Marker Words are words or sounds used to communicate to your dog that she is doing something correctly or incorrectly. Marker Words mark a specific moment in time when your dog performs an action or behavior and streamlines the training process. It is feedback in its simplest form.

We use Classical Conditioning to teach Marker Words. We say the marker, pause for about a second, then follow through with a reward or correction. Over time, the marker becomes a conditioned (and powerful) word.

In my training, I use three Marker Words: “Good, No, and Free.”

1. Good is a reward marker. It means “That was correct. You are doing a good job. Keep doing what you are doing.” The Good marker is followed by a reward (abbreviated +R). Initially, the reward is food. Later, the reward can be food, praise, or affection (whichever is best for the situation).

2. No is a correction marker. It means “That is not what I want. That is not what I asked for. Or stop doing that.” The No marker is followed by a correction, a redirection, restating the command, or offering an alternate behavior.

3. Free is a release marker. It means “You are released from the command. Come to me for a reward.” We teach this marker by saying “Free” then stepping back and rewarding the dog. Initially, the reward is food. Later, it can be food, praise, or affection.

 

A Few Words on Markers

Markers should be said the same way, each time, without emotion. Emotion makes things foggy and makes the dog feel she must interpret the marker.

To use markers in training, they must first be taught to the dog. Do this by using Classical Conditioning: (“Good” + reward (food); “No” + correction; “Free” + step back and reward).

We condition “Good” and “Free”; whereas, “No” is conditioned within the training process, not separately. Note: For dogs new to training, I replace “No” with “Nope” during obedience. Nope is a light-hearted word that implies, “That’s not what I want. Try again.” No is reserved for bad behavior.

After marking, wait one second before following through with the reward (or correction).

The biggest mistake I see in marker training is referred to as layering. Layering is when the marker and the reward (or correction) are given at the same time. Classical conditioning requires one thing to happen before the next, not both at the same time.

Ideally, you want to:

Mark the behavior    +     pause    +    follow through

Repetition is the key to successful conditioning. It takes anywhere from one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty quality repetitions for something to become conditioned in a dog’s mind. Once dogs understand markers, better communication is established for the duration of training.

Happy Training!

Note: This information is an excerpt from The Valor K9 Academy Online Puppy Head Start© program. Content is copyrighted. Do not use copyrighted work without expressed written permission from Valor K9 Academy or you will risk being liable for copyright infringement.