We use positive reinforcement because we strongly believe it's the best, most successful, and most enjoyable way to teach and learn. Positive reinforcement is a term borrowed from the human psychology field of behavior analysis. Within this field, all behaviors – appropriate and inappropriate, wanted and unwanted – have consequences. A positive reinforcement (often called ‘reinforcer’) is the immediate consequence of an appropriate action. When the reinforcer is pleasurable to the dog, the behavior we term appropriate often reoccurs. The behavior is most likely to be repeated due to the immediate application of the positive reinforcer as the behavior’s consequence. Positive reinforcement is also called shaping or behavior modification.