Which technique is most effective when encouraging a dog to avoid jumping by applying pressure to its hind legs?

The correct approach for encouraging a dog to avoid jumping by applying pressure to its hind legs aligns with the principles of negative reinforcement. This technique involves removing an unpleasant stimulus or pressure when the desired behavior (e.g., not jumping) occurs.

In this context, applying pressure to the dog's hind legs serves as the unpleasant stimulus. When the dog stops jumping, the pressure is released, effectively reinforcing the behavior of not jumping. The dog learns that keeping all four paws on the ground results in the cessation of pressure, thus encouraging this behavior over time.

Other techniques, while valuable in training, may not work as effectively in this particular situation. Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding desirable behaviors rather than removing unpleasant stimuli, while positive punishment typically involves introducing an aversive stimulus to discourage an unwanted behavior. Extinction, on the other hand, involves withholding rewards for a behavior to reduce its frequency, which may not directly address the jumping behavior in a clear and timely manner. Hence, negative reinforcement is the most effective technique in this case.