What We Teach
Behaviors, Markers, Cues oh it’s about the relationship
“Dog’s, just like humans, gain courage and confidence by learning useful skills.” - Kurt Burk
Teaching your dog what Markers and Release Cues mean can significantly enhance the relationship between a dog and her guardian. Teaching a dog to respond to these cues over and over creates muscle memory reflexes. In order to foster trust and understanding, the key behaviors need to be taught as part of an over arching culture with the goal of full stimulus control in the real world.
Markers & Release Cues
Help to teach your dog what is correct and complete, when they are on track and to keep going and remain in current position, and when they are free to be free.
Yes or click = Treat. Behavior is complete. Bingo. Free.
Good = Keep Going. Stay in Position. Good job. Sometimes Treat. Status Quo.
Release cues “Okay” or “Free”= Current Behavior is complete and reinforcer is Freedom.
The Release Cue“Get it” = Current Behavior is complete and reinforcer is Play Begins.
Think of the controls on a video game as the markers and cues you can press to help your dog to understand a common language.
“NO” or “Stop” = Stop Moving, We do not generally teach “No” as a NRM or No Reward Marker. It has been our experience that it is better to teach “No” as a behavior that means STOP MOVING rather than a potentially confusing Punisher.
BUT our Goal is to teach what WE WANT our dog to be doing verses what WE DON’T WANT. For example, the dog is about to jump on someone, the goal is to say “Sit”or “Down” when a human approaches. If a dog is running towards something undesirable, we can redirect our dog with an incompatible behavior by teaching a solid reliable “Down” or “Come” behavior.
Behaviors
Canine Con Core Behaviors
1. Name - Dog’s name means turn your head and pay attention for the verbal cue or hand signal that is coming.
2. Yes or Click - Marks the correct behavior, providing instant feedback that guides learning.
3. Good - Encourages continued behavior, reinforcing the dog’s current action as correct.
4. Ok - Release cue, clearly communicating when the dog is free to move, ending a command or restriction.
5. Get It - Allows the dog to engage with a toy, often used as a reward or to initiate play.
6. Come or Recall - Essential for safety, ensuring your dog returns to you regardless of distractions.
7. Sit Until Released - Teaches patience and self-control, waiting for your cue before moving.
8. Down or “Lay Down” Until Released - Similar to sit, it fosters calmness and restraint in various situations.
9. With Me or Loose Leash Walking - Promotes a pleasant walking experience, preventing pulling and fostering attentiveness.
10. Touch Nose to Target - Enhances focus and can be a foundation for more complex tasks or direction changes.
11. Follow My Hand Target - Builds on the touch target, guiding the dog’s movements more fluidly and intuitively.
12. Go to Where I Point - Important for distance control, directing your dog to specific locations or objects.
13. Stay - Reinforces self-control and patience, with the dog learning to remain in a spot until cued otherwise. Stay means relax. Food and release cues happen where you stay.
14. Heel - Useful for controlled walking, especially in crowded or high-distraction environments.
15. Stand - Helpful for grooming, vet visits, and situations where sitting or lying down isn’t practical.
16. Leave It - Crucial for preventing the dog from picking up or chasing unwanted items or animals, ensuring safety.
17. Auto Wait - Instills caution at potentially dangerous thresholds, like streets or doorways, until given permission to proceed.
18. No or Wait - Offers an immediate pause in the dog’s action, useful for preventing unwanted behaviors.
This list will serve as the foundational behaviors that you, Kurt Burk, prioritize in your dog training philosophy. Each behavior is designed to enhance communication, safety, and the overall bond between dogs and their handlers, utilizing a positive and reinforcement-based approach.
