Verbal Commands
Commands are markers too. We teach sit, down, place, and here, and build engagement through distractions.
Higher-order conditioning
Commands are verbal markers. We call them higher-order markers because they get their meaning from the reward and correction markers your dog already knows. Down is a command, but it’s also a continuation marker: if your dog stays in the down, they either earn an occasional reward or stay to avoid pressure (negative reinforcement).
We focus on the commands every handler needs:
- Sit
- Down
- Place
- Here
- Others as needed. We add or drop commands to fit your goals.
Engagement
We also work on engagement between you and your dog, and on ignoring distractions. At first the distraction is probably just me. If your dog is ready, we’ll move somewhere more stimulating and let the environment do the distracting.