Teach Your Dog to Heel

Day 9 Dog Training Challenge: Heel (Trainer Hallie) Oh my gosh - you guys are going to LOVE this behavior! This is an excellent foundation for listening to you around distractions, a safe place for your dog to return to, and can even work as a recall. Oh, and it did we mention that it looks awesome, too? We are teaching your dog to return to "heel" position - essentially stacked up next to you on your left side. SIDE NOTE: Two important things worth mentioning. 1) Absolutely do not pull or jerk on the leash during this exercise (to avoid this temptation, we STRONGLY recommend doing this without a leash on to start, or tying the leash around your waist.) Pulling or jerking on the leash will make this training extremely unpleasant and confusing for your dog. 2) When people think of a formal "heel," you likely think of a military-style walk-next-to-me-watch-me-don't-move-out-of-place type of behavior. So while what we're teaching today is certainly a starting point for excellent leash walking, as it gets your dog in a nice starting position, we do not want you trying to get your dogs to walk in a perfect heel for a mile down the road. END SIDE NOTE. This challenge requires immense patience on your part, so follow the video closely! (This video is part of our 14-Day Dog Training and Enrichment Challenge - check out the rest of the playlist for all 14 days of videos!)