Do your dogs walk to heel?

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GinaB

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All 3 of mine walk to heel both on and off the lead.

I am shocked by the amount of people I see out walking their dogs (or, in most cases being walked by their dogs!) and they are being trailed along. I can't imagine this makes for a very enjoyable walk?

All my dogs are taught to walk on the lead from a young age. I use slip leads on all of them (Tina is disgusted if you put her on one though as she is so used to being off
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) and none of them ever wear collars.
 
Otto has become a nightmare, he needs several good jerks at the start of a walk and will only stop darting around like a lunatic after 5 mins of walking.
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I hate him pulling, all our dogs have always been perfectly at walking to heel whether on our off the lead (and usually better off!), it makes me feel like a right pleb too!

To be fair though, at 5 months he was not as easy to make an impression on as most 10 week old puppies are!

He WILL learn though, just like everything else! I am not prepared to put up with a dog that tows me along!

He is on a slip lead too, but my OH keeps using the soft aerborn one, which I only use when he has been behaving for awhile, he respects the thin rope one far more!
 
Mostly they are good, but are better if they are tired
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They will walk to heel without a lead on for cars/people etc, but I wouldn't like my chances of him listening to me if he saw a deer - he likes to chase those.......
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Teal was a bit of a git to begin with, perhaps she gets confused between her own name, and "heel" as they are so similar, however she has grasped the idea now.
Hattie always walks to my heel, as does my springer, George.
The cocker pup is still too young, however she usually follows the others, who all walk to my heel, so it shouldn't be too hard for her to grasp
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Mine dont walk to heel - and definitely not when off the lead
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- but being greyhounds they always walk nicely on the lead unless they see a cat or other small furry thing
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I cannot stand dogs which dont walk properly on the lead, I cannot understand why people let themselves be towed along like you describe
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Take Tinker off lead and she sticks by your leg and you have to actually send her away to get rid of her, but as soon as her lead is on she walks ahead, not pulling but she buggers off.....
 
I don't walk my dogs, however during my rounds on the farm, the dogs always come with me. Wherever I am, they are. All 3 of my black dogs have been taught heel and yes they will walk to heel if I ask. The 2 big white dogs cannot be trained to things like this, so no I never ask it of them ... they have WAY more important things to be doing, Lol!
 
Mine do, I hate being walked, I like to be the one doing the walking
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My pet hate is seeing dogs pulling their owners arms out
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They do run and play free when off lead, but can be called back to heel, or to walk behind....OH likes them walking behind him, in orderly from
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All my 5 know how to walk to heel on the lead and off the lead but whether they actually do so is another thing LOL. I don't mind them walking full length of the lead so long as they don't pull. They do it better if they're walked singularly or in pairs TBH.

Mine heel better on lead than off but will do both. If I'm completely honest I either take them down the stables a couple at a time (Mill & Mouse can't go together so I have an odd LOL) or pile them in the car and take them out that way
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Mine all walk to heel (including the JRT) both on and off lead. JRT often comes out riding and although I won't ride along road with him we do cross road as he can be trust to wait till told to cross.
 
[ QUOTE ]
and none of them ever wear collars.

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Dont you think its a bit irresposible to not have collars on your dogs no matter how well behaved they are?
 
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and none of them ever wear collars.

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Dont you think its a bit irresposible to not have collars on your dogs no matter how well behaved they are?

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Can I ask WHY that is irresponsible??
My dogs are all working dogs, IMO it would be irresponsible for them TO wear collars- the JRT would hang herself going down holes after rats, and the gundogs could hang themselves/get caught out on the moors picking up in dense heather.
 
I can totally understand why one would not want collars on working dogs. That said, isn't it the law that dogs in public places in the UK have to have visible identification? (Which is not to say everyone has to/chooses to abide by it, just that it might explain why some people consider it essential.)

Edited because I found the appropriate link: http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/379

It specifically excludes working dogs.
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yup my mutt will walk to heel on and off the leadone off the first things she was thought shes to stong for me to alow her to pull me!..but i only let her off when were alone cos she aint that friendly with other dogs
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
and none of them ever wear collars.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont you think its a bit irresposible to not have collars on your dogs no matter how well behaved they are?

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Two of them are working labradors, it would be dangerous for them to wear collars in some of the cover they work.
All three are microchipped so if they *did* go wandering (which only one of them has ever done and she went straight to the bar where we drink
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) they would be returned to us.
 
I have to admit that Pippa doesn't walk to heel as she is rarely walked on a lead (always in open fields)- she will come back to me when I shout her though! Although she is a bit deaf now. She is only medium sized so not a problem but agree that being hauled around is not acceptable!
 
All mine are great on the lead, and as soon as I add a new one (
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) they pick it up straight away too so I don't even have to train them. The collie and my old girl Indie walk to heel off lead but Alf has worms for brains and has never learnt anything other than 'come' and 'biscuits' and Pie is far too interested in cats to walk off lead except in the fileds.
 
I like them to walk out in front on a loose lead with my arms at my side, not pulled out of their sockets and that's what they do, MOST of the time....heelwork is coming on and luckily we don't meet to many people out and about, if we do I make them sit until other walkers have passed.
 
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Alfie sounds like a right character..can we not have some piccis ootp?
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Wot, so you can come down here and steal him away from me? .......yeah OK
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Mine walks well on the lead without pulling and will walk to heel off if reminded but usually he's on when I want him controlled and off when he's free to run a bit. He's got good recall for his breed and even if he's hunting something he doesn't go out of sight and always "checks in" constantly. That said, I don't test it and he's only off in areas I'm sure are safe and if I can pay attention.

I do find though if he's tired or unsure or otherwise wanting to be close he prefers to be "paocher's dog" and walk immediately behind me. (He has learned to leave enough space so that I don't kick him when I bring my heel up!) This seems more "natural" from a dog/pack perspective anyway so it's fine by me.
 
My two girls are very clingy and just love to be near me, so they stay close and when asked will walk to heel, although it did take till Lexi was around a year old for her to do this. On the other hand put her on a lead and she just has to pull!
 
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