# Tips needed



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Teaching heeling can take years  Janice Gunn, Bridget Carlsen, Choose to Heel are some of the methods popular here. There are DVDs that can be purchased for each of these systems. An older style is Terri Arnold's Steppin' Up To Success training system. There are several other methods but these can give you a general feel. Good Luck.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> 1. Distance control - He always have half body standing out by the time he completes the commands. We tried practicing at a curb, but it does not work. Unfortunately, due to this, he always get disqualified at this part.


If you have a hallway in your house or an area where you can go up and down with your dog between you and the wall, this helps make sure your dog does straight sits without swinging his butt out.

^ I also taught sits with the 12 o clock leash correction and left hand gently touching on the dog's rump, because this ensures straight and fast sits right from the start and every time. 

When you use treats only, sometimes you have dogs who swing out to face you. Especially based on where the treats are held. 

If you've already taught sits, then the wall trick does fix the crooked ones. 



> 2. Heel Work - How on earth do you guys make heeling so pretty? Your dogs are so happy!!!! )


I guess it's three things -

1. You having fun and playing. Lots of tossed treats and toys to encourage an "active" heel. Especially if you have a lagger.

When teaching heel to a forging dog too, you may want to go the other way. Lots of tagging the butt suddenly, dropping the leash, and running the opposite direction. 

2. Lots of straight heeling drills every day. And doing a formal heel only 1 day of that week. The rest of the time, you are working on reinforcing attention and the "playing". And doodling (you are scooting back, sidestepping, circling, quarter turn rights and lefts, etc).

3. Teach a good and solid "watch". This begins as a stationary exercise. The dog in a sit in front of you and holding a watch and getting quickly rewarded and clicked (or using the "yes" cue if you are like me and inept at clicking and treating at the same time). Then you go into heeling three steps with a watch and rewarding. Then more than three steps and rewarding. Then doing about turns or right turns or left turns and rewarding that maintained watch. 

Overall - using treats and toys properly as reinforcement DOES make a huge difference.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

For distance control are you saying your dog is moving forward towards you or moving sideways?


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

where are you from and what style of heeling is considered appropriate there? American heeling is so very different from what you would see in say the UK


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Loisiana said:


> where are you from and what style of heeling is considered appropriate there? American heeling is so very different from what you would see in say the UK


I was wondering if there would be a difference...


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