appeasement gesture [ əˈpiːzmənt jes-cher ]

Behaviors that show submissiveness, peacefulness, or friendliness to avoid or reduce conflict or aggression from others. For example, dogs may yawn, lick their lips, or avert their gaze when they feel stressed or uncomfortable by another dog or person.

aversive(s) [ uh-vur-siv, -ziv ]

Unpleasant or harmful stimuli or actions that are used to change or stop a behavior by making it less likely to happen again. For example, a dog trainer may use a shock collar, a loud noise, or a spray of water to discourage a dog from barking or jumping.

barrier frustration [ bar-ee-er fruh-strey-shuhn ]

A behavior that occurs in dogs when they cannot reach or interact with something they want because of a barrier such as a leash, a gate, a door, or a window. Dogs with barrier frustration may bark, lunge, or growl at the stimulus they are interested in, such as another dog, a person, or a toy.

bite inhibition [ bahyt in-i-bish-uhn, in-hi- ]

A dog’s ability to control the amount of pressure and force when mouthing/biting an object. Bite inhibition is important for the safety and socialization of dogs, as it reduces the risk of causing serious injury or damage.

capture [ kap-cher ]

A dog training technique that involves waiting for the dog to perform a natural behavior on its own, such as sitting or lying down. Once a behavior is captured, marked and rewarded, the dog can learn to associate the behavior with the reward.

classical conditioning [ klas-i-kuhl kuhn-dish-uh-ning ]

Repeated pairings of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus generates the unconditioned response, or one which requires no specific training. For example, the smell of food (an unconditioned stimulus) may cause a dog to salivate (the unconditioned response). Over time, the dog may learn to associate the sound of a wrapper or can opener (a neutral stimulus) with the food and may begin to salivate when he hears the noise (the unconditioned response). Eventually, the can opener or wrapper sound becomes a conditioned stimulus, one that elicits a consistent response. This process was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, who experimented with dogs in the late 19th century.

clicker training [ klik-er trey-ning ]

An animal training method that uses a small device that makes a click sound to mark the exact moment the animal does what the trainer asks for. The click sound is followed by a reward, such as food or praise or an opportunity to play, to reinforce the desired behavior. The signal helps the animal identify which behavior is earning him the reward.

click [ klik ]

The action of using a marker (most often a clicker) to pinpoint a desired behavior. May also be used to describe the sound the clicker makes.

competing motivation [ kuhm-peet-ing moh-tuh-vey-shuhn ]

A stimulus or situation that causes conflict between what the dog desires and what the human desires from the dog. An example of this is a dog who is trained to reliably come when called not returning to his person at the dog park, because he is distracted by people and other dogs.

compound stressor [ kom-pound stres-awr ]

Multiple or cumulative factors that cause stress or anxiety in dogs. For example, a dog may experience compound stressor(s) when it is exposed to a new environment, a loud noise, and a strange person at the same time.

conflicted [ kuhn-flik-tid ]

When a dog simultaneously wants to do something and is afraid to do it. For example, a dog can be conflicted when approaching someone new: He wants to approach to smell and investigate but is afraid of the person reaching his or her hands out or bending over to pet him.

correction [ kuh-rek-shuhn ]

An action that stops or punishes a dog from doing an unwanted behavior. For example, a jerk on the leash. Corrections are a form of punishment. A number of problems, including increased anxiety, can be associated with the use of correction as a training technique.

counter conditioning [koun-ter kuhn-dish-uh-ning ]

A process of changing an unwanted or negative response to a stimulus into a wanted or positive response. This is done by gradually exposing the dog to the situation in a way that does not upset him while pairing the situation with a desirable reward. An example of this type of scenario is encountering another dog on a walk. Through counter conditioning, the dog can be taught that the approach of another dog is the signal for a treat, rather than the signal for uncontrolled barking and lunging.

criteria [ krahy-teer-ee-uh ]

Refers to the expectations or standards that one sets for the dog’s behavior or performance during training, such as duration, distance, speed, or accuracy. Criteria is an important component of dog training, as it helps to measure the dog’s progress, provide feedback, and adjust the level of difficulty. Criteria should be clear, consistent, and realistic for both the dog and the trainer.

