If a cue does not produce a good response, what is the recommended next step?

• A. Add a new cue that is different from the old one
• B. Increase the duration of the cue
• C. Start training with a fresh cue
• D. Use the same cue for multiple behaviors

Answer: (C)

When a cue doesn’t produce a reliable response, the best move is to start training with a fresh cue. This resets stimulus control and gives the dog a clean signal that it can learn to associate with the desired behavior. A new cue that hasn’t been tangled with prior attempts eliminates confusion and helps the dog focus on the current instruction, increasing the chances of forming a strong, consistent response.

Introducing a different cue while the old one is failing can muddy discrimination and confuse the dog, so it’s not as effective as starting with a fresh signal. Simply lengthening the cue’s duration doesn’t address why the response isn’t occurring at all, so it may still fail to establish a clear association. Using the same cue for multiple behaviors weakens cue discrimination and makes it harder for the dog to know which behavior is expected, which is why that option isn’t ideal.