Terminal Marker

What Is a Terminal Marker?

A terminal marker tells your dog three things:

You performed the correct behavior.

That behavior is finished.

A reward is coming.

At BFF, our terminal marker is generally “Yes.”

The word “terminal” simply means the behavior has ended.

Imagine your dog is holding a Sit.

The moment you say:

“Yesssss.”

The dog has been told they got the behavior right, they’re no longer required to maintain the Sit, and a reward is coming.

This is different from our duration marker, “Good,” which tells the dog they’re correct but should continue maintaining the behavior.

A terminal marker predicts a reward, but that reward doesn’t always have to be food.

Depending on the dog and the situation, the reward might be food, a toy, play, praise, or access to something the dog values.

What’s important is that the dog understands the marker reliably predicts something rewarding.

At BFF, you’ll often hear us draw out the S slightly:

“Yesssss.”

That helps make our terminal marker sound distinct from normal conversation and from our duration marker:

“Gooood.”

The particular sound isn’t magic.

Consistency is what gives the marker meaning.

Once we’ve taught a dog that “Yes” predicts a reward, we should follow through.

If we repeatedly say “Yes” without delivering something the dog values, the marker can gradually lose its meaning.

Think of it as making a small promise to your dog.

When you say “Yes,” keep the promise.

A terminal marker gives us a precise way to tell our dog:

That’s exactly what I wanted. You’re finished. Your reward is coming.

That clarity helps the dog understand not only when they got something right, but exactly when their responsibility for that behavior ended.

Yes means you got it. You’re done. Payday is coming.