PRINCIPLE 8 OF 10
A dog that’s rewarded for the right choice learns faster than one that’s only corrected for the wrong one. Consistent marking and reinforcement build genuine understanding, not just temporary compliance.
Mark the Moment
Reward What Motivates
Every Program, Every Dog
This means clearly marking the exact moment a dog makes a good choice, then following through with a reward that actually motivates that individual dog, food, play, praise, or access to something they want.
Inconsistent or poorly timed rewards teach a dog that behavior doesn’t reliably pay off, which slows progress and can push handlers back toward pressure and repetition instead.
A rewarded choice is remembered. A punished one is just avoided.
Every Marin K9 program is built on reward-based, positive reinforcement methods, tailored to what actually motivates your individual dog, because no two dogs are reinforced by the same thing.
Marking the exact moment a dog makes the right choice.
The same dog, the same walk, two very different approaches.
BEFORE
AFTER
Want training your dog is actually motivated to do? Let’s find what drives them.
Serving Sausalito, Marin County & the Bay Area since 1999.
