What term is defined as the cue that signals the dog to perform a behavior, often called 'your command'?

• A. Conditioned Stimulus
• B. Unconditioned Stimulus
• C. Reinforcer
• D. Discriminative Stimulus

Answer: (D)

Discriminative stimulus is the cue that signals the dog to perform a behavior and indicates that reinforcement is available for that response. In training, your command words like “sit” or “down” become this cue because their presence tells the dog that if they perform the behavior, a reward is forthcoming. The reinforcer is the reward itself given after the behavior, not the cue. A conditioned stimulus is a signal that has become meaningful through being paired with another stimulus to evoke a response, rather than signaling reinforcement for a specific trained behavior. An unconditioned stimulus is something inherently reinforcing or arousing that does not require learning. So the cue you use to guide the dog is the discriminative stimulus.