Release Cue
A short word ("ok", "free", "all done") that tells the dog they can leave the position — but the session is still ongoing.
The Release Cue is one of the most underrated training tools. Without it, the dog decides on their own when to break a sit, a stay, a down — which means none of those behaviours are ever truly reliable.
A Release Cue:
- is different from the End-of-Session Signal
- is short — said quickly and neutrally
- comes before any hand/body/food movement, not together with it — otherwise the dog learns to react to the movement instead of the word
After the Release Cue, the dog is still "on duty" — offering attention, waiting for the next task. They don't wander off to distractions.