Markers
Marker words (Yes / Good / No) that tell your dog exactly what worked.
- Teaching
- Reinforcing
- Proofing
- Maintenance
Maple's stage at Elementary
Not assessed yetExpected: Proofing
Success indicator
Dog clearly responds to marker words by holding or releasing behavior.
What it is
“Yes!” marks the correct behavior, aids dog training clarity and reinforcement. This helps begin training effectively.
How we teach it
“Yes” Marker Words
- Choose a Consistent Marker: “Yes!”, clicker, or using hand signals for consistent communication.
- Create a Distraction-Free Environment: Pick a quiet area for focused training, minimizing distractions for better results.
- Capture Attention and Mark Behavior: Engage with clapping, name, or treat to mark and reward desired behavior.
“No” Marker Words
- Interrupt Undesired Behavior: Immediately mark undesired behavior with a clear and firm "no!" and a small tug on your leash.
- Avoid Reinforcement: Withhold attention and treats, while your pup is doing something you don't want them to. This helps discourage and break the undesired behavior.
- Consistency is Key: Repeat steps until the dog consistently stops the behavior upon hearing "no!"
Practice at home
- Be calm and assertive. When you use the correction marker, do it in a calm and assertive voice. Do not yell or scream at your dog.
- Take Photos or Videos: Capturing your progress back at home or outside will help us provide additional feedback.
Watch it
Go deeper
A reward marker is a word or sound that tells your dog that they have done something correctly and that they will be rewarded for it. The most common reward marker is the word "yes!", but you can also use a clicker or a hand signal.
Read the Reward Marker (Yes!) guideMaple's record
No record yet
This skill has not been assessed for Maple yet. It will appear here after a trainer records it.
Add structure to your week
See where Markers fits in Maple's personalized training plan.