My pup is about 11 weeks old and is not always interested in the food treats when we do our marker training. I use 2 different kinds of soft training treats that I bought from Leerburg and some sliced up hot dog. He does eat a raw meat & bones diet, so maybe he's "spoiled" and the hot dogs don't impress him?

In any case, I will sometimes wait for a behavior to mark, but he has a short attention span and will run off to do something else - usually play tug of war with the blanket that I leave draped over his dog crate. Many times he seems more interested in chasing stuff and chewing on things than in food rewards.

I've found that it helps if I wait until he's in an "energetic" mood and is running around all crazy to begin with. Then he seems to really like training and pays attention much better. Sometimes though my work schedule and "life" does not coincide with when he's in one of his "moods."

So I'm looking for specific pointers on how I can use things other than food as rewards. I do believe I have a dog with high prey drive. He's a treeing feist (squirrel dog) from the champion bloodlines of a reputable breeder.

I purchased the "Basic Obedience" DVD from Leerburg but they never go into specifics on properly using toys as rewards. In fact, I'm a little disappointed in the "nuts and bolts" aspect of that DVD. I'm just started reading The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Marker Training and the book does seem promising.

Here's a list of things my pup often likes to do more than eat dog treats:
* Chase/Chew on my shoelaces and pant legs
* Chew and play "tug" on the blanket covering his crate
* "wrestle" with me where he lies on his back and I roughhouse with him a bit
* chase a ball (does not retrieve or release on command)
* chase/play tug of war with a rope toy (again, does not release on command)

Finally, here's a video of my dog in training and my crappy marker technique. I'm getting better. The book I mentioned is helping. This is not an example of his indifference to food - in this case he was in the "mood" for dog treats and as you can see, was working hard for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMOftmxKsKY

I read only the first paragraph ... in a rush .... but are you remembering to train before, not after, meals?

Which marker videos/DVDs have you seen, if any? I ask because of the chapter on low-food-drive dogs. (However, I have seen timing issues WAY more than low food drive ... WAY more. ) The marker DVDs in order (the first three) are Power of Markers, Power of Food, and Power of Playing Tug.

The first Ellis one is 220.

http://leerburg.com/219.htm
http://leerburg.com/220.htm
http://leerburg.com/221.htm

I'm kind of stressing this because timing the rewards is simple for a beginner with tiny food bites and not simple with toys. In addition, toys break up a teaching session in a way that it's not time for at this stage. JMO!

I would urge that you get 219 and 220. And maybe watch some of the ton of free streaming video in LB's "Video on Demand." The timing of the mark and the way you reward are important. You will want to see it done well.

Others will help MUCH more.

PS

Also, don't forget, short "playing" sessions.




PS

Check out all the free video.


Michael Ellis on puppy engagement:

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php?id=262

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php?id=717





http://leerburg.com/flix/searchResults.php?searchfor=ellis,%20puppy

http://leerburg.com/flix/searchResults.php?searchfor=%20marker

http://leerburg.com/flix/searchResults.php?searchfor=free%20videos

11 weeks old, let it be a puppy.

Delivery of the treat is just as important as the treat itself. If you've seen video of Michael Ellis or Cindy delivering a treat, you see that they move their hands and the dog follows. This makes it more exciting for the dog, because you have the whole prey drive kicking in with the movement.

The three videos that Connie linked to will show treat delivery very well. There are a ton a free streaming videos on the site too, just do a little searching.

Remember to have fun with your pup.

Thanks for the tips, Connie and Kelly. I've continued reading The Thinking Dog book and am having a lot of "aha" moments. Between the stuff I've read/watched on LB, their "Basic Obedience" DVD and the book, things are coming together as far as how to mark and shape behavior.

Also since posting initially, I have had several great sessions with my dog Faüst. I'm not sure what I'm doing differently, but he's paying much closer attention than in the past and is doing much better with food rewards. The 2 changes I made was I now use a variety of 3 treats (hot dog chunks, and 2 kinds of soft treats) so he never knows what sort of food he'll get next. I also am doing our training when he seems to be "on" as in romping around chewing on stuff and filled with energy.

I'm really digging the techniques and experience of marker training and excited about the possible tricks I'll be able to teach him.

I'm still on the fence about springing for the LB "marker" DVD. As I mentioned in my first post I think the Basic Obedience DVD was pretty good, but was sort of half assed in explaining how to take your dog all the way to the end of the program. Maybe I need to watch it again (seen it twice so far), but I don't even remember them transitioning in that DVD from marking an incidental sit, and actually naming "sit," "down," etc. so the dog knows what behavior you're looking for. Fortunately, I think that's covered in the next chapter of the book I'm reading.

"I'm still on the fence about springing for the LB "marker" DVD. As I mentioned in my first post I think the Basic Obedience DVD was pretty good, but was sort of half assed in explaining how to take your dog all the way to the end of the program. Maybe I need to watch it again (seen it twice so far), but I don't even remember them transitioning in that DVD from marking an incidental sit, and actually naming "sit," "down," etc. so the dog knows what behavior you're looking for. Fortunately, I think that's covered in the next chapter of the book I'm reading."

The Basic Ob DVD isn't actually a marker-training video. It's "basic ob" with an intro to markers. It's not even necessarily directed only to marker trainers.

http://leerburg.com/302.htm outlines the goals of this video. Scroll to ~Outline for the Leerburg Basic Dog Obedience Training DVD~

The marker DVDs are all about marker training. 219 is a solid explanation and demonstration of the principles, and the first Ellis one (220) details the food part of the system -- details Michael Ellis's groundwork, in fact. (You could start with 220 if you felt pretty confident about what marker training is and how it works.)

As Ed explains the two: "My DVD, THE POWER OF TRAINING DOGS WITH MARKERS, is a DVD that teaches people what marker training is. As you already know it teaches you the details of the program and really the power of marker training lies in understanding the details and knowing how to apply them. ... What Michael Ellis brings to the table is the application of markers to training behaviors. In other words, the food DVD first covers a great deal on engagement – some people call this FOCUS. While there is a short recap of the basics of markers, this DVD focuses on using markers to get your dog engaged with you and then using markers to teach behaviors: restrained recalls, muscle memory heeling, touch pads, sit, down, stand ... "


http://leerburg.com/markers.htm

Free video explanation:: http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=17

IMO, there is no better video series on marker training.



eta
In fact, I have yet to hear or read a bad user review here! The only complaints were about #219, and they were strictly about the sound quality in some of the segments; they have been re-shot now.


Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/14/2012 10:07 PM)
Edit reason: eta

" The 2 changes I made was I now use a variety of 3 treats (hot dog chunks, and 2 kinds of soft treats) so he never knows what sort of food he'll get next. I also am doing our training when he seems to be "on" as in romping around chewing on stuff and filled with energy."

Yes! Good for you!

Many of us recommend a "mixed reward bag" to generate that slot-machine effect.

And always stop way before the puppy wants to stop. Little short "play" sessions.

JMO!