What marker word do you use?

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Bix

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I bought a clicker and Woody does respond to it well but i think now I'd rather use a marker word instead (don't always have clicker with me and I feel like I need an extra pair of hands to hold treat, lead and clicker, plus it's too noisy really for puppy class). I can't think of a good word to use tho. 'Good boy' gets used too much in the house already (with the kids as well as the dog), as does 'yes'. What do you use?
 
I'd shorten the dog's name to "Wood" (single syllable names carry so much more influence, I've found!), for the sake of the exercise, and then I'd bear in mind that the most vital point is that we remember the emphasis which we place on the word, and use that.

Good luck, and remember that there never was a clicker or a whistle which compared with the voice. ;)

Alec.
 
You don't need to have a clicker with you at all times, just make the clicking noise yourself ( like we do when we 'cluck' at a horse to encourage it forward). The reason the clicker is better than using your voice is that there is no emotion in the clicker noise, so shaping the behaviour with the clicker and then adding a word to the behaviour is the way to go.

I use a clicker on a wrist coil ( similiar to the ones in the link below) or on a lanyard so it's easier to work the lead/treatbag etc

http://www.maryray.co.uk/store_clickertraining.html
 
i have used a clicker indoors and my dog knows what it is,but did find it a handful at our earlier training lessons what with treats,lead etc.

we use the target word `yessss`and that works very well for us.timing is the key.
 
As TM said, we had a seminar a couple of months ago and the guy who took it just clicks/clucks at baby pups using his voice, he has food in one hand, uses a touch with the other to indicate sit/stand/down static positions so he has no hands for a clicker. I used one on a bit of elastic but for things like dumbbells etc I had to hand it to someone else to give the indication because again, my hands were full. Also - smart dogs recognise the clicker if they see it in your hand....
 
I know of someone who does the tongue 'cluck' too. I tend to use "good", or "yes", but a trainer who's workshop I attended used "bingo" which I think is a good one you don't tend to say that often (unless your dog's called Bingo, of course!)
 
Yeah, if I was starting again I would use a different word, I've nearly had a punctured bicep because I told the trainer 'OK' as in, yes, I understand, dog went for his ball when I wasn't ready for him :p
 
CaveCanem said:
Well I would normally have prefaced that with "too ****ing..."
Click to expand...

The dog trainer's dog, is the one which is a step in front, or thinks that it is! I love them. I haver two puppies here now, and I'm just back indoors. One of them is something........ she's in my pocket given the slightest excuse. She's only 5 months, and no matter the temptation to forge ahead, I must put her on the back burner, but it is SO tempting!! :D;)

Alec.
 
Dog trainer told me to say OK, I mean to say "OK", I want to say "OK" but I actually say "good dog" which as someone else says, gets used far too often and just confuses the dogs. It's not the dogs that need training in my house, they get things really quickly, it's me.
 
Thanks all. Although I didn't originally want to use Yes, I find it does tend to roll off the tongue more easily than some other words as its a natural reaction to him doing well. So have gone for that but with a big emphasis on it being a special Yessssss to distinguish it as an actual marker rather than an every-day Yes (thank you for that Alec).
 
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