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Teaching a Dog to Heel

July 14, 2017 by Mary Telesz

teaching a dog to heelIf you’re a dog-owner who has a hyper or disobedient pet, there is no need to fear. It’s easier than you may think to teach a dog basic commands, including how to heel. The internet is full of valuable information about how to care for our pets. No matter what command you teach your dog, the key ingredients are reward and consistency. A reward is necessary so that the dog will have incentive to obey, and consistency is essential because they will become confused by instructions that change all the time. Dog training is a fun aspect of owning a dog. You might be a busy dog-owner who feels that you don’t have enough time to dedicate to regular training, but owning a dog is a commitment, so you need to see it as such. Putting in time to teach your dog good behaviors like crate training or how to “stay” early on can be a wise investment that saves you time, frustration, and money down the road. We always make sure to squeeze in an episode of our favorite TV show into our busy routine, so we can manage to make room for half an hour of training every day.

Benefits of Dog Training

There are many benefits to training your dog. For one, dog training can save a dog’s life. The more you use your voice and authority to train a dog, the more it will listen to you. This can be very useful if and when dangerous scenarios occur. Is there a busy road near your house? Do you allow your dog to roam around the front garden without a leash? If the garden isn’t fenced in, it isn’t recommended to do this unless you’re confident about your dog’s obedience. Whatever the case, it is much more likely that a trained dog will be better equipped to deal with unforeseen circumstances than untrained ones.

teaching a dog to heelDog safety is one of many reasons to train a dog properly. The more time you spend with your dog, the more you bond with it. The process of bonding with your dog begins the moment you bring them into your home, but a dog that is left to its own devices will not be as attached to you or your family members as a dog that receives plentiful attention and training instructions. Plus, there’s the adding advantage that you can bring a trained dog to more places, and can feel more at ease in social situation that includes other dogs. Successful training can also mean that you feel more comfortable taking them off the leash so they can have a higher degree of freedom and enjoy the sights and smells of a new environment more readily.

It is evident that dog training is highly beneficial for both you and your dog. Not only does it help secure the safety of your dog and strengthen the bond between you, it also helps you to understand your dog. A dog uses a variety of methods to tell you what it wants. In particular, they often convey their wishes using body language. The more involved you are with your dog’s life, the more you will understand their unique communication techniques: you will begin to interpret the meaning behind the positioning of their ears and tail, for example. All of these things mean that dog training creates a happy environment for your canine family member, and this has positive connotations for the entire household. A trained dog means a happier dog and household, in other words.

How to Teach a Dog to Heel

Teaching a dog to heel is a very useful command as it can drastically improve the walking experience you have with your canine companion. It is particularly useful when you are out exercising your dog in crowded places or sidewalks, or in the company of other dogs or animals in general.

teaching a dog to heelIt is common practice for trainers to teach on-leash heeling to a dog, but correcting a dog in this way and only this way prevents them from enjoying the reward of obedience. It is much like the carrot or the stick analogy: teaching your dog to heel simply by pulling hard on their leash and nearly choking them is a very ugly stick, and even though they might stubbornly obey, you can never gain the confidence you get in knowing that your dog actually obeys out of love, and not fear.

Plus, when you teach a dog to heel in this way, you can never feel entirely at ease when you take the leash off. They might be compliant when you have the power to pull their leash, but what happens when it’s removed? You cannot guarantee compliance with the lease removed since you never bothered to perfect this aspect of heel training.

Dogs are fiercely intelligent, and they can discern the helplessness you feel when you let them off the leash if you live by it. If you really want to take dog training seriously, and dedicate yourself to it wholeheartedly, you need to learn how to teach your dog to heel without a leash.

Now, before you panic, it’s important to understand that this step is just one step in the entire process. Yes, in the end, you will be able to put the leash back on. Yes, you will be able to tell them to heel when on the leash. The essential difference is that you won’t have to pull on the leash in order to get them to obey. When you follow the entire process, and stay consistent, you can walk your dog with a long, loose, comfortable leash, and as soon as you give the command, they will be right by your side before you can click your fingers.

Teach Your Dog to Heel: Step by Step Instructions

  1. Start the training in a familiar environment with no distractions.
  2. Command the dog to sit or stay. Stand by them for a while: make sure things are calm and they understand this before proceeding further. Have treats ready: keep them in your pocket.
  3. Make sure the dog stays while you walk very slowly forward. Then, slowly but surely, allow them to proceed calmly by using the treats to guide them forward in alignment with your pace.
  4. Combine the treats with verbal praise every few steps. If they stray or get distracted, start over again by calling their name and getting them to sit.
  5. Repeat these steps regularly and consistently until your dog fully comprehends the command.

Once your dog masters the off-the-leash heel command in a safe and familiar environment, you can expand your horizons. Depending on your relationship with your dog and where you live, you might feel confident enough to try the heel command off-leash when you’re walking them. If, however, you’d prefer to use a leash, that’s no problem at all: just make sure you bring your treats and maintain the consistency of the heel command. Never use the leash to punish the dog. If they disobey the command when you’re out on a walk using the lease, just treat it exactly the way you would as if they were off it. Be calm, hold the leash loosely, and get them back into the sitting position before trying again.

Try and try again. This is the number one thing to remember when dog training, however: Don’t give up!

Filed Under: Pet Advice

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Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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