Why Your Dog Doesn't Heel Properly The Dog Therapist

[@catspellewolves3142]

Thanks great video will definitely try these exercises out. My cocker is always 1/2 mile in front of me.

[@bradroberts1957]

Great video!!!

[@TheDogTherapist]

Thanks

[@julieannecharters6132]

Great advice and no bullshit harness or treat in sight.

[@TheDogTherapist]

Thanks glad you're enjoying my videos

[@sharonC662]

Great explanation thanks going to try this

[@TheDogTherapist]

Glad you enjoyed it, let me know how you get on 🐾🐾👍

[@karenarey9788]

Thanks Craig for another fantastic video they are all very informative and helpful. I'm going to make a real conscious effort to train my Nell. How many times a day would you recommend and for how long initially. I will let her have her off lead romp in the morning which usually lasts an hour, more when it's beautiful weather and work allows. But then I'll go out with her on the slip lead and work on our heel work

[@TheDogTherapist]

Glad you’re enjoying the videos, my general rule is 10 minutes 3 times a day BUT don’t jump forward with your training until you’ve mastered the command/skill you’re working on 🐾🐾👍

[@4horsemenwomen]

The dogs don't appear very happy with their heeling. Do they eventually get better and enjoy heeling as they work through this training?

[@MikeJones1989]

Of course they’re not, they’re in constant fear of getting popped.

[@TheDemockery]

In time, they will adapt and be less stressed. Make it fun... Reward with food or toys or affection.

[@Texas240]

You can watch other trainers, or Sean the sheepman, and they don't hold the dog to a strict position as long as the dog is behind the "heel" line. Besides being stressed or fearful about getting popped (or stepped on if you're making a turn into the dog), it's stressful work for the dog to pay attention to handler well enough to stay in a tight heel (sometimes called "foose") because it's not instinctive.

[@cdwDogWalkers]

Of course they wont enjoy it its avoidance training and done very badly. Poor dogs don't know what to do they just keep getting choked. Terrible lack of skill he should be ashamed of himself.

[@clairegriffiths9284]

The dog is learning. Do you not find something a bit stressful when you do it for the first time? There is nothing wrong with a consequence for a dog.

[@bertthomas5578]

Thank you for this video I’m working on that right now with my rescue dog now I see what I have been doing wrong you are a godsend

[@TheDogTherapist]

Glad you enjoyed the video, let me know how you get on 🐾🐾👍

[@cbird4922]

Hi! I just found your channel, a week after I’ve adopted a rescue. He’s a year old Rotterman, super strong, and has NO manners (former street dog.) We’ve gotten him acclimated to our house, he’s learning his schedule, and is doing fantastic on potty training. I’m starting him today on leash training and basics, and I’m definitely going to use your method for teaching him to heel. It just seems so sensible! I’m looking forward to your other videos, subscribed! Thank you!

[@TheDogTherapist]

Glad you’re enjoying the videos thanks for subscribing 🐾🐾👍

[@cbird4922]

@@TheDogTherapist Yo! Follow up! When I walked him this morning, I kept him on a long leash until he did his business, then added a slip leash and took him to a popular walking trail. We practiced heel, using your methods, while bicycles and other dog walkers were also present. He picked it up so fast! The last 50 yards of our walk was on sidewalk, leading to our house. He did an almost perfect heel the whole way! I know we have to keep at it, but I’m so excited that I saw such amazing improvement in just one session. *YOUR METHOD IS WORKING FOR ME!!* Thank you, thank you!

[@TheDogTherapist]

@@cbird4922 glad it’s working keep practicing and it’ll soon become second nature 🐾🐾👍

[@leahalmstad6154]

Thanks for explaining so clearly. I have never been able to use a slip lead on my dog because it continues to slip out of place.

[@TheDogTherapist]

Glad it was helpful for you 🐾🐾👍

[@vinceking7651]

Great post

[@Hss-q3h]

Any way of correcting this behaviour without a slip lead or choke collar??

[@Romo69]

I’m curious, why? Do you feel like it’s cruel?

[@robinrutherfordcost4748]

My dog has a collapsing trachea

[@mylesadams1662]

Something I struggle with my cattle dog(blue heeler) is her immunity to corrections. sometimes they even make her do zoomies very odd…

[@Romo69]

I agree. These videos they always use a very well trained dog and puppies are just so easily distracted. I have trained many dogs in and out of the military, biggest thing is patience and consistency. It takes a long time

[@Texas240]

Yeah. I have an 8 months old rescue border collie mix. A firm correction will cause her to start jumping and spinning. And...when I say "jumping", I mean like 2 or 3 feet in the air while doing a 180 or 360 spin. Then she'll crouch into "play" mode and start running circles at the end of the leash. The fact that she appears to have husky mixed in doesn't help with getting her attention or cooperation despite her border collie brain loving praise for doing things right. It's a shame that someone decided mixing these 2 breeds was a "good" idea.

[@SomeMinorDogTraining]

For anyone reading this: I know that dog training can be difficult sometimes, but you're doing great. Keep up the good work, and your dog (and your own sanity) will thank you for it! ❤️💕

[@Rodrigo-oj8pd]

Muy buen video. Gracias

[@watchmoivies123]

Very cute black little dog is it a working cocker ? Is it your personal dog?

