Errorless learning

How it works

The approach comes from setting difficulty so low that success is near-certain, then raising it in increments small enough that success stays near-certain. The argument for it is that repeated failure costs more than slow progress: a dog who fails often gets frustrated, and frustration interferes with learning. It matters most with anxious dogs, who may already be braced for something to go wrong, and least with confident dogs who find a hard puzzle motivating.

What it looks like

A dog learning to settle on a mat is first paid for simply standing on it, then for two seconds of lying down, then for four. At no point is the dog asked for a duration they have not already managed.

Commonly confused with

Criteria

Criteria is what is being paid. Errorless learning is a way of setting those criteria, specifically low enough that the dog rarely misses. The first is the decision; the second is a policy about how to make it.

Related terms