cue [ kyoo ]

A signal or a stimulus that tells the dog to perform a specific behavior that it has learned. A cue can be verbal (such as a word or a phrase), physical (such as a hand gesture or a body movement), or environmental (such as a sound or a sight). A cue is different from a command, as it implies a request rather than an order, and it is followed by a reward rather than a punishment.

default behavior [ dih-fawlt, dee-fawlt ]bih-heyv-yer ]

A behavior that the dog does automatically or habitually when it is unsure, excited, or overstimulated. It can also be a behavior that the dog does to ask for something or to get something. A default behavior can be undesirable or it can be desirable and can be taught or changed through training, by using rewards and cues to reinforce the behavior that the owner wants the dog to do.

desensitization [ dee-sen-si-tay-zey-shun ]

To reduce or eliminate the dog’s fearful or reactive response to a certain trigger. A trigger can be anything that makes the dog feel anxious, scared, or overexcited, such as loud noises, strangers, other dogs, or objects. Desensitization involves gradually exposing the dog to the trigger at a low level or distance, and then increasing the intensity or proximity as the dog becomes more comfortable.

distraction [ dih-strak-shuhn ]

Anything that interferes with the dog’s attention, focus, or performance of a certain behavior or cue. A distraction can be something that the dog finds exciting, such as a ball, a toy, or another dog, or something that the dog finds disrupting, such as a loud noise, a stranger, or a sudden movement.

dominance [ dom-uh-nuhns ]

Dominance is not an innate personality trait but rather a means of getting preferential access to resources, including food, sleeping or resting areas, and mates. Dominance can change with different variables, including the dogs present and the resource in question.

extinction [ ik-stingk-shuhn ]

Ending a behavior by removing reinforcement. In effect extinction occurs after negative punishment, the reinforcement, is taken away making the behavior less likely to occur in the future. There are risks in attempting to stop a behavior being performed in this way. There is also the safety aspect to consider.

extinction burst [ ik-stingk-shuhn burst ]

When previously reinforced behavior no longer works to get the desired reward, the behavior usually intensifies, the dog tries harder, because this behavior has always worked previously. This is called an extinction burst.

fading the lure [feɪdɪŋ thuh loor]

The process of gradually reducing or eliminating the use of a food lure to prompt a behavior, and replacing it with a hand signal or a verbal cue. A food lure is a treat that is used to guide the dog into a desired position or action, such as sit, down, or come.

fear-free or fearless vet visits [ feer free ]

A low-stress approach popular in the veterinary community and other associated practices, like boarding, grooming and training, in which handling, interactions and procedures are done in a manner designed to keep the dog as calm as possible. Strategies include using handling and approaches that are less likely to induce fear, changing the environment, using medications when necessary and offering rewards to encourage willing cooperation from the dog. In every case, the goal is to keep the experience as positive as possible.

flooding [ fluhd-ing ]

Clinically known as prolonged exposure therapy, is a full-immersion training technique applied both in human and animal psychology. For dogs, it consists of forcefully exposing the animal to the stimuli that trigger its fear and caused the original trauma. This method of behavior therapy may bring fast results, but it may be traumatic and may come with some risks. Flooding therapy often leads to the behavioral issue getting worse, not better.

functional analysis [fuhngk-shuh-nl uh-nal-uh-sis ]

Functional analysis, also known as the ABC of behavior, is a tool used to assess and formulate problem behaviors. ABC stands for Antecedents, Behavior, and Consequences. It is used to understand the ‘active ingredients’ for a problem behavior. The ABC model helps practitioners and clients to carefully consider what happens in the individual and the environment before a target behavior (the Antecedents) and afterwards (the Consequences): these are also known as the contingencies that shape the behavior. Once these contingencies are understood, interventions can be designed to shape or modify the target behavior. The ABC model can be used to develop interventions that change or modify the antecedents and consequences of a problem behavior in order to treat it.

generalize [ jen-er-uh-lahyz ]

