Teaching your Dog to Heel

One of the most frustrating parts of dog ownership, from what I hear from so many people, is controlling the dog on the leash. This should be a pleasure and a time for you and your dog to exercise, explore and bond, never a chore. If you make the decision to work on heeling, you will find walking your dog much more pleasurable and something you do much more often, which is great for both of you.

To make this a success you must start out by introducing your dog to a leash. Attach the leash to the appropriate collar. I use a German pinch collar or martingale collar when I am walking. I will examine the different types of collars in another blog, since there are so many types available and so many philosophies on which type to use.

I do not use a flex-leash, or retractable leash for this purpose. The reason is that for a dog to heel, he must stay at your leg, not forging ahead and not lagging behind.

Once the leash is secure, lead the dog to your left side, this is where you will always walk your dog. That way he knows what to expect. Start walking at a quick pace. As you step off, say “Name, heel.”

If (when) the dog veers away from your path, then gently pop the leash and collar and say “no, heel”, adjusting him back into place. You decide which direction the walk takes, not the dog. When the dog is heeling in the correct place, always verbally praise and carry a treat to reinforce at first. The dog needs you to be clear verbally on what is right and what is wrong. The signals need to be like day and night.

Another issue I hear about often is dogs and especially puppies biting on or twirling around with their leash. For the biting, I say, “No heel, and pop the leash again.” Moving forward at a quick pace also leaves little time for this. The same holds true for the twirling, adjust the dog into place, say ‘No” and have quick forward motion. Again, praise correct behavior when it does happen. This can take time, stick with it, its an investment in all of your future walks.

Soon we will talk about having the dog sit each time you stop, but for now, what you are trying to accomplish is the dog becoming comfortable and expecting you to be the leader on the walk. (See blog entry on Pack Mentality). Depending on the purpose of the walk, I either allow sniffing and stopping or not. For our morning walks, which are for exercise and relief, we walk and allow sniffing in certain areas, so the relief happens in a certain area. We determine where we walk, the dogs remain in heel position.

Common sense dictates that the distance and length of the walk depend on the breed. My labs need long, fast walks, smaller breeds will need less, unless you have a Jack Russell or other small high energy breed. There are ways to achieve the amount of walk you would like even if you have a large or high energy breed. Throw the ball or Frisbee first for a while to burn a good amount of energy off, then go on a walk. You will have a much better result. But remember that the walk is a different type of “work” for the dog, the retrieving should not replace the walk, it should be a completely different activity.

Mastering the “heel” takes time, depending on how often you work on it and how clear you are with your discipline and praise. These two components can shorten or lengthen the learning curve.

What you will also notice, if you add a second dog or puppy once the first one has mastered heeling, is that the second one falls into place in no time at all if you walk together.

This may seem stringent, but you will be rewarded with a dog who is at ease because you are leading and he knows what to expect. This again, provides the combination of physical and mental work for the dog, which they all thrive on.

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 This article was written by Caroline Oldham of http://dogtrainingonlinetips.com - your online source for training tips, real life stories and advice in dealing with dogs. We ask that you consult with a professional dog trainer, veterinarian or canine behaviorist before implementing any of the advice or opinions contained on this site.