The answer
Pay him in what he does care about. The trainers call this release to freedom and use it more than anything else. The command ends on a release word ('okay' or 'break'), and the release sends the dog straight back to the thing he wanted. One trainer answers the criticism that this is all negative reinforcement by naming the reward: what the dog wants to do instead of the command is go round sniffing everything, 'so my reward is just to let him go do it and give him a minute to do it'. In the September 2026 owner lessons it is handed to families as the default wage: freedom 'doesn't require you to carry anything extra' (Beo), the release replaces 'stay' and 'the reward can be okay go go go' to sniff, or 'cheese or anything else' (Reaper), and the owner is told to send the dog out to sniff whenever she does well (Stormi). The trainers rank it at the top, in their own words: 'release to freedom is king', 'I live and die by the release command', 'you don't need treats because the positive reinforcers whatever they're sniffing', and 'you can train them literally with just negative reinforcement and a release to freedom'.
They arrive at it by testing, not assuming. Bullet's trainer ranks the options on camera: treats, 'meh'; play, 'that's all right'; sniffing and exploring, 'far superior'. Whiskey's trainer ran a play assessment twice before concluding her primary reinforcer is 'a release of freedom'. Callie's trainer tried a ball and a tug on a line and settled on 'she likes freedom'. For dogs who would not take treats outdoors (Kalypso, Astro, Phoebe), the environment became the pay.
Four things make it work. The release has to mean something: said with excitement, a little party, the dog encouraged to actually leave. The trainers' test of a working release is a dog who goes from obedient to amped on the word, even with zoomies. The equipment has to be able to pay: on six feet of leash there is nothing to release the dog into, which is why these trainers use a long line or flexi. The recall has to pay too. A dog called away from a squirrel is sent back to it ('Is there anything wrong with you sending her back to where the squirrel was? No, right?'). As one trainer puts it, coming back must not close the dog's world down but reopen it. The thing the dog drags you towards can be turned into the pay the same way: once she has stopped steering for the water, walk up to it calmly, take the leash off, ask for a down for a minute, release - 'then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward' (Pepper). And the handler's role changes with it. A person who manages the whole walk becomes 'a source of restraint', while a person who hands out the freedom becomes the source of it.
The same idea can be read the other way. Telling a dog where he may not go is also telling him that everything inside the line is his: 'He's like, all of this is yours.'
The trainers also state its limits. It works only on a dog who wants to be released: when a dog is not receptive, 'I gotta do it a different way'. Several trainers still prefer to build play alongside it. One handler also uses it the other way round: when a tough dog fights a position, he locks the leash so she cannot go out and explore, and lets losing the exploring do the work. Two handlers independently say on camera that they dislike the phrase 'take away his freedom' because it 'sounds so dark', and neither offers a replacement.
A wider reading of the session record found the same wage in 22 more dogs' sessions, from Akira ('the release to freedom is a huge huge huge reward', rated above steak) to Thor's go-home walk ('that's all you need'). It also sharpens two points. One is the length of the pay: the freedom should last minutes, not ten seconds (Bun), and the release should be immediate, followed by time to return to neutral before the next ask (Samson; Irwin's 'several minutes of freedom'). The other is a use as a test: a dog who actually takes the freedom on 'okay' or 'break' is showing that she knows the command (Phoebe the Rottweiler). The bar can be very low for an excited rescue. One second of attention after a recall buys 'a lot of freedom again' (Lucia).
Angier K9 is a family-owned, play-based Board & Train serving Angier, Raleigh and the Triangle, with three full owner lessons.
What to do
Find out what your dog wants most on a walk by watching what he does when you let him choose: sniffing, exploring, running, water. Make that the pay. Ask for the behaviour, then release with an excited 'okay' (or 'break') and let him go and do it. If he stays glued to you after the release, encourage him away ('go, go'). Use a long line or flexi so there is somewhere to release him to. When you call him away from something and he comes, send him back to it. Don't end the fun every time he comes. Keep trying play alongside it, and if he doesn't care about being released either, talk to your trainer about a different approach.
What the trainers say
There's actually plenty of positive reinforcement going on here, because what is it that Louie wants to do instead of whatever it is that I ask him to do? Well, what he's doing currently, which is going around and sniffing everything. That's why he doesn't want to stay close to me, that's why he wants to pull on the on the leash is because he wants to go sniff everything so my reward is just to let him go do it and give him a minute to do it
release to freedom is king, it is the king, the king of the dog training, release to freedom and the tug, the playing of the tug, it is the king of the dog training
negative reinforcement release to freedom is king baby it's king and play is god
And then we live and die by the release command, right?
my experience normally the things they want the most are they want to just go do something else
you don't need treats because the positive reinforcers whatever they're sniffing right
than what I was just doing. If you have good timing, you know how to do it. You can train them literally with just negative reinforcement and a release to freedom
much about anything else. Treats, meh. Playing, that's all right. It's pretty good. But at the
My last couple of sessions with her have been play out in, like, a field. And what I discovered is that, I mean, like, her primary form of reinforcement is just, like, a release of freedom.
like actually it sucks when they don't when they're not like receptive to that though because then you're like i gotta do it a different way
like that's no good right and so that's one of the problems with like those short leashes um i don't use them that often because of that like i can't reward them the same way that i can with this
and so then what what is it what is your role end up being in the walk restrainer restrainer exactly restrainer um and so then you're not a source of freedom you're a source of restraint
her world smaller instead uh she gets her world reopened back um until lots of freedom right away
Is there anything wrong with you sending her back to where the squirrel was? No, right?
