# Big Heeling problem



## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

MY FEET! AARRGG! I'm trying to get my footwork on turns down. I can not get the pattern in my head (and feet) and I'm struggling. Does anyone have any tricks. Do you count, sing, follow foot prints on the floor?????
I know pratice, practice, practice. Heeling is so hard!!!!!!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I have practiced about turns over and over using several methods. What I find helpful is to remember to keep your legs/knees very close and turn you head! This was very hard at first since you loose connection with your dog but it turns your shoulders, kind of naturally pivots your body and your dog will most likely speed up 

Good luck, Heeling is hard


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

some of it depends on your dog...Tito has a tendency to lag on the about turns, so I take a big step off on the first step following the turn (in practice) to get him to catch up to me, then in the ring I take a normal step and he's right where he belongs. If your dog tends to forge, you want to do the opposite. 
Try hard not to slow down before the about turn, a lot of dogs will think you are coming to a stop, and will attempt to sit.
Best thing....post a video of you and your dog heeling, and we can help you out!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Practice without your dog. And all the time. 

*laughs* I think one of my instructors said to think about that footwork when at the store and going around aisles. 

The footwork is a pain, but if you are a klutz on your feet (like I am) - it can totally help to keep you from moving all over the place while doing all these turns. If you are stepping into your dog all the time, it can cause them to heel wide. 

Abouts - I do the T or a modified T. 

The T is left foot cross the top of right - so right toe in left instep.
Modifed T is left foot turned into the right instep

Either way you are swiveling around on your right heel and stepping forward on your left. 

Left/Right - I kinda do a straight line thing, so like:

Left - left foot lands directly in front of the right with the toe pointed in the direction I'm turning. Then I step that way with my right foot and sort of turn my whole body with the foot. Er. If that makes sense? 

Right - Right foot lands in front of left with the toe pointed in the direction I'm turning. Left foot steps in the direction I'm turning + body swiveling that way.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Try hard not to slow down before the about turn, a lot of dogs will think you are coming to a stop, and will attempt to sit.
> Best thing....post a video of you and your dog heeling, and we can help you out!


LOL - yep; videos can show the darndest things. I slowed down a video of a problem I was encountering with the about turn and it showed my Towhee actually sitting on the about turn - now from my point of view it was a minor lag since her head was still in heel position at the point that she sat but there was a hesitation and sometimes a minor lag coming out of the turn. From the rear view she was plunking that butt down although I was not halting and then getting up very quickly. 

The video gave a few pointers on how to correct it with the help of some of the great people on this forum. I ended up changing my footwork slightly (lead with right foot not the left).

Oh and the footwork? Most people use a 3 or 4 count for the turn. Probably about the best advice I can think of is to find yourself some lines, a parking lot, a seam in an office corridor, a chalk line in the grass etc. Practice going in and coming out of the turn staying on your line.


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## wakemup (Feb 6, 2011)

I listen to the song "Pretty Woman" to help me keep driving on my footwork. The beat in that song seems to match the pace I want to maintain. My dogs seem to like it too.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> some of it depends on your dog...Tito has a tendency to lag on the about turns, so I take a big step off on the first step following the turn (in practice) to get him to catch up to me, then in the ring I take a normal step and he's right where he belongs. If your dog tends to forge, you want to do the opposite.
> Try hard not to slow down before the about turn, a lot of dogs will think you are coming to a stop, and will attempt to sit.
> Best thing....post a video of you and your dog heeling, and we can help you out!


Barb,
Still praticing without the dog. T's, L's with feet, don't single track....my brain still has not figured this out yet.



Megora said:


> Practice without your dog. And all the time.
> 
> *laughs* I think one of my instructors said to think about that footwork when at the store and going around aisles.
> 
> The footwork is a pain, but if you are a klutz on your feet (like I am) - it can totally help to keep you from moving all over the place while doing all these turns. If you are stepping into your dog all the time, it can cause them to heel wide.


I thought that I was fairly coordinated. I can play sports with balls, snow ski, water ski, people don't laugh and point when I dance, but walking in a straight line and turning :no:.

My about turns are a bit better I do a pie thing with my feet. 
HEELING IS HARD!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

I often heel w/o my dog along the painted stripes of empty parking lots and basketball or tennis courts. Helps to make sure I'm going in a straight line.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Yep, practicing on lines. I swear I have some sort of disconnect going on in my brain on this one. I keep waiting for the light to go on.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I have my footwork down pat. With a dog, without a dog, in the grocery store, I've got it! Then let someone start calling the pattern for me, and it's all out the window and my feet start doing things that I never taught them to do


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Loisiana said:


> I have my footwork down pat. With a dog, without a dog, in the grocery store, I've got it! Then let someone start calling the pattern for me, and it's all out the window and my feet start doing things that I never taught them to do


Do you ever work with those tapes that call out patterns? or tape them some at shows that you can use? 

