# How do you use a heeling stick?



## Jo Ellen

LOL I use mine for clearing away spider webs and brush when we're hiking along ther river trail. Otherwise I use it to carry along with me for protection in case of unfriendly dogs.

Many uses for a heeling stick. Sometimes I use it to guide Daisy where I want her to go. 

:wave:


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## MaddieMagoo

A heeling stick is an plastic armband that the dog is taught to used for attention. At first it starts out as a belt...worn as a regular belt. Then as the dog is targeted to that...the head should move up and is looking at the handlers shoulder, to tell direction. 

Then, the armband is worn...and there is a plastic stick, sticks out from a little groove in the armband...or something like that...LOL! After the dog understands what to look at..the stick...which has treats on it. Then the stick is taken off and just the armband is worn. 

I think that's how it goes...but I can't tell you for sure. I know Steph uses one with Quiz. THis builds the "up" in the dogs attention.

I'm not sure if this is what SwampCollie was talking about...maybe field training?

Hope this helps!


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## FlyingQuizini

I'm guessing that's not what Swamp Collie is talking about.


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## Swampcollie

CreekviewGoldens said:


> A heeling stick is an plastic armband that the dog is taught to used for attention. At first it starts out as a belt...worn as a regular belt. Then as the dog is targeted to that...the head should move up and is looking at the handlers shoulder, to tell direction.
> 
> Then, the armband is worn...and there is a plastic stick, sticks out from a little groove in the armband...or something like that...LOL! After the dog understands what to look at..the stick...which has treats on it. Then the stick is taken off and just the armband is worn.
> 
> I think that's how it goes...but I can't tell you for sure. I know Steph uses one with Quiz. THis builds the "up" in the dogs attention.
> 
> I'm not sure if this is what SwampCollie was talking about...maybe field training?
> 
> Hope this helps!


 
Ahhhhhhhh, No!

A heeling stick is essentially a stick. The modern version is a flexible fiberglass rod covered with nylon braided material. It has a leather handle on one end and a soft rubber tip on the other end. It is used to help guide the dog into the correct position.

The easiest way to find one is on the dogsafield website.


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## FlyingQuizini

SwampCollie is talking about using the stick as a physical correction to the dog when he's out of position.

What Caryn is talking about is commonly known as an "attention stick" or "attention armband".

TWO VERY DIFFERENT STYLES OF TRAINING.

I used the attention stick method with Quiz. It worked quite well and he now has a reliable, attentive, animated heeling style even in the absence of food.

Here's a description of the correction-based heeling stick method:

http://www.averysportingdog.com/TrainingCamp/2006December.php


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## MaddieMagoo

Oops...my bad! Sorry for the confusion everyone.


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## Augustus McCrae's Mom

FlyingQuizini said:


> What Caryn is talking about is commonly known as an "attention stick" or "attention armband".


Where can I find one of those? I Googled it and searched through PetsMart, but I didn't see it. Is there a brand name or something else I can search for? I think this would help us teach Gus.


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## Augie's Mom

Thanks everyone for the info.


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## FlyingQuizini

Augustus McCrae's Mom said:


> Where can I find one of those? I Googled it and searched through PetsMart, but I didn't see it. Is there a brand name or something else I can search for? I think this would help us teach Gus.


I don't think anyone has massmarketed them. They are mostly made and sold by passionate obedience people who want to help others and make a few bucks along the way. Try www.poochabilitydogtraining.com. She might sell them. If not, go to vhoc.org and look at a recent issue of the Newsette. Another club member makes and sells them and usually runs an ad in the newsletter.


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## telsmith1

FlyingQuizini said:


> I don't think anyone has massmarketed them. They are mostly made and sold by passionate obedience people who want to help others and make a few bucks along the way. Try www.poochabilitydogtraining.com. She might sell them. If not, go to vhoc.org and look at a recent issue of the Newsette. Another club member makes and sells them and usually runs an ad in the newsletter.


Cabela's sells them as well.


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## FlyingQuizini

telsmith1 said:


> Cabela's sells them as well.


Cabela likely sells the correction-based ones.

To clarify, the links I posted were to order the attention heeling versions... the ones that hold a treat to direct the dog's head upward toward the handler.


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## kellange123

Does anyone have or use one of these? Just wondering. I would like to see a picture or a video of one in use.


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## LibertyME

oh lordy I just saw the attention sticks in a catalog over the weekend....I have class tonight...I will spin through them tonight....see if I can find it!


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## mylissyk

I wish an "attention stick" would work with Lilah. If the treats not right there in front of her nose she could not care less there's a treat around.


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## FlyingQuizini

mylissyk said:


> I wish an "attention stick" would work with Lilah. If the treats not right there in front of her nose she could not care less there's a treat around.


It takes time. When I first started this technique with Quiz, the treat was in my hand. Then it was on a stick in my hand, then the stick was on a belt, then the belt moved up my body, then a short stick went on the armband.

In the video below, there is a short stick on my armband. I've since weaned off the short stick on the armband.

