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"Why should I teach my dog to heel?" (NEW! 1/14/04) Walking your dog on a loose lead is the
first step to really enjoying your walks together. By now, your dog has
hopefully found out that it’s fun to be with you, and he stays nearby because he
likes you. But just because he’s on a loose lead doesn’t mean that he’s staying
out from under your feet. He may be to the left or right, a bit in front of you,
or lagging behind sniffing the daisies. Teaching your dog to heel ensures that
you each know where the other is at all times. Your dog won’t be getting tangled in the
leash, and you won’t be tripping over him or stepping on his paws. "What exactly is the “Heel” position?" The “heel” position is where the dog is
walking next to your left leg, with 6 to 12 inches of space between his right shoulder
and your left leg. It is basically just tidying up the “loose lead” exercise that we
worked on in a previous lesson. Your dog shouldn’t be forging ahead so that if you make a
left turn you trip over him, nor should he be lagging behind where you can’t
keep an eye on what he’s up to. "How do I get my dog to Heel?" Once your dog understands the “loose lead” concept, getting him to walk at heel is quite easy. Hold the leash in your right hand and step forward with your left foot first. You can use your left hand to pat your leg, snap your fingers or encourage the dog to come closer to you. You can even give him a quick scratch on the head to keep his attention on you if he starts to get distracted. If he’s forging ahead, a gentle tap on the butt with one finger will often get him to turn around and look at you. Don’t use the leash to steer or pull the dog in the direction you want to go. He shouldn’t be treated like a suitcase that you’re dragging through the airport. An important thing to remember is that if the dog doesn’t get used to working on a loose leash now, you will not be able to get him to work off-lead in the future. The dog has to learn that his proper position is at your side, and he has to make the decision to stay there without you holding him in place with the leash. If he gets out of the proper position, use the same techniques that you learned in the Loose Lead lesson to get him to pay attention and get back where he belongs. If he’s forging ahead, you should change direction drastically so that he is brought up short with the leash. Remember that if you need to do a correction with the leash, you must give him a quick sharp snap of the leash and not get into a tug-a-war contest with him. One way to get a dog to stop forging ahead of you, is to make a sharp left turn, into the dog, and use your knee to shove him out of your way. Make believe you’re blind and don’t see the dog walking in your way. Stamp your feet quick and hard on the ground to make believe you are tripping over him, along with a loud and very exaggerated exclamation “Oh! You tripped me!" or “Get out of the way!" The better an actor you are, the more effective this technique is! It should be up to the dog to stay out from under your feet, rather than you having to step around or over the dog. The way for him to do that is for him to stay in his proper position next to you so that he can see you change direction and react accordingly. If he’s lagging behind, use your voice and body language to motivate him to catch up with you and walk beside you. If he’s lagging because he wants to stop and sniff every few feet, speed your own pace up and give him a quick snap with the leash to get his attention back on you and off the thing that has distracted him. Then once he looks up at you and starts moving forward, immediately start encouraging him, and then praise him when he catches up to you. It’s important to make sure that YOU are setting the pace! Don’t get in the habit of racing to keep up with your dog, or slowing down when your dog is lagging or stopping every few feet to sniff where other dogs have marked a tree or fencepost. You are the boss, you set the pace, and your dog must match you... Not the other way around! - Debbie Knatz
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PLEASE NOTE:
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