What is the consequence that encourages or strengthens a desired dog behavior?

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

Answer: (B)

Reinforcement is any consequence that increases the likelihood the dog will repeat a behavior. This question points to the general mechanism, so reinforcement is the best answer because it covers any follow-up that strengthens the action, whether it adds something desirable or removes something aversive. Positive reinforcement—giving a reward after the desired behavior—pulls the dog toward repeating that behavior, while negative reinforcement—removing an unpleasant condition once the behavior occurs—also strengthens it. This is different from punishment, which aims to reduce or suppress the behavior. In practice, you often use positive reinforcement with MWDs to build reliable, repeatable responses, while understanding that both forms of reinforcement can strengthen behavior when applied correctly.