No, it is not a boring exercise. Heeling can be lots of fun for both you and your dog if you see and teach it as a trick. This video will lead you through the whole process, from an easy puppy trick to long and enthusiastic heeling with great focus and perfect position.
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1. download
The video is 45 min, it's 710 MB, estimated download time on 1.024 Mbps line is 1,5-2 hours.
2. DVD sent by post (additional 8 eur for shipping)
And a testimonial from FMBB World Champion 2015: "Hi Silvia, I just want to tell you, that 5 years ago I taught my dog the heeling with your method of teaching it just as a trick. And he is heeling very well. Now we are FMBB World Champion 2015! Best obedience! So thank you for giving me the idea of heeling as a trick. I teach all my dogs that way and its just fun and cool. I enjoy it a lot. You are a good teacher;). THANKS!!! Romy"
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Oh, I have my work cut out for me. Spur doesn’t have the history the MinPins have, so he isn’t as focused on my hand. Although, the MinPins have learned eye contact and do have it nicely once in position, but finding position has used hand focus. I see that will take some time to work though, so we may be at step 2 for a bit longer.
We do work on eye contact for formal fronts, so they do have that going, but in heel position I have always taught them to watch my hand. I hope to change that. I think it will keep them focused better on position, glued the the leg as you say. 😀
Thanks so much!!!
Hi Silvia,
THANK U SO MUCH for the idea of teaching heeling as a trick. Onyx was able to do heeling before, but she didn’t like it. I tried everything. After 5 clicker lessons she loved the “heeling trick” and she does well on both sides 😉 And the super super super plus is: She looks up all the time 😉 😀
When my cam comes back I will upload a video ^^
Greetings from Germany 😉
Linda & Onyx
I have made a video, but it’s no good quality. But u can see she loves the “trick” (after two weeks of 10minutes every day)
Hi Silvia,
thanks for an awesome seminar! we are working on heeling and tons of new “push things” trick to make her confident with noisy stuff 🙂 Acua was super happy to be back home and her contacts were again almost perfect. I will post more videos soon.
Sounds great, thanks for the feedback!
Just got your healing video and after two sessions my dog is doing 1/2 a circle. However, he is barking all the time. Am I cliking the barking? Also, sometimes he takes one of his front feet off the target when his back feet move in a circle. I am still clicking that. Is that ok?
Yes, one front foot on is o.k. too. But do try to click when he is not barking, you don’t really want to reward that…
Aura-t-on une fois la possibilité d’avoir cette vidéo en français ?
Oui, tres bientot! 🙂
Oh génial ! Merci ! Je me réjouis déjà ! 🙂
Hi
We are working through the heeling video. I would like to ask what you think about the best position for small dogs? I am very tall and have a toy dog. When moving while heeling he seems to be uncomfortable to look up and be touching my leg at the same time. Is it possible in your experience for tiny dogs to heel in this position (touching you most of the time) or do they really need a little more space from your leg? There is no problem with the focus -- he really wants to look at me all the time.
Nicole, Bigi and Sen
I think it’s possible, but definitely much harder as with bigger dogs, so I wouldn’t worry too much and reward anything that is reasonably close. When Le is heeling, it’s really funny, she walks very fast when I move the leg that she is on and then almost stops when I stop that leg to move the other -- it’s really funny, but definitely much more difficult job as when you’re bigger than that 🙂
I love the heeling video. I have a papillon, named Blast. Blast and I have been on step one for 2 weeks now. I can’t get him to rotate more than a 1/4 of a turn. I am trying to reward in the direction he is rotating, but he is really flexible and can reach the cookie all the way at his butt. If I walk towards him he will rotate completely around, but I don’t want to encourage him facing me so I only did it as a test to see that he knows the trick is moving his feet. Any suggestions? Laura
Hm. Maybe only reward one direction for some time now, that might make him keep going further. Also, be careful to click when he is still moving, don’t click when he stops! -- But at the same time, try clicking later and later, so that he makes more and more steps… -- I know, not an easy one! Let me know how it goes.
Thanks, rewarding in one direction worked. He is now turns clockwise well. I am now encouraging counterclockwise. I will keep working.
Silvia-
Thanks again. I just wanted to show you how well he is doing now. I’m so proud of him. Once I get a better head turn I will move on.
Laura
That’s just too cute! Very nice and fluent to the right, do some more circling to the left now.
Hi, Silvia!
Got 2 of your videos & started on the heeling video last nite. I had a few questions about the target. My Puppy, Riggs, knows to put his “paws” onto the target. But last nite….I was just trying to shape him into moving his rear legs & he was having a hard time with it. I was cliking for any rear feet movement, but then noted after a few minutes that he was dropping his head to the target & then moving all 4 feet. Click & treat. Is this typical? Or should I only reward when his head is up? Or is it okay & the head dipping will phase out after he learns to move around in a circle?
Thanks,
Rachel
For now, don’t worry about head position. Focus on hind feet only and click for their movements. Once he understands it’s actually about hind feet, it will be easy to get rid of a head drop.
Hi !
This is my 6 lessons of Heeling with Walee. I focuss on the turn, but I have a little problem with the head ( toutch toutch toutch ! He does this for everything in free-shaping..! ) Any comments will be appreciate ! 😀
He is just too funny with his nose touches! But I think it will go away if you keep rewarding high, also -- I guess that when the target is not there anymore, he will get over it 🙂
Thanks !