Behavior taxonomy

Dog assumes and holds a sit position on cue, in front of or beside handler, on flat surface, without additional cues.

Dog assumes and holds a down position on cue, prone with elbows to ground, without additional cues.

Dog assumes and holds a standing position on cue, on all four legs, without moving or shifting into sit or down.

Dog returns to handler on cue from short distance, no formal position required at delivery.

Dog offers sustained visual attention to handler on cue, held through minor environmental variables.

Dog holds heel position at handler's left side, shoulder aligned with handler's leg, on cue, without handler movement.

Dog remains in a declared position (sit, down, stand) with handler present, brief duration (5-15 seconds), no distractions.

Dog walks in proximity to handler on a slack leash without pulling, on cue or in casual movement between exercises.

Dog accepts the placement of a K9 Elements-approved agitation muzzle without avoidance, pawing, or attempts to remove.

Dog transitions between sit, down, and stand positions on cue, in immediate proximity to handler.

Dog engages positively with primary rewards (food or toy) or with bite work depending on discipline. Foundation of dog's willingness to work.

Dog picks up an object with mouth on cue, without excessive mouthing, dropping, or chewing.

Dog carries object in mouth over distance without dropping, mouthing, or repositioning.

Dog delivers carried object directly into handler's hand on cue, without dropping the object first.

Dog offers a bark on handler cue, sustained until released.

Dog engages a bite target (bite pillow or foundational suit target) with a full-mouth grip, holds without regripping.

Dog engages a K9 Elements-approved full bite suit with a calm full-mouth grip on a legitimate bite target (leg, arm, or torso per Universal Targeting Principle).

Dog releases bite target on single command with no re-grip.

Dog signals the location of a hidden decoy through a sustained bark (or handler-declared passive alert) without engagement.

Dog demonstrates recognition of one of the five K9 Elements approved odors (Anise, Clove, Vetiver, Birch, or Myrrh) presented in a K9E-standard scent tin.

Dog recognizes and can discriminate between multiple K9E odors as a single "find this odor" concept.

Dog maintains nose contact with ground/scent trail, working the scent rather than air-scenting or visually tracking.

Dog indicates the source of a scent (article, hide, target) by assuming and holding a passive position (sit, down, or stand per handler declaration).

Dog indicates the source of a scent through an active behavior (bark, paw, stare) per handler-declared style, sustained until released.

Dog engages the tracking scent pad at the start of a track, commits to the scent, and departs in the direction of travel.