Ed in his OBD DVD teaches an adult dog the down stay. While the dog stays he keeps petting and praising him. For me this makes a bit a contradictory impression. I always understood petting and praising as forms of rewarding and rewards should come AFTER the release command. Or am I wrong?

Or is this just meant for the beginning, while the dog isn't yet familiar with the release command? Or do I have to look at it as support of a duration command?

when it comes to duration based exercises, It's a way to communicate to your dog that you are acknowledging what he's doing and that if he keeps up with that behavior, he will get the reward.

The trick is to not praise in a level of excitation

calm praise = Stay in the behavior, I like what you're doing
Marker/release = you completed the exercise, now let celebrate your efforts!

You can also use a calm "good" to enforce that it's not a release. The word itself isn't as important as the consistency in how it's used.

As said above, a "calm praise".

Yes I use a duration command "good"For example when heeling and they follow me near my leg and looking up to my eyes. Then I also give now and then a little reward in between without release.
I guess I thought wrong. I used the "good" only for exercises in movement, not for stationary ones.
Calm, yes, always. But after the release and a very praiseworthy performance I can show a bit more enthusiasm or not? A louder and a bit crazy reward event?

After the initial release I don't know that extra reward and praise will be connected to the behavior but I don't believe it will create an issue if it doesn't over stimulate the dog.

With the reward event after the release command I didn't mean them to connect, As they are released I only want to keep them focused on me, keep them in drive and attentive what command will come next.

If your using the "yes" for reward AND release that's where the loss of attention/focus come from.

The "yes" becomes a reward as well as "We're finished" words words.

My dogs have been taught the same thin in that the "yes" means reward and finish.

If I want them to stay focused I use the soft "good" command to let them know we aren't finished and that keeps them focused waiting for the next command.

In AKC the behaviors come within a few mins at most but in Schutzhund you may be on the fiels for 10-15 mins with many behaviors connected.

It's simply building duration between behaviors where I expect the dog to stay focused.

Even for a well mannered pet I expect the dog to stay focused unless I give a "Okay" and that means training or commands are over.

Example:
When playing fetch I give a "yes" when the dog brings the Kong or whatever I toss.

In that instance the marker "yes" brings the reward of me tossing the item again.

The game itself keeps the dog focused on me but if I give a "OK" that means the dog can keep the Kong or whatever I toss.

Confused yet?

No! Never!

For me the "ok" is like for you the "yes". Means: the exercise uis over and a reward is promised. The simplest reward event would be: I stepping back and the dog comes to me to get it. The more complicated ones would be walking or running in a straght line and make the dog follow and fetch it. Or to and fro and from time to time with a miss in the last moment. This I have from a DVD by M.E. and also from Forrest M.

After this event comes either a command for a rep of the exercise or a new com. This seems to be more or less the same as you're doing it. It keeps them focussed in between two exercises.

The duration command I only use for letting the dog know: It is right what you're doing, go on doing it. And this will be terminated again with a release+ reward(s!)

As I'm not doing any dog sports I can't compare with anyone of them.

You write: "Even for a well mannered pet I expect the dog to stay focused unless I give a "Okay" and that means training or commands are over." But if I've got it right, only the particular exercise is over, not the whole session. That's why I want the dog to remain focused, even if not 100%. A little sniffing somewhere is not excluded, nevertheless he has to focus on me rapidly if I call his name and give a new com. By using the rew.evt it often works without him being distracted.

What I find highly interesting is that you use two different release markers in games, one when he can keep the toy and another one when he has to bring it back to you. Mine always bring it back, they haven't learned it the other way. Maybe I should start trying this too, makes a lot of sense.

I guess it is a great reward for them to have the toy for a while, of course all within the rules of the game. I then could look at this as a reward instead of mostly giving treats. This reminds me on Balabanov's "possession games". He also allows his dogs to keep their toy for a while and enjoy it, but without a second marker. I must watch this DVD again.

But if your dog can have the toy how then do you do it, when you want to have it back? Do you have to go and get it yourself or do you have an extra command like "give it to me" for this?

My first GSD Thunder was a retrieving fool from the day I first tested him at about 4 weeks.

Trooper had no desire to fetch but I taught that to him with markers.

Because of his being pretty possessive he still gets great joy out of keeping the Kong.

Maybe not the best thing for a competition dog but he never has been.

When I do want Trooper to bring the Kong back it's a simple matter of giving the "Bring" command.

Another No, no for many is I let him keep the Kong in the yard all the time.

I did that with Thunder also.

He has no problem bringing the Kong when I say "find the Kong" but chances are he's standing at the door with it as soon as he hears me walking through the kitchen.

Either way Trooper is a very obedient dog so not obeying any command is never an issue for any reason.

Why would he. I still reward with food or toy to this day....randomly.

Reading your post again

"The simplest reward event would be: I stepping back and the dog comes to me to get it. The more complicated ones would be walking or running in a straght line and make the dog follow and fetch it."

If your running or walking in a straight line and make the dog follow and fetch it".

That tells me your moving ahead in the training before the close throws are rock solid.

To much distance to quickly in the training.