Improves our Eye/Hand Coordination:
The mechanical skills used in marker training can be learned. Our timing gets better with practice. So does our thought of where the reward is placed to set our dog up for success. We get better at using the equipment. We fine tune our motor and brain muscles for life’s other activities.
Builds Creativity and Resourcefulness in Both Us and Our Dogs:
We can teach our dog to be creative when it comes to learning new behaviors and interacting with us in different ways. We learn to be creative in applying the principles of marker training to training our service dogs and to life. Many people with disabilities think resources are in short supply when in fact we aren’t using our creativity to use what’s around us to the fullest. Being resourceful is empowering!
More Than One Way to Get There From Here:
There are many ways to teach behaviors and skills to service dogs and all of them can be positive! Dogs often don’t do what we think they will but we can take what they offer and work from there. Our training plans may take a zag where we thought it would go straight or zig. When we learn to adapt our teaching, we find we can also apply this adaptability to our life! As we have found out, life doesn’t always go as planned. In many cases, the zag can mean better things for us, if we go with it rather than stick to the original plan of getting there! Go with it! You can still get where you want to go, just find a different way!
How the Brain Works:
In order to help our dog to learn to assist us in the world, we learn what happens when fear is triggered and how it inhibits learning. We learn what is needed to create environments that are suitable for our dog to learn quickly and easily so he can help us. If we suffer from anxiety, emotional disorders or high stress, we learn from our dogs what we can do about it to help us better function in the world.
The World Isn’t Just About Us:
When we really learn to apply the principles of marker training, we learn that our dog has needs and wants just as we do. Our dog also sees things differently than we do. From there, we start considering other’s perspectives. We don’t have to agree or disagree, we just acknowledge that their view may differ from ours. That’s okay! Their history and experience are different from ours. That gives them a different view, be they canine or human.
Process is More Important Than The Product!:
Whether we are training our dog basic life skills, public access or specific service dog tasks, nothing is more important than the process. We spend about 99% of our time working towards goals. If we only enjoy the actual goal achievement, then we are missing out on the largest part of the goal: the process. To keep our dog and us moving forward, the process needs to be fun and enjoyable. If it’s not, we stop doing it. The process is how we build relationships and strengthen trust.
