How To Teach Your Dog To Heel

Having your pet join in your outdoor activities is a great deal of fun when your dog remains obediently at your side. You can keep your eyes on him and your dog can keep his eyes on you.

It may be easier to teach your puppy to heel without a lead at first, only you will know which method is best for your dog. Puppies love to be with you and will be willing to follow you in most situations. They will also be easy to lead with the smell of food, so carry treats at all times during training. Keep the puppy on your left side at all times to heel, holding his collar attract his attention with his name.

While walking in a straight line, hold the reward out in front of him, keep your left hand close to the collar, and give the command “heel”. Stop, kneel down and give him the command to “wait”, place your left arm under his belly directly in front of the hind legs to keep him from moving forward. Speeding up you pace and slowing it down while you train him will teach him to remain at heel Continue until he has learned the heel and wait commands, now you can teach him to turn with you as you walk.

Do you want to teach your dog how to turn on command? To teach him to turn right, bend your knees and hold the food near his nose, turn right and repeat the command “heel”, he will be required to speed up to follow you and will follow the smell of the treat with little or no resistance. Teaching him to turn left is a little different; use your left hand at his collar to guide him to the left use the command “steady” hold the treat low and in front of his nose, the puppy will follow.

While training, if he looses concentration, put your left hand inside his collar and bring him back to the correct position. To avoid his jumping up when you stop, hold his collar with your left hand and the treat low in front of him.

If you follow these instructions (and have a little patience) you can train your dog to heel in no time!

dog training, dog training tips, dogs, how to heel