compliance
kum-PLY-unss
/kəmˈplaɪəns/
The act of yielding to a desire, demand, or proposal; in training, the animal's willingness to follow a cue.
Unlike 'obedience,' which is a broad trait, 'compliance' often refers to the specific success rate of a command (e.g., '80% compliance on the recall').
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'complere,' which means 'to fill up.' When an animal is in compliance, it is 'filling up' the requirement or expectation set by the trainer.
Word relationships
- acquiescence: Acquiescence implies a reluctant or silent agreement, whereas compliance in training is ideally enthusiastic.
- resistance: Resistance is the act of opposing or struggling against a command.
Commonly confused with
- obedience: Obedience is the discipline; compliance is the specific act of following through.
Word family
- comply (verb): To follow a rule or command.
- compliant (adjective): Willing to follow rules.
Collocations
- ensure compliance
- lack of compliance
- voluntary compliance
Example sentences
- "We are looking for immediate compliance with the 'stay' command, even when the owner walks away." Evaluating training progress.
Memory hook
COMPLIANCE: The animal is COMing into line with your PLAns. Meeting the mark.
When not to use
Avoid using in very casual settings; 'listening' or 'doing what it's told' is more common for pet owners.
Fun facts
- In professional service dog training, a dog must have near 100% compliance to be certified.
Related words
Explore more words
comply, compliant, Obedience, enforce, enforcement, Conformity
Also appears in
- Leadership → Ethical Governance
- Relationships → Peer Pressure & Conformity
- Business → Quality Control & Standards
- Business → Workplace Hazards & Safety
- Business → Business Ethics & Compliance
- Finance → Taxation & Revenue
- Finance → Auditing & Accounting
- Law → Corporate Law & Regulation
- Psychology → Group Dynamics & Social Influence
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Climate Policy & International Agreements
- Engineering & Industrial Design → Accessibility & Universal Design
- Education & Pedagogy → Discipline & Classroom Management
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Urban Pollution & Smog
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → International Environmental Accords
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → E-Waste & Technological Disposal
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Corporate Social Responsibility
- Skilled Trades & Construction → Construction Site Management
- Civic Life & Public Services → Personal Tax Filing & Returns
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