Reference · 42 terms · Updated September 2026
Dog training terms,
in plain English.
Training advice is full of jargon that rarely gets explained. Here's what the common terms actually mean, from NILIF to counter-conditioning to proofing. Tap any term for the full explanation, an example, and the most common mistake owners make with it.
- Behavior Chain
- A sequence of individual trained behaviors linked together so that completing one becomes the cue for the next. Full explanation →
- Bridge
- A signal (a clicker sound or a marker word like "yes") that tells a dog the exact moment it did the right thing. Full explanation →
- Capturing
- Rewarding a behavior the moment a dog offers it naturally on its own, without prompting it. Full explanation →
- Classical Conditioning
- Learning that happens through association rather than consequence. Full explanation →
- Counter-Conditioning
- Deliberately pairing a trigger that causes fear or overexcitement with something that produces a better emotional response. Full explanation →
- Critical Period
- A specific developmental window, roughly 3 to 14 weeks of age in puppies, when the brain is unusually receptive to forming lasting associations with new experiences. Full explanation →
- Cue
- The signal, word, or hand gesture that tells a dog which behavior to perform. Full explanation →
- Default Behavior
- A behavior a dog reliably offers on its own in a given situation without being asked. Full explanation →
- Desensitization
- Gradually exposing a dog to a trigger at a low enough intensity that it doesn't provoke a reaction, then slowly increasing it. Full explanation →
- Distance, Duration, Distraction (the 3 Ds)
- The three variables that determine how solid a trained behavior actually is. Full explanation →
- Engagement
- A dog's voluntary attention on the handler, offered rather than demanded. Full explanation →
- Errorless Learning
- Structuring a training setup so the dog is very unlikely to get it wrong, building confidence and reducing frustration for both dog and handler. Full explanation →
- Extinction
- The gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a behavior that stops being reinforced. Full explanation →
- Extinction Burst
- A temporary spike in a behavior's intensity right after reinforcement for it stops, before it fades for good. Full explanation →
- Fixed Ratio / Variable Ratio Reinforcement
- Two ways of scheduling rewards by number of responses: a fixed ratio rewards every set number of correct repetitions, a variable ratio rewards after an unpredictable number. Full explanation →
- Flooding
- Exposing a dog to a full-intensity trigger all at once, with no way to escape. Full explanation →
- Generalization
- A dog's ability to perform a known behavior across different locations, people, and situations. Full explanation →
- High-Value Reward
- A reward strong enough to compete with whatever is distracting the dog in that moment. Full explanation →
- Impulse Control
- A dog's learned ability to pause before acting on a strong urge, like grabbing food or bolting through a door. Full explanation →
- Jackpot
- An unusually large reward given for an exceptional response. Full explanation →
- Latency
- The time between a cue being given and the dog responding to it. Full explanation →
- Leash Reactivity
- A dog that barks, lunges, or growls at triggers specifically while on leash, despite behaving differently off leash. Full explanation →
- Life Rewards
- Using naturally occurring things a dog wants as the reward for a small requested behavior. Full explanation →
- Luring
- Using a treat or toy held near a dog's nose to guide it into a position or movement. Full explanation →
- Management
- Changing the environment to prevent an unwanted behavior from happening or being rewarded. Full explanation →
- Marker Word
- A specific word, often "yes," used the same way a clicker is, to mark the exact instant a dog does the right thing. Full explanation →
- NILIF (Nothing in Life Is Free)
- A management approach where a dog performs a small known behavior before getting anything it wants. Full explanation →
- Operant Conditioning
- Learning that happens through consequences: behaviors followed by good things tend to repeat. Full explanation →
- Poisoned Cue
- A cue that has become associated with something unpleasant, causing hesitation, slow responses, or avoidance instead of a clean response. Full explanation →
- Positive Reinforcement
- Adding something the dog wants immediately after a behavior to increase the odds it happens again. Full explanation →
- Premack Principle
- Using a more-preferred activity to reinforce a less-preferred one. Full explanation →
- Proofing
- Systematically testing and strengthening a known behavior across new locations, distractions, and distances. Full explanation →
- Redirected Aggression
- A dog that's highly aroused or frustrated by one thing suddenly directs a bite or snap at something else nearby instead, often the closest available target. Full explanation →
- Redirection
- Interrupting an unwanted behavior by offering the dog a more appropriate outlet for the same underlying urge. Full explanation →
- Reinforcement Schedule
- How often a behavior gets rewarded. Full explanation →
- Resource Guarding
- Defensive behavior around something a dog values, aimed at keeping others away from it. Full explanation →
- Satiation
- A reward temporarily losing its motivating power because the dog has had too much of it too recently. Full explanation →
- Shaping
- Building a complex behavior gradually by rewarding small successive steps toward the final goal. Full explanation →
- Socialization
- Structured, positive exposure to new people, animals, environments, and experiences. Full explanation →
- Splitting vs. Lumping
- Two training philosophies: breaking a behavior into many tiny steps (splitting) versus teaching bigger chunks at once (lumping). Full explanation →
- Threshold
- The point at which a dog becomes too aroused, fearful, or reactive to think clearly or respond to known cues. Full explanation →
- Trigger
- A specific stimulus that reliably sets off a reaction in a particular dog. Full explanation →
Know the terms.
Now build the plan.
TailorPup turns all of this into a personalized 12-week plan for your dog's breed, age, and behavior.