And I throw a little party, that makes the release cue more powerful, right?
doing it right is when they get they go from being obedient to being like incredibly amped
So you don't have to have treats all the time to train heel.
make it clear use just the right amount of negative reinforcement guide them depending on like their current understanding of what you want them to do and then a big release to freedom and a nice long break afterwards so that they can process and retain the information
that I'm taking away people's freedom. But what's happening is that I do the e-collar. If she's still trying to fight me, I will lock the leash in place to where she can't go out and explore. And then she's like, I guess I have to do it because she really loves to explore.
He's like, all of this is yours.
so that's an easy way to positively reinforce right and it doesn't require you to carry anything extra
There hasn't been a ton of like what you might think of as play, like there hasn't been like toys, but there has been lots of freedom, right?
and so then the release is simple because just to release the freedom it's just a reward by freedom right um or it could be you know whatever else you want cheese or anything else
Because then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward.
even be used as a like a reward there like i just did for the recall i positively reinforced it by setting up up and then making contact petting him praising him and then saying okay and releasing their freedom
I use that as a reward right like whenever she does good I like encourage her like go out sniff something
was really apprehensive going around the turn but he got it got a big relief of freedom lots of happy times and now i'm going to give him plenty of time to return to baseline
to freedom the release to freedom is a huge huge huge reward imagine i'm shoving steak in her mouth
that freedom and and that release sustains for a while right so it's not like 10 seconds later
negative reinforcement same thing with the sit but then he gets several minutes of freedom
thing um and for a lot of dogs the the easiest thing to do is just to release them into freedom
Typically I teach the heel primarily with negative reinforcement and a release command as the reward
one way that you can easily tell that the dog knows the command is if when you
sure that the release to freedom is you know immediate and then he needs plenty
using negative reinforcement and you're using release to freedom okay that's all you need you
How it looks, dog by dog
Bullet
Bullet is the dog for whom the choice was made by testing, with the ranking said out loud: treats 'meh', play 'all right', sniffing and exploring 'far superior'. On day one, before any command was taught, the trainer decided to work off a release to freedom 'for right now', until play could be built somewhere quieter. So the reward class is a stage, not a verdict.
On film
to freedom as the big reward because one thing that I have learned about Bullet is that the best
i think that i'm going to do best working off of a release to freedom here for right now
Deuce
Deuce's park session is where the technique is named, justified, limited and argued about in about ninety seconds. Block the freedom so there is none, then release to it. Connor calls it one of his favourite methods and says the case for it is a hyped dog who fights distance work because everything is distracting him, which is an impulse-control problem. He volunteers the limit (it is no good if the dog is not receptive) and his dislike of the phrase. Another session gives the whole contract in one line: when he gets out of position, the freedom goes away.
On film
Block them away, that way there's like no freedom there. Doing a release of freedom, that's one of my favorite methods for teaching.
receptive to that though because then you're like i gotta do it a different way but he is most dogs that are like hyped like that that fight the distance thing it's impulse control which means everything's distracting them
All right, he's going to learn that when he gets out of it, the freedom goes away.
Luna
Luna's lesson attaches the same name to a slightly different move. She is 'pretty tough', so when the collar alone is not settling a position, Connor locks the leash so she cannot go out and explore, and lets losing the exploring do the work. He calls it a dual reinforcement. The principle is to choose the lever from what this dog wants: she loves to explore, so the exploring is withheld instead of the pressure being raised. He too says he has to find a better way to say it.
On film
Sit. So, what I do with her, because she's pretty tough, is um it's a second technique you can do with the e-collar. It's called release to freedom.
And so it's kind of like a dual reinforcement.
Roxy
Roxy's file holds both the equipment argument and the re-testing. On the first session she is more interested in the environment than the toy, so it will be 'mostly release to freedom'. A failed rep shows the owners why short leashes are a problem: there is nothing to pay the dog with. The reward is then re-picked by context: freedom outdoors, tug indoors, the pool on a hot day. The current arc reads this as release to whatever activity is available, not a fixed ranking.
On film
it looks like I'm probably going to be using mostly release to freedom here, since she's going to have more interest in the environment and she's the toy.
we did I didn't spend as much time playing tug with her uh as I do with some dogs because she likes uh freedom on the walks more than she likes to talk. So, I use that.
that she loves the pool so that's a reward
Lola
Lola is a nervous dog, and her record shows the concept from the dog's side. Her recall is built so that coming back does not cost her freedom: she is released straight back into it, and her world is 'reopened'. The same contract applies to every position: comply, 'okay', run around. At her first lesson the owner names her own role on the walk ('restrainer'), and the trainer's reply turns a reactivity complaint into a question about who the handler is to the dog.
