How to teach a dog to heel

Heel Command

with and without lead

Heel is one of the first things taught in obedience class.It you have brought up your dog in a manner such that he is has any bad habits then its going to be lot more easy and fun to train your dog

Heel on lead

1. The dog should sit straight next to the trainer
2.After giving the command the trainer should walk briskly forward in straight line with the dog.
3. The dog should be at the same level as the trainer and close to his legs.
4. Lead should be held loose at all times.
5. On left or right turn the trainer should smartly turn the lead at the right angle so that the dog is able to maintain his position.
6. On giving command "Halt". The trainer should halt and the dog should sit next to the trainer.

Heel without lead

This is the next step, after the dog understands heel with the lead on, the trainer should now train him to to heel without lead. The steps are same only that here there will be no lead.

If you are training your dog with the intention of taking him to a show you must keep in mind that the judges will see whether your dog executes your commands in a happy and natural manner also the judge considers the trainer and the dog one team and the dog is not the only one who is being judged.

Practically in normal day to day life the right way to heel is that the dog remains slightly behind the owner so that it does not create much of nuisance.

Coordinating the mind to heel

Like all other exercises start training at a place where your dog is comfortable also keep in mind that since the heel command require a lot of concentration the dog should not get distracted.It is advisable to use chain slip collar for this exercise.Its best to use chain slip collar for training dog to heel. It is a good idea to use it because if the dog goes out of control you can easily jerk him by pulling and you can easily make him comfortable by allowing the lead to slack.Ideal length of the lead should be 3 ft.Before attaching the lead to the collar check that it fits comfortably with the ring under the under the dog's neck. Hold the lead by the right hand, your dog has to walk on your right side, if he tries to go on the left side all you have to do is pull the chain so that the dog comes under control. Keep the lead loose such that when it bends to hang it is halfway between the neck and the ground. Since the dog is on your right side keep that hand for patting him and the left hand should be used for correction if any.

Say your dog's name followed by the word "heel", give him a little jerk so that he starts walking and the moment it reaches your level pat him and appreciate him. If the dog tries to rush forward let him do so, and say heel loudly and pull the lead with force, the impact of the jerk will be more this way and the dog will understand the advantage of walking at the same level as yours.Be active and quick, your dog should not be able to make out where you are going to turn next. move in different directions.Although, it is common sense for any owner to know the degree of jerk that has to applied for correction, I would still like to mention a note about it, the owner should know about how sensitive the neck would be to different levels of jerks.Dogs with thin neck can get hurt with a harsh jerk so but big huge dogs who have the stamina to pull their owners, should be handled with a lot of strength.

Once you feel that your dog has understood the heel command well then you can try your hands on heel free. If you have trained your dog well in heel with lead you will have no problems with heel free.

Halt command

Once the command HALT is given the trainer should halt immediately and the dog should sit straight by his side. Initially start with heel on lead, walk actively and then stop suddenly giving the command "Sit". If your dog gets confused force him to sit by pulling his collar from one end and pressing on his rump from the other hand.If your dog is obstinate, grip him by the loose skin on the rump with the other hand pressing him down. Remember to praise your dog from time to time while training him and repeat each exercise several times until the dog grasps it properly.

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