By Mark Berkowitz, Training Director, Holiday House Pet Resort & Training Center
Dog training is a journey of building mutual understanding, trust, and communication. When you bring home a new puppy or adopt an older dog, it’s important to remember one thing: neither of you speaks the other’s language. To bridge this gap, trainers use a system called markers—a simple yet powerful tool that provides clear communication between you and your dog.
Markers are specific words or sounds that tell your dog whether they’re on the right track, need to adjust their behavior, or should continue doing what they’re doing. This approach enhances clarity and makes training more effective for the rest of your dog’s life. Let’s break it down.
What Are Markers?
Markers fall into three categories, each serving a distinct purpose:
- Positive Marker (“Yes!”)
Indicates the dog performed the correct behavior and is immediately followed by a reward, typically a treat. - Negative Marker (“No”)
Communicates that the behavior was incorrect, and no reward will be given. - Duration Marker (“Good”)
Encourages your dog to maintain a behavior and signals that a reward is coming.
When used consistently, markers act like a light switch in your dog’s mind, flipping between right, wrong, and hold steady.
How to Put Markers into Practice
A foundational behavior to teach your dog is the “Look” command. This helps establish focus and attention—critical for all future training. Here’s how to introduce it:
- Teaching “Look”
- Have your dog sit in front of you.
- Point to your eyes with your index finger and say “Look.”
- The moment your dog makes eye contact, enthusiastically say “Yes!” and reward with a treat from your opposite hand.
- Building Duration
- Once your dog understands “Look,” encourage them to maintain eye contact.
- Calmly say “Good” every few seconds to let them know they’re doing well.
- Release them with a final “Yes!” and a reward.
- Adding Distractions
- Introduce mild distractions, like lightly tapping your foot or raising your arms.
- If your dog looks away, say “No” to indicate the error, and withhold the treat.
- When they refocus on you, immediately mark it with “Yes!” and reward.
- Reinforcing Commands
- If your dog doesn’t respond to a command, avoid repeating it. Instead, use the negative marker “No” before reissuing the command. This teaches your dog that ignoring commands has consequences and reinforces listening the first time.
Why Markers Matter in Dog Training
Consistency with markers transforms training into a reliable, two-way communication system. Every command your dog learns will have a clear Yes, No, or Good attached to it, leaving no room for confusion. Over time, you’ll notice your dog responding faster and more accurately to your cues.
Start Training Today!
At Holiday House Pet Resort & Training Center, our dog training team incorporates markers in each training plan as the foundation of communication and skill-building. Using markers provide dogs in our Stay & Learn and Play & Learn professional training programs with clear, consistent feedback. This system makes it easier for the dogs to understand desired behaviors, make adjustments, and maintain focus. This positive approach fosters trust and mutual understanding, setting the stage for mastering advanced commands and a lifetime of effective communication.
Ready to take the next step? Click to send a Training Request or call 215-345-6960 to speak with our training coordinator to schedule a consultation with me.