How To Train Your Dog Faster Using Marker Training

 

Marker training is a kind of positive reinforcement training that utilizes sounds and other sensory cues to mark correct behaviors. It's great for teaching obedience commands and it is incredibly helpful for behavioral modification. Using markers in your training will help your dog learn faster and will streamline the training process.

A marker indicates to the dog when the desired behavior has been offered. Many trainers use clickers as markers (which are great training tools once you get the coordination down), but a simple word (such as "yes") used consistently every time the dog gets it right will do just fine. The benefit of using a marker is that it provides a very clear indication to the dog of which behavior is getting rewarded, which in turn helps the dog to learn behaviors more quickly.

Without the use of the marker, rewards have to be impeccably timed in order to increase the frequency of the behavior. Think about it like this - I want my dog to sit. So I ask the dog to sit, and he sits. I then give a reward. But my reward was not delivered at that exact moment when the dog sat. In fact, my reward was delivered about 5 seconds later because I was a little slow to react and I fumbled the food. So by the time I delivered the reward, the dog had not only sat down, but he also wagged his tail, shifted his weight a little, lifted a paw and turned his head away from me. So which behavior was actually rewarded? It's hard to say exactly, but it was most definitely not the correct one. This is why timing is so crucial in dog training and why markers are extremely useful. I may not be able to deliver a food treat in 0.5 seconds, but I can say a word, make a sound or click a clicker that quickly. By marking the behavior at the exact moment it is offered, we are able to clearly communicate to the dog what behavior is getting the reward, thus removing much of the confusion and human error that can slow training efforts.

You can implement marker training very easily into your training program right away. From now on, every time your dog performs the desired behavior, mark it by saying "yes" or "good dog" and follow with a reward. Over a short period of time, your dog will associate the marker word with the reward and will know that whatever behavior precedes the marker word is the behavior that you want.

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