Dog training glossary
Reinforcement Schedule
Quick answer
How often a behavior gets rewarded.
Written by the TailorPup team, updated September 2026. See our editorial approach.
What it means
A continuous schedule (rewarding every single correct response) builds a brand-new behavior fastest, since the dog gets maximum, predictable feedback. Once a behavior is well established, switching to an intermittent, variable schedule, rewarding unpredictably rather than every time, actually makes the behavior more resistant to fading, the same mechanism that makes slot machines compelling.
A real example
A puppy learning "sit" gets a treat every single time at first; months later, a well-trained adult dog might only get rewarded for sitting every third or fifth time, unpredictably.
Common mistake
Switching to an intermittent schedule too early, before the behavior is actually solid, which can cause it to weaken rather than strengthen.
Related terms
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