It’s not stubbornness. It’s a breakdown in your communication architecture. Learn to speak their language.
Your pet is biologically hardwired to watch you, not listen. They often filter out your voice to focus entirely on your body language.
Notice they sit before you finish the word? They’re reading the shift in your weight or your hand moving toward your pocket.
To make words stick, use the 'New Cue, Old Cue' method. Say the word clearly, pause for a beat, then use the hand signal.
Pets hear sounds, not English. 'Down' and 'No' sound identical to them. Choose words with distinct syllables and sharp starts.
In the UK, many trainers use 'Settle' for relaxing and 'Down' for a formal lie-down. Unique sounds reduce your pet's confusion.
Does your dog sit because you asked, or because you picked up their lead? Routine isn't the same as listening to a cue.
Test them. Give a different command while holding the lead. If they sit anyway, they’re just guessing based on the context.
If 'Come' has failed 100 times, it’s dead. Switch to 'Recall' or 'Here' for a fresh start with zero negative baggage.
If you say 'Spin' and they 'Sit', don't reward them for being cute. No correct response means no treat. Reset and try again.
A 'Sit' at home isn't the same as a 'Sit' on a busy pavement. You must 'proof' your signals in increasingly distracting places.
Your pet wants to get it right. By cleaning up your signals, you remove the guesswork and build a partnership based on mutual trust.
See the exact phonetic list and the 3-step proofing guide used by professional UK trainers to fix muddy cues.