# YAY!!!! Shasta offleash heel!!!



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

So since it started getting cooler, Shasta has had a great deal more energy so i've had to start taking her out on her 20ft line to run around to release some of that energy. After she runs it off and has the brain to focus again, we do some basic commands (sit, down, stop). She knows she's always supposed to heel unless i tell her 'free'. Well when we started heading back home, i unclicked the lead from her collar at the end of our driveway. We walked up the driveway and the sidewalk to the front door, stopped a couple times in which when i said 'stop' she stopped and sat next to me. We did a couple turns of offleash heeling from the front door to the end of the driveway and back up which is about 20ft or so. 4 turns up and down and perfect heel!! 

I'm so proud of her!!! She actually heeled better offleash at that time than she did on leash haha. probably because she's tired but she's usually pretty good about heeling anyway. Thats the longest she's gone offleash heeling so far. Not many distractions though. We're still working on that one. But had to brag on my girl! She did sooooo good!!!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

That's super! Your Shasta off leash, my Shasta on a flat collar. What's next, world peace?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

paulag1955 said:


> That's super! Your Shasta off leash, my Shasta on a flat collar. What's next, world peace?


 
hey its possible!!! My Shasta has mostly been on a flat collar lately. I really only use her prong when we go to petco so far since being home and walking around the neighborhood she does pretty good. Sounds like we're both on a roll. 

We do need to keep working on focus. Tested her today with it and she did pretty good until another dog came in the picture and i was totally forgotten so we need to work on that but otherwise she's doing pretty good i think! 

She did also just about take me out a couple times when i told her to come and she came barreling at me. Knocked me in my bad knee once but not hard enough to take me down or cause any serious issue. Just a little sore but she made up for it with kisses. Gonna work with her more tomorrow. Maybe, if i'm lucky get a video of it.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

We're still working on focus, too. Another dog is still a major distraction - she needs to be on a leash for sure - but at least now I *can* get her attention, even if only briefly, and she registers a click and will take a treat. I know it doesn't sound like much but it is such a huge improvement over a few months ago when a dog barking two blocks away was such a huge distraction, she forgot not only that I was standing there but even that I existed.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

paulag1955 said:


> We're still working on focus, too. Another dog is still a major distraction - she needs to be on a leash for sure - but at least now I *can* get her attention, even if only briefly, and she registers a click and will take a treat. I know it doesn't sound like much but it is such a huge improvement over a few months ago when a dog barking two blocks away was such a huge distraction, she forgot not only that I was standing there but even that I existed.


 
Oh yeah, another dog around she does need to be leashed. I dont think her recall would work too well in that case just yet. 

haha, i'm just surprised i get ANY kind of reaction when she see's another dog. She does great when we're walking as she remembers her manners and the rules but sitting still and just watching from a distance... .the whining gets a little crazy sometimes so thats another thing we're going to work on. Today we were sitting at one of the playgrounds and she spotted this adorable pit mix (i love this dog, she's the sweetest silliest pit mix i've met in a long time) and Shasta couldnt stop watching her for anything. I sat there flicking her ears and it didnt even register. Was pulling on her lips, poking her in the cheek, pinching her... nothing. Not even a flinch she was that interested in that dog. She wants sooooo badly to play with every dog she see's but so far the only ones she's been allowed to play with have been the huskies who escape their yards and go on adventures around the neighborhood! Oh and a sheltie puppy she met at petco yesterday. Beyond that, she's apparently not allowed to be friends. I feel bad for her because all she wants to do is race around with another dog.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

People are hesitant about letting our Shasta near their dogs, too, but I don't blame them when she's all barking and lunging. We met a GREAT border collie/GSD mix at the dog park. She was faster than Shasta and played rougher. Shasta had the best time ever playing with that dog. It was so nice to run into another dog owner who didn't freak out over how Shasta plays.

P.S. I want another sheltie. And I WILL have my way on this.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

isn't it great when they heel off lead. once Shasta has a
sound heel you could turn it up a notch and teach her to heel
on either side with or without a leash. 

for the longest time my dog heeled better off leash. i have no idea why.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

doggiedad said:


> isn't it great when they heel off lead. once Shasta has a
> sound heel you could turn it up a notch and teach her to heel
> on either side with or without a leash.
> 
> for the longest time my dog heeled better off leash. i have no idea why.


 
i dunno. its strange. I mean she's really good on leash the majority of the time but she's doing pretty darn good offleash just in the yard so far. Her recall is pretty good on the 20ft line so MAYBE sometime soon i'll take her to a fenced in area and test her off lead that way.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

Way to go Shasta:congratulations:! I have never put anything but are flat collar on My Shasta. We I walk sometimes I put on her head lead. It works really well. She heals and stops when I say stop. She will stop and sit when I stop because she knows now that I will not walk any further until she does. Are the prong collars better than the head leads?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

tami97 said:


> Way to go Shasta:congratulations:! I have never put anything but are flat collar on My Shasta. We I walk sometimes I put on her head lead. It works really well. She heals and stops when I say stop. She will stop and sit when I stop because she knows now that I will not walk any further until she does. Are the prong collars better than the head leads?


 
i personally prefer the prong collers over the head leads. I know i wouldnt be happy with something on my face like that so why would they? Plus the prong collar allows for a correction if necessary whereas the head collar would not. I've been leash training my Shasta since i brought her home at 12 weeks. When she was about 8 months old, i started her on the prong collar because she hit a stubborn stage and the flat collar just wasnt enough to get the message across it was my way, not hers. And she knows she stops and sits next to me otherwise she doesnt get any further lol.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

I may need to try that then. I was just worried that it would hurt her.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

tami97 said:


> I may need to try that then. I was just worried that it would hurt her.


 
nah. They're nicer than they look. I'm more concerned with choke chains/slip chains because they dont actually stop the dog or help control the dog. They can severely injure a dog who pulls by crushing their trachea though which can and will kill them. THATS why i prefer prongs. A properly fitted prong collar works wonders. Some trainers tell you to put a prong collar around your arm and give a "correction" and then try to same thing with a slip chain. The prong collar is nicer too because you can give a correction without having to move your arm a whole lot whereas the slip chain you'd have to jerk it pretty hard, pretty quick and you'd get more reaction from the movement instead of the correction itself which isnt what you want. You want the correction to be swift and easy instead of this big huge deal it would be with the slip chains.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

thanks I think Im going to get one.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

We used the prong collar on our Shasta, too, starting when she was 6 months. She pulled like a husky! We've just gotten to the point where we're going to be able to start tapering off on using the prong. I can guarantee you they don't hurt the dogs because Shasta comes running when she sees hers and sits nicely while we put it on and she always has.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

thanks, thats what ours does when she see the leash. sits down by the door. then I open and she waits till i say come.


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