Well, I did say “no” to my dog… but I also allowed her to say “no” to me! She was a rescue, a collie who was 10 years old and had been horribly abused when I got her. She loved to go on walks. She’d been kept locked in tiny spaces most of her life, so I took her to explore every hiking trail within driving distance. She had so much fun!

However, because she was old and had not had exercise for a long time so she was out of shape (plus she looked like a sausage when I got her, she was that sadly out of shape) she could not hike for very long.

She was a very wise dog. She knew that however far we went out, we’d have to hike the same distance back to the car. So when she’d gone far enough, she would sit and just look at me. The first time she did it, I tried to coax her further. Then I figured out — AH HA! I was slower on the uptake than she was, LOL.

So we took a little rest, and then we went back. Over time, she went further and further and she was always so happy to be out. I never rushed her when she wanted to spend some time sniffing something. She deserved to be treated with patience and love.

I think dogs (and cats, and all animals) should, just like people, be allowed to say no and we should respect that.