Which item is NOT among the three criteria owners look for in a dog's response to a trained cue?

• A. Physical Response - dog performs the cue
• B. Latency of Response - how fast he performs
• C. Duration of Response - how long he'll stay in position
• D. Frequency of Reinforcement - how often reinforcement is given

Answer: (D)

When evaluating a dog’s response to a trained cue, you assess three observable aspects of the response itself: the actual action the dog performs in response to the cue, how quickly the dog performs that action (latency), and how long the dog maintains the action or position (duration). Frequency of reinforcement is about how often you reward the dog during training, which influences learning and motivation but is not a property of the dog’s immediate response to the cue. So, the item describing how often reinforcement is given is not among the criteria used to judge the dog’s response to a trained cue. For example, cueing a dog to sit should result in a correct sit (physical response) that happens promptly (latency) and is held for the required duration (duration); reinforcement frequency would come after the response, as part of the training plan.