Mark & Move

Use this technique to help your dog make good choices while in tight places, on a walk, or up close to triggers.

Overview

  • Adapted from Grisha Stewart’s BAT 2.0, this approach helps guide your dog's behavior when they’re near their emotional threshold or in reactive situations.

    When your dog can’t self-disengage, use these strategies from least to most intrusive:

    1. Empower: Arrange the environment so your dog can freely explore (proactive management).

    2. Manage Space: Prompt retreat after noticing cut-off signals (see B.A.T. handout).

    3. Redirect: Prompt a cut-off signal before an outburst begins.

    4. Interrupt Reactivity: When the dog is over threshold, remove choices, retreat quickly, or remove the trigger. Aim to prevent this with earlier strategies.

How it Works

Mark and Move Simplified

Mark and Move helps redirect your dog when they encounter a trigger, reinforcing positive choices while creating distance. The key steps are:

  1. Mark: Identify the best behavior (e.g., looking away, sniffing) with the marker "Free."

  2. Move: Lead your dog away from the trigger as they follow.

  3. Reward: Deliver a treat or toy after moving.

Look, Move, Treat

Use for surprises or when the dog might overreact:

  • Behavior: Dog notices a trigger.

  • Marker: "Free."

  • Move: Quickly lead them away.

  • Reward: Treat or toy after creating distance.

Choose, Move, Treat

Gives your dog more responsibility:

  • Behavior: Dog makes a good choice (e.g., disengages from the trigger).

  • Marker: Mark the good choice.

  • Move: Walk away together.

  • Reward: Treat or toy once they reach you.

This technique reinforces calm decisions while maintaining distance, blending elements of counter-conditioning and engagement/disengagement games.

Drills to Practice

Trigger Approaches - Easiest to Hardest

  1. Dog approaching trigger, trigger walking away (dog follows trigger).

  2. Dog approaching stationary trigger from the side, trigger moves away as dog begins to move.

  3. Trigger approaching dog, dog walking away (trigger follows dog).

  4. Dog approaching stationary trigger turned fully away.

  5. Dog approaching stationary trigger turned sideways.

  6. Dog approaching stationary trigger facing them.

  7. Trigger approaching stationary dog, dog fully turned away and likely being fed.

  8. Trigger approaching stationary dog turned sideways.

  9. Dog and trigger approaching each other head-on, slowly, possibly offset initially.

  10. Dog and trigger approaching each other head-on rapidly.

Adjust your approach based on what your dog finds easiest, starting with simpler scenarios and gradually working up to more challenging ones.

Frustrated Greeters

If your dog is a frustrated greeter, use Mark and Move often to encourage them to move away from triggers and build self-control. Reinforce these self-control behaviors with Mark and Move:

  • Look away from the other dog

  • Turning head away

  • Turning body away

  • Backing away

  • Sniffing the ground

  • Sitting

  • Lying down

  • Looking at you

  • Slowly stretching

When greeting another dog:

  • Keep a good grip on the leash, ensuring it’s short enough to avoid tangling but loose for the dog.

  • Be ready to prompt the dog away if you notice signs of tension (e.g., stiffening, staring, holding breath).

  • Keep initial greetings short. If your dog sniffs the other dog, mark and move!

  • If they greet calmly and then give a cut-off signal (e.g., looking away), mark and move!