She wants to play. Now make the game mean something. This is where tug goes from “fun thing we do” to a training tool that builds impulse control, focus, and communication.
The rules are simple: you start the game, she ends it on command, and she re-engages to earn another round.
The Out Command
This is the single most important thing you teach in Phase 1. Out transfers directly to fetch (dropping the ball), to walking (disengaging from distractions), and to every interaction where you need her to let go of something.
Teaching Out — The Trade Method
Don’t pry the toy from her mouth. Don’t yell. Don’t squeeze her jaw. She needs to choose to let go.
Setup: You’re mid-tug, she’s gripping, the game is active.
- Go still. Stop all movement in the tug. Don’t pull, don’t shake. Just hold firm. A dead toy is a boring toy.
- Wait. She’ll keep pulling for a few seconds. Let her work it out.
- Present the trade. Hold a high-value treat right at her nose (not the side of her face — right in front of her nostrils). Other hand still holding the dead tug.
- The moment she releases the tug: Say “OUT” → YES → give the treat.
- Immediately re-engage with tug. The game comes back. Out doesn’t mean fun is over — it means fun is about to restart.
Critical: Say “out” AS she releases or right after, not before. You’re labeling the behavior she just did, not asking for it yet. The word gets paired with the action.
Fading the Treat Lure
Over 5-10 sessions, progress through these stages:
- Treat at nose → she releases → “OUT” + YES + treat → tug restarts
- Treat in closed fist at nose → she releases → “OUT” + YES + treat from other hand
- Empty hand at nose → she releases → “OUT” + YES + treat from pouch
- Say “OUT” first → dead toy → she releases → YES + tug restarts (tug IS the reward)
- Say “OUT” → she releases without you going dead → YES + tug restarts
At stage 5, the game itself is the reward for out. Treats become occasional, and the restart of tug is what she’s working for.
Out Troubleshooting
She won’t release even with a treat at her nose:
- You’re using too low-value treats. Bring the good stuff — real meat, cheese, whatever she can’t refuse.
- You’re still moving the tug. Go completely dead. Boring. Lifeless.
- She’s over-aroused. See Session Rescue scenario 1.
She releases but won’t re-engage:
- You ended the game too many times after out. She learned out = fun over. Fix: make sure tug restarts 4 out of 5 times after out. Only occasionally end the session on an out.
She “fake outs” (opens mouth but grabs again immediately):
- Wait for a full release — mouth open, toy drops or you can pull it away. Don’t mark the fake.
- If she regrabs, go dead again. Repeat. She’ll figure out that a real release is what works.
Re-Engagement
After she outs, she needs to earn the next round. This is where focus and handler engagement get built.
The Re-Engagement Sequence
- She outs. You hold the tug at your side, not hidden but not presented.
- Wait for eye contact. Don’t say anything. Don’t prompt. Just wait.
- She looks at you (even a glance) → YES → tug game restarts immediately
- Over time, require more: sustained eye contact (1 second, then 2, then 3) before the game restarts
What this teaches: The fastest way to get what you want (tug) is to check in with me. This is the exact same skill that makes loose lead walking work in Phase 3.
Making Re-Engagement Stronger
Once she’s consistently offering eye contact after out:
- Add duration: she has to hold eye contact for 2-3 seconds before the game restarts
- Add a behavior: sit → eye contact → tug restarts (this bridges into Stage 3)
- Move around between rounds — she has to find you, orient to you, then offer engagement
The Complete Sequence
Once out and re-engagement are working, every tug session looks like this:
Present tug → She grips → Active tug (10-20 sec)
→ "OUT" → She releases → Tug goes to your side
→ Wait for eye contact → She checks in
→ YES → Tug game restarts
→ Repeat 4-6 rounds
→ Final round: "OUT" → She releases
→ Calm GOOD + treat → BREAK → Session over
Key principle (Michael Ellis): You control the game. You decide when it starts, when it pauses, and when it ends. She doesn’t get to self-serve. But here’s the balance — the game should restart often enough that she trusts you’ll bring it back. If out always means game over, she’ll stop outing.
Rule of thumb: 80% of outs lead to game restart. 20% lead to session end.
Session Structure for This Stage
Warm-up: 3-5 marker reps, then a short tug bout (no rules, just play for 10 seconds) Main work:
- Out practice: 4-6 reps of the out sequence
- Re-engagement: after each out, wait for eye contact before restarting
- Keep rounds short (10-20 seconds of active tug) Cool-down: Final out → calm GOOD sequence → BREAK
Total: 5-10 minutes
Bonus Game Reps
During this stage, keep running It’s Your Choice and Find Me 1-2x per week. They directly reinforce what you’re building:
- It’s Your Choice = impulse control = out
- Find Me = handler orientation = re-engagement
Ready to Advance
Move to Stage 3: Obedience Integration when:
- Melon releases on “OUT” within 2 seconds (without a treat lure)
- She offers eye contact within 5 seconds after an out (without prompting)
- You can run 4-5 out → re-engage → restart cycles in a session smoothly
- She’s not mouthing your hands during play (grips the toy, not you)
- She stays engaged through the full session (doesn’t check out mid-way)
All criteria met across 2-3 consecutive sessions? Move on.