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The reinforcement contingency sends a clear message to the dog which behaviors receive positive reinforcement, and which do not. This must be established and maintained. Without a reinforcement contingency the dog will only become confused. It will not know which behaviors bring reinforcement

What defines reinforcers that can be practically applied? The first rule is safety. If the reward cannot be safely administered it cannot be used. In attack training the bite is the highest reward the dog will receive. However, the same dog might be used in drug or explosive detection. It is not practical or safe to use the bite in detection work. So a lesser reinforcement is used. Not every positive reinforcer will work in each training situation. Just because something provides positive reinforcement does not mean it should be used.

Behaviors that already exist and are similar to desired behavior can be used to teach the new behavior. This is known as shaping. The reinforcement of successive approximations of the desired behaviors until it develops into the new behavior.

The schedule of reinforcement determines when the dog receives reinforcement.  When first training the dog we will work on a continuous schedule or reinforcement. This means each correct response either as a result of the dog’s intended action or induced or caused by the trainer receives positive reinforcement. The continuous schedule is used only until the dog is consistently performing the desired behavior.