I absolutely agree that you shouldn't be trying to build duration in the beginning stages of training!

I'm also curious about the yes.no/good.
The Yes should be the only marker that tells the dog they got it right and the reward is coming.
No means the dog got it wrong. Try again!
Good is a bridge that tells the dog it's looking good and continue till I mark.
Good is more about duration but it doesn't sound like the op is ready for duration if there is still confusion about markers and loading.

x-y=z after 35 years i didn't realize dog training was this difficult. year after tear i have seen training methods come and go.
remember it's just dog training not rocket science, use what works for you i think about how i trained my first dog and how i train now. totally different. was it wrong, no he was trained quite well for 35 years ago. in a few years we will see a new style of training. don't over think it have fun.

John is correct in that we certainly know so much more about how dogs learn and how beneficial it is to use motivational vs the old yank and crank methods recommended in years past. And yes, those old methods worked, but not many of us would advocate implementing them today. The reason many of us stress being clear in our signals and how they are delivered, especially when using markers, is that this method has been developed to "mark" the exact moment the dog provides the desired behavior... Think of it as the dog taking a mental snapshot of what he was doing the very moment he hears "YES!"

If the basic language is taught clearly and in a manner which engages the dog's brain in such a way that he realizes you and he have a crystal clear method by which to communicate with each other, the sky is the limit on what you can teach the dog. If however, that language is muffled and changes in meaning from one moment to the next, the dog will not have that "ah ha!!" moment of realizing that the owner trainer is providing them the means by which to communicate with each other.

Think of the scene in the movie about Helen Keller where her teacher continues to spell the word water over and over and over into the palm of her hand. The lightbulb (lightening bolt, actually) finally went off and Helen GOT IT that those shapes in her hand meant w a t e r. Had the instructor used a different hand shape every time she spelled water, it would have been impossible for that AH HA moment to take place.

So yes, relax and enjoy your dog! However, when using Markers, it is critical to be as accurate and consistent, each and every time you are training, in order for your dog to understand that you are capturing a specific moment (mental snapshot) when he provided a specific behavior.

There most likely will be new training methods over the years, but it is going to be very difficult to top the benefits of this simple system, when performed well...

Well said Barbara, My typing skills are about 7 words a minute top speed. I will never master marker training at this stage of life, Retired. My mal pup is spoiled (lol) sleeps in bed,all kinds of treats and listen's when she wants to. It's not hard to train a old dog new tricks ,it's hard to train a old handler/trainer new tricks..

John, you and Bob ( aka as Bobb) should get to know each other! Your typing skills are right on par with each other... Were you taught by Catholic nuns by any chance?? ( my sincere apologies to the OP for this horrible hijack... Never mind John.) hehehe. And I bet even you could master marker training...I mean really... We teach it to dogs! LOL!

Eta; when I die, I want to come back as John's mal.

John, I'm also in the Been there, done that stage of my dog training life. First formal ob class was back in the early 60s.
Good thing is we don't have to become masters. We just have to get it right. SchIII and CDX on one of my present GSDs. All with marker training. Ivan B style mostly but I think Mike E has it all over anything out there.
Now...If your telling me we have to learn something new in a few years... well, that just wrong. Ain't gonna do it because markers are way to much fun.
25 words a min here

Bob, there will be a new way.... When i started in the K9 unit i mentioned Schutzhund they thought i was crazy.Same guys years later were telling me about Sch.. (Lol) back to the post. when i take my dog for a walk i don't use any training it's his/her time as long as they are not trying to drag me. even when i was working. i didn't have a formal heel. only during training / certification.

Barbara, the pup is laying next to the air conditioning vent eating a ice cream treat. don't worry, it's natural

 Quote: john axe

Barbara, the pup is laying next to the air conditioning vent eating a ice cream treat. don't worry, it's natural

Worried?? Hell, I'm envious of a dog. THAT is sad.

I'm thinking the pup, for sure, got it right!