Dog training glossary
Generalization
Quick answer
A dog's ability to perform a known behavior across different locations, people, and situations.
Written by the TailorPup team, updated September 2026. See our editorial approach.
What it means
Dogs don't automatically generalize a behavior from where it was first learned to every other context, a cue taught exclusively in one quiet kitchen may not mean anything to the dog on a busy sidewalk. Generalization has to be deliberately practiced by repeating the behavior in a range of new locations, with new people, and around new distractions.
A real example
A dog that reliably sits in the living room may look at its owner blankly the first time "sit" is asked at the vet's office, not out of defiance, but because it hasn't generalized the cue there yet.
Common mistake
Assuming a dog that "knows" a cue at home is being stubborn when it doesn't respond somewhere new, rather than recognizing a generalization gap.
Related terms
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