Are you wondering how to teach your dog to heel? Teaching your dog this skill is important because dogs that learn how to heel will not only be more comfortable, but they’ll also be happier dogs. Dogs that are happy tend to be obedient dogs. You can easily teach your dog to heel by using these simple tips:
Have treats to give your dog when he heel treats walk. If he’s having a rough day, or if you’re going on a very long walk, you can give him a treat before you go on your walk to help him get warmed up. There are a number of treats you can use, including flavored raisins, grapes, and chocolate. Make sure you always have dry dog treats. You can also use cooked chicken or beef treats as treats for your dogs.
Whether you’re training a dog to heel using a clicker, or using other dog training methods, always start with the end in mind. Your goal should be to get your dog to heel one time, then continue on to do it again until he gets it. Be patient. You may need to repeat some of these steps several times before your dog gets it. If you notice that heeling is taking too long, try to increase the distance or length between the clicks, or move on to another combination of treats and encouragement. Never put your dog on his side until you are positive that he has learned to heel on the left side.
To begin, walk forward slowly to treat in your left hand. Yield to his forward motion. When you reach a level with your dog where you can comfortably stand, then using the clicker, give a quick treat and turn your head away from your dog as you release the treat. If he moves away from you, simply wave the clicker as you count to three, then immediately give him the treat.
As you are teaching your dog how to heal past distractions, you will need to do this on a regular basis. It is important to keep distractions out of the way as you walk. This is not only good for your dog, but also for you, since distractions can cause you to trip or stumble, which can injure you or your dog. If your dog begins to heal past noise, then quickly change directions and proceed to your destination. Do not continue walking if your dog is getting increasingly louder.
When your dog is standing still, continue to reward him, while turning your head away from him, using your left side. If he is turning his head towards you use the whistle and then give him the treat. Praise him while doing this. If he is turning his head away from you, then wave the whistle and give him the treat. Continue this procedure until he understands that you mean no matter what he does.
One very important tip on heel walking is using your left foot. If you dog is going left, then always walk right past him and when your dog stops heel walking, give him the treat and turn around again. Once your dog has stopped heel walking, don’t walk past him again. Walk ahead of him until he finishes heel walking and then turn around. When your dog stops heel walking, then reward him with the treat and turn back around, while saying his name several times.
Learning how to heal properly is more than just a matter of walking with your dog. You must learn how to heal safely and quickly and be able to determine when he is about to heel. Also, your dog must be able to understand that you are ordering him to heel. All of these things combined will make for a very successful heeling on-leash experience for everyone.