# "Heel"



## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

two part question... you can answer either or both...

A) how do you, personally, teach heel?

B) how would you teach heel with the following tools available to you? (leash, martingale collar, clicker, food reward, tug toy, pedestal/platform, pivot block)

I'm starting a new post mainly for part B. but feel free to discuss what's worked, what hasn't, pros/cons to different techniques, possible obstacles with each training method, as well as if your technique is useful for puppies, adults or both. also, for the intended purpose I am not talking about a performance/focused heel - but if necessary, please describe what heel means to you.

okay, enough info for now


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## Mary Beth (Apr 17, 2010)

I would define "heel" as having my dog walk on my left side and whenever I stop, he sits. Whether pup or adult, I would start in a quiet area, off leash, hold a treat in my left hand, when the dog comes up to my hand, wanting the treat, I say heel, walk a little bit when he follows he gets the treat. I then practice on the sitting whenever i stop. When he gets good at that, then introduce the leash and work in areas where there are distractios. I also keep the sessions short and end with a favorite game like tug or fetch.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

food lure, tug/ball,get the pup/dog in drive with engagement and have them push into me when rewarded. I want the drive to be huge so it can be capped later. Always reward after a few steps in the early stages...put the dog up in crate for a bit after training session is over(especially if it was a learning curve session)


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I am absolutely no good with food. Sorry. I use a martingale collar. 

The thing is, we have in the past, taught heel by stopping and not following the dog, turning in the other direction so the dog would be directed by the collar. But the whole premise is wrong. 

I mean, when we teach a thing, we stay close and do it in steps. Sit, lure the hand over the head and back, butt goes down, good SIT. And the hand signal and SIT, and the dog gets it, and puts the butt down and praise and treat. Soon the treat is just for the best sits, the sit in the proper position, etc. We add STAY, but we move in front, staying close. When we are good with that, we add some distance, and we add some time, and when we are good at a distance and for a longer period, we then factor in some distractions. 

Why in the world do we put a collar on the dog and a leash and expect the thing to walk along our side all the way around the block??? Bambarding the dog with time, distance/position, and distractions all at once.

I now teach heel with Rally. Regular walks, or going into the vet or groomers, I want a loose lead. Inside the store, I want a little more control. But generally, I will only HEEL across streets, always beginning with a SIT. 

When training heel, I like the rally quickness of courses. Two minutes. In that two minutes the dog walks on my left side with a loose lead. But he stops and sits, he stops and downs in place, he sits while I walk around him, we walk on and then to a 270 to the right. A few more steps and a 360 to a left and then we go through a serpentine. I come front and then back up three steps have him sit front each time. A finish to the right and forward without a sit, and then one of the screwy u-turns where the dog goes behind me and I switch hands on the lead. 

I think they used to call this stuff doodling. The dog learns that he must follow you for the changes. When he gets better and learns to follow with a few steps within changes, then I will usually lengthen that a little. 

As I said, I am terrible with treats. I don't like luring the dog into position or using a lure for anything but teaching a brand new thing, or teaching something like GENTLE. 

My trainer says on the first day of classes, "no more freebies, make them sit of that treat." I don't. Sorry, I would have to flunk me. If I have treats, I just give them the treat. I know the whole nine yards. And I will use treats for youngsters first learning. But after a pup has gotten through that first set of classes, I can communicate what I want with my mouth. The dog will do it, and if he does it right, he gets praise. If he doesn't, we try again, and the dog usually gets it, then I praise him.

Oh, and I don't need cones and signs to train heel with a rally kind of method. I think serpentine and do it, don't have cones.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

thanks for the responses so far everyone... I was hoping to get a few more by the end of the week. also, just a couple of questions... 

Onyx, thinking back to the initial sessions - are you luring the dog into position then keeping him there with frequent rewards, perhaps in a stationary position to start... or is the food in your hand in front of the dog to keep in position while moving and only released every few steps. fast pace, slow pace, straight line, frequent turns, etc...? thanks!

selzer I understand rally style OB but I've never taught it... if you're no good with food but said you use a martingale - are you teaching the correct position by collar response? frequent turns, constant movement, verbal praise? thanks 

any other techniques?


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

I teach heel off leash,just walking around purposefully until the puppy gets interested and follows.Then lure into proper position with food.Lots of praise and treat only for proper position and focus.Initially there is lots of direction changes to make things fun.We only spend a few minutes at a time before releasing for a game of tug or to chase a ball.
Position of the lure is important depending on the dog.Misty can look up at my arm and remain in position.Samson watches my leg.If he looks up he tends to crowd me and left turns are just too difficult for him.Treats are eventually phased out and the reward is release and play.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Whatever works for the pup as far as a lure goes - lure the dog into position, name it, praise it and reward it.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I think luring is great, it lets the puppy know where you want them position-wise and they will get into position to get the reward(shaping)...(focus/eye contact is when actually I reward, not so much for the position itself) But my goal is for IPO style heel/fuss.
Though, it would carry over for a 'heel' command. Instead of 'heel' which, IMO is a formal command, if I want my dog to just walk with me, that would be what I'd say...with me, or walk with me, casual type walk without the pulling.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Fodder said:


> thanks for the responses so far everyone... I was hoping to get a few more by the end of the week. also, just a couple of questions...
> 
> Onyx, thinking back to the initial sessions - are you luring the dog into position then keeping him there with frequent rewards, perhaps in a stationary position to start... or is the food in your hand in front of the dog to keep in position while moving and only released every few steps. fast pace, slow pace, straight line, frequent turns, etc...? thanks!
> 
> ...


