Reinforcement Sampling involves giving a little taste of reward before asking for a behavior to ensure motivation.

• A. Reinforcement Sampling
• B. Punishment onset
• C. Extinction training
• D. Chaining

Answer: (A)

Reinforcement sampling is about ensuring the dog is motivated by offering a small taste of reward before you ask for the behavior. By presenting a clear, attainable reinforcement first, the dog understands that performing the cue will lead to something valuable, which increases willingness to try the behavior. This is especially helpful when a dog has low drive or is uncertain, because it kick-starts engagement and makes learning more reliable through positive reinforcement. The other ideas don’t fit because punishment onset introduces a negative consequence after a behavior, which can suppress learning and damage motivation; extinction training involves withholding reinforcement to reduce a behavior; and chaining connects a sequence of behaviors, not specifically about pre-request reinforcement.