[@TheDogTherapist]

Thank you yes it is my dog and you’re right she’s a working cocker spaniel

[@r2d2v.79]

Some questions: - how do you see fitting into the picture of walking in heel mode also walking the dog while he is allowed to freely sniff around, or do you always use heel walking - how long do you estimate (average, knowing each dog is different) it takes to bring a pup from playful reactive towards people and dogs to such controlled heel. Pls express in estimate elapsed days/months, knowing most people can’t spend full days on training - on long coat dogs the slip lead doesn’t stay high up, it tends to drop lower. Tips? - you seem to use only verbal rewards, no treats?

[@TheDogTherapist]

No I don’t use treats NEVER have giving treat will give you a fat dog and a dog that only listens when you bribe it!!! When I’m training heel work I do not let them sniff the floor Train your dog 10minutes 3 times a day depending how old your dog is and YOU are consistent and doing the correct things progress will be quick

[@r2d2v.79]

@@TheDogTherapist thanks for your reply. Much appreciated. Reason for asking is: my GSD female pup, now 16 months of age, has been trained since earliest possible moment, as of week 9. She is very sweet and not at all aggressive, quite the opposite actually. She is everybody’s friend, and very curious about everything, which are nice qualities but a headache for training. Although she can pay attention and knows the basic commands, she is ultra distracted very often, and heel walking is still not achieved properly. I train every day multiple times, but her playful nature has rendered all approaches being difficult and not reaching self control for heel walking (on leash, and certainly off leash) Meaning: she can walk besides me, but very often tends to want in front, no matter very very very often getting corrected for this. Upon encountering people or dogs (or god forbid, cats), she stares reaches her head towards them and is very hard to get to stay with me. No off leash at all possible with people around. Have trained with limited sliplead, unlimited sliplead, prong, slip chain, normal collar, police collar, harness , with verbal rewards and food rewards… (food rewards are mostly her kibble, not extras)… it has improved but she remains very distracted. If I attempt an off lead walk in a controlled environment, with other dogs at training, she will run around at max speed wanting to play. Any thoughts and advice welcome for sure. She is very food driven, also using a ball works, but food… she eats 30% above advised amounts otherwise she drops weight and becomes ultra skinny instead of her usual skinny.

[@TheDogTherapist]

@@r2d2v.79 based on what you've just told me you must go back to the basics as they've not been correctly trained. sometimes you have to take a few steps backwards it's frustrating but it will pay dividends in the future good luck

[@fillmor]

This is a bizarre take for a dog trainer to have. Dogs like food and treats can be used to motivate dogs. Why would you want to eliminate a useful tool? Obviously you can adjust your dog's diet to offset the treats, or even use their meals as reinforcement. Treats can be a crutch but to blanketly say they should never be used is wild@@TheDogTherapist

[@TheDogTherapist]

@@fillmorit’s not bizarre to me as I’ve been training dogs for 27 years, people have only started using treats to train dogs in the last 15 years or so, before that no one used treats. You have to PRAISE good behaviour patterns not bribe a dog to do what it’s told

[@EllenSails]

My 6.5mo, 30lb Brittany puppy is an intense driven hunting dog with endless stamina. ( I’m not a hunter) I’ve tried with much patience to utilize a slip lead but she absolutely chokes herself by pulling on it no matter how much I wait for her to calm so I can get ahead of it to be positioned for enough slack to correct her . I do “intermittent” training with a face harness on our walk, but I know this is having compromised results. But otherwise, there is no walk to be had and she doesn’t get that physical exercise. SO, is the mental work of 10min a few times a day enough to wear her out mentally to compensate for the lack of overall distance on a neighborhood walk?

[@darren-up9vo]

Try a prong collar get someone to show you how to use fantastic piece of equipment works for my 2 wineramer dogs

[@EllenSails]

@@darren-up9vo I hear mixed opinions on these but I haven’t fully looked into it so I’ll do some research. Ty.

[@hsamson1103]

i trained my borador to pull me on my scooter well..soon as i tried this heeling, he no longer listens on pull command on scooter..seems hes confused now..hes happy free sniffing & pulling running..need advice pls..

[@AmericasAlgebraTeacher]

Separate the two activities. Use a slip lead for walking/heel work, then possibly switch to a harness for pulling ( combined with a specific command). Eventually your dog will recognize that there are different expectations for the separate behaviors. Good luck!

[@davidmingee4286]

Use a slip lead & a gun dog usualy is trained to heel on the left .. most Hunters are right handed & carry their shotgun with their right hand ( unless they are left handed )

[@JenKirby]

My dog walks perfectly for me (by my standards) but she runs round other people and ties them up in the lead, (so I can’t get any dog walkers😄).

[@mogeking56]

My dog 🐩 want heel because he says I have poop 💩 in my shoe 👟 basically saying I stink 🧌 🫣😩🥺😢😢😭😭😭😭

[@sprockets_shafts]

what if while doing this, the dog continues to pull and wont respond to the short pop of the lead? my puppy was getting good at this but then has took a backwards step

[@TheDemockery]

Keep practicing. If your pup is food or toy motivated, use that for motivation.