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Markers combine classical and operant conditioning, which explain how dogs learn.

Trainers use markers to create a clear, motivational, and enjoyable training system.

Enjoy this breakdown and use our most important markers at the bottom. 👇️

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I’m sure you’ve heard of classical conditioning. If you haven’t, I’ll give you a hint…

Does Pavlov’s dogs ring a bell?

Classical Conditioning

Dogs learn by forming associations 24/7.

Trainers intentionally create associations that provide context to speed up the learning process.

Associations build anticipation, which can sometimes result in inappropriate behaviors.

Here’s how Pavlov associated the sound of a bell to predict food.👇️

Goal: Condition neutral stimuli (🔔) to predict desirable or aversive consequences (🥓), which trigger involuntary responses (salivation).

Through repetition, the 🔔 triggers salivation because it predicts 🥓.

Result: The neutral stimulus is now a conditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

Dogs are masters of manipulating their environment to get what they want.

It’s our job to use this highly developed survival instinct to teach behaviors using consequences produced by the environment.

The idea is to make it seem like these behaviors are in the dog’s best interest - since it helps them get what they want out of our training exercise.

Here’s how.👇️ 

Goal: Modify behaviors using desirable and aversive consequences.

1. Positive Reinforcement (+R): Deliver a desirable consequence to encourage behavior.

   • Dog learns by receiving rewards: praise, tactile stimulation, food, toy, freedom.

   • Dog learns by performing self-reinforcing behaviors: barking, chasing, biting.

2. Negative Punishment (-P): Withhold a desirable consequence to discourage behavior.

   • Dog learns by not receiving rewards: praise, tactile stimulation, food, toy, freedom.

3. Negative Reinforcement (-R): Remove an aversive consequence to encourage behavior.

   • Dog learns by escaping corrections: leash pressure on a prong collar, low level e-collar stimulation.

4. Positive Punishment (+P): Deliver an aversive consequence to discourage behavior.

   • Dog learns by avoiding corrections: a leash pop on a prong collar, higher level e-collar stimulation.

Purpose: Reinforce correct behaviors and punish incorrect behaviors.

Your dog determines the severity of reinforcers and punishers, not you. Be sensitive to their responses and learn what motivates them.

Markers

Goal: Condition neutral stimuli to predict reinforcers and punishers to instantly modify behaviors.

Conditioned Reinforcers

1. “Yes”: They’re released and free to claim the reward on you.

2. “Get It”: They’re released and free to claim the reward from a separate location not on you.

3. “Okay”: They’re released and free to do anything.

4. “Good”: A release is on the way if they increase duration of the behavior. They might receive a reward while in position. Can be said >1.

   • Useful when chaining multiple behaviors.

You can condition these in isolation of behaviors.

Conditioned Punishers

1. “No”: A low severity correction is applied and they’re released to restart the training exercise.

2. “Ah-Ah”: A low severity correction is applied and they’re encouraged to fix their mistake.

   • Useful when chaining multiple behaviors.

3. “Hey”: A high severity correction is applied in the event of an emergency.

You should not condition these in isolation of behaviors.

Purpose: Clearly communicate when they’re right or wrong.

Be mindful of your intonations and stay consistent. Remember that they can intensify conditioned reinforcers and punishers.

Also, be mindful of your non-verbal cues and the surrounding environment, as these can unintentionally act as neutral stimuli.

FYI: Markers can become complicated, quickly. They can be conditioned to different combinations of:

1️⃣ Neutral stimuli: verbal or non-verbal cues.

2️⃣ Desirable or aversive stimuli: rewards or pressure.

3️⃣ Reward placement: deliver reward in position or leave position to claim reward from a specific location on you or leave position to claim reward from a remote location.

4️⃣ Release conditions: exercise is over (released) or keep going (increase duration).

It’s best to keep it simple.

TL;DR: Say these markers calmly in a neutral tone before the consequence to teach your dog a clear communication system for training.

The Result

1. Established a clear, motivational, and enjoyable training system built upon the anticipation of consequences.

2. Taught your dog that their behaviors can produce consequences, even if not visible.

3. Avoided creating conflict - tension resulting from ambiguity or incompatible courses of action, which manifest as displacement behaviors.

Bonus: You’ve learned why box feeding can be so successful. The sound of the food hitting the wood becomes a conditioned reinforcer.

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• Free Video Lesson: Michael Ellis' Philosophy of Dog Training (LINK)

• Free Video Lesson: Common Terms Every Dog Trainer Should Know (LINK)

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