HeelDog walks in position at your side
Heel is a specific position. Shoulder at your knee, on one side, moving with you. It is not loose-leash walking (which is just 'do not pull'). Heel is precision work, best kept short and rewarded heavily.
Also known as: Walk Nice, With Me
At a glance
- Tier
- 2 · Intermediate
- Time to fluency
- 4–10 weeks
- Practice
- 5× per week, 10 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, A 6-foot leash, Treat pouch
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach heel
Lure
Hold a treat at your left side at the dog's nose height and take one step
- Start with one step, mark and reward in position
- Hold the treat in your left hand at your seam to keep their nose at your side
- Build from 1 step to 3, to 5, to 10. Never more than 20 at this stage
- Reward at YOUR side, not out in front. Position is what you are paying for
Hand Signal
Pat your hip on the side you want the dog
- Tap your left thigh as the signal, then start walking
- Reward every few steps at first, then thin the rewards
- Change direction frequently. Boring straight lines lose the dog's attention
- If the dog forges ahead, stop. Reward when they look back at you
Verbal Cue
The cue word means 'get in position and match me'
- Say the word at the start, not continuously while walking
- Heel is for crossing a street or passing a dog, not for an entire walk
- Release to free walking after short bursts. Heel should not be the default
- Practise turns: left, right, U-turn, halt into a sit
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Pulls ahead, lags behind, or crosses in front
- In progress
- Heels on the word through a 30-second pattern including turns
- Mastered
- Heels past another dog or through a crowd on verbal cue, holds position until released
Common mistakes
- Expecting heel for the entire walk, which exhausts both parties
- Rewarding out in front instead of at your side
- Walking in a straight line only. Turns are what build position awareness
- Not having a release cue, so the dog does not know when heel ends