09/06/2026
There are many roads to Rome. My approach to building the "Out" starts long before my dog ever sees a sleeve.
I build it in tug. Two toys, short reps. Out is called, dead toy becomes live toy instantly. The payoff for releasing fast, is getting back in the game fast. The dog works that out quickly.
As the habit forms I raise the criteria. Pause between out and re-engage. Toy value varied. Eventually the game runs with everything she owns on the ground around us. The only toy that matters is the one I'm offering.
By the time the sleeve appears, the release is second nature. I'm not building anything new. I'm asking her to apply something she already knows somewhere the stakes are higher.
And because I haven't built it with correction, she never reaches the point where she thinks: I want this so badly I'll just take the hit.
That's the foundation I want before I even think of asking for it on the protection field.
