Reward Cues: Search & Get It! – Bad Dog Agility Academy

Reward Cues: Search & Get It!

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  • Debra Rischar says:
    April 21, 2025 at 7:44 am

    Marker cues are pretty new to me (started using them with my labrador pup 2 yrs ago)

    I now have a 14 week old border collie pup (first of the breed for me) and I’d like to add clarity/ more cues.

    I’m struggling for easy to say and remember cues. Right now my “get it” is muddy. I say it when I throw 1 piece of food/ treat. I say it for a motionless treat. I say it for a thrown toy (darn it this should be my “chase” cue) . I say it for a toy the dog watches me throw/ is motionless and I send the dog.

    Would you recommend a different cue based on what type of reward they are getting. Or could a thrown piece of food and a thrown toy cue be the same?

    FYI “search” is not an option because I use that for scent work.

    Anyone willing to share their list of marker cues?
    My list so far

    ?: go get single thrown piece of food
    ?: single motionless treat on floor
    scatter: multiple treats on the floor
    take: come to me and take treat from my hand

    strike: come to me and take/ bite the toy in my hand
    chase: track/ get the toy I am throwing (in front of them) . I now see this should 100% replace my “get it” I mentioned above in relation to a toy.
    ?: track/ get the toy I am throwing (behind them)
    ?: motionless toy on floor
    next: switch from tugging on one toy and strike the other one I’ve presented.

    • Jennifer Crank says:
      May 5, 2025 at 9:24 am

      Depending on the dogs value for food vs toys, I would argue that it is more important to have different words for toy vs food than reward placement. So yes, I would not say “get it” for food and toys. When I started with markers I just had two. I have evolved over the years (mostly based on seeing undesirable behaviors due to lack of clarity) and now have more. Here is my list:

      3 food markers:
      “take” – come and take a treat from me
      “find” – food on floor, don’t matter if I preplace or toss
      click – food room service

      3 toy markers:
      “toy” – dead toy on ground
      “get it” – any tugging or throwing
      “look back” – look behind you for a toy

      So far, I have been happy with these and haven’t needed more. So you might be able to clarify and condense your list.

      As for recommendations, I have students use “floor” for treat on the ground and “hand” for treat from the hand. “Find” would be an option if you don’t uses that for nosework. I have someone who uses “toss” for a thrown toy. And you could look at “toy” for dead toy. I like “next” for switching toys but that isn’t one I have taught or found a need for; but I like that word choice!

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