Heeling On The Left

[tlc]

Oh they are so cute!! How did you come to have 2 pups at once? All of mine are 3 and under so there is abotu 6 months between, they are all fabulous friends and have been a breeze to train all very clever and eager to learn new things!! What about a pic of your GR? Photobucket is great and very easy to use. I agree if you have 3 boys under 3, 2 pups will be a breeze, and I bet they all have plenty of fun together!!

[Paulp]

At our club the first few levels are about just teaching your dog to be a good pet. Loose lead walking, sitting, dropping, recall, dealing with common behavioural issues. Heeling is taught but it is just about getting your dog into a heel position if you need to (eg when approaching a road), not tight formal heeling. Once past this the obedience becomes more formal or you can veer off into flyball or agility.

[Kavik]

Loose leash walking is important but there is certainly no need to teach your dog to formally heel on the left if you don't want to.

[Seita]

just look around for the right club and you'll be fine. Some clubs are very focussed on getting people into trialling so heeling is a must others are more focussed towards getting people to train happy behaved pets. Although if you teach your dogs that when you say heel you want them next to you and when you don't then they can walk out in front (or give them another command for loose lead walking). I have a fairly advanced trial dog here and she heels beautifully when I ask her too but if we're just out for a walk she's out at the end of the leash doing her own thing. I still think some form of heel is beneficial, purely for times like walking past other people or dogs in tight spaces, crossed roads, walking around lots of people etc where it's easier to have your dog in near your leg rather than out in front.

[dee lee]

I think of heeling as a command not as a general walking style.

I am now attending my first ever obedience classes and I am suprised that it seems the other way around, but as long as I have to say HEEL to do it it still works for me.

Outside of class my dog will only heel when I am practising her training and I ask her to do it.

I had previously owned a Sheltie so I went from having a super smart dog that we gained titles with easily to a GR who was so laid back and goofy!

This made me laugh- having gone from a super smart staffy x kelpie/whippet to a 3 yo GR! I am amazed at the HUGE difference!!!

Honey is adorable and well behaved but the eyes and the smile say it all!

Edited February 18, 2010 by ✽deelee

[SpikesPuppy]

My oldest dog knows Heel, Right side (heeling on the right), Free (walk anywhere he likes, to the end of the lead but NO pressure), Lead Out (walk at the end of the lead with some pressure, this helps with muscle building as I don't use off-leash areas, and I also had the idea of entering him in weight-pull ) & Close (means to stay close by, but not in the heel position, just a short, lose leash).

I love being able to walk him in so many different ways

[OSoSwift]

What gorgeous babies you have, Love the split faced BC.

You most certainly can have a dog that heels beautifully and walks on a loose lead at the end of the lead.

Mine walk both on the left of men and heel to the back pram wheel. Makes sure no-one gets ran over, tangled up in leads or try to tip the pram over.

Mine are taught to heel on the left and right. When we are walking I don't care if they are beside me or infront as long as the lead is loose and they are not walking RIGHT infront so I tread on their back feet or trip over them

This is my boy who's heeling is fantastic, but is equally happy walking to the end of his lead