http://denisefenzi.com/2011/12/15/what-is-possible/

You should really take 5 minutes and read this.... ESPECIALLY if you are new to the wold of Marker/Clicker training, or if you're hesitant to try it.... or even have doubts over the system working.

It works.

"Training is a journey, not a destination. If you think you’ve arrived, you’ve already missed out."

It IS sad to run into so much closed-mindedness, isn't it?

But I think it's getting harder and harder for even the diehards to keep their heads buried. The results are getting hard to ignore. JMO, of course.

As recently as 2006-2007, using food in training at all was a huge hot-button issue on many boards!

I'm a big supporter of food and marker training and I had a lot of years using Koehler methods and just about anything that was out there.
Train with food !!!BLASPHEMY!!!
I see the same thing with many food/marker training people out there. If you use a correction on a dog your going to hell, at worst, or maybe just be locked up, at best.
!!!Corrections DO NOT mean the dog has to be subjected to pain!!!!
Find a balance that works for you and your dog. That requires getting in your dog's head and understanding what makes it tick. That's been my beef with any form of dog training. As with compulsion training back in the day there are still way to many that do it "because that's how I was told to do it".
Understanding behavior is as fascinating as the training itself. Honest!
Marker training will forever be my foundation for training. Done correctly any corrections should be minimal. If you need to go beyond that then you need to be willing to "understand" why.

^^^^^^^


What he said.



"Understanding behavior is as fascinating as the training itself. Honest!
Marker training will forever be my foundation for training. Done correctly any corrections should be minimal. If you need to go beyond that then you need to be willing to "understand" why. " I love this Bob, and it's so true!

Now I just have to live up to what I preach.
Not always easy with my temperment.

When I started carriage driving I was fortunate to go to a clinic where the clinician introduced me to the idea of "relationship building". (As a rider you have many options to get the horse to stop or do your bidding...as a carriage driver you have basically the relationship you have established or you are down to a prayer! You cannot get a driving horse to do something he doesn't want to do unless you "ask" him; you can definitely forget the idea of "telling"!

When I was out at my two classes/lessons this week with Lusi I was really surprised by the level of her enthusiasm. It was the last ob/agility class of the session before the holidays so it was a moment to take stock of our major accomplishments!

My impression was that it was not so much the way she performed in the individual exercises but rather that she was so eager to "work" that was our primary accomplishment! She so clearly associates these activities as being fun and rewarding activities for her..lots of yummy treats...lots of attention from me....

I am also trying to use the marker system more in our tracking now that I have a bit more of a handle on what we are doing on the track!

I think that one of the main reasons marker training works so well is that it encourages "relationship building". It also moves away from "telling" the dog what to do...which I have found really doesn't work with a Dal since that is precisely when Lusi will happily dig her paws in and put on that "obstinate" look!

Edited by Lisabet Measures (12/17/2011 07:06 AM)
Edit reason: typo

 Quote: Bob Scott

I'm a big supporter of food and marker training and I had a lot of years using Koehler methods and just about anything that was out there.
Train with food !!!BLASPHEMY!!!
I see the same thing with many food/marker training people out there. If you use a correction on a dog your going to hell, at worst, or maybe just be locked up, at best.
!!!Corrections DO NOT mean the dog has to be subjected to pain!!!!
Find a balance that works for you and your dog. That requires getting in your dog's head and understanding what makes it tick. That's been my beef with any form of dog training. As with compulsion training back in the day there are still way to many that do it "because that's how I was told to do it".
Understanding behavior is as fascinating as the training itself. Honest!
Marker training will forever be my foundation for training. Done correctly any corrections should be minimal. If you need to go beyond that then you need to be willing to "understand" why.

What a great post! I'm also a been-there-and-done-that former yank-and-cranker. But like Bob said, that was the accepted method back then, dog training has evolved, thank goodness, and there are now better ways.

BTW, Denise Fenzi has been an inspiration to me for a while now. All I have to do is watch one of her videos on Youtube and I'm motivated to train! Wish I lived closer to her. If she ever puts on a seminar anywhere in a 200-mile radius from me, I'll be there.