Note to self: dig yours out LOL


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

hoooooo boy can I relate to that!



Loisiana said:


> I have my footwork down pat. With a dog, without a dog, in the grocery store, I've got it! Then let someone start calling the pattern for me, and it's all out the window and my feet start doing things that I never taught them to do


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

I love it when my instructor calls out "left turn" and I do the "other" left turn veering right! Arrrgh! I start laughing at myself and then its all over. Find a song you like or set your metronome that would give you the correct pace (steps per minute) and practice alot w/o your dog.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

And if you ever have me call a pattern for you, you will see me (trying to be discreet) lifting one of my arms before I call a turn. It's because I need to figure out if I'm supposed to say "left" or "right" :


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

the worst is when the judge calls out what you *know* is the wrong command, and you're faced with a split-second decision of what to do. Now of course you don't want to make the judge look like an idiot, but I had a judge call "slow" where I knew there was supposed to be a "halt". So do you stop, or go slow? I went slow, the judge repeated "sorry! HALT!!" and all was okay. 
More than once I"ve had a judge say "send your dog" before I've thrown a dumbell, and in that situation you know to just throw the dumbell. Once I had a judge say "toss it" when I was getting ready to do the broad jump....


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Once I had a judge say "toss it" when I was getting ready to do the broad jump....


The best I've heard is "Throw your dog."


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

hotel4dogs said:


> the worst is when the judge calls out what you *know* is the wrong command, and you're faced with a split-second decision of what to do. Now of course you don't want to make the judge look like an idiot, but I had a judge call "slow" where I knew there was supposed to be a "halt". So do you stop, or go slow? I went slow, the judge repeated "sorry! HALT!!" and all was okay.
> More than once I"ve had a judge say "send your dog" before I've thrown a dumbell, and in that situation you know to just throw the dumbell. Once I had a judge say "toss it" when I was getting ready to do the broad jump....


I had a judge forget to call an about turn, which left me heeling a step or two out of the ring before I went ahead and did the turn, at which point he gave me a funny look, then realized what he'd done. :uhoh:


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

I went to my first group lesson with my instructor and everyone one of her students has to find a song to practice heeling to. She keeps cds of them and has you practice in front of her without your dog. You can free form, and she criticizes the whole darned thing 

I never realized how important footwork was until I started taking lessons from this trainer. Little things like taking big steps on the about turn can cause lagging or the very least require your dog to speed up instead of staying at a nice steady pace. If you don't watch your feet you can throw off your dog on turns by stepping into them, etc.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Also do not try to send a golden on a go-out when standing on his tail feathers. Ask me how I know....:doh:



GoldenSail said:


> I went to my first group lesson with my instructor and everyone one of her students has to find a song to practice heeling to. She keeps cds of them and has you practice in front of her without your dog. You can free form, and she criticizes the whole darned thing
> 
> I never realized how important footwork was until I started taking lessons from this trainer. Little things like taking big steps on the about turn can cause lagging or the very least require your dog to speed up instead of staying at a nice steady pace. If you don't watch your feet you can throw off your dog on turns by stepping into them, etc.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

1) Definitely try without your dog. Maybe try following marks on the ground for each foot while you are getting more comfortable.
2) Watch video of someone else doing it the way you want to (again and again and again and again.....video is helpful because most people won't do it that many times), esp helpful if you can do it in slow motion.
3) Tape yourself 2-3 times for one piece ("Left turn while approaching the camera) and play it back a million times, sometimes extra slow. Note what parts you like, what you need to change. Do it 3-5 more times...video...same thing... watch it back a lot.... modify, do it a few more... and work on fixing just ONE piece at a time....it can be overwhelming to think about all the pieces of heeling and fixing them all at the same time.
4) Recognize there are many 'right' ways to do it. What works well for some, may not work so well for others. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for modifications.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

RedDogs said:


> 1) Definitely try without your dog. Maybe try following marks on the ground for each foot while you are getting more comfortable.
> 2) Watch video of someone else doing it the way you want to (again and again and again and again.....video is helpful because most people won't do it that many times), esp helpful if you can do it in slow motion.
> 3) Tape yourself 2-3 times for one piece ("Left turn while approaching the camera) and play it back a million times, sometimes extra slow. Note what parts you like, what you need to change. Do it 3-5 more times...video...same thing... watch it back a lot.... modify, do it a few more... and work on fixing just ONE piece at a time....it can be overwhelming to think about all the pieces of heeling and fixing them all at the same time.
> 4) Recognize there are many 'right' ways to do it. What works well for some, may not work so well for others. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for modifications.


