# Schutzhund Heeling



## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

Do all the dogs at trials do the heads-up heeling? Just wondering, I've decided to train Balto for the BH.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

It's not a requirement but you will get higher scores for it.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

The head looking up is focus. The dog can walk straight ahead and not look at you, but the whole routine will not be as high point wise. The judge will also tell you, should have better attention on handler. The other problem is a dog that's NOT looking at you will also be sloppier looking on corners, etc.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

It's not a requirement, but it does lead to higher scores. Partly because of the picture it presents, and partly because as Angela mentioned the attention helps keep the dog from missing changes of pace/direction.

It becomes more important for points the higher you advance through titles. For a BH, so long as the dog performs the exercises correctly, focus or not won't make much difference.


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## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

I'm very fat, so my dog looks at my feet. LOL! That's focus.










I'm on a diet, so after we finish our Rally Excellent title, I'll retrain with a new command word.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I met a trainer once that said that he dog should look at the EYES of the handler and never to any other part of the handler's body.

Of course he was a man trainer that doesn't have a couple of big obstacles on the way for the dog to look directly to the eyes of their female handlers...


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

> Originally Posted By: LicanAntaiI met a trainer once that said that he dog should look at the EYES of the handler and never to any other part of the handler's body.


Sure, if both dog and handler have body types that can do it. Not all GSD's can crane their necks like mals, and not all handlers have body types to allow this. There is virtually no way to tell the difference between focusing on the eyes, or the shoulder or ever the chest for that matter.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

And this trainer is also no more than 5 ft tall. It's easier when you and your dog are almost at the same eye level, LOL!


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSD There is virtually no way to tell the difference between focusing on the eyes, or the shoulder or ever the chest for that matter.


Yep, and I've also found that with the toy, he's looking at the toy (usually under my chin on the left like a phone), but when we heel without the toy, he looks at my eyes.


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## Deejays_Owner (Oct 5, 2005)

It's a fine line as long as the dog is not overly crowding & bumping too much.
I don't fine it correct, when the handler is fighting the dog to walk straight.
Even if the attention is great, the dog is pushing the handler.
Don't like this wrapping around look myself.


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## mjbgsd (Jun 29, 2004)

> Quote:The dog can walk straight ahead and not look at you, but the whole routine will not be as high point wise. The judge will also tell you, should have better attention on handler.


About that, I've noticed that a judge will pick a dog that is focusing but with crooked walking over a dog that is heeling perfect but without the craned neck look. 
I read somewhere that they had to put in the rules that a dog does NOT have to do this in order to get the title. Am I wrong??



> Quote:The other problem is a dog that's NOT looking at you will also be sloppier looking on corners, etc.


Not really, when Cody was in OB before I went into SchH, he had perfect heeling whether it was with turns, about turns, etc. When I started SchH with him and started doing the focus work, he started to swing his butt out so his head could look up at me, I stopped that and started taking the focus back out and his heeling returned to straight prefect heeling without looking sloppy. I think it just depends on how you train the dog. Considering I started out with AKC OB where the dog must be perfectly straight when heeling, I have always trained my dogs to be prefect at heeling whether they choose to look at me or not. I like Isa to look at me while heeling but it's not a must since I care more about her being correct on everything. Focus is not everything IMO. But it does look nice to a degree.


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## SeriousConfusion (Aug 2, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: LicanAntaiI met a trainer once that said that he dog should look at the EYES of the handler and never to any other part of the handler's body.



My club used to have me correct my dog for not looking directly into my eyes....my heeling started taking a downward spiral because I think my dog didn't feel comfortable starting in my eyes that long, so he'd look past my eyes.. I'd be told to correct... he'd have less and less eye contact and more and more corrections...Until our heeling went to poo.
Now I am starting all over again, building back my relationship and my dog's confidence.


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

You are not alone. I'm sure 99.999% of people that post here have taken a dog that heeled almost perfectly and totally screwed them up. Been there, done that. Would like to say I won't, but probably will again at some point.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: Chris WildIt's not a requirement, but it does lead to higher scores. Partly because of the picture it presents, and partly because as Angela mentioned the attention helps keep the dog from missing changes of pace/direction.
> 
> It becomes more important for points the higher you advance through titles. For a BH, so long as the dog performs the exercises correctly, focus or not won't make much difference.


If you are planning on going to the SCH1-3 levels, work on the focused heeling now. Build the foundation of what you want to see at the higher levels. It takes a bit longer, but it will pay off as you start going through the levels.

Gabor does this with his dogs.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Agree with Sue. Always train for the highest level you plan on participating.


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

You will get grief from people that think that you are taking too long in all phases. Sort of like rushing the dumbell – dog is still chewing and does not hold it all the time, but people will push to get to the whole exercise, instead of ensuring solid retrieves, add in the other section and possibly do jumps separately and then together.

Same with protection work. Gabor has had dogs that he is doing helper work on that he has pulled back to the leather, as people would rush to get to the hard sleeve. Grips were not solid and full – went back to the foundation.

And it will be frustrating, but it pays off in the end.....


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## windwalker718 (Oct 9, 2008)

someone else posted the link for the Mohnwiese site and his method of teaching attention heeling from puppyhood. It was quite clear and interesting so will repost it on this thread for those who haven't seen it.

http://www.grammozis.de/


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## SeriousConfusion (Aug 2, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: ZeusGSDYou are not alone. I'm sure 99.999% of people that post here have taken a dog that heeled almost perfectly and totally screwed them up. Been there, done that. Would like to say I won't, but probably will again at some point.


It's nice to hear that. Thanks.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I remember at a Flinks' seminar several years ago, he kept asking, "why are you teaching exercises when the dog does not bite?" People are always in a rush.


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## big_dog7777 (Apr 6, 2004)

Because people want to say "My six month old is a BEAST!!! He's already on a hard sleeve!".


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## Smithie86 (Jan 9, 2001)

Exactly.


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