Recently, I am frequently accused of being NICE to my dogs.

I have also been accused of being NICE and overly polite to people.

This made me wonder … When did NICE become something negative that you accuse someone of?

When Did ‘NICE’ Become a Four-Letter Word?

Ok I admit it, I am nice to my dogs. I try to be nice to them as much as I can so that they get to enjoy a good quality of life. They must follow certain rules for their own safety, but by working with me, they get paid with a variety of “good stuff” throughout the day.

I guess I just do not see why I should use negative techniques such as poking at them, pushing them down, or growling at them. Negative communication does not work well on people either, so being ‘nice’ is actually effective for both dogs and humans.

Why is being NICE so bad?

I suppose it comes from a misguided belief that if you are NICE, people and dogs will somehow disrespect you and crap all over you; if you are nice, your dog will win, and then you will be an awful dog owner.

I do not think we need to cultivate an antagonistic, winner takes all relationship with our dog. It is healthier to foster a more cooperative relationship - where the both of you work together and the both of you win. After all, your dog is not an enemy that you must defeat and keep defeating over and over again.

A cooperative relationship that is fun and rewarding.

Making a dog work for his food is a good thing.

Rolled into all this, is the notion that using food in training is wrong, bad, and bribery. Somehow the dog’s only motivation should be to do ‘everything’ out of love and only love for you.

I truly do not understand this.

I respect my dogs and trust them as independent, thinking entities. They have a variety of motivations for doing the range of things that they do. Some of these motivations have nothing to do with me at all. They are not robots or slaves who follow my every whim and my every command. Most of the time they are motivated by their own needs, as we are.

All dogs need short term motivators to reinforce good behaviors, or ‘punish’ bad behaviors. A short term motivator can be a reward stimulus such as food, toys, affection, and freedom; or an aversive stimulus such as slaps, electric shocks, jabs, and hanging.

Short term motivators are necessary for shaping a dog’s behavior.

A short term motivator that is enjoyed by everyone. Everybody wins.

Both the nice way and the not-so-nice way can help a dog learn if properly implemented.

I choose the nice way – I admit it. In my world, nice it not bad, or wrong. When I say that someone is nice, it is not an accusation but a compliment.

Have a nice day

In my world, nice it not bad, or wrong. When I say that someone is nice, it is not an accusation but a compliment.