The Training Toolbox
In order to succeed in training your dog whilst encouraging a motivated, active and independent thinking dog, these three aspects below I believe are key to doing so;
Engagement
A two way street, engagement between you and your dog is crucial to be able to gain our dogs focus and attention. If your dog lacks focus or seems interested in other dogs, people or the environment, building better engagement should be a priority for you to work upon.
Motivation
Discover what motivates your dog most - is it food, a toy or affection from you? We use our dogs motivator to ensure they’re rewarded during training, so it’s important to understand what motivates your dog most. If you’d like to improve motivation for food - food drive - reach out for tips on how to do so.
A Powerful Terminal Marker
We use a terminal marker in training to let our dogs know that they have successfully completed a command, position or behaviour and indicate they will receive their reward next. This creates anticipation increasing dopamine and allows us to pinpoint exact behaviours so our dog can understand exactly what we are rewarding for.
The word “YES” or a clicker are common terminal markers used.
Engagement
Encouraging and building engagement from your dog is the first step required in order to train successfully.
Many of us expect our dogs to engage with us purely out of the fact we are their owners - this is something we should stop expecting!
Building and fostering engagement from your dog takes time, effort and patience too. We have to be prepared to put just as much effort into training as we expect from our dogs.
3 Tips for Improving Engagement
Ensure you are rewarding your dog when they choose to engage. Calling their name or using lead pressure to try and force engagement could be creating a negative association - use rewards such as food and play every time your dog checks in on walks to begin with!
Practice engagement games at home to create an understanding of your expectation. Use your garden or an open quiet space with your dog on lead - throw food away from you (scatter feeding) and as soon as your dog looks to you for more, directly feed a reward before scatter feeding again, creating a “bounce-back” where your dog is moving away to get the reward, before returning for another. This is a good way to get lots of repetition of positive reinforcement for choosing to re-engage with you.
Use their meal allowance as the training reward or on walks. Every time we put a bowl of food down, we could be instead using this to practice lots of repetitions to reinforce behaviours we want to improve upon. Simply taking your dogs meal out on a walk and using it to reward every time they choose to make eye contact or engage with you is a simple way to build better engagement.
Motivation
When we refer to motivation in dog training we’re talking about the factor that is going to motivate your dog to work and train with you! If you want a strong, positive relationship between you and your dog, then using a motivator to positively reinforce the behaviour or commands you are working on. Using positive reinforcement simply reinforces the behaviour, the more we positively reinforce anything with our dog, the more likely they are to offer the behaviour again.
It’s as simple as that!
On the flip side, we should also be aware of how we may be unknowingly reinforcing behaviours we don’t like - such as feeding from the table, over-using affection or fuss during reactivity or playing with a toy every time our dog offers it to us indoors.
Examples of Motivators
Food
Probably the most commonly used motivator in dog training is food!
Plenty of dogs love to work for a treat, however we know that some may be a little more fussy. Food is such a useful tool and is easy to take out into training environments, so if you dog doesn’t seem interested in food during training, consider reaching out to understand how you can build your dogs’ food drive in order to utilise this useful motivator.
Toys
Another very popular but less used motivator are toys - in fact, we know owners use balls commonly on walks but perhaps are using them in a less useful way - such as using ball throwers and throwing the ball away from them - instead of creating more value and engagement by using cooperative play.
Cooperative play helps to build confidence, a better bond and engagement between you and your dog. Balls on string or tug toys are a better choice as a training motivator - engage your dog in a game of tug, before asking for a “leave” command and THEN throw the ball away, before encouraging them back for another fun game of tug. If your dog isn’t keen on playing with you or sharing a toy, this can be improved upon so reach out if you need help with this.
Affection
Not every dog is a huge fan of fuss and attention, however for some dogs this can be a huge motivator if they’re very affectionate with the owner already.
It can certainly be used in training as positive reinforcement, especially for dogs still working on improving upon their food or toy drive!
It’s important however to ensure again that we’re not using this inappropriately and instead reinforcing behaviours such as fixating in reactive dogs or attention seeking in “velcro” dogs who need encouragement in gaining more independence and confidence.
