# Heeling question



## Phay1018 (Nov 4, 2006)

So Eagle is my first working line shepherd pup and our goal is agility. We started basic obedience classes this past week and our instructer is also an agility instructer/handler... We were talking and she suggested teaching him heel on the right side as opposed to left. I didn't have time to get into talking about it more, was curious what all you agility people teach your own dogs? Do you teach to heel on both sides? Left? Right? why? I've been doing a bit of both with him but don't want to do anything to make it harder on him in the long run or confuse him more. I like him to be on my left when walking on roads at least. 

Also do you teach a "tight/close" heel or looser with more room? All new to me and trying to start this boy on the right track! He's a smarty pants, doing really well learning all his basic obedience and has great focus!! Very happy with him! 

Thanks!


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

If you planning on taking agility classes you definitely want to work him on both sides because you will be doing so in class. You can still walk with him mostly on your left, but maybe vary a small portion of each walk so that he's comfortable on either side of you. I had never worked with Dena on the right until her first agility class at just over a year old, and at first she kept trying to gravitate to my left side, and I had to work on that. Any time we did an obstacle or short sequence we did it once or twice on one side and then alternated, doing it once or twice on the other side.


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## Phay1018 (Nov 4, 2006)

Thanks- it makes sense. I was thinking possibly teaching him a different word for left side heeling on walks- the thing is I don't need him to be in a perfect heel for walks, just off to the left as opposed to being on the right and in the road... but I don't wanna confuse the poor pupper either


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## kleinenHain (Sep 20, 2007)

As you know Max does many different things SAR, tracking, obedience and agility. I find using different commands and or different Equipment helps a lot. 

for example, when I put Max's harness on he knows we are going to track and he started working even before we get to the track.

When we are in heel I have one command and if I want him on my other side I use a hand signal.

I see a lot of dogs in agility where the handlers say left or right, so cool.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

For my agility dog (Ginger) I taught her "heel" (left) originally in obedience class as that was how it was taught, but then later when we started agility I also taught her "side" (heel on right) so she knew commands for both sides. I usually used the left in normal situations because that was the easiest/safest and sometimes used the right in agility or if I needed her to move to my other side for something.


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## ArtistInNature (Mar 20, 2008)

I taught Suka obedience before agility; she has lovely heeling, and we compete occasionally in obedience. I had to spend a little extra time getting her comfortable running on my right when we started training for agility. My new pup is being taught to run on both sides of me, and to run in circles with me (a la Greg Derrett foundation video), etc. I'll probably also teach her an obedience heel - it can come in very handy when you need to maneuver your dog through a crowded ringside situation.

If we're just walking on leash and I don't care about heeling, I say "let's go". Suka understands the difference.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

DEFINITELY teach your dog to be equally comfortable working on both your right and left sides. Agility courses purposely have many changes in side put in, so if your dog is more comfortable looking for you on one side or the other, it can be an issue down the road.


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