THE BENEFITS OF A MARKER SIGNAL
Marker Signals
In our course, Introduction to Explore the World with Your Dog, we teach you how to use a marker signal effectively with your dog.
First, What Is a Marker Signal?
A marker signal is a noise or gesture which indicates to our dogs that what they just did is “correct” and they’ll receive a reward.
Students receive marker signals all the time from teachers. For example, if we were students again, we might hear a “great job!” from our teachers or see a green checkmark on the screen when we gave a correct answer.
A marker signal is comforting, as we know we don’t need to keep trying to figure something out anymore. The marker signal tells us we reached a certain level of understanding and it’s time to take a break!
And finally, a marker signal predicts a reward. It’s very important that the reward reinforces what we just did. This is mandatory - we’re all motivated by positive results!
Why Positive Dog Trainers Use Marker Signals
Most positive dog trainers use marker signals when they train dogs. After almost ten years of training and personally meeting over six hundred dogs coming through our programs, we totally understand why!
Communication with Entirely Different Roots
Training dogs is a challenge because we’re working with a species who communicates quite differently than us. Dogs communicate telepathically, with scent, and also with visual signals. In contrast, we mainly communicate verbally through spoken and written words. So, with this communication gap, how do we help our dogs learn an entirely new language which doesn’t have any roots in their own language? In other words, dogs are not genetically programmed to use and understand a verbal language….
The fact that dogs can understand many aspects of our language is amazing in itself. Although some humans have started to understand canine visual signals, we’ve barely touched the surface of dogs’ sophisticated use of these signals. And, as anyone who has tried learning telepathic communication can attest to, achieving accuracy takes at least a few years of patient and dedicated practice.
What about communicating via scent? I have yet to hear about any human who can even come close to this incredible communication tool that’s normal for dogs.
So, when we take on the huge task of teaching dogs our language, we owe them an approach that simplifies the learning process and amplifies the rewards. In other words, we choose time and time again, training with a marker signal.
The Benefits of Training with a Marker Signal
Most dog trainers who use a marker signal for training (the signal that says, “you got it right!” before the dog receives a reward) also teach in small steps. The marker signal makes this quite easy to do. Because the signal is immediate, trainers can “mark” a particular moment in time. Then, they can deliver a reward without needing to match it with the dog’s action.
First, A Marker Signal Allows You to Teach at a Distance
Here’s an example.
You’d like to teach your dog to come to you when your dog it at a distance. The word you’d like them to learn is “here.” You say the word “here” and the dog looks at you (probably because you made a new sound). You mark the dog turning his/her head in your direction as this attention is an early stepping stone for the recall. Then, either your dog comes to you for a reward or meets you half way.
Second, A Marker Signal Allows You to Teach in Small, Easy Steps
After enough repetitions for your dog to understand what makes the marker signal happen (ie: the head turning towards you), you might ask for a little more. This time, after you say the word “here” you wait until your dog looks towards you and takes a step in your direction. You mark the step towards you, and reward the dog as always. Now, your dog is at a higher level of recall while still in a positive state of mind.
In other words, your dog is having fun!
And Third, A Marker Signal Makes Training Fun
Learning a completely new language with a body that’s not genetically programmed to do so can be frustrating and also scary (if negative methods are used). We owe our amazing dog family members the best learning situations possible. The marker signal is clear, easy to learn, and predicts good things happening (ie: rewards). When we take the time to understand how to train with a marker signal and use it in a way that clear and concise, our dogs will look forward to every training session because training is FUN!
For a great article with resources about using a marker signal, link to the one here:
https://www.npsa.gov.uk/resources/introduction-marker-training
