In trailing training, reward is not a prize “for effort” or a way to “encourage the dog.” Rewards are an informational tool that helps the dog understand: what  it did right, when exactly it was right, why  it makes sense to repeat it.   In trailing methodology, rewards are part of the behavioral architecture, not a separate element.   Functionality of reward. The dog remembers not the reward itself, but the context in which it occurred. Therefore, reward is an event that re