'heeling' Whilst On Walks...

[Sticks1977]

I have had Fraser in training with ADT since he was 3 months old and he is now at 7 months and ready to advance up to the next level of training. We go for a walk every day and I have gradually been building up his distance and subsequently the amount of time we are out on our walk.

He has been very good on the lead so far (he is on a correction chain when walking and a flat collar when at home lazing around...) and I do not have to 'pop' the lead all that much when he is walking with me. At the moment he is not walking by my side but he is out in front of me, his rear end/legs would be about 1 foot in front of me - again he is not pulling on the lead or attempting to walk me instead of vice versa.

Is there a certain age or time where I should have him on a shorter lead and have him heeling next to me on my left hand side? I have the lead in my right hand so the left is free, so should I be using my left hand to have the lead shorter and him by my side at all times? I have attempted this once or twice for short distances and he has been quite good so far, hardly pulling at all and not wanting to advance ahead of me.

We also make sure that when we reach any intersection where there is a road that we stop and wait for any cars, he will start to walk off as I take my first step and he seems to want to get to the other side of the road before me, like it is a game or something. Should I be the one that reaches the other side of the road first or does it not really matter?

Thanks to all for reading, on a side note... he has just discovered that he can cock his leg and leave his "mark" on shrubs, bushes or flowers - makes the walks go for a little bit longer these days!

Regards, Shaun (sticks1977)

[helen]

It is nice to let you dog walk on a loose lead without having to heel so he can sniff and explore an enjoy his walk more.

It is good to be able to heel him though and to keep practicing it from time to time so when other people are passing or when you are somewhere crowded you can do that too.

[DeltaCharlie]

I would never make him heel for a entire walk. It is meant to be for his enjoyment, not something that means work.

So long as my dogs arent pulling on the lead I dont really care where they are walking. I have started throwing a few commands in to stop me being tangled up- "(dogs name) this side" means come over to the left side of me and "(dogs name) other side" means go and walk on my right. If we walk past some people I will tell them to heel and expect them to move into position, but any other time they can sniff what they like (within reason). I just tell them "leave it" if I see them going towards something I dont want them to sniff or "cmon" when I decide they have sniffed something for long enough.

[Erny]

Sticks - the next level of training will see you learning how to teach your dog to "heel". You've done well to teach loose lead walking (ie leash manners) before "heel" - IMO this is the correct 'order' of things. If all your other criteria - such as reliable "sit"; little to no resistance to "drop"; on lead recall with "sit" to front at end; and focus; are all in place, then you should see yourself and Fraser being passed up very quickly on return to training (not long to go!).

The "social walk" exercise is the exercise that I get the most use out of whilst out walking with dogs. It serves to not only physically exercise but also mentally exercise the dog along the way. I use "heel" as part of training here and there throughout my walks (if the dog's training level is up to that stage), but don't ask for long periods of "heel". In "heel" the dog is not permitted to sniff the ground and should be maintaining focus on you, so he really doesn't get opportunity to investigate his environment - which takes mental calculation to accomplish .

I'd suggest you enjoy the fine time you have simply walking Fraser out on lead. Spend this next couple of weeks to build and strengthen the basic skills you've already taught him and work to improve them wherever possible. This will stand Fraser in good stead for when the new and more complex skills are introduced.

ETA: Sticks - if you start fiddling with the "heel" command now but do it incorrectly, it can lead to an inconsistency that will be more difficult for Fraser to comprehend when you do begin training for it under instruction and can serve to make the exercise more difficult for him to learn and hence slower to achieve.

Edited December 31, 2007 by Erny

[BC]

I dont make either dog heel on walks. As DC said, as long as there is no pulling, I dont mind where he is. Heeling a dog on an entire walk would be very boring and not very enjoyable. If you want to practice do little bits here and there. Heel for 10 paces, then use a word such as "free" and let him have a sniff around and only do it a couple of times on a walk. Just doing this will mean control over him when you do see another dog or walking through people etc.

I only use heeling when we are working in either a training session, or in the obedience ring, but if I need him to heel on a walk, he does so when asked.

[bridgie_cat]

I am the same - they dont heel on walks :cool: - infact, they are seldom on lead for walks (but I am lucky in having lots of off lead/loose rules areas around to do this in) and when they are the pull lots, stop and sniff stuff, get in the way etc etc - I like to joke that "having this well behaved dog out in public is the whole reason I went to dog obed in the first place"

she loves her walks - and I love watching how much she enjoys just being a dog and going silly etc

[Sticks1977]

Thanks to all of you so far that have replied - it has put my mind at ease to a certain degree to just kick back and enjoy my time out there with him on a walk. As I have stated he is very good on the lead and I don't get tangled up much anymore, it's even enjoyable just watching him to where he is headed next.

I take him around a certain area of the estate and alternate it on a day to day basis, one day we might head down to the local shopping centre, other days we will go around the normal 2km circuit and we might go clockwise one day (left when we walk out of the driveway) and anti-clockwise the next (you get the idea).

He seems to love to take in all that is happening when we are walking... if there is someone on the other side of the road he will walk along while looking at them, if there is somebody in their front yard or walking towards us he is always happy and wanting to say hello. He has also helped me in some regard getting out of the house on a daily basis and getting some exercise!

Sometimes as well I think he really loves the little outing with me, we will sometimes be at the side of the road/end of the footpath waiting for any cars, and he will just look up at me and seems as happy as ever - just hope that he knows I am enjoying it as much as he is...

Edited December 31, 2007 by Sticks1977

[Malamum]

I've never really made either of our dogs heel on walks but they know they must walk on a loose leash at all times. There is to be no pulling.

However the length of the lead is at my descretion and they have learnt to adjust where they walk based on how much lead I give. If it's the full 6ft then they walk out in front, however if we are walking through a crowded area etc I'll fold the leash up in my hand and as the amount of leash given is much less they just walk nicely by my side.

So rather than focusing specifically on heeling I focus more on no pulling regardless of leash length. That we we can go straight into a heel with no dramas simply by shortening the lead.

[Guest Tiggy]

I agree with Cesar Millan on mastering the walk. The dog should be at your side or behind you as it should be following the leader(you) not the other way around. The dog can have a long lead when you allow it to after it's done a good 15 minutes of heeling but I wouldn't keep it on a long lead. People think dogs aren't enjoying their walk if their not out on along lead doing what they want but dogs in the wild follow their pack leader without stopping to sniff trees etc. The simple exercise of mastering the walk helps you establish yourself as leader which makes for a happier dog and owner.

Edited December 31, 2007 by Tiggy

[trishalouise]

Tiggy - I believe that walking on a loose lead is still reinforcing your leadership. The dog knows the boundaries and stays within those. To me it is my dog's walk and time for him to take in all he can from the experience - walking at heel by my side (I believe) does not allow him to do that. He will come close when I say "With me" if there are people coming towards us or I need him nearer for any reason. He knows to wait at the kerb and he very rarely gets to the end of his 2 metre leash. If he does, I just stop - he comes back to me and we start again - this might happen twice in a 20 minute walk. I love our walks and he does too - that is what is important to us. The leadership that we reinforce consistently (not just on walks) helps.

Shaun - you sound like you are doing really well with Fraser - good on you! I agree with Erny - just keep doing what you are doing for know and learn how to teach "Heel" the right way when you get back to training.

Trish