On film
Same thing with complying with, like, a position. Right? Like a sit. As soon as she complies with position, she gets to release the freedom.
I can pick this leash up and I don't have to like hold it tight and make the choice for her by managing. I can just hold it at the end. Mhm. Just make sure she makes a good decision.
Louie
Louie's file uses the concept to answer a criticism and then turns it into a gift. In the park, the trainer raises the objection himself (it may look like pure negative reinforcement) and answers it by naming the positive reinforcer: the sniffing Louie was pulling towards. On his first afternoon on his new owner's land, the owner walks the boundaries with him, marking the lines in Spanish. The narrating handler notices that the restriction is also a grant: everything inside the line is Louie's.
On film
reinforcement. And importantly, although it may look like, oh, well, all he's doing is just negatively reinforcing the dog, and that's how he's teaching all the commands.
So Louie has a lot of spots to run around in.
Dolce
Dolce is a protection dog, the kind of dog for whom a bite reward might be expected to top the list. Her handler still ranks release to freedom and the tug as 'the king of the dog training'.
On film
release to freedom is king, it is the king, the king of the dog training, release to freedom and the tug, the playing of the tug, it is the king of the dog training
Ace (Chihuahua-terrier mix)
Ace is a Chihuahua-terrier mix whose wage is sniffing and marking, not the ball. The trainer contrasts him with a ball-obsessed dog to make the point that each dog's reward differs. The long line or flexi with freedom is Ace's 'secret sauce'. The trainer says he was 'sold' on the release because outdoors dogs blow past treats. Most of a walk is the dog's own.
On film
But Ace, Ace is all about sniffing.
that's why i got kind of uh sold on the idea of just using the release command because then like his reward he doesn't care that much about treats
Kali
Kali's adventure walk states the method in one sentence: just the right amount of negative reinforcement for her current understanding, then a big release to freedom and a nice long break so she can process what she learned. Her distraction of the moment (rolling in the grass, sniffing) is the thing she is released to. On a September 2026 trail walk the same pay is given in plain view: after a down she has to be talked all the way into, the trainer releases her with 'Okay', scratches, then sends her off - 'Go do all the fun sniffies.'
On film
make it clear use just the right amount of negative reinforcement guide them depending on like their current understanding of what you want them to do and then a big release to freedom and a nice long break afterwards so that they can process and retain the information
Let go. Go. Go do all the fun sniffies. Go. Good girl.
Phoebe
Phoebe, a nervous Weimaraner, is paid in the ground. Every handler finds that independently, and Kelton, at the go-home, tells the owner not to discourage her sniffing because 'that's kind of her reward'. But her trainer-school instructor adds a caution: use the environment when that is what she wants, and 'still try the play', because getting some play going is preferable.
On film
wouldn't discourage her from sniffing on the ground because that's kind of her reward
Still try the play.
Astro
Astro would not take food outdoors, so his first heel is taught with negative reinforcement and paid with 'go sniff'. The trainer's summary of the hierarchy is 'release to freedom is king… and play is god'.
On film
negative reinforcement release to freedom is king baby it's king and play is god
Bernie
Heel was saved for the walk so the release could pay for it, and he leaps on 'okay' because, in the trainer's words, the word has become the precursor of 'all things that are awesome'. At the go-home, the trainer tells the family the heel is rewarded by 'a big release to freedom'.
On film
is that they see the word okay um said that particular way okay as like the the precursor
then he gets a big release to freedom
Callie
For Callie, the trainer tried a ball and a tug on a line, found she did not want to compete yet, and read the answer off the dog: 'she likes freedom'. Sit, place and down are paid with 'go sniffies' from then on. On a state-park hike, sniffing is called an easy, natural reward in that kind of environment.
On film
Well, she likes freedom,
the sniffies so i like this because it's a really easy way in this kind of environment to reward
Doja
At Doja's drop-off, the trainer tells the family the release is the reward, and sit and down imply the stay. The release is also what makes a recall possible: to practise one, the dog has to go away, and the release command makes her feel free to leave.
On film
that's why it's good to take them out on walks to proof it because to get them to to practice a recall they got to go away right that's why we do the release command so that they actually feel free to leave
Drago
Drago's trainer wants the release to be 'serious liberty and freedom'. He tells the owners to deliver it with excitement and a little party, so it doubles as the reward, and says they need no treats: 'just let him find his own fun'.
On film
So I want the release command to be serious liberty and freedom when he gets it.
right but that adds something super positive to his experience it doesn't require you to have any treats just let him find his own fun
Egg
With good timing, the trainer says, you can train a dog 'literally with just negative reinforcement and a release to freedom', and the dog warms to the trainer because the trainer becomes predictable.
