front of them.

There are four stages, and this article focuses on Step 3: Teach the Yes.

• Find the Why
• Prevent Practice
• Teach the Yes
• Redirect in the Moment

Dogs Cannot Do “Don’t”

This is one of the biggest mindset shifts in dog training.

Owners often focus on the behaviour they want to stop:

• Don’t pull.
• Don’t bark.
• Don’t jump.
• Don’t bite.
• Don’t chase.
• Don’t steal food.
• Don’t react to dogs.

Completely understandable. Those are the behaviours causing the stress.

But from your dog’s point of view, “don’t” is not a behaviour. It is a gap. It tells them what you are unhappy with, but not what would actually work better.

If your dog jumps up and you only focus on stopping the jumping, what should they do when visitors arrive?

If your puppy bites your sleeves and you only focus on stopping the biting, what should they do with that tired, over-aroused, bitey little mouth?

If your dog pulls on the lead and you only focus on stopping the pulling, what should they do when the environment is exciting, smelly and full of things worth investigating?

That is where Teach the Yes comes in.

Instead of only interrupting what you do not want, we start teaching, practising and reinforcing the behaviours we would like to see more of.

What Does “Teach the Yes” Mean?

Teach the Yes means showing your dog what works.

It is not about being permissive. It is not about letting dogs do whatever they like. And it definitely is not about standing in your kitchen whispering “make good choices” while your Labrador removes a sandwich from the worktop.

It means we actively teach the behaviour we want, then make that behaviour worth repeating.

For example:

• Instead of jumping up, we teach four paws on the floor.
• Instead of pulling towards every smell, we teach loose lead walking skills.
• Instead of running off, we teach recall and check-ins.
• Instead of barking at visitors, we teach a calmer routine.
• Instead of grabbing hands, sleeves or trouser legs, we teach appropriate chewing, rest and better play skills.
• Instead of stealing from the worktop, we teach boundaries, management and alternative behaviours.
• Instead of reacting to dogs, we teach calm observation, disengagement and moving away.

In other words, we stop making training only about what is wrong and start showing the dog what is worth doing instead.

Why Prevention Alone Is Not Enough

Prevent Practice is essential. It stops your dog rehearsing the behaviour while you build a better plan.

But prevention is not the whole plan.

A baby gate might stop a puppy charging at visitors, but it does not teach them how to greet people calmly.

A long line might stop a dog chasing wildlife, but it does not teach them to check in with you around distractions.

Distance might stop a reactive dog barking and lunging, but it does not automatically teach them how to feel safer around other dogs.

Prevention protects the learning space. Teach the Yes fills that space with something useful.

Without this step, owners can end up managing the same behaviour forever. That can be exhausting for the human and frustrating for the dog.

The goal is not simply “stop doing that”. The goal is “here is what works instead”.

The Four Questions I Ask Owners

When I am working through a behaviour problem with an owner, I usually want to know four things:

1. What behaviour do you want less of?
2. What behaviour would you like to see instead?
3. Has your dog actually been taught that behaviour?
4. Has that behaviour been reinforced enough to become worthwhile?

That third question is often the lightbulb moment.

Many dogs are not ignoring us. They are not being stubborn. They are not plotting a tiny rebellion from the comfort of the sofa.

They simply have not been taught what we want in that situation, in that environment, around that level of distraction, with that emotional state.

A puppy who pulls on their first walks has not failed loose lead walking. They have just discovered that the world is exciting and legs are inconveniently slow.

A young dog who jumps at visitors has not chosen rudeness. They may be excited, frustrated, under-practised, over-aroused, or have learned that launching themselves at humans gets attention.

A dog who struggles to come back has not necessarily decided the relationship is over. They may simply have learned that the environment pays better than the person calling them.

Teach the Yes helps us change that.

Examples of Teaching the Yes

This step becomes much clearer when we look at real-life examples.

Pulling on Lead

If your dog pulls, the “no” is obvious: stop pulling.

But the “yes” needs to be taught.

That might include checking in, moving with you, following food placement, learning that a slack lead makes the walk continue, and gradually building skills around distractions.

This is why loose lead walking is not fixed by yanking, nagging, stopping every two seconds, or buying another gadget that promises miracles. The dog needs to learn what earns movement, sniffing and access to the world.

If lead walking is your main struggle, start with my Loose Lead Walking: Ultimate Guide to Stop Pulling.

Recall Problems

If your dog does not come back, the “no” is usually: stop ignoring me.

But the “yes” is more helpful: orient back, check in, move towards me, allow the lead to be clipped on, and then often get released back to sniffing, exploring or playing.

Recall is not just one behaviour. It is a whole chain of behaviours, and each part needs to be worth doing.

If recall is your challenge, read The Ultimate Guide to Dog Recall Training or look at my Rapid Recall Online Course.

Jumping Up

If your dog jumps up, the “no” is easy: do not jump.

But what should your dog actually do when people arrive?

Four paws on the floor? Go to a mat? Search for scattered food? Greet after a moment of calm? Move behind a baby gate while they practise a better routine?

There is not one “right” answer for every dog and every home. The best alternative depends on the dog, the household and why the jumping is happening.

For more help, read How to Stop Your Dog Jumping Up at People.

Barking

Barking is one of the behaviours where owners are often told to focus only on stopping the noise.

But barking can happen for many reasons: fear, frustration, excitement, alerting, attention, boredom, trigger stacking, or because it has worked before.

The “yes” might be moving away, settling on a bed, quietly watching, taking food, disengaging from a trigger, or learning that calm behaviour makes something good happen.

