Training terms are useful when you want to expand your abilities to do things with your dog. Even if you look into other training videos they make WAY more sense when you have some training terms to fall back on.
Marking a Command
If you were trying to do a job for someone like getting them coffee. They say get me coffee. You associate the word coffee with a coffee and bring them the cup. Their reaction to you bringing them coffee communicates to you that you did the right thing. Then if you did there would be a smile and a “good job”. A mark does this for your dog learning a command or behavior. It is super prectical because then you are making a good relationship for your dog by telling them what you want from them.
Loading a Mark
This is when you are showing you job what the word “Good” means. Dogs do not have a verbal language. They speak through their bodies in a non-verbal way. That is why it is more effective to use hand signal verses a verbal. The more the dog is trainied the more you can use a verbal cue.
Everytime you use a clicker, dog whistle, or the word “Good”(BTW you can use other verbal marks such as “Yes”) the dog must get a treat right away. I would repeat this ten times or so. If you are worried about your dog’s weight I would try to use their dry kibble as treats around their meal times. Low calorie would be training treats like Pet botanics or Zuke’s treats.
Then when you use your Mark the dog is going to know Oh! I am going to get a treat.
Luring, Shaping, and Catching
Luring- Is when you use a treat to get a command. My favorite way to do this is to hold a treat in my palm and then ball my hand into a fist. Dogs don’t have a chance to nip you as easily. They know that you still have the treat. Now, let’s say that you want to get a “sit” command. When you do this you raise the treat above the dog’s head until they go into a sit. Then you say sit mark it and give them a treat. This is Luring because you are using the treat to move the dog where you want them to be.
Shaping- Is when you have a treat and you are shaping to get the command. When you you want to get a “down” command like in the shape of a sphynix. A lot of people say down when they want a dog to stop jumping. You cannot use one word to mean to things. It is like when I say grey. You would be like what type of grey. Then if I say greyish-blue. Ah! now you know what I am talking about.
When you shape the down you start with a “sit” then keep you fist at your dogs nose and move very slowly to touch the ground. Then the dog will make a curved position. Hold the treat in the same spot untl the dog tires and lays down. Then mark the dog and give a treat. Then you have shaped your dog into the command.
Catching- Is when your dog is doing the command so you mark it and give a treat everytime the dog does it. So, if the first method I described for “down” command didn’t work. It is tricky sometimes to get. Then if you dog goes to their favorite spot to lay down then you can say “down” and give the dog a treat.
Fading the Treat
After you have been using treats for awhile then your dog will make a habit of doing the desired behavior. When the behavior comes quickly from the dog then you know it is time to fade the treat. Instead of giving a treat everytime. Give your dog a treat after doing two commands or the bhavior twice. Don’t forget to use verbal praise or even the Mark that we described earlier to still renforce the behavior.
Pawvana 