What does the second word in Easy-Hard training signify?

The second word in Easy-Hard training, which is "Hard," signifies the difficulty of receiving the reward. This concept is pivotal in training, as it introduces varying levels of challenge that a dog must navigate to successfully receive a reward for their performance. When the difficulty of reward access is increased, it encourages the canine to apply more effort, engage more actively with the task, and develop a stronger problem-solving ability. It lays the groundwork for a more robust and effective training regimen, as dogs learn to focus and work harder to obtain rewards under more challenging conditions.

The other aspects of training—such as task complexity, session length, or odor intensity—are indeed important in a training context, but they don't capture the specific nuance that "Hard" in this framework pertains to the challenge associated with securing a reward. Therefore, the focus on the difficulty of reward retrieval is crucial in understanding the principles behind the Easy-Hard training method.