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Dear Adam,

At first, I want to thank you for your information in your book and give us such opportunity to join your forum so that we can discuss and ask about our loving dog.

(To read more about the book she's referring to, take a look at http://www.dogproblems.com/secretsbook.htm)

It's so wonderful and precious to me.

I've also ordered your DVD a few days ago. I'm looking forward to it.

By the way, my problem is not in your book. I read some books and internet before I read your book. One of them suggested to use release command. And it was "OK". So I already taught my pup (9 months) "OK" for release. Now, I've read your book it's not a good idea to use "OK" but I've already taught him and I don't want to confuse him. I worry that if I change that word he think there are two release command.

What should I do? I appreciate any advice.

Thanks,
Yumi

[To those readers who are new to my newsletter, we use a release command to tell the dog when the exercise is finished. This means we don't need to give the dog a double command by saying "down" and then saying, "stay". In essence, "down" means go into the down-position and stay there until I come back and give you your release command. There really isn't any time you would tell your dog down and not expect him to stay, and this is why the "stay" command is redundant.)

Dear Yumi,

Not to worry. Your dog always looks at every day as a new day. So, if tomorrow you decide that Okay isn't the release command anymore, first teach your dog the new release command, I like Take a Break, and then start correcting the dog if she gets up when you say, Okay. Just be sure you don't use the same voice inflection as you do when you say, Take a Break. Remember, the real reason you're changing your release command in the first place: You don't want your dog to accidentally mistake the word Okay in common usage for being able to get up and finish the exercise.

That's all for now, folks!
Adam