Source checked November 12, 2026. Editorial team. Not professionally reviewed.
Positive reinforcement
Giving something the dog wants after a behavior you want to encourage. Dogs Trust describes how this can make the behavior more likely in future. The individual dog and context matter. It is not a guarantee that a behavior becomes reliable everywhere after one successful attempt.
Marker and cue
A marker signals that a reward is coming after a behavior. A cue is the word or gesture you intend to associate with an action. Our cue notebook records the human plan. It does not test understanding or certify a response. Discuss the timing and sequence with a reward-based trainer.
Management
An arrangement that changes the animal's environment or opportunities, sometimes alongside training. AVSAB gives examples such as securing food access. Management is not the same as teaching a skill and is not permission to use pain, intimidation or a frightening setup. Ask for help when safety or welfare is uncertain.
AVSAB: How management can help · AVSAB: What reward-based methods mean
Observation and unknown
An observation records what happened in a particular setting, not what must happen next time. Unknown means the reason or information has not been established. These are the record labels used by this site, not diagnostic categories. Neither a filled card nor an unknown field clears an animal for a risky situation.