Dog Training Applied Learning Theory 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Removing leash pressure the moment a dog moves forward teaches via:
- Negative reinforcement (Correct answer)
- Positive punishment
- Negative punishment
- Habituation
Correct answer: Negative reinforcement
Taking away an aversive (pressure) to increase a behavior is negative reinforcement.
Question 2: A dog no longer reacts to a doorbell after hearing it repeatedly with no consequence. This is:
- Habituation (Correct answer)
- Sensitization
- Extinction of an operant
- Discrimination
Correct answer: Habituation
Habituation is a decreased response to a repeated, meaningless stimulus.
Question 3: Marker timing is critical because the marker should occur:
- At the exact moment of the desired behavior (Correct answer)
- A few minutes after the behavior
- Only at the end of training
- Before the cue is given
Correct answer: At the exact moment of the desired behavior
The marker must coincide precisely with the behavior so the dog connects the reward to the right action.
Question 4: Which is a primary reinforcer for most dogs?
- Food (Correct answer)
- A clicker
- Verbal praise
- A hand signal
Correct answer: Food
Food meets a biological need and reinforces without prior learning, making it a primary reinforcer.
Question 5: Flooding as a behavior modification technique involves:
- Full exposure to a feared stimulus until the dog calms (Correct answer)
- Gradual sub-threshold exposure
- Rewarding small approximations
- Removing all stimuli
Correct answer: Full exposure to a feared stimulus until the dog calms
Flooding exposes the dog continuously to the trigger at full intensity, which is risky and can worsen fear.
Question 6: A dog sits to the verbal cue but not the hand signal. The verbal cue has become a:
- Discriminative stimulus (Correct answer)
- Conditioned reinforcer
- Unconditioned stimulus
- Punisher
Correct answer: Discriminative stimulus
A discriminative stimulus signals that reinforcement is available for a specific response.
Question 7: Why is reinforcing too late often counterproductive?
- The dog may associate the reward with an unintended behavior (Correct answer)
- It strengthens the cue
- It speeds up learning
- It has no effect at all
Correct answer: The dog may associate the reward with an unintended behavior
Delayed reinforcement can accidentally reward whatever the dog is doing at the moment of delivery.
Dog Training Applied Learning Theory 3
Removing leash pressure the moment a dog moves forward teaches via: