# Off leash heeling techniques



## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Looking for ideas on off leash heeling techniques. Lucy is lagging too much in the arena off leash. In field events outdoors she's a wild thing and I can only take 2 steps and call her back to heel, take 2 steps and call her to heel. So field heeling takes forever to get anywhere with her. But birds are involved and she gets super hyped. In the ring though for competition it's the opposite, she lags. When she's on lead, she's fine. I've used treats and I've practiced using the watch command. As soon as I remove the leash, she slows way down. When I call her up, she's fine for a couple of steps, then begins lagging again. I can't talk to her in obedience competition and say Heel. So what am I doing wrong? That transition off leash isn't going well. I've been stuck at this point since last March and not moving along any better. Somehow she seems more secure on leash than off. We have learned to only compete indoors, too many distractions outdoors.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

How much heeling do you do in practice?

Do you film yourself while training?

The reason why I ask those 2 questions is that sometimes we all (I do this too!) find ourselves asking for heel... and watching the dog drop the head and ease up after 1-2 steps. And we keep going and might even REWARD the lackluster heeling. 

Other thing too (and I've seen people do this) is that sometimes when we are looking back and hesitated because of a lagging dog - it just pushes the dog further back.

I'm trying to get into better habits myself, but when heeling - I keep it brisk and brief. And break off immediately when the heads goes down. If my dog is having issues at a higher level of heeling, then I back it up to what I did to motivate heeling to begin with. 

Always reward at the hip - or wherever that ensures your dog is in perfect heel position. 

Don't practice heeling on leash. Do it all off leash and take it outside. You have to trust that she's going to work and focus. If she can't focus without treats - mix in treats. Make it fun - because it should be fun. Relax your upper body and remember to have fun.

I practice heeling every night with Bertie using a baseball. Which will get thrown when he's perfect for 3-4 steps or whatever I'm looking for and he gets to chasing after it - repeat.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I like interspersing vertical movement like hand targeting, sending around a big cone and running a few steps rewarding the dog pushing for correct position, and using twirl/spin to add suspense.


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

Have you ever seen chin heeling?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9M3yMA0WpU

You teach the dog to target your hand which is cupped or bent by your leg. It is a handy technique when Hazel gets very amped up or distracted while out, and I can keep her next to me and looking up in a good heel position without doing too much.

I am now trying to add more tug toys and fetching as rewards too, similar to Megora, just to keep the excitement level up.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Thanks! These are all very good ideas. So far we have taken the 12 week Attention and Cruise Control series that Janice DeMello designed. We've taken that series twice now. I may take it again this winter. Seems like each time we take the series we get better. I video myself for field training and events, but never obedience. It sounds like I should start! The cones are a good idea too. Using a fetch item for my girl is also a good idea. You can't bring food in the ring, but what if I leave a fetch item in my pocket that she sees me place there before we enter the ring? That might help. Thanks for all the good ideas. Sometimes I get stuck!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I don't think you can bring toys in the ring either.... 

When you video - critique what you are doing.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Do you have any kind of correction/consequence for lagging? As soon as she gets out of position I'd have my hand in her collar. Dogs lag during off leash heeling because they figure out they can. Don't let lagging be an option. My dogs have never ever in their lives lagged more than a couple of inches. Not because they have some kind of instinctual knowledge of heel position, but the idea has never even occurred to them, because I am on top of them and driving them forward as soon as I feel the slightest hesitation back. 

Here's something you can do to encourage a dog to stay up: put a treat in your right hand hold it with a straight arm way in front of your dog. When you step off heeling, have your left hand in her collar. As you heel forward, use your hand to push her out in a forge to the treat. Have her heel in that forged position for a few steps, then let her get the treat.


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## ellisda1 (Jul 24, 2013)

How treat motivated is Lucy? I tried a variety of tricks to get Luna (who is extremely treat motivated) in the correct position, and found one that works for me: I take her treat (Trader Joe's Charly Bears dog treats), put her in heel position (sitting), get her attention, and then put the treat ON MY BOTTOM LIP. It stays there well, and for Luna to see it she has to be in good position. I signal for the heel and off we go. You can verbally praise and talk to your dog as you walk in heel position, you can stop and require correct heel position, and the dog keeps focused on the treat. You can extend the delay for reward as correct position time increases, and eventually fade the reward. If you're really good you can spit the treat to the dog (many trainers do this...). I found that treating from my hand got to be a problem, especially in agility, because Luna focused more on my hand than the task at hand.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

ellisda1 said:


> How treat motivated is Lucy? I tried a variety of tricks to get Luna (who is extremely treat motivated) in the correct position, and found one that works for me: I take her treat (Trader Joe's Charly Bears dog treats), put her in heel position (sitting), get her attention, and then put the treat ON MY BOTTOM LIP. It stays there well, and for Luna to see it she has to be in good position. I signal for the heel and off we go. You can verbally praise and talk to your dog as you walk in heel position, you can stop and require correct heel position, and the dog keeps focused on the treat. You can extend the delay for reward as correct position time increases, and eventually fade the reward. If you're really good you can spit the treat to the dog (many trainers do this...). I found that treating from my hand got to be a problem, especially in agility, because Luna focused more on my hand than the task at hand.


I've also seen the spitters of treats as a dispenser from their mouths. I've tried it, but I get stressed and eat the treats! But leaving the treat on my lip I hadn't thought of. I'll give it a shot! Thanks


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

I tried a variety of ideas above and the one that worked the best was the treat on the bottom lip. Go figure definitely not the one I expected to have work. Playing with her around cones and varying my speed didn't help. Tug toys no go. Tried grabbing her collar and pulling her forward when she lagged, and she tended to jump to the side way from me. But treats on my bottom lip worked perfectly. Wow. So now I need to transition away for ring time. But it's a start. Thanks for all your thoughts. Now if I could get my wild girl under control on our way to the line for field events...


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