help on "heel" training

If you want to try a really great training method you should check out Dove Cresswell's system.  She has a really gentle, efficient approach that works wonderfully well.  I like her methods so much I actually became one of her affiliates.
If you're willing to invest $38 in your dog's education you can check out her site and see what you think.  I stand behind this product 100% so if you have any questions at all feel free to email me at meldinghadit@gmail.com.
Dove's site is  [linkhttp://hadit.cee123.hop.clickbank.net/]Dog-training-online.com[/link].
Hope this helps a bit.

Google on "targeting" in the context of dogs.  Fastest way to get a "heel" IMO.

I always teach heel off lead initially, in a safe enclosed environment (house/garden) and I have found that this works best because it forces you to be pro-active in showing the dog what you want and rewarding him for it and building up in small increments that he can cope with.  Baby steps get you there faster.  When a lead is attached, the temptation to simply use it to pull the dog back to the right position is always there and a great many people do this instinctively.  My experience has shown me that the dog does not learn "heel" any where near so well this way.
 
When a lead is added, it should be more of an ornament than anything else.  You could have it trailing the floor or one end tucked in you pocket and the dog still heels well.
 
DO NOT say "heel" as a correction when the dog pulls.  The dog will hear the word at the moment when he is pulling, not heeling and therefore the wrong association in made.  Again, many people do this instinctively, another reason to do it hands off, lead off, in your house and garden first.
 
Do not confuse heel work with good lead manners.  The dog should work to keep the lead slack and alter his pace to suit yours, but this is not the same as "heel" in my book.  This should happen automatically with no verbal cue and I do this by turning sharply and going the other way when the dog gets to the end of the lead, saying "lets go!". 
 
I think "Heel" is can be invaluable to keep the dog under very close control and attentive on you while crossing a street or getting through a busy crowd or passing by something that might trigger a nervous or excitable response.  He should then be released from "heel" to walk at a natural pace, watch the world go by, do the normal doggy things like sniff, eliminate, etc.  One way I do this is a Sit,  alot of fuss and praise for completing the "exercise" and then "lets go" as we set off.  Don't say "heel" and then just walk allowing the dog to do whatever he likes because IME "heel" then loses any real meaning for the dog and becomes useless in the situations where you really need it.  Those are just my thoughts.

ORIGINAL: Chuffy

I always teach heel off lead initially, in a safe enclosed environment (house/garden) and I have found that this works best because it forces you to be pro-active in showing the dog what you want and rewarding him for it and building up in small increments that he can cope with.  Baby steps get you there faster.  When a lead is attached, the temptation to simply use it to pull the dog back to the right position is always there and a great many people do this instinctively.  My experience has shown me that the dog does not learn "heel" any where near so well this way.

When a lead is added, it should be more of an ornament than anything else.  You could have it trailing the floor or one end tucked in you pocket and the dog still heels well.

DO NOT say "heel" as a correction when the dog pulls.  The dog will hear the word at the moment when he is pulling, not heeling and therefore the wrong association in made.  Again, many people do this instinctively, another reason to do it hands off, lead off, in your house and garden first.

Do not confuse heel work with good lead manners.  The dog should work to keep the lead slack and alter his pace to suit yours, but this is not the same as "heel" in my book.  This should happen automatically with no verbal cue and I do this by turning sharply and going the other way when the dog gets to the end of the lead, saying "lets go!". 

I think "Heel" is can be invaluable to keep the dog under very close control and attentive on you while crossing a street or getting through a busy crowd or passing by something that might trigger a nervous or excitable response.  He should then be released from "heel" to walk at a natural pace, watch the world go by, do the normal doggy things like sniff, eliminate, etc.  One way I do this is a Sit,  alot of fuss and praise for completing the "exercise" and then "lets go" as we set off.  Don't say "heel" and then just walk allowing the dog to do whatever he likes because IME "heel" then loses any real meaning for the dog and becomes useless in the situations where you really need it.  Those are just my thoughts.

 
thanks...but when do you exactly say heel? do you keep saying it as the dog follows you or just once?

Initially I don't say it at all!  I shape a really good response of staying beside me and matching my pace (training sessions in house/garden, building up in small increments, eventually occasionally offering a treat after 2 paces, other times after 14, as random as possible to keep him guessing).  I've heard this stafe referred to as initial conditioning. 
 
When that response is really reliable, then I put a cue on it, saying "Heel!" as I step off.  Some people might say, good dog, good heel, I think that's OK, particularly if you've built up to a long stretch, it's a way of keeping his attention, letting him know he's doing it right and the reward is on the way, so it's worth sticking with it and not getting bored or surging ahead.  I stop and get a Sit before he has a chance to wander to one side, or pull or get distracted then he gets a treat or a game and lots of praise for completing the exercise and doing it well.  I always try to end it well so he gets the reward for a "happy heel" where he is looking up at me, twinkle in his eye, tail wagging, enthusiastic etc.  I fade out the reward gradually and replace it with verbal praise but I'm open to still coughing up occasionally to keep that enthusiasm intact although at that point I reserve it only for the best responses.  Randomly rewarding is the best way to fix the behaviour... (hence why begging at the table is so hard to stop!) I have heard that referred to as maintaining conditioning and when you get to that stage the treat comes from somewhere unseen (your pocket) after the dog has completed the exercise, rather than being used as a lure to help the dog get it right in the first place.  At that point I also incorporate "heel" into games of tug or fetch to help keep him practised at it.

Initially I don't say it at all! I shape a really good response of staying beside me and matching my pace (training sessions in house/garden, building up in small increments, eventually occasionally offering a treat after 2 paces, other times after 14, as random as possible to keep him guessing). I've heard this stafe referred to as initial conditioning.

When that response is really reliable, then I put a cue on it, saying "Heel!" as I step off. Some people might say, good dog, good heel, I think that's OK, particularly if you've built up to a long stretch, it's a way of keeping his attention, letting him know he's doing it right and the reward is on the way, so it's worth sticking with it and not getting bored or surging ahead. I stop and get a Sit before he has a chance to wander to one side, or pull or get distracted then he gets a treat or a game and lots of praise for completing the exercise and doing it well. I always try to end it well so he gets the reward for a "happy heel" where he is looking up at me, twinkle in his eye, tail wagging, enthusiastic etc. I fade out the reward gradually and replace it with verbal praise but I'm open to still coughing up occasionally to keep that enthusiasm intact although at that point I reserve it only for the best responses. Randomly rewarding is the best way to fix the behaviour... (hence why begging at the table is so hard to stop!) I have heard that referred to as maintaining conditioning and when you get to that stage the treat comes from somewhere unseen (your pocket) after the dog has completed the exercise, rather than being used as a lure to help the dog get it right in the first place. At that point I also incorporate "heel" into games of tug or fetch to help keep him practised at it.

 
Do you apply this to "ALL " of your dogs, you keep saying "Him"...............

No of course not I only bother teaching the males to "heel".  Jeez......

No of course not I only bother teaching the males to "heel". Jeez......

 
Any pics????