Help
We have trained Duke not to pull, but we haven't actually trained him to heel (as in walk next to us with his body behind us). His lead is about his body length, so he can only ever be a few paces infront of us. If the lead ever goes tense or he pulls he gets a sharp 'UHUH' and a 'back' command. He usually takes a step or two back so that the lead is lose again, and if he ever doesn't we either turn around and do a circle or stop until he's responded.
I would like to teach him to heel so that I can keep him close if there's ever a child/another dog/distraction etc. close by. What the best way of teaching it? I'm not sure if I've made it harder for myself by only teaching him to have a loose lead and not be next to me with 'back'.
Thanks for any help :)
Page 1 of 1
Training To Heel And How?
#2
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 53
- Joined: 12-June 07
Posted 01 August 2010 - 08:07 AM
Hi, I just used the changing of direction to teach this. Hold and walk on a loose lead and when you do the direction change check the lead and give the 'close' command. Do this over a 2 minute training session [quite intense] change direction totally at random, after ten step, after two steps and after thirty! I did mine in the forest,[you do get some strange looks, but hey....lol]and in the house if you have the room. If you still can't get his attention you could try holding a treat in your hand, but my two take no notice of food out of the house.
Another good command to use for your situation is 'look at me'. I taught this using a clicker, put the dog into a sit, then give to command when they look away, when they look directly in your eyes treat or click and treat.....and repeat....and repeat!
Hope this helps,
Lisa x
Another good command to use for your situation is 'look at me'. I taught this using a clicker, put the dog into a sit, then give to command when they look away, when they look directly in your eyes treat or click and treat.....and repeat....and repeat!
Hope this helps,
Lisa x
#3
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 302
- Joined: 24-January 10
Posted 01 August 2010 - 08:27 AM
divegirl, on 01 August 2010 - 08:07 AM, said:
Hi, I just used the changing of direction to teach this. Hold and walk on a loose lead and when you do the direction change check the lead and give the 'close' command. Do this over a 2 minute training session [quite intense] change direction totally at random, after ten step, after two steps and after thirty! I did mine in the forest,[you do get some strange looks, but hey....lol]and in the house if you have the room. If you still can't get his attention you could try holding a treat in your hand, but my two take no notice of food out of the house.
Another good command to use for your situation is 'look at me'. I taught this using a clicker, put the dog into a sit, then give to command when they look away, when they look directly in your eyes treat or click and treat.....and repeat....and repeat!
Hope this helps,
Lisa x
Another good command to use for your situation is 'look at me'. I taught this using a clicker, put the dog into a sit, then give to command when they look away, when they look directly in your eyes treat or click and treat.....and repeat....and repeat!
Hope this helps,
Lisa x
*Good advice.Was doing same in forest month ago when lady walking with group of people commented how cruel I was? She said all the pulling on dogs neck wasn't achieving anything?I said"what would you suggest" and she replied"training classes"?I could've said what do you think they teach at training classes or that the ex police sergeant who I was taught by had got it all wrong,but just smiled and said"thanks for that"
#4
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 53
- Joined: 12-June 07
Posted 01 August 2010 - 08:47 AM
I think the problem can be is that people rely too heavily on training classes. Don't get me wrong I am all for them in the sense of socialising your dog but for me I didn't and have never had any classes close by enough. I think, and it's just my opinion, that if you are going to own any breed you need a good knowledge of how to do basic training in the home. My methods are not out of any book, it's all about what I have learned over the years and what suits which dog! It seems to work as apart from the incident of Lola and the deer last summer they are all pretty well behaved....and I have 5!
Also, I think it creates an excellent bond with your dog doing one to one training.As a family [me and the 2 kids] we all spend time alone with each dog and whether it be trying to make one of the Yorkies look like a meerkat or an instant down for Sam [my beautiful 2 yr old Dane] we all get along brilliantly!
Lisa x
Also, I think it creates an excellent bond with your dog doing one to one training.As a family [me and the 2 kids] we all spend time alone with each dog and whether it be trying to make one of the Yorkies look like a meerkat or an instant down for Sam [my beautiful 2 yr old Dane] we all get along brilliantly!
Lisa x
#5
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 4,695
- Joined: 09-June 04
Posted 01 August 2010 - 11:00 AM
Good to see you posting again, Lisa :D.