To refer to a dog that is able to perform a behavior and/or experience an associated emotional response across different contexts. This means that the dog can apply a concept to many situations; for example, the dog knows that “Sit!” means it should sit whether it’s at home, on a loud, crowded sidewalk in the rain, or in a grassy park with squirrels chattering in the trees.

habituation [ huh-bich-oo-ey-shuhn ]

The process of becoming acclimatized to a stimulus. This is a simplified form of learning in which an animal stops responding to a stimulus, or cue, after a period of repeated exposure. It is also a form of non-associative learning, meaning that the stimulus is not linked with any punishment or reward. For example, think about your own response to new sounds in your environment; maybe a loud plane flying overhead or a garbage truck in the alley at 6am or your shrieking newborn. The first time you heard those sounds, you and your central nervous system shouted, “WTF is that?!” But over time, as you became accustomed to hearing those sounds, your body’s response to them softened.

Interrupt [ verb in-tuh-ruhpt; noun in-tuh-ruhpt]

A technique used to turn a dog’s focus away from an unwanted behavior as an intervention to stop the unwanted behavior. From there, the dog can be redirected to a desirable behavior.

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learned helplessness [ lurnd help-lis-ness]

A psychological state during which an animal has learned through experience to give up and behave in a helpless way despite the fact that they have the chance to avoid unpleasant circumstances in the first place. In dogs, it is the condition where a dog has been repeatedly exposed to a scary stimulus and has learned he no longer has control over the adverse situation. The dog shuts down and becomes helpless, knowing he can’t change the outcome.

lure [ loor ]

A training technique using a treat held in the hand, food on the end of a spoon or a toy or any other object that a dog will follow as it is moved. Moving the lure enables us to move the dog into different positions, without touching them at all.

management [ man-ij-muhnt ]

Controlling the environment so that the dog doesn’t have an opportunity to rehearse an unwanted behavior.

mark [ mahrk ]

To use a specific signal at the moment a desired behavior occurs to indicate an acceptable behavior.

marker [ mahr-ker ]

A word, sound, or noise (like a clicker) or a hand signal that’s used to tell your dog the exact moment they did something that earns them a reinforcer.

motivate [ moh-tuh-veyt ]

When a dog’s behavior is influenced by something he wants and is willing to work for.

negative reinforcement [ neg-uh-tiv ree-in-fawrs-muhnt ]

The behavior is more likely to occur in the future when it is followed by the removal of a negative or aversive stimulus. Negative reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning where an undesired behavior is strengthened by the removal of an unpleasant consequence.

operant conditioning [op-er-uhnt kuhn-dish-uh-ning ]

The association between a voluntary behavior and the (predicted) consequences of carrying out that behavior; in effect this is an active, conscious decision, that relies on the consequence being salient enough, to reinforce or punish the behavior.

ositive reinforcement [ poz-i-tiv ree-in-fawrs-muhnt ]

A term used to describe the process of encouraging or establishing a pattern of behavior by offering a reward when the behavior is exhibited. It involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future.

punishment [ puhn-ish-muhnt ]

Punishment refers to the application of an unpleasant consequence to a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future. Punishment can be divided into two categories: positive punishment and negative punishment. Positive punishment involves adding something unpleasant to the dog’s environment, such as a loud noise or a physical correction, in response to an unwanted behavior. Negative punishment involves taking away something the dog wants or enjoys, such as attention or a toy, in response to an unwanted behavior.

predatory behavior [ pred-uh-tawr-ee bih-heyv-yer ]

Behavior that mimics hunting, capturing and consuming prey.

predatory drift [ pred-uh-tawr-ee drift ]

When a dog’s behavior shifts from acceptable play behavior to predatory behavior. This sometimes occurs during interactions between large and small dogs; the smaller dog squeals or runs away in fright, causing the larger dog to react to it as a prey dog.

premack principle [pree-mak prin-suh-puhl ]

Training theory that dictates “A high probability behavior reinforces a low probability behavior”. A basic example is that the dog sits to get his food at mealtimes. The ‘sit’ is the low probability behavior and eating the food, the high probability behavior. So, eating the food (high probability or most likely behavior) reinforces the ‘sit’ (low probability or least likely behavior) once the dog realizes that he won’t get fed unless he sits.