The entire process took about three years to get the kind of attention I want... but I want ******-near perfection!






I know it's hard to see the stick on the armband, but it's there. It might show up better at the end of the video on the figure 8 heeling.


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## MaddieMagoo

Stephanie-As I'm watching this...what were you doing when you starting cheering and hooraying about...it's hard to see what he did on a video...but when you're there you can tell. Just wondering...not trying to make fun of you or anything like that...just curious. WOW...three years? that is just amazing...almost too long for me and too putsy...JMO.


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## FlyingQuizini

Caryn, give me some timecode on the video so I know what you're taking about. If it's the figure 8, I was catching him off guard by running out of the 8 instead of going around the arc.

As for the three years... all of the competitive people in my area are like that. We train and train and make sure we're just as happy with our attention and performance when training in a distracting area like shopping centers, inside dog-friendly stores, etc. That process just takes time...


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## Jersey's Mom

Steph, your boy is fantastic!! As happy as I am with Jersey's heeling, Quiz seriously puts him to shame! Of course, as I've said before, I don't have the patience for the type of training you've done, but I can definately see where it pays off. Good work!!

Julie and Jersey


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## FlyingQuizini

Awww, thanks, Julie! 

I'll tell ya what, though... I'm getting ready to decide I'm happy with what I have - stop aiming for perfect - so I can get in and out of Novice and start really focusing on Open and Utility work. I think after seven years of focusing on Novice work (I never went past Nov. with my Whippet) I'm finally bored with it! Haha!

He's pretty much trained through Open, so I just have to polish


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## kellange123

basically this is a stick that you want your dog to look at the end of it?? What are the benefits of this? I can see that Quiz really watches, but do you think you could've had him look without the stick?? Some I have heard say they use it for correction (like you hit them with it???). How does that work? Just interested.


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## Jersey's Mom

kellange123 said:


> basically this is a stick that you want your dog to look at the end of it?? What are the benefits of this? I can see that Quiz really watches, but do you think you could've had him look without the stick?? Some I have heard say they use it for correction (like you hit them with it???). How does that work? Just interested.


That is a different type of stick and a different training philosophy. I've seen that type of stick used in a few different ways as well, from those who swing it rhythmically like a pendulum (the dog learns if he hedges too much he walks into the line of fire so to speak) to those who actually whack the dog as some sort of correction. Personally, I haven't used these methods... they're not in line with my philosophies on dog training... so I couldn't really tell you how it works, if it works, or any of that. It's based on "punishment" for the wrong behavior, or negative reinforcement (if you're in the right place you won't get hit) as opposed to positive reinforcement (if you do the right thing you get a reward). There may be someone on the board that is more familiar with the technique though.

Steph: One thing I am truly thankful for is I will probably never have to compete against you!! I wish you the best of luck when you start entering!

Julie and Jersey


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## kellange123

I have been looking at some sights about it, and a lot of them do hit the dog with it in the butt. Very interesting. 

I also found this video on youtube, that is another method that is so out there!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiNOy4_guw8


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## MaddieMagoo

Yeah...that video is just way out there...I take it as abuse...I'd NEVER do that to Maddie...I'm happy the way I train right now...and I'm not going to that. You could just see those dogs tuck their tails and weren't very enthused the way they trained.


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## hgatesy

Yeah... I'm not too keen on that either. I think if I did that with Parker he'd never walk beside me again. Camden on the other hand.... he'd be oblivious... but still wouldn't do it.


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## FlyingQuizini

THE THING!?! Oh good grief! (That's in reference to the throw chain video link that was posted!)


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## FlyingQuizini

kellange123 said:


> basically this is a stick that you want your dog to look at the end of it?? What are the benefits of this? I can see that Quiz really watches, but do you think you could've had him look without the stick?? Some I have heard say they use it for correction (like you hit them with it???). How does that work? Just interested.


I could have free-shaped the head up attention, but it was a lot easier for me to do it by giving the dog something easy and obvious to focus his attention on. Remember that there was food on the end of the stick, he wasn't just looking at the end of a naked stick.

What I use is really an "attention stick". There's also the heeling stick that some use - which is correction based, usually a little whack when the dog starts to forge. When I get forging, I heel with a plexi stick and will tap him on the chest to remind him to get back, but it's just a reminder, not a correction, as he's been taught to move away from the plexi stick in earlier training.


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## kellange123

FlyingQuizini said:


> I could have free-shaped the head up attention, but it was a lot easier for me to do it by giving the dog something easy and obvious to focus his attention on. Remember that there was food on the end of the stick, he wasn't just looking at the end of a naked stick.
> 
> What I use is really an "attention stick". There's also the heeling stick that some use - which is correction based, usually a little whack when the dog starts to forge. When I get forging, I heel with a plexi stick and will tap him on the chest to remind him to get back, but it's just a reminder, not a correction, as he's been taught to move away from the plexi stick in earlier training.


Thanks for clearing that up! It sounds pretty interesting. It looks like it does what is suppose to with the attention he give to the handler.


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