Motivating operations are conditions occurring before the behavior that make the reinforcement more or less valuable to the animal. Taking Sam for a long walk before our dinner served to temporarily decrease the value of his 
bumping of my mom’s leg (begging at the table behavior) while increasing the value of his laying down and resting.
An Assumption About A Reinforcer Can Be Wrong
When you are training your dog or any other animal, keep in mind, the value of a reinforcer can change.
