Trainer’s Toolbox

Lessons:

• Week 1 01 Apr 2026
  • Welcome!

    Read this before proceeding to the first lesson!…

  • Education of choice and science.

    When crafting the introductory lecture for this course, I realized the importance of explaining my approach to dog training. I…

  • Basic terms

    Before delving into practical techniques for teaching behavior, it is important to establish a foundation by discussing key terms related…

  • Behavior and its contingencies (practical homework)

    Learning is defined as changing your behavior based on experience with consequences. The process of learning happens in the form…

  • Consequences

    Consequences are stimuli that occur after the behavior. The ones that are interesting for us are those that change the…

  • Marker cues

    Marker: A marker is a stimulus that has become a secondary reinforcer by the process of both classical and operant conditioning.

  • Behavior profile

    When embarking on the journey of teaching behavior, it proves invaluable to construct a comprehensive profile for the desired behavior.

  • Luring

    There are various approaches to teaching behaviors, and in week 2, we will delve into specific techniques and analyze their…

• Week 2 08 Apr 2026
  • Handler’s technique

    “The skill to deliver reinforcers at the right moment, in the right place, and with the right speed is not…

  • Moulding by contact

    When we talk about moulding through contact, we might recall traditional dog training methods where an individual in camouflage barks…

• Week 3 15 Apr 2026
  • Shaping

    Shaping, one of the most popular techniques for teaching behavior, can also be one of the most challenging to master.

  • 2. Cue for shaping – explored (Free lesson)

    Shaping, in essence, involves reinforcing successive approximations of a target behavior. It is important to note that shaping is not…

  • Outcome versus result. Does it matter?

    Before we go deeper into the main topic of this article, I would like to address a few theoretical matters…

  • Examples of shaping

    “If you don’t know how to start a behavior, don’t try shaping it. If you can’t predict your dog’s behaviors,…

  • Frustration

    “Happiness is a function of reinforcement, depression is a function of punishment, and frustration is a function of extinction.” –…

• Week 4 22 Apr 2026
  • Handler’s technique – helper

    Our dog’s skills reflect a large extent, our skills. We tend to devote too little time to honing our training…

  • Schedules of reinforcement

    Understanding the Impact of Reinforcement Frequency on Behavior By now, you’re familiar with the importance of timing, location, and type…

  • Fluency

    When can we consider a behavior to be performed with fluency? What does fluency mean, and how can we recognize…

• Week 5 29 Apr 2026
  • Antecedent arrangement

    The antecedent arrangement can greatly simplify your life and have a significant impact on behavior. Allow me to share a…

  • What about emotions?

    The topic of emotions is a complex one, encompassing various perspectives from behavior analysts, psychologists, neurobiologists, and psychiatrists. As a…

  • It’s okay! Communication fog and it’s relation to cues in training

    Our reliance on intuitive communication often leads us to assume that animals will understand our verbal language. I vividly recall…

  • Error – end of the world? Not so much!

    “Errors are not necessary for learning to occur. Errors are not a function of learning or vice versa nor are…

  • Raising criteria

    Handlers often face the challenge of determining the right moment to raise criteria. If criteria are raised too early, it…

• Week 6 06 May 2026
  • Structure of training session

    Can we find the formula for a perfect training session? Is there a universal formula that can unlock the…

  • Behavior chains

    When working with dogs you often hear the term ‘behavior chain’. We will start with the definition. “A behavior chain…

  • Fading out

    Quite often, we use various prompts to teach behaviors. These can include targets, platforms, target sticks, hands, and many more.

  • WTF?

    WTF? That is… WHAT’S THE FUNCTION? A striking phrase that Dr. Friedman employs to center our attention on one of…

  • Poisoned cues

    You already know what negative reinforcement is. The general idea is that we avoid using negative reinforcement when working with…

  • Final Thoughts: Celebrating Achievements and Continuing the Journey

    Farewell and Keep Moving Forward! Mega Cheers…

Free Lesson

Cue for shaping – explored

Shaping, in essence, involves reinforcing successive approximations of a target behavior. It is important to note that shaping is not about waiting for the dog to randomly offer behaviors from which the trainer selects the desired ones. This approach is ineffective and not true shaping. However, the question arises: Do we need a cue for shaping?

When teaching behaviors that involve objects, such as going around a cone or targeting a paw, the object itself serves as a cue for the dog to interact with. With the addition of verbal or visual cues, we establish stimulus control, and the object alone no longer triggers the behavior.

The challenge arises when shaping behaviors without specific objects. In such cases, the dog relies on environmental cues, such as the trainer’s body language or location, to initiate the behavior. Even after introducing verbal or visual cues, the dog may continue to perform the behavior “without a cue,” or at least that’s what we may think. This is especially true if we are unaware of the environmental cue the dog has associated with the behavior during the shaping process. The presence of the old cue, chosen by the learner during shaping, can still evoke the behavior.

As trainers, it is crucial to be mindful of what we teach our dogs. Have you ever observed a dog spinning or turning their head as soon as the handler holds a clicker, sits on the floor, or begins a shaping session differently? These behaviors are often labeled as impatience, frustration, or difficulty in shaping. However, the reality is simpler. If we don’t add a deliberate cue to the shaping process, the dog will select their own cues based on what they perceive as relevant. Adding an object to the environment that predicts the behavior being shaped helps both the trainer and the dog differentiate between behaviors. This object can be placed next to you or a specific location in the room dedicated to shaping a particular behavior. It becomes easier to remove this cue once stimulus control is established. Otherwise, your dog may associate unrelated cues, such as the way you sit, with a previously shaped behavior, leading to difficulties in teaching new behaviors.

Awareness of these cues is crucial. By reinforcing the default position and adding a visual cue during shaping, we can prevent unwanted associations and behaviors. For example, if a dog associates sitting with crossed legs as the cue for backing, it can be challenging to shape new behaviors when you sit in the same manner. The dog may persistently offer the previously reinforced behavior in similar situations.

To illustrate this concept, consider the example of Gacek, who shaped the backing behavior without deliberate environmental cues. Gacek, being smart, picked up cues on his own, but not necessarily the ones desired. In this case, he associated the trainer sitting with crossed legs as the cue for backing. Even after adding a verbal cue and being able to perform the behavior while the trainer stood or sat on a chair, Gacek would still back up “without a cue” when I was on the floor with crossed legs. This is because the crossed legs had become a powerful, reinforced cue over an extended period. With awareness during shaping, the trainer could have prevented this association by reinforcing the default position or adding a visual cue that could later be removed, thus preventing the undesired behavior from occurring.

In a video demonstration, Gacek is shown responding to different cues. When I sit on the floor with crossed legs, the default behavior is backing. Although I cue other known behaviors, Gacek consistently adds a few steps backward, not out of impatience or frustration, but in response to the cue he associated with backing. However, when I add a blanket used for shaping the behavior of laying on the side, without changing my position, the visual cue of the blanket becomes stronger for Gacek – it has longer reinforcement history than sitting with crossed legs.

Consider the difficulty I would face if I attempted to shape another behavior while sitting on the floor with my legs crossed. It would be a challenging task, especially since I am now aware of the unintended cue associated with backing. However, imagine the situation if I hadn’t realized this cue’s significance and proceeded to shape another behavior in the same context. What do you think would have happened?

When embarking on shaping new behaviors, it is essential to carefully consider the cues involved. Think about what might become relevant to your learner. Remember that the cues that evoke a behavior for your dog may be different from what you expect or perceive. By being mindful of these cues, you can set yourself and your learner up for success in the shaping process.