Release cues give your dog
important information
When we are training our dogs, we want to be as clear as possible with them because that will help them understand what we ask. One way to be clear is to use “release cues”.
Two important release cues:
"ALL DONE!" MEANING I'M NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU RIGHT NOW!
I use "All Done" as a release cue that tells my dogs they are “off the clock” and we are finished working together or playing together, or whatever else we might have been doing. Essentially, it means that I am not available to them for the next few minutes and they should go be dogs and do dog things.
I also use this cue to mean "request denied" if my dogs ask me for something, for example, when I know they are looking for food or they want me to do something for them.
I often use a hand signal as my "All Done" cue. This signal seems to be universally understood by dogs and is based on American sign language. Here is the hand signal for ALL DONE derived from American Sign Language.
To train it, simply pair the cue (verbal and or hand) with ignoring your dog for a short period of time. Give the signal and walk away for 5 to 10 minutes. Your dog will quickly catch on.
"FREE" MEANING YOU CAN STOP DOING WHAT I JUST ASKED YOU TO DO!
I use "Free" as a release cue that tells my dogs they no longer have to maintain or hold the previous behaviour I requested. For example, if I ask my dog to sit, she should hold the sit until I release her either with a release cue or a cue to do another behaviour.
You can use whatever cue you like. Other possibilities are "Finished", "Break", "Release". Many people use "OK" because that word comes naturally to us> Just be aware that we use "OK" a lot and you want to be careful that you are not confusing your dog if she hears it all the time in other contexts.
Two important release cues:
"ALL DONE!" MEANING I'M NOT AVAILABLE TO YOU RIGHT NOW!
I use "All Done" as a release cue that tells my dogs they are “off the clock” and we are finished working together or playing together, or whatever else we might have been doing. Essentially, it means that I am not available to them for the next few minutes and they should go be dogs and do dog things.
I also use this cue to mean "request denied" if my dogs ask me for something, for example, when I know they are looking for food or they want me to do something for them.
I often use a hand signal as my "All Done" cue. This signal seems to be universally understood by dogs and is based on American sign language. Here is the hand signal for ALL DONE derived from American Sign Language.
To train it, simply pair the cue (verbal and or hand) with ignoring your dog for a short period of time. Give the signal and walk away for 5 to 10 minutes. Your dog will quickly catch on.
"FREE" MEANING YOU CAN STOP DOING WHAT I JUST ASKED YOU TO DO!
I use "Free" as a release cue that tells my dogs they no longer have to maintain or hold the previous behaviour I requested. For example, if I ask my dog to sit, she should hold the sit until I release her either with a release cue or a cue to do another behaviour.
You can use whatever cue you like. Other possibilities are "Finished", "Break", "Release". Many people use "OK" because that word comes naturally to us> Just be aware that we use "OK" a lot and you want to be careful that you are not confusing your dog if she hears it all the time in other contexts.