Training
Marker words and clickers: how to tell your dog "yes, that!"
TL;DR
A marker is a short, distinct signal — a clicker or a word like "yes" — that tells your dog the exact moment it did the right thing, and promises that a reward is coming. Markers make training faster because they solve the timing problem: you can pinpoint the behavior instantly, then take a second or two to deliver the treat. You teach the marker by pairing it with food 15–20 times, then use it only when the dog has earned a reward.
- A marker bridges the gap between the behavior and the treat.
- Charge it first: marker, then treat, 15–20 times, until your dog reacts to the sound.
- Every marker is followed by a reward — even if you marked by mistake.
- Clicker or word both work. A clicker is more precise; a word is always with you.
Imagine teaching a dog to lie down. The moment its elbows touch the floor is the moment you want to reward, but by the time the treat reaches its mouth the dog may already be getting up. A marker is a snapshot. It says "that — what you were doing when you heard this — is what earned the treat."
Because the marker is fast and consistent, the dog learns faster and with less confusion. It also frees you from needing food in your hand the whole time, which makes it easier to fade lures later.