Communication: Markers

Part of Methods of Communication

A Marker is a specific type of conditioned signal that can efficiently give feedback to a dog for the behaviour they're preforming. They can be any stimulus the dog can detect (sound, sight, sensation etc).

Incredibly useful, properly trained markers can be issued while a dog is performing complex behaviours, without interrupting them, clearly marking exact moments in time with a pre-defined meaning. This accuracy allows a trainer to give feedback on a dog's behaviour in a way most dogs find very clear.

Markers can be trained situationally (how many family dogs come to understand "Yes" and "No"). But the simplest and clearest way for a dog to learn the meaning of a marker, is by conditioning a learned emotional response to them. This is known as "charging" or "loading" a marker. Notice that a marker does not predict a particular event, such as the delivery of a reward (as a typical signal does), but rather summons a particular moment of feeling within the dog.

Furthermore, often a marker will be correlated with a quadrant of operant conditioning. This does not necessarily have to be the intent, but as operant conditioning can effectively describe many aspects of dog training it should be considered when planning your markers. You may also notice that markers run adjacent to windows of behaviour.

What your markers mean is up to you, but generally they will reflect the training approach taken by that trainer for that dog. However owing to their great usefulness, you will likely want to have a marker to cover most types of feedback you can give. As such, here is a collection of markers (along with their associated quadrant) that will cover nearly all training situations. Note the naming is variable:

• Continuous (+R) - that was good, keep going

• Terminal (+R) - that was good, we're now done, be at liberty

• Encouragement (-R) - that solved the challenge

• No-reward (-P) - that did not solve the challenge

• Correction (+P) - don't do that [again]

You can plan and train many more markers for a variety of responses. If you find yourself often wanting to reward or correct your dog for a particular thing, consider introducing a marker for it. An example might be a correction marker for the dog being out of position.