Although I recommend to ensure you’re prepared with you dogs favourite motivator on every walk (yes you should be taking food or a toy out even on a daily walk around the block!) we can all sometimes get caught short, so affection is a good way to praise when you’re unable to use something else.
A Powerful Terminal Marker
A terminal marker in dog training is a specific cue or signal that tells the dog, "You’re done, and the reward is coming." It marks the exact moment the dog has successfully completed a behaviour, ending the exercise and leading directly to reinforcement, whether that's a treat, toy, or praise.
In my experience, the majority of owners do not have a consistent or succinct enough cue they are regularly using during their daily lives with their dog, or during training!
Communication between us and our dogs is how we assist them in navigating the world and express how we would like them to behave, creating a solid understanding of our expectations. When dogs are left in the grey areas, this is where we see issues arise and unwanted behaviours begin. Using a terminal marker correctly and consistently is probably the bare minimum we should all be doing in order to communicate effectively with our dogs.
Key features of a terminal marker include:
Distinct and Consistent Signal: It’s usually a unique word, like "yes!" or "good!", or a click from a clicker, that the dog associates with the end of an exercise and a reward. Consistency in the word or sound is crucial for clarity.
Timing: The marker should be given the moment the dog completes the desired behaviour. Good timing helps the dog understand exactly what action earned the reward.
Reward Expectation: The dog learns that a terminal marker means a reward will follow immediately. This anticipation strengthens learning, as the dog is motivated to repeat the marked behaviour in the future.
In order to incorporate a terminal marker correctly, we therefore need to ensure it is only being used when the dog is going to receive the reward - not at any other time!
I recommend choosing a clicker as your terminal marker to make this easier for you and to avoid accidental use of our chosen word. Using a clicker also negates the different tone of voice we may naturally use depending on the situation - so it is as consistent a sound as possible.
A powerful terminal marker will turn a reactive dog away from fixating on a trigger to re-engage with the owner, encourage an anxious dog to investigate a new area with more confidence and all round, it is a tool to ensure you are communicating with your dog with as much clarity as possible!
To start using a terminal marker and to condition your dog to associate the sound with receiving the reward, you will need to begin by what we call “charging” your marker.
How to Charge Your Terminal Marker
Say your chosen terminal marker ("yes!" or click the clicker).
Immediately give your dog a treat or reward.
Repeat this several times in a row, each time marking with the word or click, then rewarding right after.
Repeat this sequence a few times in a single session (5–10 times), but keep sessions short and positive.
Spread several short sessions throughout a day to strengthen the association.
After several sessions, check if your dog has learned that the terminal marker predicts a reward. Say "yes!" (or click), and if your dog looks at you expectantly, they’ve likely made the connection.
Using Your Terminal Marker in Training and Every Day Life
Your terminal marker is to use before rewarding on every walk, every training session - even if you choose to feed your dog from a bowl, if you want to build a strong, powerful marker, then use it before feeding too.
Instead of using multiple different words or phrases to praise good behaviour, start using your marker word or clicker instead. You’ll be surprised once you start communicating more clearly and effectively at how much more positively your training progresses.
The more you use your marker, the more of a positive reinforcer it becomes.
The reason using a marker is so powerful in training is due to the fact that your dog produces the most dopamine in the period of anticipation - the seconds between knowing a reward is coming and actually receiving the reward.
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, plays a critical role in dog training because it drives motivation, learning, and reward-seeking behaviour. When a dog anticipates a reward (like a treat, praise, or a toy), their brain releases dopamine.
Next Steps
At ASCENDK9, we believe that the right tools and techniques can make all the difference in your dog's training journey.
That’s why we cover everything from marker training and reward systems to handling and engagement techniques, as outlined in our Training Toolbox.
Whether you're looking for guidance on crate training, obedience, or general behaviour improvement, we provide expert support through private lessons, virtual lessons, and group classes. If you're based near Harlow, Essex, or Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, we highly recommend booking an in-person private lesson for tailored, hands-on coaching.
Get in touch today and take the next step in your dog's training success!