11/13/2025
Cues and markers can absolutely help you to be a more effective dog trainer for your pet. But you considered that a marker is also a cue, and a cue can be a marker.
Have I totally confused you? Hmmm. I’ll explain.
A marker is often a distinct sound such as a click, or a word like YES, that is delivered just when your dog or bird or other animal does the specific behavior you want to see. It is followed by something your pet values (a reinforcer) such as a treat.
A cue is some sort of environmental event that sets the stage for the behavior to occur. It is a sort of Green Light that signals, *at this time*, *if* you do the behavior, *then*, the opportunity for a certain consequence is available. Words like SIT or COME are cues for behaviors.
Keep in mind that the marker is a predictor of good things to come. *IF* a behavior has a high value to the learner (either because it was taught with positive reinforcement or is intrinsically reinforcing), then the opportunity to do THAT behavior can reinforce the behavior you are teaching.
So, for example, instead of telling your dog GOOD when he SITS, and then delivering a treat; you could tell your dog BALL when he sits, which means get your ball. (First you will need to work on teaching your dog the cue for getting his ball is the word BALL.)
This video shows how I first taught this German Long Haired Dachshund the behavior of TAKE. Then I marked his sitting on the platform by telling him TAKE.
It opens up so many possibilities for reinforcers – and fun - in training!
