What is a marker?
A marker is a signal we use for our dogs the instant they show us a desirable behaviour. A marker can be any short and clear sound that we are able to make to one syllable words (such as ‘YES’) or a clicker. A marker is a conditioned reinforcer that tells your dog ‘Yes! That is it! Well done!’. To help our dogs understand this we pair the marker with something our dogs enjoy, typically food as a treat. Markers can be paired with anything our dogs enjoy however, if you are new to marker training food is easier to use when training to get that timing right.
Clicker Training
Verbal Markers
Conclusion
There are advantages to both. Whichever you choose to do your marker needs to be consistent, which can be more difficult to achieve with a verbal marker (sometimes we are tired, exhausted, or frustrated). Using a clicker gets you into the zone for training (if we remember to bring it with us). Verbal is easier if you are new to dog training and if you do not have a trainer supporting you while the clicker will speed up your training and help to teach more sophisticated behaviours. When using training for rehabilitating aggression I would always recommend a clicker to help build confidence in the behaviours.
What words do you like to use as verbal markers? They need to be short and crisp!
Do you have a favourite clicker that you use and would recommend? I use the Karen Pryor clickers.
Has this Blog changed your mind? I use both clickers and verbal markers when training my dogs depending on what I am teaching.
Struggling with your training? Visit caninekin.co.uk to browse our course options or book a 1:1 consultation with me!
