Teaching Heel
Jeanne
Perciaccanto
Teaching
your dog to heel is probably the most complex command a dog owner has to
learn. So much so, that many trainers are
no longer teaching a formal “Heel” as a command but have gone to a “loose leash”
walking.
I still prefer to teach “heel” as a primary part of creating
a full and complete form of communication and build the deepest aspect of self
control for the dog.
When
your dog is on leash, you are the dogs’ only job and responsibility. Their full attention must be focused on you
whether moving or remaining still.
The leash has meaning, intent and purpose. The mental switch in the dogs head when
connected to a leash should produce a direct impact on the dogs’ demeanor and
behavior. Leash means walk here. Leash means let the cats and squirrels go
by. Leash means follow you! The leash means calm!
When the dog understands what their responsibility is while
on leash, it then becomes easier to teach other responsible behaviors enabling
your dogs to be capable of going to more places while remaining focused and calm. The leash is an extension of you and your
leadership with your dog.
Rather
than seeing or using the leash as a tool for calm, we create contention and
conflict with our dogs. Using the leash to hold or pull the dog back from the abyss
of unwanted or expected behaviors, we fight with our dogs in a dance of pull
and tug. A dance they are ready, able
and willing to participate in and one they will inevitably win! The law of unintended consequence creates a
dog that will always pull when on leash because they think they are expected to
pull!
Before actually beginning the formal lessons for heel, which
involves distraction training, I work first on creating calm and focus with the
owner. Building off what I call
connectors, I start first in getting the dog to just follow closely and remain
next to the owner when stationary.
There are three points of reference I teach owners to
understand which indicates the dogs level of focus. These are: stand, sit and down. I do not teach the dog to do any of these but
allow the dog to come to them by processing information gained from allowance
and consequence. Dog training is teaching
the dog how to make appropriate choices and develop the self-control and
responsibility for those choices.
Each
point of reference gives the owner an understanding of where the dogs’ mental
focus is and the choices your dog is willing to make at that time, which would
become, you or the distraction.
If you move a few steps back and away from your dog, does it
immediately follow you?
No? Then your dog is
either waiting for you to be responsible for them by pulling on the leash or
they are focused on a distraction and not you.
If you proceed forward, the dog will pull directly towards
its point of focus.
Standing
or remaining still should give the dog a message to remain next to you in a calm
state, patiently waiting for your next move or command. My first steps are to teach the dog to see
and respond to your small movements, to follow, then to remain calmly next to
you.
The mental points of reference give owners a basis for what
and when to move onto the next steps.
A dog standing when they come to you is in decision. They may sit or move away.
Sit
indicates the dog has chosen you over a distraction as an indication of patience,
a willingness to await your next move.
Moving away from you is obvious, the dog chose the distraction.
I have owners patiently wait to see which choice the dogs makes and to respond directly by either praising a sit or moving away if the dog leaves. It may take a few minutes for the dogs to offer a behavior, but patience on our part is necessary.
Once the dog begins to develop patience and self - control by
understanding that calm is expected, they will begin to auto sit when you
stop. As they accept your leadership,
the dog will lie down next to you which is a mental state of calm.
By allowing the dogs to choose, you help build
self-control and the decision making process.
At this level, I do not give commands nor speak to the dog beyond saying
“yes” or “good” to mark their choices. The dog is in complete control over the
end result.
Dogs are incredibly intelligent and we can be unbelievably
confusing. We enter into a realm of frustration
babble, an assault of a nonstop barrage of sound to our dogs. I think people
believe the more we speak the more the dog will understand. We need to stop
trying to make training similar to the experience of a drive-thru restaurant seeking
results in 30 second or less. Giving
dogs a space to think, assess and utilize natural trial and error processing,
we give our dogs a greater chance of success.
Jeanne Perciaccanto
Ultimate Dog Training
