Quote: Nora Ferrell

... But, the marker (Yes!, in my case spoken lively and light) has to be charged or else you aren't really marker training.

Yes, and this is why I keep going back to it. Nothing being taught, nothing expected from the dog -- just the handler making clear the association between the marker and the reward.

From here if food is to be used, Pat finds a cheap cut of roast in the too old section at the super market. Usually costs about 2 to 3 dollars for a couple of pounds.
A nice rare roasting in the oven, some refidgeration, a sharp knife and it can be sliced off so thin it can be inhaled.
And the dog does do that.

Works good for cutting chunks off to stuff kongs too!

Sliced for just marking though, thin slice into individual daily portions, bag and freeze for whenever.

 Quote: randy allen

From here if food is to be used, Pat finds a cheap cut of roast in the too old section at the super market. Usually costs about 2 to 3 dollars for a couple of pounds.
A nice rare roasting in the oven, some refidgeration, a sharp knife and it can be sliced off so thin it can be inhaled.
And the dog does do that.

Works good for cutting chunks off to stuff kongs too!

Sliced for just marking though, thin slice into individual daily portions, bag and freeze for whenever.

Heck yeah! High-value to dogs is NOT what we might call high-value!

You can make a load of HV rewards (even a "mixed bag") for a couple of bucks -- that's for sure!

High-value to mine is anything they think someone else might want, even if they themselves didn't want it ten minutes prior. LOL.

Sorry....................

Hey Jenni, sounds like my house LOL. And not just about food or toys. Funny, I bought one of those elevated mesh out door beds for the deck for my female about 4 years ago & she hated it.............enter my male..who loved it....well guess who likes it now & will snatch a snooze on it when ever she can get to it before him. LOL

He was to the point where he responded most of the time by looking around for food when given the cue but only when he was on the leash in the front yard with no distractions or movement.

However, when allowed in the back yard or anywhere of interest, where there are sticks to chew and room to trot around he would give no response whatsoever and come get the food, he would only amble over to eat it with a hand movement ( if he was looking that direction )if anything at all. He hardly paid any attention and would just find something to do-and I know he was hungry.

If he was on a leash his focus is better with nothing around but I have charged the mark about four times ( in house or front yard on lead ) before this doing NOTHING but saying 'yes' waiting a second, then handing food and he still doesn't seem to want to be involved.

We even tried cutting up some raw chicken and using that as the food-which he goes crazy over at mealtime if it's in a bowl, but he still acts this way.

Heather, I know some of the experienced trainers will see this and help you. And, I hope I previously mentioned that I am not one of the experts. I am just a companion pet owner and am marker training my dog.

Someone suggested a video of you and the dog. I really wish you could figure out how to do one as I think this would help tremendously.

Other than that, for starters, are you being really animated? So it sounds really exciting for the dog.

I always do my marker training indoors (except for things that are almost perfect like sit that I don't reward for anymore except occassionally).

I also start with "OK (that is what I say so she knows we are about to have lots of fun). I usually talk to her animatedly as I am walking around, getting treats. It kinda builds suspense for her because she knows bits of rare steak, cheese, etc. are coming. She just has to figure out what to do to get them.

Then, this is the easy part for my dog, because she doesn't give up easily. But, I always try to quit the training before she gets bored (hasn't happend yet).

Also, I think on leash is best.

Probably (and if I'm wrong, some one will let us know) I would try charging the marker (Yes!), and then walking to the dog to give the treat. Anything so that the dog knows that after "Yes!" a food reward is coming.

I would PAY for video of this.

Heather, when you say "charged mark four times," can you tell me what the four times refers to? The number of occasions, or the number of makers given?

Can I add that I would not introduce distractions just yet, even for the fundamental beginning step of charging the marker. I honestly don't think that the dog gets it yet what the marker means.

We'll get there.

 Quote: heather perring

.... he would give no response whatsoever and come get the food, he would only amble over to eat it with a hand movement ( if he was looking that direction )if anything at all. He hardly paid any attention and would just find something to do-and I know he was hungry.

Amble over from where?

You are right there when you are charging your marker. Right there, in touching distance. All you are doing is showing the dog that the marker means "reward coming." Nothing yet required of the dog -- no walking over, no nothing.

And I agree with Nora that your marker needs to be separate and distinct from background noise.

I'd back up to the point where you are indoors, the dog is hungry, and all you are doing is giving your marker and rewarding, expecting nothing at all from the dog.

Then tell us whether the dog starts to look for the reward when you give the marker.

Thanks for the quick reply. We have both tried being animated. He was never excitable, even when we first got him at 10 weeks, nothing you could do could make him excited. Throwing a HUGE party for him ( making the neighbors look at you weird ) only made him wag his tail a bit and lean on you a little. He still does this.

The only thing he really really gets excited over is other dogs. He'll race around the yard, play bow and wiggle all over to other dogs. Never to a person. He is still to this day not allowed to interact with my dog, but if she is out and he can see her his flawless focus on her is something I wish we could someday see him doing to one of us instead.

Sorry about the video thing, I can't help that, really. All I can really do is explain exactly what happens.

He is standing in front of me, looking off to the side. I say "yes!" in a happy excited voice, he looks over as I wait a second, I have the treats in my hand and I hand one to him.

If he is looking at me already and I say "yes!" his eyes go to my hands as his nose waves back and forth scenting for the food. I wait a second, feed. I did this over and over in four sessions of about 5 minutes.

Out back off lead. He loses interest quickly, he wanders off. "Yes!" his ear swivels, but he continues walking or sniffing around or grabbing a leaf without other acknowledgment.