What's a marker?
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What’s a Marker?
A marker is a secondary reinforcer. Primary reinforcers are things that dogs find innately good, like food and play. We teach our dogs that a secondary reinforcer, our marker, means a primary reinforcer is on the way. Then we can use the marker to tell our dogs we like a behavior they performed. This is the foundation of positive reinforcement training!
Clickers:
A clicker is one version of a marker. Clickers are great because it is a very consistent sound that zips straight to our dogs' brains. However, they can be a bit inaccessible and you might not always have one on you.
Verbal Markers:
Words like "yes!" and "good!" are popular options for verbal markers. Not to be confused with general praise, a verbal marker word is something we use very specifically to mark the moment your dog performs a behavior and predicts a primary reinforcer, usually treats.
Choosing a marker:
Whether you want to use a clicker or a verbal marker is completely up to you! Both are valid and each pose their own pros and cons. I like to use clickers when I am teaching new, difficult behaviors. But, most of the time, I prefer the accessibility of a marker word and use "yes." When you are just starting training with your dog, though, pick one to start with.
Teaching your marker:
While our dogs come pre-programmed to like food, they don't come knowing what your marker means! We can teach them the marker means food is coming by simply clicking or saying your marker word once, waiting just a moment, & then feeding a treat. Doing this 10 or so times a day should be plenty of practice.
Timing:
Being sure to consistently and carefully use our markers is how we get really clean, efficient training. The magic happens when you use your marker at the precise moment your dog performs the behavior you're looking for!
