Teaching your dog how do you teach a dog to heel? It’s a wonderful opportunity to bond with your dog and to practice obedience skills with your dog in public. And it’s a good time to learn how to teach a dog how do you teach a dog to heel with positive reinforcement. Of course, most dog training tips tell you to reward your dog when he obeys your commands. So how do you do that without causing him to feel threatened or frightened?
The first step in dog training is to decide the purpose of the walk and the distance between you and the dog. Do you want a long walk or just a short one? How long do you plan to keep the walk? Do you want to go on your walks at different times of the day or at different places?
Once you know these things, you can start practicing your dog obedience training. If you use a harness instead of leashes, then you are bound to find that you may pull your dog if he is not used to being pulled. But if you use a collar, then your dog will have to come to you, on his leash, before he gets to the walk. You will have to start with a short distance and gradually increase the distance as you both get used to each other and the routine.
Try not to pull your dog too far ahead of where you want to take him. This can cause him to panic and start pulling even harder. Also, if he sees other dogs approaching, try to stay in the center of the pack so that you won’t scare him off and might end up giving him more motivation to pull. If there are other distractions like noise or bright lights, then move on. Remember that he has only a short period of time to get used to walking around with you and the new behavior.
In the first step of the training, you will need to attach the leash to your dog’s collar, thus creating a short-range link. The next step would be to give him his reward or treat for standing still without moving, and for walking close to you. If he moves forward, give him your hand or some other form of reward, and if he moves away, then treat him with his clicker. The idea is that he will be confused by the sound and will begin to move forward again, and you can then reward him for standing still.
The next part of the training involves the actual walking sessions. Start by walking around the backyard and making several laps, at least three times, with the dog following you. As he begins to understand that he is being followed, he will slowly start to move ahead without breaking contact. After you have been walking for about three strides, try calling his name, which he should not ignore, followed immediately by a treat. Once he starts to heal properly, praise him and give him the treat, and the lesson is finally complete.
One problem that dog owners seem to have is that their dog gets distracted from walking by other activities in the yard. A simple solution to this is to use a bell, whistle, or other noisemaker, so that any distracting noises are blocked out. This will make it easier to teach your dog that he needs to keep his head down, and it will ensure that he stays put during the entire walk. Also, if he seems to be getting away from you, then you can take the dog into a pen or yard that has more distractions. This will ensure that he stays focused on you and your commands.
How do you teach a dog to heel position? The simplest way is with a treat, as I mentioned above. Always walk in front of the dog, with your right hand pointing upwards while your left hand points downwards. Your dog should turn his head towards your right heel, which means he needs to heal and move forward, keeping the heel position. Each time he heal properly, give him a treat and praise, and after three times, he should begin to understand that it is important to keep his head down and that all other movements must be turned to the right.
