Release cue.
Before teaching your dog a release cue, we encourage you to read about the phases of training to better understand this plan.
Dogs alternate between two modes: work mode and release mode. Work mode is the mode that they enter when we cue them into a behaviour, they then wait for a release cue to notify them the behaviour is finished. Release mode is the mode they enter once they’ve been released of that behaviour. We need to help them differentiate. Dogs find it hard to generalise, and so having a release for specific cues is easier for the dog to understand a cue such as ‘wait’ or ‘stay’. We are able to add a release cue to stationary cues such as sit, drop, heel, stand recall and crate / mat. You can teach wait or stay cues through a similar training plan to this one.
Be sure not to teach your dog the clicker is the release - the release word is the release! You can click and reward multiple times while a dog is completing a behaviour to reinforce them keeping position, you don’t necessarily have to click and reward right at the end when you’re about to release. The click and reward is a marker for desirable behaviour, so use it to teach your dog they’re doing a good job, but are still required to wait for a release cue. Do not click and reward once a dog has been released - because they’re in release mode.
Behaviour cue - dog clocking into work
Release cue - dog clocking out of work
Cue your dog to complete a behaviour she already knows such as ‘sit’.
Mark with your clicker and reinforce with your reward.
Immediately say ‘free,’ releasing them from the position. Whilst you say free, either show your dog you have a treat and toss it away from the position, encouraging movement out of position, or move backwards yourself initiating a game or play. We want them to practise movement after the ‘free’ cue..
Eventually we still start to increase duration. Cue your dog into a sit with a short duration goal in your head (only three seconds), mark and reward multiple times throughout the three second period and then release. If your dog starts to hold the behaviour confidently for three seconds, slowly start to increase your duration but only by a couple of seconds. If your dog starts to struggle, decrease your duration expectations.
If you can see your dog is about to move out of a behaviour before you release them, release before they get the chance to break the position too early. You want your dog to practise successful attempts and set her up for success.
When your dog is achieving increased duration, you can start to increase distance. Cue them into a sit and move ever so slightly on your feet for a very short period, marking and rewarding throughout and then release. Once your dog desensitises to your slight movements, gradually make them bigger and bigger before attempting to take a step back, mark reward release. Gradually increase your distance marking and rewarding throughout before you release. Remember to practice successful attempts, if the dog looks distracted release them before they breaks position independently. When your distance has improved, you can start to increase your duration expectations again gradually.
When your dog is achieving increased duration and distance at an improved standard you can start to practice these behaviours under higher levels of destruction. Increase this slowly, and initially decrease your duration and distance expectations. When they’re is performing under high levels of distraction you can slowly begin to increase your duration and distance again.
