Dog training glossary
Distance, Duration, Distraction (the 3 Ds)
Quick answer
The three variables that determine how solid a trained behavior actually is.
Written by the TailorPup team, updated September 2026. See our editorial approach.
What it means
A behavior is only as reliable as it has been tested against these three factors: how far the dog is from the handler, how long it can hold the behavior, and how many distractions are competing for its attention. Trainers increase only one "D" at a time when proofing a cue, since raising two or three at once (far away, for a long time, around heavy distraction) is usually too much too fast.
A real example
A "stay" that only works for 3 seconds, right next to the handler, in a quiet room hasn't been tested against any of the 3 Ds yet, even though it looks "trained."
Common mistake
Assuming a behavior learned in one easy context (short duration, no distance, no distractions) will automatically hold up once any of the three increases.
Related terms
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