Totally Epic Dog Training Cues & Markers

Markers:

Yes: Used to “mark” the moment/behavior you’re looking to reward. This is a promise of a reward so you should always follow with a treat/toy - whatever is valuable/reinforcing to your dog. Treat/Toy/Praise/Petting.

- Example: For sit, you would mark “yes” when your dog’s rear end hits the ground and then reward.

Good: Used to tell the dog to “keep going” - sometimes a treat will happen, not always.

- Example: For adding duration to a sit stay, you would say “good” instead of “yes” to communicate that you want the dog to continue sitting until released.

Uh oh: Not what I wanted, try again!

- Example: You cue your dog to "sit" but they lie down - "uh oh" and give them a chance to correct themselves.

No: Stop behavior now. (Try not to overuse and always follow through with appropriate consequence.)

- Example:

Get it: Chase treat (Used to reset the dog in between training repetitions.)

- Example:

Cues:

Go sniff: Allowed to wander to end of leash and explore, but not pull on leash.

With me: walk at my side, not a focused heel

Bed: go to your bed/mat and lay down

Settle: relax in the area you are at, any surface

Touch: Nose to palm or fist target

Leave it: do not engage item, person, animal

Drop it: give possession back

Wait: do not cross this line - until released

Break:Release cue