OK, I hate the thought of seeing myself on video :uhoh: but it has been suggested here too many times to ignore. We have a Flip camera that I will charge up. 
I realized yesterday that it takes me forever to decide which way it right or left. So I came up with Right is Away From the Dog. Right Away. This seemed to help. 
Modifications might be the part of the answer, we had to modify my about turn and that is going better.
Also where do you look? Straight ahead, down, at the dog. When I look out I feel more balanced, apparently I can't look at my feet and walk. If I'm looking out how can I see if she is in the heeling position.

AARRGG Heeling is hard.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

GoldenSail said:


> I went to my first group lesson with my instructor and everyone one of her students has to find a song to practice heeling to. She keeps cds of them and has you practice in front of her without your dog. You can free form, and she criticizes the whole darned thing.


GoldenSail, spill what is your song?


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

hollyk said:


> GoldenSail, spill what is your song?


I haven't picked one yet....I did Pink, "Get the Party Started" that night, which is someone else's.

My contenders right now:
















I think Michael Buble is fun but might be too slow...






What do you think? I am leaning toward Jane Dear Girls...


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## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

GoldenSail said:


> I haven't picked one yet....I did Pink, "Get the Party Started" that night, which is someone else's.
> 
> My contenders right now:
> 
> ...


 
I vote for Pink...LOL!..


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I read the title and thought 'Oh I know the seminar for you!' - we attended an obedience seminar once, thinking it would be full of information.

I am not kidding, we spent an entire DAY on turns. There were taped curves on the floor and she had a group stand up and focus on the turn. Visualize the turn. Close our eyes and imagine the turn. Then walk the turn. Go back and start again. Over, and over, and over, and over again. 

Then she had the rest of the people do it, in groups - took 30-40 minutes each. 

People started leaving when after lunch she announced 'Now we're going to work on the LEFT turn' and asked for a group to get up and stand on the tape. 

The second day people brought books, knitting, pillows.... many of them left to train in the parking lot in small groups. Have pictures of people sleeping in their chairs. Good times.

Needless to say that obedience person has never, ever been asked back here for a seminar! Not sure if she assumed Canadians didn't do obedience at all or what, but not a good way to get a following!

So yeah, you can try tape on the floor and practice walking curves to get it smooth....

Lana


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## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

Yeah let's see how many ways I have screwed up with right, left,High and bar..
Two times I went right instead of left on the signal exercises... Two times I have given the wrong signal for the jump.. (bar,high) until I learned a nifty little trip to look what side the judge is standing on is usally the direction they send you..and last but not least I have not messed this up and is much easier now but I have had to stand there and think before I did my pivot to the glove trying to figure out which glove. It was a lot harder when they changed it up every dog.. Not so much now..LOL!


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## GoldenSail (Dec 30, 2008)

Bender said:


> I read the title and thought 'Oh I know the seminar for you!' - we attended an obedience seminar once, thinking it would be full of information.
> 
> I am not kidding, we spent an entire DAY on turns. There were taped curves on the floor and she had a group stand up and focus on the turn. Visualize the turn. Close our eyes and imagine the turn. Then walk the turn. Go back and start again. Over, and over, and over, and over again.
> 
> ...


Ha--add this to the thread about obedience as a dying sport!


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

hollyk said:


> Also where do you look? Straight ahead, down, at the dog. When I look out I feel more balanced, apparently I can't look at my feet and walk. If I'm looking out how can I see if she is in the heeling position.
> 
> AARRGG Heeling is hard.


I use Debby Quigley's guideline of looking at the floor four feet ahead on normal heeling. Double it to eight on the fast. Half it to two on the slow. Look at your toes on the halt. Works great for us!


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Also do not try to send a golden on a go-out when standing on his tail feathers. Ask me how I know....:doh:


Ouch - poor Tito !! But I too have seen piles of glorious tail feathers on the floor after doing things ... and just think, they still love us


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

Taylor Swift is a good one. It is about 120 beats per minute. I think I will download that one myself. Thanks!


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Happy said:


> Taylor Swift is a good one. It is about 120 beats per minute. I think I will download that one myself. Thanks!


I was thinking that too.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Loisiana said:


> I use Debby Quigley's guideline of looking at the floor four feet ahead on normal heeling. Double it to eight on the fast. Half it to two on the slow. Look at your toes on the halt. Works great for us!


OH Good Stuff! I'll give it a try.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I thought about this thread earlier this evening when I finally broke down and took my camera with when we went out for training at a parking lot. 

All I can say is that having a camera WATCHING can almost be as bad as a judge watching.  I didn't do any of the footwork for turns and I even threw in a couple random side step rights. >.<

Ohw, and if anyone takes the camera out on a somewhat breezy day, you might not want to balance it on the trunk of your car near the edge. 

And while my camera bounces, the lens apparently doesn't. ><


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