When training with a clicker, the sound of the “click” marks the moment the dog executes a behavior the trainer is seeking. That sound communicates to the dog he succeeded and will be rewarded.
Every time a trainer clicks, she must give the dog reinforcement, generally, training food. The click is the secondary reinforcer, which announces the food, which is the primary reinforcer, is to come. If a trainer accidentally clicks at the wrong time, it’s important she still give the dog training food. To keep the clicker “charged” and meaningful to the dog, the click must always be paired with reinforcment.
If a clicker isn’t handy, or not preferred, a sound or a word can be used. Some trainers click with their tongue. Others use a word as a behavior marker. A word comes in handy when a dog is at a distance and the trainer needs volume. A trainer can have as many markers as she wants, as long as the dog is taught the sound or signal is a behavior marker. Training food always follows the marker. Always. Without the pairing of the reinforcement to the marker, the marker becomes meaningless through extinction.
When selecting a word, chose one you don’t normally uttered excitably. I used YES when I first started using marker words, but later found YES came out of mouth as enthusiastically and naturally at times when I was encouraging dogs as much as marking. That got confusing for them. When one of my dogs was running through weave poles beautifully, I was so happy, I yelled, “Yes!” She stopped, pulled out of the poles, and ran to me for reinforcement instead of completing the poles in front of her. That was a good lesson on vocabulary choices in marker words. Plus, I couldn’t break my YES habit, so I faded YES from my marker words and added good and yep. You have to observe yourself and your dog’s reaction to learn what’s working and what’s not.
A one-syllable word is the best choice as a marker. Being able to say the marker word fast to capture the behavior is imperative. Words such as “beep,” “great,” and “right” are one-syllable words which work well. Two-syllable words such as “super,” and “bravo,” and three-syllable words such as “fantastic” are too long for markers. Unusual one-syllable marker words work best.
When training multiple dogs, another behavior marker that comes in handy is the pointing finger. When a dog in a group is doing something exemplary, and a trainer wants to reward that behavior, pointing at that dog is a fine way to distinguish who gets the reward. Pointing is also a good marker for dogs who are deaf.
No matter what behavior marker you use, remember to charge it first, and when you use it, always follow it with reinforcement.
Find out how much fun it is to train with food and games. Become a client of Outsmarting Dogs! We never use pain to train. We outsmart dogs instead!
Helen Verte Schwarzmann
Contact me
Certified in Training and Counseling
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
Certified Trick Dog Instructor
AKC Canine Good Citizen/CGC and STAR Puppy Trainer and Evaluator
Your Board-and-Train Dog Trainer for Fort Myers, Lee county, Naples, Collier county, and southwest Florida
