Good behavior is not so much about responding to commands. As you have probably noticed, commands and cues don’t work well whenever a dog is scared, anxious, over-aroused or over-excited. That’s because emotions block thinking. This is when you need to change emotional responses in order to improve behavior— not work harder at obedience.

Everybody wants a well-behaved dog. But contrary to the general perception, that doesn’t require obedience training. In fact, there’s a much better way to teach your dog to behave nicely. 

Does your dog have a delayed or unreliable response to Come, Down, or other commands? Do you see certain stress signals, like lip licking, looking away, sniffing the ground, moving slowly, or yawning? These responses indicate a poisoned cue.