Communication Together
YES is a Bingo! “‘Yes!’ You did it! *That* was great, you’re done and can come to me to get your reward”
YES marks the exact moment your dog did something correct, and lets them know they’re done and can come get the reward. It is a ‘terminal marker’ - meaning they don’t need to keep sitting, looking at us, etc. We’ll use ‘yes’ for name responses, recalls, tricks, etc. Anything that doesn’t need a longer duration.
A BIG part of rewards for dogs is movement.
Each YES needs to come with movement *and* the food reward. Movement can be tossing the treat, taking a quick step backwards so your dog can chase you, tossing the treat in the air, a quick spin before getting the treat, etc. As long as there is a dynamic release, it keeps it fun, engaging, not solely focused on the food, builds your relationship, and releases stress for your dog. Now the ‘yes’ and reward is SO much more than just hanging them another basic treat.
When using the YES marker:
Say Yes → reach for treat → move backwards→ feed treat
Separating saying ‘yes’ and moving with the treat makes it clear we are marking *that* is the right behavior, and will get you a reward, even without a treat out in your hand. This makes it much easier to fade treats from being out and still have reliable behaviors later.