Today I want to explain my framework for basic obedience. This is how I like to simplify your first commands with your dog, and while there are other useful commands, if you master this framework there is a good chance that anything else will be a bonus. 3 Positions: This is simple to understand. Really there are only 3 practical positions your dog can be in, sit, down, and stand. I’ll explain them just to limit confusion but also I’ll add a tidbit about where and how they are useful. Sit: “Put your butt on the ground”, the most basic position. The reason this is such a staple is because it is quick and easy for your dog to perform but it causes them to be stationary. Down: “Put your chest and butt on the ground”, takes more work but still it's a basic command. A solid down is so important to create a dog that is more locked in place. The decision to break this command is a big one in most dog’s minds, it’s less likely that your dog “accidentally” gets up from Down. Stand: “Stand up on all fours”, the hardest of the 3 to teach. Stand is certainly the most difficult to convey to your dog and has the least practical uses but showing your dog that this too is a position I can ask for really rounds out the concept of all 3 positions. It is also helpful for grooming/medical exams and regular practice ends up being more useful than most people think 3 Locations: I like to boil this down to there being only 3 places we would ask our dog to be, Front, Heel, and Away. Front: “I want you in front and facing me”. This is where most dogs default when focused. In this position, we have eye contact and it is the easiest spot to hold our dog's attention, it is also where it is easiest for us to Lure and position our dogs. I think of Front as our “Attention and Learning” location. Heel: “Beside me, head and front feet lined up with my leg”. This is our “Real World” location. Heel is where we want our dog the majority of the time when out and about in the world. It is for traveling and moving with our dogs and allows us the most control with our leash. In reality, this is where I encourage my own dogs to default, when in doubt/fear/stress/uncertainty they’re never wrong to be by my side.

Today we are exploring one of the most potent tools in dog training, the Marker, often referred to as Clicker Training. Most people think of this as communication with your dog, and it is! But it can be so much more powerful than that when we peel back some layers. What is a “Marker”: At its face, a Marker is a signal to your dog. Most people are familiar with the term “Clicker Training”. A clicker is a Marker, but a Marker does not have to be a clicker. A Marker can be a word, a sound you make, a whistle, or anything that we can teach the dog to associate with our communication. There are many Markers that you can take advantage of but the first and most essential is called a “Terminal Marker”. This Marker simply means they are done, they can “terminate” the command, and come get their reward. It is a release and a cue for their reward in one. Loading the Marker: The Foundation of Success: Loading the marker is our first step and it is relatively simple. Simply bring your dog to a distraction-free environment, click or say your Marker, and immediately give them a treat/affection/a ball or whatever you want to associate with this Marker. Now repeat, repeat, repeat. Repeat until your dog knows this like it was carved into their brain at birth. You can not possibly have this association be too strong, when you think you’re done with this exercise you’re not even halfway there. My framework when teaching a group class is I want them to do at least 20 repetitions a day for the first week. Understanding Marker Training's True Potential: Now, it is easy to see how this can improve communication, there is another layer I would like to emphasize. When done properly we create a conditioned response to our markers. Meaning when you are loading your marker you want to create such a strong association between the sound of your Marker and the reward being delivered that they feel like one and the same. This “conditioned response” is backed up by the theories in Classical Conditioning, you may be aware of this concept if you have heard of Pavlov’s Dogs. Explaining this process in detail will be done in a different blog post but the takeaway is that when you have a cue (click) followed by an emotion (happiness to get a treat) they start to blend together such that when the Click happens, your dog’s brain acts as if they already have the treat. We essentially can put a positive emotion on cue! Really think about how powerful that can be.