On film
than what I was just doing. If you have good timing, you know how to do it. You can train them literally with just negative reinforcement and a release to freedom
Kalypso
Kalypso refused treats in her first two private lessons. The answer in the third is that whatever she is sniffing or chasing is the positive reinforcer. The recall is paid by sending her back to it, squirrel included.
On film
you don't need treats because the positive reinforcers whatever they're sniffing right
Poseidon
In Poseidon's household, a short clip of Hades explains that his heel was taught by negative reinforcement and paid with a release into freedom on a strong 'break', with no treats needed. With Poseidon in a store, the trainer adds the other half: if the dog stays stuck at your side after 'break', encourage him away. A released dog should feel free to go.
On film
the reward is just a release into freedom, right?
go if you see your dogs kind of stuck by your side like that once you've said break and they're free to go I like to encourage them like that break go go go
Stormy
Stormy's private lessons give the owners the test of a working release. 'Okay' should turn an obedient dog into an amped one, and zoomies on the word mean 'you did it right'. On walks, a sit while she is sniffing is paid with 'okay' and a return to exploring. The trainer names play and release to freedom as the best rewards for life.
On film
did it right because okay is supposed to be exciting because it's a reward marker right
you're always going to be using rewards right um the best one to use in my personal opinion is play or release to freedom
Whiskey
Whiskey is a sensitive dog. Her trainer ran a play assessment twice, found little interest in ball, tug or flirt pole, and reorganised her sessions around walks. Her primary reinforcer is 'a release of freedom', which, he notes, also allows longer sessions and more reps than personal play.
On film
we're gonna pay attention to what part of the game she likes the most and we're gonna try to emphasize that part of the game and
Wiley
Wiley's record ties the release to fairness. What most dogs want, the trainer tells a stranger, is to go and do something else, so 'i live and die by the release command'. When the dog is on a break he was never told not to greet anyone, so correcting him for it would be unfair. On a command, leaving can be corrected. A problem behaviour is best put on cue, with one thing forbidden and 'everything else… fair game'.
On film
mostly just sniff stuff and so like i live and die by the release command
right but that way you can like tell them okay do it or don't do it like right there i told him come and then i put him in the heel so then it's like okay he knows he's supposed to be doing something else so then if he doesn't do that i can punish it
But everything else, up until you get to that point, fair game.
Beo
At his first in-program owner lesson Kelton lists Beo's rewards for the owner - contact, anything exciting, and freedom: 'that's the release the freedom part', where Beo runs around and is free, 'a big' hit of dopamine for him - and adds that it is an easy way to reinforce that 'doesn't require you to carry anything extra'. On a park walk the day before, his trainer tells the camera that there has been plenty of positive reinforcement although there have been no treats and no toys: 'there has been lots of freedom', plus time between reps to return to baseline.
On film
right and that's the release the freedom part where I go bail sick and then I go good job and he runs around and now he's free like that's a big like first of like dopamine for him
so that's an easy way to positively reinforce right and it doesn't require you to carry anything extra
There hasn't been treats.
There hasn't been a ton of like what you might think of as play, like there hasn't been like toys, but there has been lots of freedom, right?
Reaper
The trainer explains release to freedom to both owners as the mechanic to keep using: ask for the position, and it is implied the dog stays until 'okay', so 'stay' is never needed; then 'the reward can be okay go go go' and he goes to sniff - 'just a reward by freedom', or cheese or anything else if you prefer.
On film
so the release to freedom is essentially just if you ask them to do a thing
the reward can be okay go go go go go go and then they go sniff and do whatever they're doing
and so then the release is simple because just to release the freedom it's just a reward by freedom right um or it could be you know whatever else you want cheese or anything else
Stormi
The owner says she loves Stormi sniffing on walks but not her ignoring 'come'; the trainer answers that the sniffing is already the reward - whenever she does well he sends her out to sniff something - and that the price is that recall and 'let's go' are obeyed. Her arc records sniffing as the reward that was found when toys failed.
On film
I really like when she goes on walks and she smells yeah like around and everything but I just don't like that she doesn't listen when I tell her to come
I use that as a reward right like whenever she does good I like encourage her like go out sniff something
Pepper
Pepper steers the family toward the water on a familiar route. The trainer's plan is in two halves: first walk past it and correct every attempt until she stops trying; then make the water the pay - a calm approach, leash off, a down for a minute, and the release into it. 'Then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward.'
On film
Once that anticipation's gone, like for my dogs, what I like is I walk up to the thing they really love, like something like that, and I'll go, all right, now the rule is you have to walk up to it very calmly.
I'm going to take your leash off, and I'm going to tell you to down and like sit there for a minute, and then when I release you, you can jump it, right?
Because then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward.
Kane
After a recall the trainer asks Kane up ('up up' with a chest tap), pets and praises him, and finishes with 'okay', describing it as positive reinforcement that ends in 'releasing their freedom'.
On film
even be used as a like a reward there like i just did for the recall i positively reinforced it by setting up up and then making contact petting him praising him and then saying okay and releasing their freedom
Bandit
Bandit gets heel turns wrong twice - lagging, then going round the wrong side - and gets the third right but apprehensively. That rep is paid big: 'a big relief of freedom' and then downtime to return to baseline before anything more is asked. His arc records the house line against treats ('the relationship is not a bank') with freedom named as the main replacement.
