The use of pleasant stimuli to strengthen prior behavior.

• A. Negative Reinforcement
• B. Reinforcement
• C. Positive Reinforcement
• D. Punishment

Answer: (C)

Adding a pleasant outcome immediately after a dog performs a desired behavior strengthens that behavior because the dog learns that the action leads to something good. This is positive reinforcement, where rewards like a treat, a favorite toy, or praise are given right after the action, creating a clear link between the behavior and the positive result. For effective training, deliver the reward promptly and consistently so the dog associates the specific behavior with the pleasant consequence. In practicing with military working dogs, you might reward a sit, a heel, or a target touch with a treat or play, using rewards that the dog values as reinforcement. Other concepts involve removing an unpleasant condition or introducing an undesirable consequence, which do not fit the idea of adding a pleasant stimulus to strengthen the behavior, and a broader term like reinforcement alone doesn’t specify that pleasant outcome.