8 Ways You’re Sending Your Dog Mixed Messages

No matter how good your intentions are when training your dog, you’re not going to be perfect. We all make mistakes, especially when trying to wrangle and teach a new pup a bunch of skills.

It’s really difficult to be totally consistent with training all of the time, and there are bound to be a few missteps. But you may be sending your dog mixed messages without even realizing it. And when a dog is confused, dog trainer Joe Nutkins says “they will often revert to the least stressful conclusion, which is often the opposite of what their owner is asking for.”

This can mean that a dog is unable to learn something, which can be as harmless as a fun trick or as important as having good recall during an emergency. “If a dog is unsure or confused, frustration can set in and easily become barking, whining, biting their own paws or legs or even becoming worried.” You can tackle this by always considering what you are actually asking and keeping a list of clear cue words at home that everyone has to follow. 

It’s important to avoid sending your dog mixed messages, but first you have to understand what they are. Here are some ways you’re potentially confusing your dog:

Saying cue words that make no sense to a dog

This can be as simple as saying “sit down” instead of the more straightforward “sit,” Nutkins says.

Sadie Geoghegan-Dann is a trainer who specializes in helping to support nervous dogs and their parents. She says that you should make sure you’re using consistent and non-confusing cues. “A common example of this is teaching a dog ‘down’, as in lie down, but then shouting ‘down!’ if the dogs jumps up at you or on furniture,” Geoghegan-Dann says. “Ensure you differentiate and appropriate cues, such as ‘down’ for lie down and ‘off’ for get off,” she adds.

Multiple people giving different cue words or hand signals

If there are multiple people in the household or in your dog’s life, there’s a risk that they won’t be given consistent cues. Geoghegan-Dann says that it’s essential to ensure that everyone in the household is on the same page and following the same training.

If one family member says “lie down” and the other tries to use a hand signal instead, this can be confusing for the dog. You can try writing down all of the cues that you’ve agreed on and putting them somewhere in the home that everyone can see. 

Encouraging dogs to sit furniture one moment, then changing your mind

With all dogs, consistency is absolutely essential. Nutkins says that you have to decide whether dogs are allowed on the couch all the time or not at all. Changing the rules, such as not allowing them up when you have a visitor, sends them mixed messages.

“This could look like being allowed on one sofa but not another. Or, even more confusing, being allowed on the sofa but only on certain days or certain times of day,” Geoghegan-Dann says. “A poor dog can’t differentiate between these kinds of rules, so can rightly feel frustrated if they’re allowed on at one point, but then not the next.” The rules need to be totally inflexible. 

Family members having different rules for the same situation

When it comes to the household, one of the most confusing things for dogs is when one family member’s rules are different from another’s. For example, maybe your parents are super permissive when your dog comes to stay, and they allow them to do things you normally wouldn’t. “This might look like being encouraged and praised when jumping up to greet one parent but then told to get off sternly by the other,” Nutkins says.

Geoghegan-Dann lays out an example: One member of the household lets the dog tuck straight into their food, while another might make them wait to eat until given a cue. All of this sends your dog mixed signals and will lead to behavior like frustration and begging. Instead, make sure you’re all on the same page.

Using too many words

While it might sometimes seem otherwise, dogs can’t actually understand your full sentences. “Reduce the amount of chatter you aim at your dogs, particularly when you would like them to do something,” Nutkins says. “We often give full sentences, but this can include extra cue words by mistake, which confuses dogs. For example, ‘Will you stop doing that and come here’ if you have taught your dog to stop on cue and recall on cue.”

Try to keep cues short and sweet to avoid confusion. 

Encouraging behavior then stopping

One way you’re sending your dog mixed messages is by encouraging certain behaviors and then immediately stopping. This could look like letting your dog jump up when you first come in the door and then getting annoyed and making them stop after five minutes.

“It’s very easy to get engrossed in a great game with your dog, running around, chasing toys, encouraging them to jump up and grab the toy from you,” Geoghegan-Dann says. “If, after the game has ended, your dog jumps up at you and you tell them off, they’ll be left wondering what they did wrong, when not long ago you were actively encouraging it.” To avoid this, you can try having a certain area where fun and games happen, such as the living room. You can also teach your dog a cue for “finished” that indicates it’s time to calm down.

Being too emotional

When your dog does something dangerous, like eating food they’re not supposed to or running away, it can be easy to get upset. However, Nutkins says, this can send mixed messages and overwhelm them. Instead of shouting, crying, or otherwise exhibiting strong emotions, you should stay calm and deliver the cues assertively. Emotion can confuse the situation, and a dog that’s worried you’re angry at them is unlikely to do what you say or come running back. 

Not rewarding them fast enough

Finally, a key way you’re sending mixed messages to your dog is by being too slow to treat them for a job well done. “An important thing to remember when teaching your dog new cues and desired behaviors is timing is key,” Geoghegan-Dann says. “Always use treat-based, positive-reinforcement training methods and a simple rule of thumb is, ‘ignore the bad, reward the good’.”

But you need to be consistent and reward the good behavior on time so the dog doesn’t get confused. “A good way of managing this is by using a marker word, such as an excited ‘Yes!’” Geoghegan-Dann says. “Mark ‘Yes!” every time they carry out the desired behavior and then instantly follow up with a treat. They’ll soon associate the ‘Yes!’ with the reward for positive behavior,” she adds.