On film
was really apprehensive going around the turn but he got it got a big relief of freedom lots of happy times and now i'm going to give him plenty of time to return to baseline
So I gave him a big reward because he did it right.
Akira
Freedom is named as the whole method for Akira: negative reinforcement plus release to freedom, with the trainer rating the run-and-sniff above food in so many words. At the owner lesson it is listed among the reinforcers as the one owners can use on walks.
On film
to freedom the release to freedom is a huge huge huge reward imagine i'm shoving steak in her mouth
be sniffed in the forest is more salient more potent much more potent than any steak could
Baxter
In Baxter's first private lesson the release is explained as the pay for a duration sit: he holds, hears 'okay', and takes off, and the trainer adds play on top.
On film
he's sitting he's sitting he's sitting and then I go okay and then he takes off because he knows
Bun
Bun's sessions add the length of the pay. Every time he ends up in the down on the word he gets the release, and the freedom is meant to last minutes, not ten seconds. Later the same clip is used to teach the idea: the freedom is the reward and also the relief from the pressure.
On film
body position specifically when I say down you get up you get freedom you get
that freedom and and that release sustains for a while right so it's not like 10 seconds later
Right, so that freedom that's the reward right he gets to go do whatever he wants and sniff and like enjoy himself for a few
Hattie
On Hattie's recall walk the release command is given after each recall so she can go back to exploring; the trainer's reason is that the goal is dogs with personalities, not robots.
On film
sniff around which is okay as long as we give that command because we don't want to just have
Irwin
Irwin's park session states the formula: he gets what he wants, the recall and the sit are asked for every so often with negative reinforcement, and each is paid with several minutes of freedom.
On film
He gets what he wants. There's lots of environmental stimulation. But every once in a
negative reinforcement same thing with the sit but then he gets several minutes of freedom
Josephine
At Josephine's go-home lesson the owners are told that, with no treats in hand, the easiest reward for many dogs is the release into freedom, and Josephine, interested in the environment, is the example.
On film
thing um and for a lot of dogs the the easiest thing to do is just to release them into freedom
Josi
Josi's recalls end with 'okay, go have fun', and a heel block ends with 'Go sniffies ... Break it'. When she chooses to stay with the handler instead, that is allowed too.
On film
girl smart girl smart girl smart girl smart girl good girl okay go have fun
Go sniffies. Go, go, go. Break it. Go.
You just want to walk with me? That's fine.
Kodak
Shown with Rocko, Kodak's housemate. After a recall he is sent straight back out to sniff where the other dog had been.
On film
here we go yeah oh god go go go go go sniffies you can go sniff where she was i love rocco he's
Louie
For the other Louie, the release word at the start of the walk sends him off to sniff, and the trainer says 'the sniff is the treat'.
On film
i say heartbreak and then he i can sniff and he goes off and sniffs the sniff is
the treat and ultimately i think that's like that's really where we had been missing this
Lucia
With an excited rescue on a busy walk the bar is set low: one second of attention after the recall earns 'a lot of freedom again'.
On film
So I'm teaching her here that if she comes to me
then she gets to enjoy a lot of freedom again.
Max (Goldendoodle)
Kelton uses freedom with Max in public: let him take it, go meet people and see things, which then gives the chance to proof the commands while he is amped. The release is kept clean so that he never has to keep checking in while free.
On film
And so then I'm just using a release to freedom,
but then I have to be able to let them take that freedom,
go, go crazy with it and have a great time.
Milo
Milo was less keen on the ball than on sniffing, so the advice at the session is simply to pay him in sniffing: 'negative reinforcement to freedom'.
On film
Yeah, so then just use the sniffing.
Yeah, negative reinforcement to freedom.
Murphy
Murphy's heel is taught with negative reinforcement and a release into freedom as the reward, and 'okay' is defined for him as 'find your own fun'.
On film
And with Murphy we're just doing a release into freedom
your own fun go sniff whatever you want easy right means all right like relax everything's
Oscar
Oscar is released with a completely free 'okay': he does not have to come back, because the freedom is the reward. At the go-home lesson the trainer calls environmental rewards a favourite.
On film
And okay is completely free so he can go where he wants. He did not have to come
So that's the other big thing is environmental rewards are my favorite.
Peque (PK)
At PK's handover the walk is explained as ending the heel on 'okay' so she can walk ahead and sniff 'like regular dogs do'. Elsewhere freedom after a sit is counted as access, added on top of the pressure going away.
On film
We encourage them to walk around, walk in front of us and sniff things like regular
sits okay good girl and now she's uh got freedom right so pressure off so the combo of those two
Phoebe (the Rottweiler)
Downtown with Phoebe, the trainer gives the release a second use: a dog who actually takes the freedom when she hears 'break' or 'okay' is showing that she knows the command.
