Okay, I am no expert, but isn't "Good girl" serving as a mark? What a beautiful pup!

 Quote: john axe

steve in a earlier post you said you dont use markers how come?

I find myself thinking too much and getting clumsy with details. Also with my boring personna, my voice can be more of a drive killer and actually come accross more like nagging then anything else.

steve . i'm just clumsy anymore. i have arthritis in my hands and my back is bad that i have to take morphine 2x a day and Tramadol 2x a day

 Quote: steve strom

 Quote: john axe

steve in a earlier post you said you dont use markers how come?

I find myself thinking too much and getting clumsy with details. Also with my boring personna, my voice can be more of a drive killer and actually come accross more like nagging then anything else.

That's what your better half says, anyway...

Edited by Lynne Barrows (08/17/2011 06:09 PM)
Edit reason: Hah!

Ouch Lynne. Show my vulnerable side and look what happens,,,,,

 Quote: john axe

steve . i'm just clumsy anymore. i have arthritis in my hands and my back is bad that i have to take morphine 2x a day and Tramadol 2x a day

You should give legitimate marker training a shot then John. There's even tips on presenting the food so you don't get your hands chewed on. It may be just right for you, very correct and precise without you having to be real physical.

I'm very athletic and physical, things work better for me when I just do it without a lot of thought. Everyones happier. Even the better half, LYNNE!!!!

 Quote: jenny arntzen

Okay, I am no expert, but isn't "Good girl" serving as a mark?

In this video? No, it's not.

Remember that "mark" means to mark the very instant when the dog does the action that earns the reward. Now watch the video. I just watched it again to be sure... there is no instance I see where that phrase is said at the moment of the correct action. It is paired with the reward often, far too late to be a marker, and it's omitted several times.

A major wonderfulness of marker training, as pointed out early in the thread, is the opportunity to use great timing, timing that is not possible when you're fumbling out a reward (no matter how fast), so the dog gets a snapshot of exactly what s/he did to ear the reward that the marker says is coming.

For example, suppose for simplicity that I want "sit." I have already loaded the marker, so the dog knows that the marker means "Correct! Reward coming!"

The instant the dog's butt touches the ground, I mark. Not seconds later (in more than one instance in the video, after the position is no longer even held).

I want to mark the sit, not the "having sat and gotten up and now moving a step toward the bribe."

How about we each post a little MT vid, to illustrate what we are talikng about?

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Well one day I decided to try it. I loaded the clicker one night and the next day used it with heeling on my Pepper.

O H M Y G O D

The difference was so radical I had to really sit down and think long and hard about it.

I agree with Betty. Knock yourself out, get a clicker...and if that doesn't work for you; call it a day. Your'e still posting on this thread so I'm not 100% convinced you really don't want to do more with the MT. If you can find an accomplished marker trainer and take a private lesson, I think you'll know for sure if its something you want to pursue.

 Quote: Ana Kozlowsky

How about we each post a little MT vid, to illustrate what we are talikng about?

Have you taped yourself before? I've had someone else do me a few times, but haven't tried to tape myself.

I guess you set the camera up on a chair or something outside, and then practice being within its range .... maybe you tape a spot on the ground?