How to Train your Dog

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How to teach your dog to Heel

The first exercise to be taught is "heeling", or walking calmly on a lead at your left side. This may not be the most important exercise but it is the first one to be taught because it is the foundation on which all other lessons are based.

Dog training is the same as any other sport or hobby; you can spend quite a bit of money on equipment and gadgets, but the only essentials, the training collar and the lead are available for less than two dollars the pair.

Training collars, frequently referred to as choke chains in dog circles, are made of polished steel chain links with a ring at each end. They are sold in different lengths, weights and sizes to suit all dogs from the tiny Pomeranian to the Great Dane, and it is important that you choose the correct size for your dog. When you go to buy one take your dog along with you for a fitting. The right length of chain will allow you to make a loop one inch bigger than the measurement round your dog's head at the largest part. Weight and size of links can be left to your own common sense, but choose the lightest one that will be sufficiently strong to hold your dog in any emergency.

Do not start training lessons the first day that you buy the collar; put it on the dog for half hour periods from time to time until he is quite accustomed to wearing it. This particularly applies in the case of the adult stray which has attached himself to your household and is not used to collars of any sort.
 

Many trainers prefer to start lessons after owning the dog for some months, when friendly personal relations have been established, and the dog realises that it is quite safe to trust the handler during lessons. Reasonable discipline can seem to be undue pressure to a baby puppy when combined with the lack of concentration natural to young creatures.

Standing with your dog on your left side, give the command "Spot, heel" in a firm but encouraging voice, and step off smartly. If the dog does not move as quickly as you, give the lead a sharp twitch, snap or jerk - according to his size - and repeat the command to heel using his name as before. If this brings him to your side, immediately praise him.

Some dogs are natural pullers until they learn better habits, and will dash off ahead of you. Do not alter your pace but watch the lead and jerk as it tightens with the command "Spot, heel" which should bring the dog back to position; if it does so, tell him that he is a good boy. With this rushing type, if normal jerking of the lead does not do the trick, try turning right at the same time as you jerk the lead so that the change of direction gives added force to your command. Do not turn left because the dog is walking on that side, and you may get into a tangle with the lead if you do so.

The severity with which you jerk the lead will naturally vary from dog to dog according to size, nature of skin and physical strength. The jerk required to control a strong active dog such as a German shepherd dog would be viciously cruel on a sensitive skinned medium sized whippet or on a toy dog; the slight twitch of the lead needed to guide a small pet would go unnoticed with the larger breeds.

After a few lessons you will find that the jerk of the lead is as much to attract the dog's attention to the job in hand, as to physically bring him back to heel.

The energetic rushers almost invariably become the best heelers, and the lethargic dog that lags behind is the most difficult to train. With this type, keep the lessons short and use more coaxing arid praise than correction.

Heeling on the lead is to be the foundation of all your training so do not try to hurry through teaching it in order to get to something that you think more interesting. Keep the lessons short, say 15 minutes, and concentrate on keeping the dog in the right position and make sure you give correction and praise every time they are required.

During the early lessons, walk in a large circle to avoid making turns, (with the one exception already mentioned) so that the dog has only the one thing to learn - where he should walk. Do not allow him to sniff about or wander from this position during lessons and give him a run to relieve himself before starting:

Finish on a pleasant note, allowing the dog playtime at the end of the lesson.

When the dog has the idea of the exercise, introduce turns which are only an extension of normal heeling. I am amazed to see on film, or read about, professional trainers who find it necessary to crash into their dog when turning left, or 'back heel' him to turn right.

What is the use of paying lip service to training by reward and reprimand and then forcing the dog's actions by rough treatment? Your training collar is a sensitive link which will draw the dog's attention to your wishes in a reasonable manner.

RIGHT TURN The way to teach your dog to heel is to communicate with him by short, sharp jerks on the lead given at strength suitable to the size of your dog. When you wish to turn right, do so, at the same time giving a snap on the lead and the command 'Spot, heel'. It is as simple as that. Later, you can drop the command and the dog will come round automatically whenever you turn.

LEFT TURN This is not quite as easy, because the dog is travelling on your left, but is by no means complicated. Give the command 'Spot, heel' and extend your arm to the left just before you turn, and you will have no trouble with the average dog. The command, the lead, and then your body obstructing his path forward, will all give the dog the right idea, and repeated