On film
and she's free to go do the thing now and she's taking the freedom so that's
one way that you can easily tell that the dog knows the command is if when you
Rocky
Rocky's recall is taught on the flat collar with a little negative reinforcement and a release to freedom. At the owner meeting the trainer says that release of freedom is used 'more often than not', because okay means 'i get to go do whatever i want'.
On film
flat collar and then a release to freedom so i'm just teaching him the behavior with the flat collar
More often than not, we use release of freedom.
all right and then i go okay and then he goes woohoo because he knows okay means i get to
Samson
Samson's sessions add timing on both sides: the release must be immediate, and then there are minutes before the next ask so he can return to neutral. Heel is used to walk past a distraction (a ball, someone running), then he is released back to freedom.
On film
sure that the release to freedom is you know immediate and then he needs plenty
of time to return to neutral right so like if I did another recall and try to
walk through there and heel and then once we're past it then like release him
Shadow (German Shepherd puppy)
With the GSD puppy Shadow the reward has to beat what the park offers, so it is usually 'go run around and sniff'. Connor names the technique for a puppy who is still testing whether she can get out of a command: hold her in place until she does it, then free her.
On film
So when I use a combination of, like, my reward a lot of times is, like, especially with a dog like her, go run around and sniff.
trying to figure out if they can get out of it or not it's called release the
Teddy
On Teddy's heel reps each short stretch of heel ends in 'Okay. Go go' and a moment to look around.
On film
Heal. Nuh-uh. Heal. Okay. Go go
Look at stuff. Good boy. What is that dude? What was that? Teddy come. Let's go
Thor
At Thor's go-home lesson the walk is reduced to two parts, negative reinforcement and release to freedom, with no treats, and a flexi is used to give the freedom room.
On film
using negative reinforcement and you're using release to freedom okay that's all you need you
don't need treats or anything else it's actually simplified and it's also come here come on it's
Titan
Release to freedom is chosen for Titan on day one because 'he really wants to just be exploring', which makes it the reward he will work for.
On film
so he wouldn't titan hey buddy good job okay so i'm doing a release to freedom with him because
he really wants to just be exploring doing all his things so if i take away we do release freedom
Why it works
The stated mechanism is a trade with two halves. The first is subtraction: access to what the dog wants is held back by the leash, the line or the position, so there is 'no freedom there' (watch 03:46). The second is its return, timed to the behaviour. What the dog loses by breaking position is the access, not anything the handler does to him: 'when he gets out of it, the freedom goes away' (watch 10:41). Why it works on the dogs it works on is also stated. A hyped dog fights distance work because everything in the environment competes for him, so the competing thing is the obvious currency (watch 04:17). What the dog was pulling towards is the reward being paid (watch 18:29). Three conditions come with it, and all are stated on film. The dog must want to be released (watch 04:12). The release must be charged, with excitement, movement and a party, so the word itself predicts 'all things that are awesome' (watch 09:10; watch 05:47). And the equipment must be able to pay out: a long line or flexi, not six feet (watch 22:09). The trainers draw a consequence about the handler: he becomes either the restraint or the source of the freedom (watch 30:31). Inferred, not said: the handlers disagree on the label (negative reinforcement to get position, 'plenty of positive reinforcement', 'dual reinforcement') and never reconcile it. Nobody gives a test for 'receptive'. Nobody explains why the dog doesn't come to avoid the handler who removes the access. The obvious reading is that the handler becomes the predictor of the freedom, but no trainer says it. Coverage pass, 1 Oct 2026: two more conditions are stated on film. The freedom has to last: 'that release sustains for a while right so it's not like 10 seconds later' (watch 19:17). And it has to come at once, with time to return to neutral before the next ask (watch 10:26). One trainer also reads the release backwards, as evidence: a dog who takes the freedom knows the command (watch 17:22).
Where the trainers differ
Is release to freedom negative reinforcement or positive reinforcement?
One view
Negative reinforcement: the freedom is taken away so its return, or its continued absence, moves the dog into position. One handler calls the combination a 'dual reinforcement'.
On film
Block them away, that way there's like no freedom there. Doing a release of freedom, that's one of my favorite methods for teaching.
And so it's kind of like a dual reinforcement.
Another view
Positive reinforcement: the sniffing the dog wanted is the reward being paid, and calling the method purely negative misdescribes it.
On film
There's actually plenty of positive reinforcement going on here, because what is it that Louie wants to do instead of whatever it is that I ask him to do? Well, what he's doing currently, which is going around and sniffing everything.
you don't need treats because the positive reinforcers whatever they're sniffing right
so that's an easy way to positively reinforce right and it doesn't require you to carry anything extra
even be used as a like a reward there like i just did for the recall i positively reinforced it by setting up up and then making contact petting him praising him and then saying okay and releasing their freedom
and so then the release is simple because just to release the freedom it's just a reward by freedom right um or it could be you know whatever else you want cheese or anything else
How to read it
This is a disagreement about how to describe the method, not about what the handler does, and nobody on camera answers the other side. It matters commercially, because the page's wording decides which way the method is presented. Update 30 Sep 2026: three more handlers describe it to owners or the camera as positive reinforcement (Beo, Kane, Reaper); none of the new sessions takes side A's wording.
