Reward markers have been an integral part of working with my dog. First popularized by marine mammal trainers, marker training (often done with a clicker and thus called “clicker training”) allows us to “mark” moments of our dogs’ behavior to provide more clarity in the teaching process. This makes learning more efficient!
Here’s a look at our own reward marker system. What are markers? Why are they so helpful? How do we personally use them?
What exactly is a reward marker?
At its simplest, a reward marker is a signal that tells our dogs:
They just did the right thing, and
They are about to be rewarded.
Depending on the complexity of one’s training, a marker might also tell our dogs where the reward is coming from and what type of reward it is.
Markers are usually a sound like a clicker or short word. They can also be a specific motion (particularly when working with deaf dogs).
