Dog Training - Teaching Rover To Heel!
There is nothing more exasperating to watch (or get in the way of) than an untrained dog on a leash moving along a crowded sidewalk. He crisscrosses in front of the dog-walker, trips people, and lunges his way through traffic. He's a pest and a peril.
Once you've taught your pup to heel, walking with him will be a pleasure. When he's mastered the lesson, the pup will walk close to your left side, his head on a line from your left foot. And whenever you stop, the pup should automatically drop into a sitting position without a command.
Heeling is taught on the leash. Start from the sit-stay position, but first give the pup a warm-up by running him through the three commands he's already learned.
When the pup is warmed up and ready to go, put him into the sit-stay position on your left side. Hold the leash in your right hand, letting the leash loop toward the ground. Your left hand should grasp the leash halfway between the dog and your right hand, giving you a corrective hold when needed. You are now ready to start.
Give the command to "Heel!"-followed by the dog's name; e.g., "Heel, Rover!" As you give the command, step briskly forward with your left foot.
You can expect one of several maneuvers from the pup: he will dash forward, remain sitting or lag behind. Each one of these requires instantaneous correction. If he dashes forward, feed out the leash and, when he gets to the end of it, stop him with a hard yank. Walk up to him, make him sit-stay, pat him on the head and start over again.
If he remains sitting, step backward to him and repeat the command to heel, urging him forward with the leash. If he lags behind, don't drag him; wait for him to come up to you, then make him sit-stay and start again. Praise him each time after the reprimand, whether it's a voice or leash correction.
After the pup is heeling well on the leash, you can teach him to come to a sitting position when you stop. The pup already knows how to sit on your command. When he is heeling, walk him a short distance, then stop and give the command or signal to sit.
Keep repeating this walk-and-sit routine and eliminate the voice command. Repeat the walk-and-sit, using the hand signal, until the pup has it down pat. Then do away with the hand signal. In a short time, the pup will automatically sit down when you stop.