Heeling Progression
Teaching the SLOW PACE
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Pace Changes – There are four speed transitions you will need while you are heeling. When teaching each pace change, I reward a lot going into as well as coming out of the individual pace change. In the long run, teaching these changes well now will help my dog speed up and slow down when we start teaching pivot, turns, Figure 8, etc.
Spend time rewarding going into each separate pace change and break off and play often. NOTE: My dogs LOVE toys so I often have a toy to drop up under my left arm. A treat or treat bag/pouch may be used in the same way.
TEACHING the SLOW PACE
- There are 3 main skills to teach on the slow pace. Break Step into slow, Maintaining focus through the duration of slow, and the POP out of slow.
- Start to heel your dog forward at a Normal pace, do NOT start from a sit!
- After a few normal steps, do a “break step” into a slower pace AS you rein backward on your leash.
- Praise your dog for slowing with you while maintaining focus and reward him at your left side. It is important to reward your dog’s effort to slow his pace as well as keep focus up on you.
- Release and play before repeating.
SLOW TO NORMAL TRANSITION:
- Start with your dog heeling at a Slow pace.
- Break into a normal pace and drop the toy from under your arm.
- If your dog is NOT DRIVING off rear to speed up quickly, reward by bringing the reward in your right hand up and forward. This will encourage your dog to drive off his rear end in order to get the reward.
- This extra drive off the rear is what will help your dog stay in heel when we do turns, and different drills including the fig 8.
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