Teaching heeling? How?

[GinaZ]

Could you please help me out? I'd like to train my dog to heel and don't know how to start this. She's 7 months old and knows a sit, but that's about it.
Thank
Gina

[Gempress]

Check this thread out for some ideas. You can also look up heeling techniques on the Internet.

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11793

You mentioned that your dog knows sit, but nothing else. Heeling is a complex behavior that requires a lot of concentration on the dog's part. It think it would be best to teach your dog things like down, stay, leave it, etc., before starting heeling. That way, your dog has more experience in learning and paying attention before starting heeling.

[GinaZ]

Thank you for the website and for helping me. Your answer gave me another question though. How do you teach leave it?
Can I ask another question too? I have another dog who is afraid of a lot of things and won't act aggressive, but will back away from a lot of things. How do you help with that?
Gina

[weather1man]

Well let him be secure his his surronding. don't let him be around the things he is afraid of. my dog is afraid of water! He has gotten better from constant expourse to it but his fear will probably never leave. i hope this helps!

How I taught Heel:


Slip collar on and leash attached to it. Place dog on left side in postion and say heel walk off leading with left leg. I also gave the hand signal that we use! If the dog leggs behind I called him up and when he got into the heel I said Heel again. If he rushed ahead I just did an abrupt turn and again said Heel. Took about 20 mins and now whenever I say heel, he heels on or off leash.

I did not knee the dog on the turn, I just felt that was not neccesary and he learned fast with me just turning but some people will advise kneeing or knee blocking the dog when you turn towards them.

Storm who only knows sit, now knows heel too.

[weather1man]

That is a smart dog my dog won't listen. Choke collars didn't work for him!

[Puppy]

Originally Posted by yuckaduck

I did not knee the dog on the turn, I just felt that was not neccesary and he learned fast with me just turning but some people will advise kneeing or knee blocking the dog when you turn towards them.

what do you mean by kneeing?

[GinaZ]

Thank you so much for the help! My afraid dog is leery of people, mostly new people. Do I keep trying to take him out where people are, and if so, what do I do when he tries to pull away from everyone?
Gina

Originally Posted by weather1man

That is a smart dog my dog won't listen. Choke collars didn't work for him!

The choke collar is not to choke him. You can teach him the same lesson with a flat collar, and every dog can learn this way. It just may take longer. Just keep turning everytime he gets out of position and he will learn to pay attention and stay right beside you. If your dog does not listen to you then you need to work on getting the dogs attention and get him listening to you before you try to teach more things. If he is not listening then learning new things will be very frustrating.

Originally Posted by Puppy

what do you mean by kneeing?

Exactly what it says, blocking the dog with your knee. WHen you turn towards the dog you cross over with your knee and push the dog back. I never ever had to do that but I have seen it done and it works well. You do not haul off and knee the dog, it is a push.