Common Reward-Based Training Mistakes
Use this guide when the philosophy is right but the mechanics are still making progress uneven.
Quick definitions
- Timing: How fast the reward marks the behavior you want to repeat.
- Criteria: The exact version of the behavior you are rewarding today.
- Environment difficulty: How much distraction, distance, or intensity you added to the session.
Decision rules
- If you are repeating the cue, your criteria may be too hard.
- If the pet is slow, make the environment easier before you blame motivation.
- Track one behavior and one success metric at a time.
Common mistakes
- Changing criteria mid-session.
- Letting rewards arrive too late.
- Trying to solve several problems in one week.
When to escalate
- If the plan gets riskier or more emotional every week, pause and get outside help.