The name.
One view
The phrase is unusable on camera: 'take away his freedom' sounds dark.
On film
better way to say that because i don't like saying it that way nope um i don't like being like we're gonna take away his freedom like it just sounds so dark
technique you can do with the e-collar. It's called release to freedom. And I have to find a better way to say that cuz I don't like saying into the camera
Another view
It is the house term, used approvingly and as praise.
On film
if you ask mr kelton over here release to freedom is a goaded technique
release to freedom is king, it is the king, the king of the dog training, release to freedom and the tug, the playing of the tug, it is the king of the dog training
How to read it
Both objecting handlers keep using the phrase in the same breath. What the public page calls it is the owner's decision.
Is freedom the top reward, or the fallback while play is built?
One view
It is the top: 'release to freedom is king', 'I live and die by the release command', and dogs can be trained on it and negative reinforcement alone.
On film
negative reinforcement release to freedom is king baby it's king and play is god
than what I was just doing. If you have good timing, you know how to do it. You can train them literally with just negative reinforcement and a release to freedom
There hasn't been a ton of like what you might think of as play, like there hasn't been like toys, but there has been lots of freedom, right?
Another view
It is what you use for now. Keep building play, which is preferable when you can get it.
On film
i think that i'm going to do best working off of a release to freedom here for right now
the whole time, because if you can get to play a little while, that'd be preferable.
How to read it
Several handlers rank play level with freedom ('and play is god'; 'play or release to freedom'). The disagreement is about order, not about using both.
Is the reward a per-dog fact or a per-context question?
One view
Settle it per dog and build the sessions on it.
On film
My last couple of sessions with her have been play out in, like, a field. And what I discovered is that, I mean, like, her primary form of reinforcement is just, like, a release of freedom.
But Ace, Ace is all about sniffing.
Another view
Keep re-testing, because it changes with the venue, the weather and the week.
On film
that she loves the pool so that's a reward
the sniffies so i like this because it's a really easy way in this kind of environment to reward
How to read it
No session states a policy.
Common owner mistakes
- Walking the dog on a short leash. There is nowhere to release him to, so the release buys nothing.
On film
like that's no good right and so that's one of the problems with like those short leashes um i don't use them that often because of that like i can't reward them the same way that i can with this
Roxy · Watch at 22:09 ↗ - Calling the dog in and ending the fun, so the recall becomes the thing that costs him his world.
On film
her world smaller instead uh she gets her world reopened back um until lots of freedom right away
Lola · Watch at 2:51 ↗ Is there anything wrong with you sending her back to where the squirrel was? No, right?
Kalypso · Watch at 12:51 ↗ - Managing the whole walk with the leash, so the dog experiences you as the restraint.
On film
and so then what what is it what is your role end up being in the walk restrainer restrainer exactly restrainer um and so then you're not a source of freedom you're a source of restraint
Lola · Watch at 30:31 ↗ - Saying 'okay' flatly, so it doesn't mean anything to the dog.
On film
And I throw a little party, that makes the release cue more powerful, right?
Drago · Watch at 9:10 ↗ - Deciding what the dog's reward is instead of finding out.
On film
much about anything else. Treats, meh. Playing, that's all right. It's pretty good. But at the
Bullet · Watch at 10:09 ↗ - Correcting the dog for something he did while released, when he was never told not to.
On film
right but that way you can like tell them okay do it or don't do it like right there i told him come and then i put him in the heel so then it's like okay he knows he's supposed to be doing something else so then if he doesn't do that i can punish it
Wiley · Watch at 1:04 ↗ - Letting the thing the dog steers you towards stay a free-for-all, so she keeps taking you there, instead of turning it into the release she earns.
On film
Once that anticipation's gone, like for my dogs, what I like is I walk up to the thing they really love, like something like that, and I'll go, all right, now the rule is you have to walk up to it very calmly.
Watch at 7:32 ↗ Because then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward.
Watch at 7:51 ↗
Questions owners ask
What if my dog doesn't care about toys or food?
Then pay him in what he does care about. The trainers test treats, toys and freedom and rank them from what the dog actually does. Often the ranking is 'treats, meh; playing, that's all right', with sniffing and exploring 'far superior'. Ask for the behaviour, release him with an excited 'okay', and let him go. Several trainers say no treats are needed at all. At one 2026 owner lesson the trainer lists it as one of the dog's main rewards precisely because it 'doesn't require you to carry anything extra'.
On film
much about anything else. Treats, meh. Playing, that's all right. It's pretty good. But at the
you don't need treats because the positive reinforcers whatever they're sniffing right
so that's an easy way to positively reinforce right and it doesn't require you to carry anything extra
Isn't taking a dog's freedom away just punishment with a nicer name?
