Bindi Teachiing Ch 10

 

CHAPTER 10.

BY MY SIDE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT (INXS)

HEEL !

If there was ever a contentious topic among the minutiae of training dogs, it is how to place your pup when you want it walking with you while on lead or on Heel..

The easiest tip to give you is to place pup in a sit beside you and start walking with a walk call.  Giving only enough lead to ensure pup stays where wanted during the first few steps. If pup follows and stays there as you walk, reward and continue, job done. That was easy.

In the more likely scenario that something distracts pup and it bounds off, you need some other tips.

I could have covered this earlier but I do think the things we have covered about going for a walk are more important than where your pup is when you walk. 

We like to know our pooch is safe and in our control but there are preferences we can apply for an easier life.  If you want your pup walking close behind, just behind, right beside or a little in front, it is your choice.  By your, I mean jointly, pup will have a preference too. You will probably end up in mutual compromise.

Unlike many training books, I don’t think where you Heel matters so much as the habitual return to a consistent position as agreed between you and pup.  My experience is that some dogs will happily follow, others are happiest to the side and others simply must be slightly in front. 

I repeat it is an agreement between the two of you but at no time should pup be given the dominant control of the walk.  Do not be cajoled into allowing a dominant pup to be the problem scout on every walk, looking for what trouble it can get into first.  That is not at Heel.  That is pup taking you for a walk.

 If pup is allowed to be in slightly in front it is allowed that position only if it constantly checks in by looking to you for direction. Remember to reward every check in. Vocal reward is okay for a glance, valued reward for a proper  ‘can I?’ look, you should expect many, many check ins when on Heel.

I would recommend that you and pup are in frequent eye-to-eye no matter where you agree to set the heel position.

There is no secret to this training, it is just show, correct, reward, repeat.  Endlessly. With observation. With persistence. With patience.

If pooch gets too far out of position during Heel training you can stop walking and wait for pup to return to position.  Reward. Resume. 

This may mean you don’t actually go very far but pup should, in time, realise that, when on the Heel command, you don’t go anywhere if pup is not where it should be. 

Not every part of every walk should be to Heel.  Allow time for sniffing, interaction and exploring. For both of you.  I mean if you want to check something out, pup is required to allow you that time too and be prepared to wait calmly for you. Every walk out should include a goodly amount of time on Heel.

Sheep dog trainers use their sheep crook as a gentle reminder to tap the dog if it breaks forward or behind too far.  You could use a very light stick to touch pooch with too.  Shoulder taps are most effective.  I have a large dog so I can reach her with my hand for the touch but a command and a light touch from a stick is a surprise for pup and reminds to return Heel smartly.

No. I am not advocating hitting pup with a stick.   

It would seem obvious but Heel training is best done while on lead.  Yes, all above tools can be applied while on lead.  Or off lead in low distraction areas if you have good recall. 

If your recall is like Bindi’s, i.e. selective, then a lead is probably mandatory.  I would say when training to heel though do not use a pull on the lead as the first command or the second command,  but as the final enforced command.

Get pooch to your side using recall command or enticing with treat.  It is best to have pup come to your side rather than dragging to you with the lead. We want being in the right position to be achieved by manipulating pup to get there on its own from recall and praise or because it knew a treat was coming if it placed its bum in the right spot.

 The Heel command should be delivered only when pup is where you want it. Heel is not a recall or a containment command but a command for pup to move with you.  So ensure when Heel is commanded you are about to or are walking.

The use of a lead is to just be a backup to your commands for recall, restraint or to minimise drift while on the heel command.

I would recommend a lead of about 5 meters in lngth.  If a long lead is too cumbersome there are retractable leads available. 

I have said there are times on a walk when heel is not appropriate and you want your pooch to be away sniffing and interacting.  If your recall is not 100% reliable then a long or retractable lead is the tool of choice for urban walkies.