Heeling progression – 1-16 steps
Random Rewarding
Heeling progress – Straight-line Heeling – Increasing the number of steps.
Remember
- Hold your right hand on 3-6 small treats in your right hand to load left hand as you are heeling and watch delivery of the reinforcement.
- Review the value building phase once before progressing and break and play.
- After play, start moving forward at slowly, deliver reinforcement randomly and vary how many steps you take before releasing (sometimes release on the first step, sometimes on the 3rd, sometimes on the 10th, MAKE IT RANDOM, keep the dog guessing).
- When you have delivered all the treats, release and play with your dog.
- Resist starting heeling with your dog on a sit.
- When heeling, make sure your dog is keeping his head up as he eats the treat, this is extremely important. If this is still an issue, go back to the information provided on Week 1 for how to teach your dog to eat a treat with his head up.
- Energize your dog during training so that your dog maintains his attitude and desire to want to do the skill.
- Keep sessions short, fun, and full of energy and play.