PLEASE RELEASE ME, LET ME GO

Gary Patterson

In obedience, the release has some valuable uses, whether it's in heeling, the down, sit, stand or retrieval. There is a practical purpose as the training has to end somewhere, so why not make it upbeat and positive for the dog? If a trainer is doing some structured training, there must be a way to “release” the dog from this structure. Therefore a trainer might be heeling, either at the teaching stage or requiring more precision at an advanced stage, when he decides he should stop. So he gives a release command and throws the ball, enthusiastically praising the dog. The process then is nothing more than putting the dog in drive, heeling until the immediate goal has been met and then relieving the stress by throwing the ball.

Simple enough-but it does have some built in issues. First, when the trainer throws the ball, the built up drive immediately drops as the dog has received the reward it worked for. The trainer must then get control over the dog with the ball, take the ball and rebuild drive for further work. The second issue is that, by throwing the ball, the trainer has taken the dog's focus away from the trainer and directed it elsewhere. The effect of this common training method for the release is to take away focus from the trainer and lower drive: not exactly what we had in mind.

The fundamental problem here is the dog working for and focusing only on the ball. What if we could create an alternative where the dog is working for the release, instead of the toy? It may seem a subtle difference, but it's a real difference, leading to an entirely different result.

The first step is doing away with a ball as a reward. Instead, I use a leather or French linen tug, about 10 to 12 inches long and 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Figure #1 shows how I might hold the tug while I am heeling. When the dog has reached the point where I want to give the release, I first give the release command: “free” or “okay.” The command isn't important only that it be upbeat and consistent each time. After the command, I then pull the tug in front of me and high on the chest, allowing the dog to whip around and come up to me to grab the tug, shown in Figure #2. I do not release the tug immediately, but hold it for several variations that, working together, allow me to avoid the inherent problems of the ball.

First, the most important thing that has happened here is that I gave the release command first. Over several sessions this brings the dog to the point where it's working for the command instead of just the ball. Focus then builds on the trainer and less on the ball.

Second, instead of throwing the tug some distance, the dog must come into the trainer for the reward, again strengthening the focus on the trainer.

Third, by holding the tug, the trainer can grab the lead and start work again after outing the dog. This is particularly important, for unlike the thrown ball where drive immediately diminishes, we can keep drive high.

It also creates a multitude of alternatives for the trainer. At the simplest level, the trainer can release the tug and grab the lead, so the dog circles around for a few feet before returning to the handler. The trainer can also play tug of war with the dog by holding the tug and then pulling it into a straight front sit, giving the sit and out commands. The handler can then allow the dog to grab the tug from the front sit by another release, or step to the side of the dog after the out and start heeling again. Instead of drive going down, drive should stay up and continue. In addition, the handler is also working on the straight front sit, outing and teaching the dog to calm from high drive, a process called capping. Capping is a complicated subject, better left for a future article but, in its simplest terms, is nothing more than teaching a dog in high drive to still control its drive on its own.

To broaden the idea of the release, try to keep in mind that the dog should increasingly work for the release command itself, instead of just working for a thrown toy. Don't be an automaton with the tug. On one release, allow the dog to bite the tug. On another, use just praise and body slaps. On the next one, pull out some food and reward the dog. In other words, the dog won't know what is coming after the release command, but it will know that something positive is about to happen.

As the dog advances in obedience, the tug can be moved from the left shoulder to under the left arm. The benefit of this shift is this position keeps the dog back while heeling and allows the handler to use the left hand to hold the lead. The trainer shows the dog the tug, puts it under his arm and then starts heeling. At the point of release, the trainer gives the release command and then lifts the left elbow, allowing the tug to drop straight down into the dog's face. Some caution needs to be shown as strong or highly prey driven dogs can bite the trainer's left arm or side on the release. If this is an issue either don't do it or wear a protective vest or clothing in the beginning. Even working at more advanced levels, I often intermix the two ideas. Where I want more control for the release, such as for a front sit or capping, I'll keep the tug on my shoulder. If I'm working on straightening the dog during heeling, I might put it under my left arm.

While this article only concerns obedience, the release is also important in protection and, to a lesser degree, tracking. I will address these areas in the future as the techniques and purposes are different; however, the release can move beyond just heeling in obedience. As an example, when I am teaching the moving sit or down, I might give the release command when I am walking away from the dog with my back to it. I simply give the command and throw the tug over my shoulder. Or, as I am walking back to the dog, I might have the tug hidden behind me and give a release command as I approach, throwing the tug to the sitting dog. This keeps the dog focused on me all through the work instead of looking around while I move away.

Notice I didn't mention the stand, as I don't want to ever give a release to a standing dog while I am away from the dog. It only encourages the dog to move forward on the release.

The demands of working dog training make the job of focus by the dog among the most important things we can teach. What the conventional approach of releasing a dog doesn't give us, adjustments and a shift in the trainer's goals can create greater focus on the handler and more control of the drive.