Fluency

Question 1

Who does fluency apply to?

Answer 1

Fluency applies to both sides of any training partnership. Both the teacher and the learner.

Question 2

What are the first three components of fluency?

Answer 2

The first three components of fluency are precision, latency, and speed.

Question 3

Fluency

Answer 3

Fluency refers to an animal’s ability to perform a given behavior with speed and accuracy in any environment.

Question 4

What is the correct chronology when training for fluency?

Answer 4

Work on Precision
Reduce Latency
IncreaseSpeed

Question 5

What is precision?

Answer 5

Precision refers to the overall polished look of the behavior. The behavior should reflect as closely as possible the idea that you the trainer have set in your mind.

Question 6

What is the first thing to do when training for precision?

Answer 6

First you must take note of your criteria for each behavior and second, create a training plan to reach the goal efficiently.

Define exactly what the behavior will look like before you start the training. Create a shaping staircase.

Question 7

What is latency?

Answer 7

Latency refers to the lag between the time when a cue was given and when the animal begins to perform the behavior.

Question 8

What is speed?

Answer 8

Speed is the time it takes from the start to the finish of the behavior.

Question 9

What are the three D’s of fluency?

Answer 9

Distractions
Duration
Distance

Question 10

Behaviors that are fluent with respect to the three D’s will…

Answer 10

Occur reliably around all sorts of distractions.
Are sustained over a duration of time.
Are performed even when the trainer is at a distance from the animal

Question 11

In what order do you train the 3-D’s fluency?

Answer 11

1. Distractions
2. Duration
3. Distance

Question 12

What is a distraction?

Answer 12

A distraction is anything that draws your animals attention from the training session making it harder for the animal to respond to your cues.

Question 13

What is duration?

Answer 13

Duration is an animal’s ability to sustain any given behavior for an increasing period of time.

Question 14

List factors that are important to keep in mind when shaping for duration

Answer 14

Duration should be shaped in small increments.

Duration should be intentionally varied so the animal doesn’t anticipate the end of the exercise.

Distractions should be slowly reintroduced.

Continue to ping-pong between duration and distractions until reaching your goal behavior.

Question 15

What is distance?

Answer 15

Distance in regard to fluency is the animals ability to:

1. Sustain a behavior as the trainer moves away
2. Respond to cues given from a distance

Question 16

What if my dog breaks duration before the click?

Answer 16

Reposition the dog by walking a few steps away and quietly encouraging the dog to follow. Then Cue the dog again and begin another trial.

Question 17

Why do we train for distance?

Answer 17

We train for distance so your animal is able to perform the cued behavior on the spot without approaching you first.

Question 18

Can a distraction also be a reinforcer?

Answer 18

Yes. Distractions can serve as a powerful reinforcer. This is called the Premack principle.

Question 19

What is the Premack principle?

Answer 19

Using a high probability behavior to reward a low probability behavior.

Question 20

What is stimulus control?

Answer 20

Stimulus control is the technical term used to describe when a behavior occurs in the presence of a specific stimulus or cue and does not occur in the absence of a cue.

Question 21

List the four rules of stimulus control:

Answer 21

1. The behavior is always offered when cued.
2. The behavior is not offered in the absence of that cue.
3. The behavior is not offered in response to some other cue.
4. No other behavior occurs in response to that cue.

Question 22

What is stationing?

Answer 22

The ability to stay in one place and hold the behavior for five seconds or more.