The trainers argue about this themselves. One describes holding the freedom back until the dog complies. Another says the method is full of positive reinforcement, because the sniffing the dog wanted is what he gets paid in. Two handlers say on camera that they dislike the phrase 'take away his freedom' because it sounds dark. What they agree on is the sequence: the dog does the thing, the release comes, and he gets what he wanted.
On film
reinforcement. And importantly, although it may look like, oh, well, all he's doing is just negatively reinforcing the dog, and that's how he's teaching all the commands.
better way to say that because i don't like saying it that way nope um i don't like being like we're gonna take away his freedom like it just sounds so dark
Why does my dog come back slower and slower when I call him?
Often because coming back ends the fun. The trainers build the recall the other way round. When he comes, he is sent straight back to what he left, squirrel included, so his world is reopened, not closed down.
On film
Is there anything wrong with you sending her back to where the squirrel was? No, right?
her world smaller instead uh she gets her world reopened back um until lots of freedom right away
How do I make 'okay' mean something?
Say it with excitement, move, throw a little party, and let him actually go. If he stays stuck at your side, encourage him away. One trainer's test is a dog who goes from obedient to amped on the word. Zoomies when he hears 'okay' mean 'you did it right'.
On film
And I throw a little party, that makes the release cue more powerful, right?
did it right because okay is supposed to be exciting because it's a reward marker right
the reward can be okay go go go go go go and then they go sniff and do whatever they're doing
Do I need a long line for this?
The trainers say you need something that lets you pay. On a short leash there is nowhere to release the dog to, which is why they use a long line or a flexi. Use whatever equipment your own trainer has agreed for your dog.
On film
like that's no good right and so that's one of the problems with like those short leashes um i don't use them that often because of that like i can't reward them the same way that i can with this
Does this work on every dog?
No, and the trainers say so. It depends on the dog wanting to be released. When a dog isn't receptive, 'you gotta do it a different way'. Several trainers keep building play alongside it, because play is preferable when you can get it.
On film
Still try the play.
like actually it sucks when they don't when they're not like receptive to that though because then you're like i gotta do it a different way
My dog drags me to the same spot every walk (the water, a field). Should I just never go there?
Not in this method; the spot becomes the pay. At one owner lesson the trainer splits it in two. First break the habit of steering: walk past it every time and correct each attempt until she walks by without trying. Then give it back as a reward on your terms - walk up calmly, take the leash off, ask for a down for a minute, and release her into it - 'then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward'.
On film
Once that anticipation's gone, like for my dogs, what I like is I walk up to the thing they really love, like something like that, and I'll go, all right, now the rule is you have to walk up to it very calmly.
I'm going to take your leash off, and I'm going to tell you to down and like sit there for a minute, and then when I release you, you can jump it, right?
Because then all of a sudden, the water's now your reward.
How long should the freedom last after the release?
Long enough to count as pay. With Bun the trainer says the freedom 'sustains for a while', minutes rather than ten seconds, so he can reset and enjoy himself. With Samson he makes the release immediate and then waits several minutes before asking for anything else, so the dog can return to neutral and learn from the rep. Irwin's formula on film is the same: a recall or a sit, then 'several minutes of freedom'.
On film
that freedom and and that release sustains for a while right so it's not like 10 seconds later
of time to return to neutral right so like if I did another recall and try to
negative reinforcement same thing with the sit but then he gets several minutes of freedom
The lesson
The goal
The handler can identify a dog's preferred activity by testing, deliver a charged release into it after a behaviour, and structure a walk so that compliance and recall buy freedom instead of ending it.
Learn first
See it done
- The reward ranking produced by testing and said out loud. Watch at 9:50 ↗
- A recall paid with 'go sniffies', then a sit paid with 'okay' and running. Watch at 3:11 ↗
- A recall paid by sending the dog back to the squirrel. Watch at 12:51 ↗
- Heel by negative reinforcement, paid with a release into freedom on 'break'. Watch at 3:31 ↗
The drill
On a long line or flexi in a place the dog finds interesting, let him choose what to do for a few minutes and note what he chooses. That is the wage. Then ask for one simple behaviour (a sit, a recall, a few steps of heel). The instant he complies, say 'okay' with energy, move, and send him to the thing he chose ('go sniff'). Give him real time there, then repeat with a minute or more between asks. For recalls, call him away from the interesting thing and send him back to it. If he stays stuck to you after the release, encourage him away. If the release produces no visible change in him, stop and rebuild the release word before using it as pay. (Bullet watch; Lola watch; Kalypso watch; Poseidon watch; Stormy watch.)
Watch out for
- Choosing the reward instead of finding it.
- A flat, quiet 'okay' that predicts nothing.
- A short leash, so there is nowhere to release him to.
- Recalls that always end the fun.
- Correcting the dog for doing things while released that he was never told not to do.
- Dropping play altogether instead of building it alongside.
- Turning a hard rep into more reps instead of paying it with freedom and time to return to baseline.
Check yourself
Your dog ignores treats outdoors and keeps pulling to a hedge. You call him and he comes. What do you do next? (Release him with an excited 'okay' and send him back to the hedge. That is the pay.)