 Yeah, I don't let the pup pull me, but mostly it is move this way for a couple of steps, then right turn 90 degrees, a few steps, SIT, With Me and after a few steps left 270 degrees, and then a few more steps, and an about turn. 

It is the frequent turning and occasional luring, Downs and sits intermingled with spirals, figure eights, come fronts and finishes that keeps the pup engaged, interested, and watching you for the changes.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

None of the above. You left out several options.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

LuvShepherds said:


> None of the above. You left out several options.


"you" as in who, and maybe you could elaborate on the options that were left out?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

^ lol, thanks!

the first question was how you teach it and the second question (unrelated to the first) was if the tools listed were all that was avail to you, how would you use them.

open forum... tell me all you know about heel  just know that if you list a specific tool that isn't listed - it may not be as useful to me as far as the purpose of this thread, but still share.


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## Lilo_vom_Haus_Weislogel (Oct 26, 2014)

A) Heel is a position, not a movement! Teach the position first...THEN teach the dog to move. Works wonders. Once they have the position correct start taking a small step to the right, then a big step, then a small step forward, etc.

B) Teaching a position, the easiest way is with food. Lure with food into the correct position and reward. Once they are in position require them to make eye contact, keep asking them to maintain eye contact longer until you reward.

This is for the heeling you would teach for IPO work, if you just want the dog to stay close then I'd still teach it the same way, just require the dog to do less before you reward.



Fodder said:


> two part question... you can answer either or both...
> 
> A) how do you, personally, teach heel?
> 
> ...


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

Using a choke collar and shorten up leash, have dog sit at your left side. Step off with left foot, say "heel"..if dog is not at your side, tug back on choke chain, say "sit". Stop, wait...start all over again. Repeat, repeat.. This is how I taught Stella, and after a while, she would heel without having her leash on..she walked at MY pace, if I stopped she automatically sat. Now, Fritz (16 months) does heel when asked, but most of our walks are loose leash, he does not tug.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

My trainer has me using a prong collar and no treats. She wants the dog working for me not food. Always start in sit position dog on left. My first step is always with left foot as I say heel. Dogs position is shoulder lined up with my legs. And basically use the prong collar to move him back, in, out, or forward. Watch as I make right turns, swing as I make left turns. Lots of verbal praise. Sit on my stop, more frequently for now to ingrain the behavior. Always ending on a sit with a release from heel. I basically already had him walking loose leash prior to visiting the trainer. By using a regular collar and treats. the prong collar just gives me the ability to place and redirect focus if needed.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

thank you for everyone who responded and unknowingly participated in somewhat of an experiment/study of mine. I work for an organization that trains service dogs and for a number of reasons that I won't get into we are limited in some of the techniques and equipment that we're permitted to use. an observation of mine is that not only is heeling a behavior that many of our clients have difficulties with - it's also been one of my assigned dogs weaker areas while it's my personal dogs strongest. so basically I was trying to find that missing link, exploring some other possibilities and tweaking the training with each of my 4 dogs - which is necessary anyway, but more so and using luring to the maximum (acceptable) extent. happy to report that they all tested beautifully in the heeling portion yesterday 

thanks again!!
should they all graduate and become guide dogs, know that you played a part, lol


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## Blitzkrieg1 (Jul 31, 2012)

You can teach a focussed heel with those tools easily. Not so much a pet heel, you will run into issues when it comes to proofing.

For focussed heel you simply use food.
Here is a short vid I did on this process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOddUDbQxQI

-Teach the dog the basic position via luring and markers
-Work some muscle memory heeling so he learns to keep his head up
-Then teach the dog to perch on the pedestal and move his rear end independant of his front end. You will need this for turns.
-Then back to muscle memory heeling with the dog pushing into your hand and start fading the food lure
-Transition to a toy (if the dog has drive), place toy in arm pit or on the outside of the dogs head
-You can place a line around the dogs neck and use your other hand to begin pulling him out of position forcing him to push back into position
This is excellent in that he learns well where the sweet spot is. if he forges or looks away simply apply pressure forward and away from you, he should fight the line so that he can get himself back under the toy (sweet spot).

-Fade the toy in and out over time. Utilize markers continuously. You can use line pressure pulling the dog out of position or sharp pops to correct looking away.

*Only use line pressure if the dog has drive for the toy. Otherwise it wont work so well.


For pet heeling save yourself some time get a prong and leash. Simply say the command and use the line to get the dog in the basic position and start walking. If the dog pulls simply pop him until he is back in position and praise verbally. If he lags or tries to leave the sweet spot pop pop pop until he is back where he needs to be. When you stop upply upward pressure on the prong until the dog sits. 
In the beginning I will use a bit of food and mark and reward the dog staying with me in direction changes and auto sitting when I come to a halt.

When the dog is in heel the line should always be slack he should feel no tension, only sharp pops when he comes out of the sweet spot which should cease when he gets back in there.
This should take no longer then 2-4 sessions and they will be well on the way.

Dog in position no stim, dog comes out of position stim stim stim until he is back then good boy or mark reward. 
Should take no more then a few sessions.

Here is a video I did on pet heeling. I am using a ball on the ground because the dog has ball drive and its fun but not necessary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yle7naUfEhQ

Here is a vid with a dog that has zero toy drive and is super soft you can forward past the recall work heeling is at the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa0XzjzkRjI
If you want it to be super reliable simply overlay the ecollar with the prong and stim at the same time as you pop. then fade out the pops and go exclusively stim.


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