You all suggested marker training, so I started it with my puppy yesterday. I didn't hear Ed mention if I should mark and reward pottying. I'm using the word "good" as my marker word. It comes the most naturally to me. I realized I've been saying it when my puppy potties, so I rewarded the behavior with a high value treat when I would say it.

Is it good or bad to reward pottying with markers? Thanks for your help.

Also, do I need to keep marker training contained to only specific times, or should I marker train anytime during the day that the puppy does something I like?

I didn't use markers when house training my dog, but I will advocate the use of treats for a puppy. They get it pretty fast.

Does your dog have a potty command? I think a potty command is the best thing going.

What you do is as the puppy starts to go you say your command. People use things like "go potty" or "do it!". I even know a guy who says "let loose!". Its pretty funny.

When the puppy finishes up, you treat them and have a praise party.

I have to take my dog out on leash every time, so this has been a real help to me. The last thing you want in a heavy storm is to be walking around your yard waiting for the dog to do her business.

Eventualy, I even added speed by placing a really good reward on the kitchen counter before I took her out. My pup goes so fast on command that I have had guests comment on how quickly we come back in!

That is a great question and one I haven't heard before! We always suggest having a "pee party" and acting rediculously happy when the pup does his business outside in the right area, so you definitly want to act goofy and reward the pup.

I'm trying to figure out if actually marking this behavior will work... Ideally, you are giving your dog the mark the moment he does what you are looking for, pausing a moment and then delivering the reward. ie: you lure the pup into a sit; the moment butt touches floor you MARK, pause and reward.

If we are marking peeing, you wouldn't mark the moment he begins because if he is like my dog, he might stop peeing the moment he hears the mark because he knows a treat is coming. So I guess marking at the end of the "transaction" would be best, but honestly, I just don't see markers for this over just going "yeah! Good puppy, yippee, etc..." and giving pats and rubs and a treat. I think at his young age I would want to make MORE of an event out of it than the mark and reward... (thinking out loud here...)So, my opinion would be it is not that it is wrong, but I don't think it is the BEST response for potty training. jmo... someone else might chime in with a great explanation of why it is better.

I want to throw out one more thing... If "good" comes naturally to you and is a word you would normally use when praising your dog (which it is for me) you MIGHT not want to use that as your marker. Here's why... if it is a word that easily comes out at random times, as in "you're such a good boy" you will have to TREAT every time you say the word, even if the dog wasn't offering you a behavior, if you want it to continue to have the "effect". (If sometimes he gets treated for the word and other times he doesn't, he'll learn to turn if off.) It isn't too late at all to charge another marker word if you change your mind. Just a thought.

Your pup is going to love marker training!

Lauren,
Thanks for the tip. I may try that one out. I am hoping this puppy will turn out like my other dog and will go out and potty just by me letting him out into the backyard. Right now, though, I have to go out with him. If he stays on a leash for bathroom breaks, I'll have to use your method. Thanks!

Barbara,
Thanks for the tips. I was coming to the same conclusion you came to while listening further into the marker training podcast. I will have to switch to using "yes" instead of "good". Ed mentioned that the dog should be conditioned already to "good boy" in a soothing, calm voice, and that should be different than the marker word. He says that the "good boy" is used to extend the length of the good behavior that has been already marked with the marker word. Once a puppy sits, and is marked, then you pet him and say "good boy" for a little bit, then I think you reward. That teaches him to prolong the sit (or other desirable behavior). He said not to go longer than 20 seconds with a puppy. And I'm figuring that pottying can't be rewarded with markers. Also, I've decided that marker training can't be done randomly at first. It has to be done in an alotted slot of time so I can repeat the actions over and over again so the puppy gets it.

Thanks for the help!

 Quote: brian carman

Barbara,
Thanks for the tips. I was coming to the same conclusion you came to while listening further into the marker training podcast. I will have to switch to using "yes" instead of "good". Ed mentioned that the dog should be conditioned already to "good boy" in a soothing, calm voice, and that should be different than the marker word. He says that the "good boy" is used to extend the length of the good behavior that has been already marked with the marker word. Once a puppy sits, and is marked, then you pet him and say "good boy" for a little bit, then I think you reward. That teaches him to prolong the sit (or other desirable behavior). He said not to go longer than 20 seconds with a puppy. And I'm figuring that pottying can't be rewarded with markers. Also, I've decided that marker training can't be done randomly at first. It has to be done in an alotted slot of time so I can repeat the actions over and over again so the puppy gets it.

Thanks for the help!

You are going to do great. Several short training sessions numerous times a day are far better than less longer sessions, so keep that in mind. So in that sense, they can be "planned" randomly throughout the day ie: get a sit before you let him out of the crate, mark, pause, let him out reward. After he potties outside and you play a few minutes, lure him into a sit, mark, reward. I think you'll be more successful more quickly if you work lots of little sessions in as you simply work with him, but keep it fun, light, short at all times.

Check out the free streaming video M.E. has on the power of training with food if you haven't seen that one yet. You'll see different ways ME is training different behaviors and the pup doesn't even know he is working. That man is really, really good.

The only thing I'd add is as Lauren suggested, use a word to go potty. It can be manly like "let it rip" instead of "go winkie!" if you want, but getting him used to a command to eliminate will be very helpful later in life.

I'm going to post another thread to ask about the whole kennel release thing. My puppy doesn't like his kennel much and even though I keep running a few laps around the yard with the puppy each time I let him out, I can't seem to run the energy/excitement out of him. (I can't use a leash since he doesn't accept it yet so I can't walk the energy out of him just yet)

So, my dilema with rewarding the puppy for sitting to be released from the cage is that he gets excited and jumps up when I mark and then I'm rewarding his excited behavior a second later with the treat. Leerburg said never to let the puppy out when he's whining. Most of the time the puppy whines at some point and that's the time I need to take him out to potty. So I'm torn on what to do about this. Find my next post about this if you like. Your imput is much appreciated. Oh, and my potty word is "go potty". I don't need to appear manly. lol

Barbara,

I've looked everywhere for ME's free streaming video you mentioned. I can't seem to find it. Where might I find that video? Thanks so much!

That was a test... I deliberately gave you the wrong title of the video just to waste your already precious time.

Here it is... I'm sorry!!!

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php?id=162

 Quote: brian carman

Oh, and my potty word is "go potty". I don't need to appear manly. lol

That works. You'll likely use the same phrase while house training your baby in a couple years!