For more detail, read Why Is My Dog Barking? Stop Trying to Stop It.

Puppy Biting

Puppy biting is a brilliant example of why Teach the Yes matters.

A puppy who bites hands, sleeves, feet and trouser legs is not usually trying to dominate the household. They may be tired, over-aroused, teething, seeking interaction, lacking appropriate outlets, or struggling because the day has become too much.

The “yes” might include appropriate chewing, calmer play, better sleep, food enrichment, more predictable routines and teaching humans not to accidentally turn themselves into squeaky tug toys.

For more puppy-specific help, read my Puppy Mouthing & Biting Guide.

Reactivity

With reactive dogs, the “no” is often: stop barking and lunging.

But if a dog feels worried, overwhelmed, frustrated or trapped, simply trying to stop the visible behaviour can make things worse.

The “yes” might be looking at a trigger calmly, disengaging, taking food, moving away, sniffing, creating distance, or learning a predictable pattern that helps them feel safer.

If this sounds like your dog, start with No Shame In Reactivity and Engage Disengage Dog Training.

Reinforcement Is Information

Positive reinforcement is not just “giving treats”.

It is information.

It tells your dog:

That. Do more of that.

If your dog checks in on a walk and gets a piece of food, access to sniffing, praise, or the chance to continue exploring, that behaviour becomes more worthwhile.

If your puppy chooses a chew instead of your hand, and that chew turns out to be satisfying, that behaviour becomes more likely.

If your dog looks at another dog and then looks back at you, and that earns space, food, safety and calm support, that choice starts to matter.

This is why reward-based training is not about bribery. It is about building behaviour.

The Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK promotes kind, fair and effective training, and this sits at the heart of the way I approach behaviour change at HPDT.

If you are not sure what to use as reinforcement, my guide to choosing the best dog training treats is a good place to start.

Your Dog Decides What Is Reinforcing

This is where dog training gets both fascinating and slightly inconvenient.

We do not get to decide what our dog finds reinforcing. The dog does.

You might think a biscuit is a reward, but if your dog wants to sniff the hedge, the hedge may currently be winning.

You might think praise is enough, but if your dog is worried, excited or distracted, your cheerful “good boy” may be about as relevant as someone offering you a loyalty card during a fire drill.

This is why Teach the Yes is not just about handing out food. It is about understanding what matters to your dog in that moment.

• For some dogs, food is powerful.
• For some dogs, toys are powerful.
• For some dogs, sniffing is powerful.
• For some dogs, distance is powerful.
• For some dogs, access to people, dogs, movement or safety is powerful.

Good training uses what the dog values to make the behaviour we want more worthwhile.

If your dog suddenly will not take treats, read Why Won’t My Dog Take Treats? before assuming they are being difficult.

Make the Behaviour You Want Easy

Dogs learn faster when the behaviour we want is easy to do and worthwhile to repeat.

This means we need to be realistic.

If your dog cannot walk on a loose lead in your quiet garden, they are unlikely to do it beautifully beside a busy road, next to another dog, while a squirrel performs interpretive dance in the background.

If your puppy cannot settle at home, they are unlikely to relax in a busy café.

If your dog cannot recall away from a boring patch of grass, they probably cannot recall away from deer, dogs, footballs or the mysterious sandwich wrapper of destiny.

Start where your dog can succeed. Then build gradually.

• Make the environment easier.
• Use better reinforcement.
• Reduce distractions.
• Practise in short sessions.
• Reward early.
• Reward generously.
• Increase difficulty slowly.

This is not lowering standards. This is good teaching.

If you want a deeper dive into why small changes matter, read The Secret to Better Dog Training.

Useful Tools for Teaching the Yes

Equipment does not train your dog for you. If only. I would have a cupboard full of magical leads and a lot more free time.

But the right tools can help you prevent rehearsal, reward better choices and make training easier.

• Small training treats for frequent reinforcement.
• JR Chicken Pate or JR Salmon Stick for higher-value rewards.
• A treat bag so reinforcement is ready when your dog gets it right.
• A 10m long line for recall practice and safe freedom.
• A lightweight house line for preventing rehearsals indoors.
• A comfortable Ruffwear Front Range Harness for safe lead and long-line work.
• A baby gate for management while teaching calmer routines.
• A Toppl, LickiMat or other enrichment item to support calmer behaviour and appropriate outlets.

The key is to use tools as part of a training plan, not as a substitute for one.

When You Need More Than a Blog Post

Some behaviours are simple teaching problems.

Others are more complicated.

If your dog is barking, lunging, guarding, chasing, biting, panicking, growling, struggling around people or dogs, or becoming more intense over time, it is worth getting proper support.

A good behaviour plan should look at the whole picture:

• Why the behaviour is happening.
• How to prevent rehearsal safely.
• What to teach instead.
• How to redirect your dog in the moment.
• Whether health, pain, sleep, stress, diet or environment may be contributing.

If you would like help applying the HPDT Framework to your own dog, you can book a private dog training consultation.

If your main focus is puppy training, recall or general life skills, you may also find one of my online dog training courses helpful.

Teach the Yes: The Big Takeaway

If you only focus on stopping behaviour, your dog is left with a question mark.

Teach the Yes gives them the answer.

Instead of only saying:

No, not that.

We start saying:

Yes, this works.

That is where lasting behaviour change begins.

Not through intimidation. Not through correction. Not through waiting for dogs to magically understand human rules that were never explained to them.

Through clear teaching, thoughtful prevention, generous reinforcement and a better understanding of what our dogs are trying to achieve.

Because when we show dogs what works, we give them a much better chance of getting it right.

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