prompt [ prom(p)t ]

An antecedent strategy used to increase the likelihood of a behavior so it can be reinforced. It occurs before the behavior and is used to evoke a behavior so that it can be reinforced and put under stimulus control. Prompts can be food lures, voice prompts, equipment prompts, and/or physical prompts where the dog is physically manipulated into a position. Prompts are appropriate when they can easily elicit simple behaviors without being invasive or aversive, when they can help prevent frustration and maintain training momentum, and when they can be faded easily allowing the target behavior to come under a discriminative stimulus or cue.

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rate of reinforcement [reyt ov ree-in-fawrs-muhnt ]

In behaviorism, the rate of reinforcement refers to the number of reinforcements per unit of time, usually per minute.

reactive [ ree-ak-tiv ]

Overreacting to certain stimuli or situations. Reactive behavior includes lunging, barking, spinning, jumping, straining on hind legs and growling. Fear is typically the driving force.

redirect [ ree-di-rekt ]

Refers to the process of taking a dog’s attention away from something they are focused on and bringing it back to the handler or towards another stimulus. It is a way of saying “do this, not that, and you will be rewarded for it”.

reinforcement [ ree-in-fawrs-muhnt ]

A term used in psychology to describe the process of encouraging or establishing a pattern of behavior by offering a reward when the behavior is exhibited. It involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future.

reward [ ri-wawrd ]

resource guarding [ ree-sawrs gahrd-ing ]

Refers to a dog displaying behavior (growling, snapping, etc) intended to convince other dogs or humans to stay away from a particular treasure or “resource”. The resource can be food, treats, toys, a place (a bed or favorite chair), or occasionally a person. Resource guarding is a normal, natural survival behavior that all animals, (including people) experience in varying degrees.

sensitization [ sen-si-tay-zey-shun ]

The opposite of desensitization. It is the process of increasing the dog’s sensitivity or reactivity to a particular stimulus. This can happen when a dog is repeatedly exposed to a stimulus in a way that causes fear, anxiety, or discomfort.

shaping [ sheyp-ing ]

A method used is differential reinforcement of successive approximations. The form of an existing response is gradually changed across successive trials towards a desired target behavior by reinforcing exact segments of behavior.

socialization [ soh-shuh-luh-zey-shuhn ]

Refers to a critical period in a dogs life, typically between 3 and 16 weeks of age. It is the most important time in a dog’s life in relation to its future temperament, behavior and therefore its emotional resilience to whatever life throws at them. Theoretically, socialization is nature’s way of preparing a puppy for its life ahead as an adult dog. It helps teach them what is safe and what may be a threat to their wellbeing, instincts they will carry into their adult life.

stimulus control [ stim-yuh-luhs kuhn-trohl ]

A term used in behavioral psychology to describe a phenomenon in which an organism behaves in one way in the presence of a given stimulus and another way in its absence.

stress signal [ stress sig-nl ]

Behavior and body language indicative of escalating tension.

submission [ suhb-mish-uhn ]

Strategy for interacting with a person or another dog to create harmony and goodwill.

systematic desensitization [sis-tuh-mat-ik dee-sen-si-tay-zey-shuhn ]

A type of behavioral therapy that uses exposure therapy to treat anxiety and phobias. It involves gradually exposing the dog to something that causes extreme fear and panic, and teaches them to replace fear responses with positive or neutral feelings.

target [ tahr-git ]

Teaching a dog to touch a certain part of himself to an object or area. For example, touching his nose to a person’s hand.

threshold [ thresh-ohld ]

The point at which a stimulus is strong enough to cause a reaction in the dog.

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variable schedule of reinforcement [ vair-ee-uh-buhl shed-yool ov ree-in-fawrs-muhnt ]

A type of partial reinforcement where only a proportion of responses are reinforced and there is no fixed pattern.

warning signal [ wawr-ning sig-nl ]

Behaviors used by a dog to communicate discomfort with a situation. These can include freezing, growling, barking or snapping. These signals are used to warn a person or another dog to slow down and back off.

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