Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:12 am Post subject: Teaching heel
How do I associate the word heel to the dog? She doesnt pull at the moment (we go outside for the first time on Sat) and she seems to be doing ok in the yard and in the house and round the garden at my parents house.
I know that when she is older she might start to pull but as she is good now I want her to associate that not pulling means heeling?
this thread may help, i posted quite a waffly response detailing how we started to train Basil to heel.
if that's not helpful then try going to the training forum and search 'heel' it gives many similar threads with different trainnig methods and preventative measures for pulling also (haltis etc)
Firstly, only use the word heel, when the pup is AT heel, never to bring her TO heel.... she won't understand it for quite some time yet.
i thought I'd say that first. Secondly, pulling isn't something they grow into, if they never pull, they never pull. If they are taught an effective heel to begin with, THEN (and this is important) at the slightest sign of it going out the window as they get older you go back and do ten minutes a few times a week till they are behaving again) you will NEVER have a puller.
Now pullers aren't dogs who heel 99% of the time but tug you the last five paces up to another dog, or your OH, or to their toy on the ground. Pullers are dogs who, the minute they get a collar and lead on, think and effective way of getting where they want to go, turning out of your drive, is to throw themselves forward and pull.
There are a LOT of catagories between THAT dog who gasps and chokes himself all the way to the park and pulls your arm out and the dog who occasionally gets a bit infron when excited and needs bringing back - and six million levels of 'not heel or pulling' in between.
I'll put below what I posted yesterday about heeling. The important thing is using the word 'heel' and treating when the puppy is in the heel position. Its keeping yourself interesting. Its not going to the park the same route everytime (this makes a puller of any dog). Its being coordinated with the lead and a treat, with the lead in the right hand, dog on the left, and treat in the left hand so you have the strongest arm with the dog and the nearest hand with a treat.
I'll stop writing and post now
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
- We tend to get into a routine of always going the same way to our walk venues. Sometimes it unavoidable, but there are always ways and means round going the same way. We have to look at ourselves and think are we creating this problem by teaching the dog that it is going somewhere exciting when we turn a certain way out the driveway?
- NEVER say 'HEEL' or 'CLOSE' when the dog is pulling. A pulling dog is not being a git, he doesn't know it isn't right as in the past its been an effective way of - in his mind - getting him someplace quicker. So many yell 'HEEL!' and put the dog back in position! It learns HEEL means somewhere infront pulling like a train! Bring the dog into position with a treat or a static position, so he paces about you then stands beside you saying 'what? I don't get it?' and say HEEL good HEEL when he is there then move off.
Saying 'heel' as they move off OR to bring the dog back into position is for owners whose dogs DO gheel nicely and just got a little ahead, NOT pullers who DON'T know it. Never think your dog knows it until you can say HEEL in the house and the dog comes into the heel position next to you. THEN he knows heel. Till then it is ONLY used when the dog is IN the heel position.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Whilst teaching a dog not to pull its very helpful to avoid walking to the place where the dog gets a freerun at all. My suggestion would be that whilst reschooling the problem, you put the dog in the car, drive him to where he is walked, or somewhere else altogether, get him out on lead, and aim for a couple of bouts of really nice heeling before he is let off.
Now that really is easier said than done, but we can all teach our dogs not to pull when we train in the garden. Even at classes. Its when we arrive somewhere they expect a free run thats really hard.
- Its all about what you have to distract from the pulling. A dog set in the pattern needs a really big incentive not to lean in and heave... treats need to be of the most smelly and gorgeous. Not biscuits with nearly no smell. Not bits of limp old sasuage or chicken. Garlic sausage, salami, beef jerky, livercake with garlic... that sort of thing! Treat the dog when he comes back into position then looks up at you.... stand still until he does. He will. Even if only out of confusion, then say 'gooooood heel good heel' and treat.
Myself I loathe harnesses. Like horses pulling carts they teach only to lean and heave. Gagets and devices (Gentles leaders, haltis etc etc) are fine if you REALLY are at the end of your tether and phsycially cannot walk the dog without, but dogs are smart, they know when it is on and off. Reschool on a normal lead and collar OR a leather or rope slip lead (ideally).
Every walk is a bit of reschooling. Lets be realistic, we don't have all day to exercise our dogs. The very best thing is for a few sessions, the dog does NOT even get where he gets his free run. Again, they are smart. If you have 30 minutes set aside to walk the dog and he comes out the drive and starts towing you, and you have to circle, change direction, stop, walk backwards etc etc (whatever you are going to use to teach the dog pulling is not acceptable) then you can't expect to get where you are going because it will be giving in. You give in to the dog dragging you once, it will forever more, or you set yourself back.... SO wake up tomorrow and say 'my dog is not going to pull me ANYMORE'.
Go for your walk (preferably in the car, then school, get some nice work, then freerun) BUT if you want to be REALLY effective, go your usual route, and every time he pulls walk backwards or circle away or stand still. EVERY time. Then when he is in the heel position say 'gooood heeel and treat - this is easier if you are static until you get good coordination with this. Treat in left hand, lead across the body in your right (usually stronger too) and dog on your left - always...
NOw you might only get two streets away. But tough. Dog doesn't DESERVE a free run for pulling if you see what i mean. So you think AGHHH! I can't not freerun my dog he will be awful.... so HEEL nicely home, and play with him later in the graden where no leads are required. Training takes MUCH more out of a dog than any freerun by the way.
When the dog gives you enough nice heelwork (or doesn't PULL more to the point) to get to the park... in your timeframe.... he gets a free run.
Till then, he doesn't
No pulling means ALL the way home, not till the end of your road then you let him or drop the lead and let him canter home etc etc etc (yes I mean YOU - points widely at most owners including herself...)
Di
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Best!
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Smashing posts from Di, it really is all about hard work and perseverence on our part. Never allowing the dog to get where it wants by pulling.
It takes a tonne of patience on days when sometimes you don't really feel in the mood but in a matter of a few weeks it's so worth it.
And with intermittent reinforcement for any lapses you'll have a dog who walks nicely for life.
We can take Basil to so many places because he walks so nicely, people often comment on it and it's so rewarding for me to enjoy the walk and not be having my arm yanked like other dog owners we see.
I have to say I agree with Di too, I really don't like to see dogs on haltis and harnesses, especially young pups who can swiftly be trained not to need them.Nor am I a fan of people who walk the streets with their dog ambling all over on a 10m long leash.
Great post Di, really interesting, Bailey was a puller god did he use to pull but it was all MY own fault, but i got him out of it in the end well 98% of the time.
Sara has just started to pull so i was doing what i done with bailey which was swift turn around in opposite direction. but i gonna try what you have suggested.
Brilliant post again Di as always
the swift turnaround thing didnt work for us either, Basil wasn't especially bothered where he was going to as long as has moving forward
But then he was never really a puller as such just walked in front with a taught leash. Now we only walk if he's at my side and there's a dip in the lead.
Can't be easy training it in with 2 though, do you walk them seperately or does Bailey just join in with the training of Sara being patient for all the stops and starts?
Hi Sarah,
No i don't take them out together at moment they go separate. The turning around thing did work with bailey, I have to train them separate otherwise bailey is doing all the moves waiting for the treats, bless him.
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so i was doing what i done with bailey which was swift turn around in opposite direction. but i gonna try what you have suggested.
Bailey doing all the moves waiting for the treats - bless.
