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The marker method in five minutes

read once a day 5m Great for beginners

Before the first exercise: why one little word — "yes" — is the engine behind everything we teach.

The exercise

1Dogs repeat what gets rewarded. Not what gets demanded, not what gets "corrected" — rewarded. That's the whole method.
2The problem: a treat arrives seconds after the good behavior, and your puppy has no idea which of the last five things they did earned it.
3The fix is a marker: one crisp word — "yes" — said at the exact moment your puppy does the right thing. It works like a camera click: it captures the moment.
4Then the treat follows. The word marks the behavior; the food pays for it. Timing lives in the word, so the treat can be a second or two behind.
5You'll also meet "good" (keep doing that — we feed in place) and "OK" (all done, you're released). Three words, consistently used, and your puppy can finally understand you.

What you'll need for the next three exercises

A treat pouch (or a pocket you don't mind getting greasy)
High value treats, cut small — cheese, chicken, or dehydrated liver beat kibble
A quiet room with few distractions
1–2 minutes at a time — short and fun beats long and stressful, every time

Tip: No shock collars, no "alpha" anything — twenty years of dog work taught us that dominance thinking is how people get bitten. Reward what you like, manage what you don't, and be consistent. That's it.

That was exercise 1, free

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Positive reinforcement, always — since 2004