In shaping, rewards are given for what?

• A. Provide a reward after the full target is completed
• B. A method to chain a sequence of behaviors
• C. Rewards dog for successive approximations of the behavior
• D. The dog is guided to the target by a treat

Answer: (C)

Shaping reinforces successive approximations toward a desired behavior. You reward small steps the dog takes that are closer to the final target, then gradually require closer and closer approximations, continuing to reward each progression. This builds the full behavior piece by piece, with the dog learning through a chain of reinforced refinements rather than waiting for the complete action to occur all at once. It’s distinct from using a treat to guide the dog to the target in one go, and from chaining separate behaviors into a sequence.