Heel Training

Bettyboo222

Bettyboo222

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*tiptoes in* Hi :)

I am currently walking my neighbours 8 month old golden retriver pup, and his owners are having trouble heel training him.

Currently they pull him back to heel (he wears a harness) then keep just enough pressure on the harness to keep him there then they 'good boy' and let him move forward.

They have been doing this since he was 3 months but he still isn't showing any recognision to the command, so does anyone have any tips ?
 
With little Pixel (6month cocker spaniel) I have always done it like Victoria Stillwell (sp) does.

So if they pull you turn and walk in the other direction and say "let's go!" that way the pulling never achieves any thing :) after a few turns they tend to get the message and stop. i then treated her with cheese for a loose relaxed lead :) Worked very well with her. Have the added difficulty with her in that she is blind so can't do a watch me command to keep focus.

Every dog is different though and look forward to hearing other peoples technics.

With lab and goldie we did more of a treat based reward and because they're piggys they would lookup at you. Then slowly weaned them off and got them to target my leg.

Had to change all training methods for little Pix though!
(she is also walked on a harness :D)

Elle
 
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I would also encourage her switch to collar, you can train to heel in a harness, it's not impossible but as he's going to be a bigger stronger dog he will only learn to use his weight against you.
So I'd use his collar and make it absolutely black and white that pulling on the lead gets him nowhere fast. Simple! :P
I've always done it by there being ANY tension in the lead, I stop and walk backwards until the dog slackens it by walking back in my direction (I don't really see the point in actually pulling him back to my side... the release in tension on the lead to him probably means GO GO GO!), when he's roughly at heel we then we proceed forward.
This goes on and on especially with a known puller, but the key like with any method of leash-training is to be consistent (and there are many methods!). You let him pull you a foot and he's just given himself a massive reward.
 
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Just to add if the owner really doesn't want to change onto the collar, all my 3 are walked on harnesses and don't pull so is possible :) big 2 learnt off collar then out on harness but Pix has learnt mostly off th harness :)

Elle
 
The dog does not know what 'heel' means.

Heel means, walk beside me with your shoulder to my knee (looking at me a lot, or occassionally) and good things happen, like a treat, or a pat, or verbal praise or even, after a certain number of steps, off the lead for a play.
If you forge on, you either go nowhere, turned in a circle, or backwards.

I can't see these people but I get the impression their timings are wrong and they are being inconsistent.

At the minute, it thinks heel means a jerk in the back. You need to incentivise things for dogs, not think they magically know what a word means :)

Also, bin the harness. For this dog, it obviously isn't working.

Type 'focus training' into the search bar ^^^ and you will find lots of rambling posts by me on the subjects which I am too tired to repeat :p
 
I agree with getting rid of the harness, these are used on all tracking dogs so they can work on a long lead.

A lab should be at heel and concentrating on the handler or when working at a shoot where the birds fall.

My Spaniels do pull a bit when on the lead but stay with me and walk with me when they are off the lead.
 
Don't use harnesses!!! They give the dog more leaverage (sp?) to pull. Instead of just using their neck to pull, they can use their whole body weight.

Use a collar and lead, or better yet a slip lead. And the dog will soon realise that by pulling it is gradually strangling itself, and by walking steady it is comfortable.

I hear the thin ropes (for lack of a better word) that go round the dog's muzzle work as well, as they don't like pressure on the nose. I train mine with the second option, so can only vouch for the sucess of that :)

To back the second option up, maybe introduce a stick (or long riding whip!) and just tap the dog on the chest everytime it goes in front. A dog that's respecting the pack leader should walk with or behind, never in front.

Hope this helps you :)
 
Yep, and some dogs try to run from the strangulation, because they are not as smart as we are and do not know what is causing it! Plus they also have to be correctly placed, up high on the neck, low around the shoulders and they do not really work, and of course, they have to be the right way around.
Tug of wars and strangulation are not what chokes and slips were designed for, more a quick check and on again.

I use chokes and slips myself but they don't work for every dog, also the stick and swinging a lead around in front, but that makes one look very silly indeed :p
 
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