Prompt fading

How it works

A prompt is any assistance that makes the right response more likely: a lure, a hand signal larger than the final one, a step toward the dog, a pointed finger. Prompts get a behavior happening quickly, and they become part of the picture the dog learns unless they are removed on purpose. Fading makes the prompt smaller, briefer or less obvious in steps, while the dog continues to succeed, so that responsibility for the behavior moves from the prompt to the cue. A prompt left in place too long tends to become the real cue, and the behavior then fails whenever the prompt is missing. Fading too quickly produces errors, which is the signal to return to the last step that worked.

What it looks like

A dog learns to lie down by following a treat to the floor. Over several sessions the hand stops holding food, then moves only halfway down, then becomes a small downward flick, and finally the spoken word comes first and the hand does not move at all. Each stage is kept until the dog is getting it right almost every time.

Commonly confused with

Luring

Luring is one kind of prompt, guiding the dog with food or a toy they follow. Prompt fading is the process of removing a prompt, whether that prompt is a lure or any other kind of help.

Related terms