Dictionary

 Below is a small dictionary of training terms you may hear or see mentioned and want some further clarification on. Sometimes in the training world we assign slightly different meanings to words you may already use. 

Antecedents - the "set-up" environment to help make the behaviour you are wanting the easiest option.

 
Approximations - the small steps that lead to the final goal behaviour.

Behaviour - the thing an animal does.

Bridge - is the signal that tells the animal that the behaviour they performed (as it occurs) is correct and what the trainer is looking for. 

Capturing - animal offers behaviour unprompted and trainer then adds cues.

Classical Conditioning - "unconscious learning" the process of an automatic, conditioned response that is paired with a specific stimulus.

Consequence - what follows the behaviour, either leads to behaviour increasing or decreasing.

 

Cue - the word/signal/touch that you use to tell the animal what is about to happen/what you want them to do.

 

Discriminative stimulus – scientific term for cue.

 

Errorless learning - teaching method used in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). It involves using prompts to ensure a learner responds correctly every time.

Foundation behaviours - the basic behaviours all animals should learn for trainers to be able to build more complex behaviours from in the future. Includes: targeting, stationing, crating/shifting, recall, tactile, desensitisation.

Negative – remove something from animal/environment.

Operant training - "conscious learning", the animal is an active participant in the process.

 
Positive - adding something from the animal/environment.

Primary reinforcer - an innate reinforcer an animal already has an association with, eg food, water.

Primary Trainer - the person establishing a new behaviour.

Punishment – anything that decreases the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again.

 
Reinforcement - something given or added to animals’ environment.

Reinforcer - anything that increases the likelihood of a behaviour being performed again.

Secondary reinforcer - a reinforcer you teach the animal to want, e.g. a stroke or pat.

Secondary Trainer - the person maintaining previous approximations in sessions when the primary trainer isn't there.

Shaping - is the process of taking a pre-existing behaviour and taking small approximations to achieve the behaviour you want.

Training plan - a list of all information needed to shape a behaviour from an animal, including all approximations and primary trainer, must use correct terminology and be easy to read so that secondary trainers can follow the process without primary trainer needing to be there.