Cindy,

I was referring to the dog hitting the end of the line during bitework foundation, not heeling. I see this often in dogs that come out for evaluation that have had OB, and specifically heeling on leash.

David, it is a delicate balance through the initial foundation work. You sacrifice some manners in the beginning, but the good news is that you can catch right up after the foundation is in place.

John, I understand what you were saying. What "I" was trying to get across that if you do your heeling on leash with marker training, there will not have been any corrections with the leash.

SOOOOOOO......... my point again is that if you do clicker or marker training (like the op asked about) and you do it correctly, then it should have no bearing on the dog hitting the line in bitework, because the experiences the dog would have had in the past with the leash would have been a non event.

I'm not talking about some average pet owner that has done yank and crank training and then decides to get involved in SchH.

 Quote: richard pryor

I haven't used a clicker in months, but the other day at obedience class, a man used it and my dog quickly looked at him like "hey, I know that sound".

This is why I like using a clicker so much. With so many inflections of the human voice a Click is a click is a click .. always.

I've started doing French Ring and this week we were working on the 'Place' command I am using an empty 50lb burlap rice bag for it. I'd send her to 'place' and she'd scoop it up off the ground and start to beat the snot out of it, in typical Malinois style. So I walk over to her and very softly remove the bag bring the dogto au pied put the bag down and move away a few metres and do it again. But this time stand on the other side of the bag so she can't run away with it. Give her the command she comes in quick and stops in front of me on the bag .. I repeat "Sasha place" and she lays down on the bag, well right there it was a click and then she knew exactly what to do when I say 'place'. Took 3 or 4 times and the best part she figured it out herself what I wanted her to do and the click let her know she hit the bingo.

So tomorrow I'm going to Montreal to work with the FR club and their decoys. I am going to try my clicker on the obedience exercises and maybe even in the bitework as long as I can get my timing right. I'll let you know how it works out and what the decoys and my coach have to say if she picks up quicker with the clicker.

All of our club dogs obedience is taught with marker training as puppys. Myself, I don't use a leash for ANY obedience because of old yank and crank reflexes. LOL! The only time my pup is on leash in training is during bite work.
If marker training is done correctly your building the dogs drive as you teach.
I'm on my 2nd GSD with this training and it's going much quicker!