As was previously stated not all of us (including me) are spring chickens with high drive dogs. I understand what you are saying about AKC Obedience, Agility, etc. but maybe you can find a training group that recognizes high-drive dogs for what they are. I am fortunate that I did.

I also use an e-collar on both my dogs. (I am one of those people that swore in the most blunt terms that I never would but it allows me to be with my dogs off-lead and have a very reliable recall.)

To those individuals that are uninitiated I call them my e-leashes. When there is a comment that they don't see the leash, I remind them that cell phones don't have a cord either. I just love technology.

This allows me to have the dogs out, in front of my house, etc. and train and play ball without worrying about a confined area.

I would love to work with an e collar but I have never used one so will need to watch the video's on it before I can feel confident enough not to ruin my dog with my mistakes as I learn. First things first. So we are working on marker training right now. When we get ready for e collar I hope you will be willing to help me become more confident.

Yes, I thought about taking Ele out front as opposed to out back where the neighbor children who have been trained to fear dogs play BUT out FRONT there is a family who has a very "shy" pit that they let run occasionally and at random times. When I asked about it they were adament that the dog would not leave them and is scared to death of other people. It is unsocialized and I believe that any dog (this is NOT a Pit comment)that runs and shy's behind its owner when the owner comes to talk has enough fear to make wrong decisions if they feel a threat and are off leash. So we are now worried about walking in general.

I think though that if we go "down town" and walk on leash there are enough police cars patrolling the area that people take care to have their dogs on lead. Tomorrow morning I'll drive there without my dog and take a walk to check it out.

 Quote: polly simpson

OK I have learned by watching the free videos that I am already using the word OK as my marker and the word Yes to say the same as good dog so that is a good place to start.

Stop!

There is really no "good dog" word in marker training (the marker is very precise, not general, as to the exact action at the time it's given), and if you are already using "OK" regularly, then you need a new word, one you do not use in regular "conversation" with the dog, as your marker. The verbal marker is the equivalent of a clicker. It's used very significantly, not at all carelessly, and it has to be loaded (charged) first.

Are you familiar with "charging the marker"? It comes first. It has to come first. There is no marker training without that.

PS

You are going to looooooove marker training.

Thank you again Connie. Ele only takes commands from who ever is currently working with her. For instance I will be working with her and give her commands then have a friend give a different command and she is only to obey me. Conversely, if my friend is giving Ele commands and I give an opposite command she only listens to my friend who is currently working with her. I use this method for a very simple reason, if I am in a training situation where there are multiple people giving multiple dogs commands she has been taught to ignore the others and only to the person working her. If Ele obeys the outside command she is given the no sound then told to do the routine again (we repeat) then given her ok and food when she does it and released. Then we do it again with her hearing an outside command and when she does it correctly she is given her marker word OK then food and play. I do not use the word OK in every day conversation I use the word alright in any situation other than letting my dog know it was correct.

I think you are right though I am going to love marker training now that I know that I have been doing it BUT not focusing on it and I should have really focused on it from the beginning.

Hey everyone. Is the video I want titled... The Power of Training with Markers or is there another one? I just want to be sure that I'm getting the right one.

 Quote: Polly Simpson

Hey everyone. Is the video I want titled... The Power of Training with Markers or is there another one? I just want to be sure that I'm getting the right one.

If you can, I would urger that you get that one plus the next one in the series (Power of Food).

They are DVDs number 219 and 220. You could jump right in with 220, but 219 is not expensive, and it's an amazingly clear and detailed point-by-point explanation of every facet of marker training.

Then 220 is the first of the Michael Ellis series.

If you are anything like me, you will end up with every single one of the M.E. series. But I can also promise that just 219 and 220 will give you enough not only to marker train very effectively, but to teach others to marker train if you wanted to!

http://leerburg.com/219.htm

http://leerburg.com/220.htm


eta
Oh, and you can start watching immediately on your computer once you place your order!


Edited by Connie Sutherland (08/04/2011 05:59 PM)
Edit reason: eta

"I think you are right though I am going to love marker training now that I know that I have been doing it BUT not focusing on it and I should have really focused on it from the beginning."

Don't give that a second's worth of worry.

Loading that marker changes the whole training dynamic.

I have posted this here before, and it remains true: My dogs gather around (at a dictated distance) to watch when any dog (my own or someone else's) is having a marker session, and it's completely clear that they are just hoping that their turn will be next.

Just saying "Ready?" (our "training session" cue) makes each of my dogs become eager, expectant -- the equivalent of Arnold Horshack raising his hand and saying "oooh! oooh!"

OK Connie I will do that. Thankfully tomorrow is pay day. LOL I'm so excited again. Going to work it all into the budget.

I just starting busting up laughing when I remembered years ago (95 or 96) getting my male ready to compete. We were at AKC training and a very long standing trainer says to me in a very disapproving voice "you gonna feed him his entire breakfast this hour?!!" My response was "well as a matter of fact yes I am, he is always fed his morning meal while training". She just shook her head and walked away. I am now so happy that I didn't listen to her.

Thanks again, Polly

Polly, I get excited for others who are about to embark on their new marker training odyssey.

Nothing has ever swept through and raised my own training abilities the way marker training has.

I have a few months (OK, years ... LOL) on you, so I definitely date back to yank-n-crank. I also remember making fun of "clicker trainers" .... in fact, if Ed had not introduced the beauty of marker work here a few years ago, I doubt that I would have caught on yet!

Now I cannot imagine training without markers. It just sounds silly to me now not to use markers.

I imagine that you will get more than one thumbs up on marker work here.