Changes of direction and pace are good for getting a dog to focus on you. You can practise in the garden as well - use buckets, bushes, etc, as objects you can walk round. The other way is to lure it: put food in your hand and hold your hand at a level and position where you want your dog's head to be. To start with you'll need to walk quick enough that his back end doesn't swing out. Ian Dunbar and one or two others actually advocate teaching off-lead heelwork before loose lead heelwork, and although I didn't know at the time that he was doing so, this was the method I used with Marble and it has worked brilliantly.
With regard to training methods, there is a big movement away from tug and jerk training to clicker training, where you use a clicker (or anything similar) to mark a correct behaviour immediately (it is used as a reward marker; you click to mark the correct behaviour and then reward). Certainly use of the clicker can speed up basic training. I was sceptical about it at first but the more I use it, the more I like it :). It's kind and also avoids all the tugging, jerking and popping on the lead which isn't so good for pups. With loose lead walking, you can use it every few steps (a variable number each time) to mark that the dog is doing it right, and then gradually phase it out as the dog's skills improve. The trainer where I go is an ex-police dog trainer of the lead popping school but I have always done my own thing in class with regard to methods :).
Hazel
Changes of direction and pace are good for getting a dog to focus on you. You can practise in the garden as well - use buckets, bushes, etc, as objects you can walk round. The other way is to lure it: put food in your hand and hold your hand at a level and position where you want your dog's head to be. To start with you'll need to walk quick enough that his back end doesn't swing out. Ian Dunbar and one or two others actually advocate teaching off-lead heelwork before loose lead heelwork, and although I didn't know at the time that he was doing so, this was the method I used with Marble and it has worked brilliantly.
With regard to training methods, there is a big movement away from tug and jerk training to clicker training, where you use a clicker (or anything similar) to mark a correct behaviour immediately (it is used as a reward marker; you click to mark the correct behaviour and then reward). Certainly use of the clicker can speed up basic training. I was sceptical about it at first but the more I use it, the more I like it :). It's kind and also avoids all the tugging, jerking and popping on the lead which isn't so good for pups. With loose lead walking, you can use it every few steps (a variable number each time) to mark that the dog is doing it right, and then gradually phase it out as the dog's skills improve. The trainer where I go is an ex-police dog trainer of the lead popping school but I have always done my own thing in class with regard to methods :).
Hazel
#6
- Member
-
- Group: Members
- Posts: 53
- Joined: 12-June 07
Posted 01 August 2010 - 12:10 PM
Hey Hazel...it's good to be back :D
Maybe I should explain a little more about my version of a 'check'. Although my two are both walked on a full choke, they do for 95% of the time walk free and loose. BUT my dogs have a combined weight of 22 stone and I walk them both in the same hand. So if a situation does arise I have them under full control by bring their collars higher, at this point they know I am in total control[except Lola can get a wee bit excited], but it works for me and my dogs. When I say 'check' I use more of a voice control....the famous Caesar 'tchooch' to bring them in to my space, with just the slightest pressure on the lead. I have had many a row with dog 'owners' that strangle their dogs, we even have a woman locally who walks her GSD on a 'spike collar' [can't remember the proper name], when I asked her why, she simply shrugged and said 'control' :angry: .
Like I say, what works for one dog doesn't work for another, the same can be said for the dog!
Lisa x
Maybe I should explain a little more about my version of a 'check'. Although my two are both walked on a full choke, they do for 95% of the time walk free and loose. BUT my dogs have a combined weight of 22 stone and I walk them both in the same hand. So if a situation does arise I have them under full control by bring their collars higher, at this point they know I am in total control[except Lola can get a wee bit excited], but it works for me and my dogs. When I say 'check' I use more of a voice control....the famous Caesar 'tchooch' to bring them in to my space, with just the slightest pressure on the lead. I have had many a row with dog 'owners' that strangle their dogs, we even have a woman locally who walks her GSD on a 'spike collar' [can't remember the proper name], when I asked her why, she simply shrugged and said 'control' :angry: .
Like I say, what works for one dog doesn't work for another, the same can be said for the dog!
Lisa x
Share this topic:
Page 1 of 1