[nagdu] patterning?

[Julie J.]

Patterning is teaching your dog a specific turn or place.  It's often 
used when giving a directional command would be difficult.  Say you want 
to go to your friend's home.  You know it's the third driveway on the 
left, but there are no tactile or auditory landmarks for you to be able 
to tell your dog to turn left at the appropriate place.  You could use a 
suggested left turn, but you'd have to ignore the first two, which might 
cause confusion for your dog.  Instead patterning might be used.  You 
could use your cane along the stretch to find the  correct drive, give a 
treat to the dog, praise and turn there.  You'd repeat it a few times as 
necessary until the dog gets the idea that this is an important place.  
Next time you go to your friend's home, your guide will hopefully 
remember the turn and show it to you without your prompting.

Of course this is just one example and one explanation.  Everyone will 
do it a little differently.

HTH
Julie