What is a reward schedule?

• A. It describes the plan for selecting which behaviors to reinforce.
• B. It dictates how often an MWD will receive positive reinforcement when it correctly executes a task.
• C. It refers to how rewards are selected and shaped into rewards.
• D. It describes the dog's proximity to the reward during reinforcement.

Answer: (B)

A reward schedule is the plan for how often reinforcement is delivered after a dog performs a target behavior. It shapes motivation and learning by controlling the frequency and timing of rewards. The best answer states that the schedule dictates how often reinforcement occurs when the dog correctly executes a task, which is exactly what a schedule defines. For example, reinforcing every time (continuous reinforcement) helps with quick learning, while intermittent reinforcement (such as after a set number of correct responses or after varying intervals) can make the behavior more resistant to extinction. The other options describe which behaviors to reinforce, how rewards are chosen or shaped, and the dog's proximity to the reward—none specify how often reinforcement is given.