The target is reinforced through operant conditioning. In operant conditioning, the animal's action that is reinforced will become more frequently performed. Through positive reinforcement of operant behaviors, and the conditioning of a bridge and target, almost any behavior is possible to train. However, it is important to remember that conditioned behaviors may take months or even years to train. Training takes place in small steps called approximations.
Animals make mistakes from time to time.
If an animal refuses a behavior or does it incorrectly, the trainer will simply do nothing to draw attention to this behavior. By keeping with the philosophy of reinforcing correct behavior and ignoring incorrect behavior, trainers are able to work with the animals in a positive manner. Finally, the animal needs to learn a specific signal for each behavior. The signal is conditioned through a combination of classical and operant procedures. Hence the term operant conditioning.