Dog Training; The Heel Command

Use this training alongside the ‘Learn to Earn’ training as both will help teach your dog that you are in control.

Use short sessions of about 10 minutes twice a day. Use really rewarding treats such as sausage cut up into tiny pieces.


STEP 1

Indoors. Off lead.

Ask your dog to sit and reward him. Slowly start to walk off. He/she should follow and look to you for treat. If he/she stays at your side and looks up at you while you are walking, say “heel” and reward him/her.

If he/she jumps up, wanders off or is distracted, ignore this behaviour and walk away. Start again later.

Continue walking up and down indoors with your dog looking to you for direction for about 10 minutes at a time so that he doesn’t lose interest.

During the training, the only word you should use is ‘heel’ and only use it when he is at your side. Any other words will confuse him and he will take longer to learn the command.

Continue these sessions until every time you you do the training, he/she consistently walks at your side. At this stage you should start to reward intermittently when using the command and alternate treats with praise.

STEP 2

Indoors. On lead.

Repeat the training for step 1 but with his lead attached. You should only use heel command when lead is slack and your dog is at your side. Continue to use the word and treats/praise to build up the association between command and behaviour. Once he/she consistently walks to heel on the lead indoors, you can move to the garden where there are more distractions and continue with the training on the lead.

STEP 3

Once your dog walks to heel in the garden, move out into the street. Use an extending lead.

Allow them to walk to the end of the lead while you are walking slowly. When he/she reaches the end, stop.

He/she will look round to see why you have stopped. Don’t say anything, show them a treat and wait for your dog to come to your side.

Reward him/her and move off again. He/she will probably carry on walking to the end of the lead a few times. Be patient!

After a few attempts, your dog should walk at your side looking up for a reward. When he/she does, reward with a treat and say "heel".

Carry on with this training until your dog walks next to you all the time, reinforcing the word heel and the behaviour. Then you can again, replace some treats with praise and speed up your walking pace gradually.

Don’t pull your dog back at any time, just stop. You will probably have to repeat this a few times and you may not get very far!

Your dog will soon learn that it is more rewarding to be at your side than lunging ahead. Take it slowly and continue to say heel and reward with praise/treats when he/ is at your side.

Keep training separate from walks to begin with and when you have finished training go home.

STEP 4

Gradually speed up walking pace and reduce amount of treats. Carry on saying heel, praising your dog and giving treats intermittently.

If at any time he/she starts to lunge ahead, go back a stage and ensure they are consistent with that stage before moving on.

It is a good idea all through a dogs’ life to reward appropriate behaviour every now and again so you are reinforcing their training and the dog continues to look to you for guidance instead of doing what they want!

Happy walking!