Training Your Dog To Heel

Training Your Dog To Heel
Article Written by Anthony Stai

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One of the first commands your dog learns ought to be the 'HEEL' command. This command will be useful in insuring the security of your dog while out in public and will make you look like the proprietor of a well-mannered and lovable dog. To add to the magnificence of all this, the command itself is rather easy and almost any dog can be taught the meaning of the command with 30 minutes or so of effort.
So what is the function of the 'heel' command? This one word command tells your dog that the animal is to saunter in a straight line at your side, not earlier than or following you. This provides security for your dog in public places as well as for yourself. The command keeps your dog at your side rather than running throughout the picnic blankets of recreational area goers and, if you possess a larger more menacing breed, makes you appear a less friendly target to would-be criminal elements.
Wow, that sounds great' How do I educate my dog? Well, it isn't as tricky as you might believe. There are two all-purpose methods of training. One uses merely positive reinforcement and the other uses a combination of both positive and negative strategy. First we will discuss the positive reinforcement method.
In this technique, you have to first put your dog on a short leash and acquire quite a few of the dogs preferred foodstuff treats, little pieces of dried out kibble from the animals dog food is normally appropriate. Decide which side you have a preference your dog to walk on and train from this side in the subsequent manner. With the dog by your side, in front of in the same direction, put a treat in your hand subsequently to your hip. In a hard, yet kind voice, say 'heel' and walk onward. When the dog responds by stepping with you, commend them and reward them with the treat. Remember to be consistent and not to reward prior to the feat is carried out, yet at all times reward for a good performance. With a lot of patience, this technique will work fine for most dogs and results in a close bonding of the dog to the owner. However, some dogs are just naturally harder to train, just like some people. If you are blessed with one of these independent and physically powerful willed pets then you might have to avail yourself of a different technique of training, which was mentioned previous in this discussion.
To use the second training technique, you have to start with a somewhat longer leash of approximately seven to ten feet. Allow your dog a little moments to travel around the boundaries of the leash and understand how it works. Then call the animal to your side and position manually as before with the animal next to you, facing the same direction. In a hard voice, say 'heel' and walk onward. At this time, the dog will most likely not walk with you. It will, in its place, begin to travel around most probable running in a different direction than wherever you are leading. To fix this behavior, revolve in the opposite direction of the pets' direction of travel and take a few steps onward, fairly briskly, as you hoist the leash to shoulder height and let it play out after you. The outcome of this act will be seen as the animal rapidly reaches the finish of the leash and their onward impetus teaches them the era aged physics lesson that 'Every deed has an equivalent and opposite reaction.' The animal will fairly rapidly learn that to refuse to comply the heel command results in a discomforting feeling from the abrupt stop at the end of the leash and, after a short while, will be taught to abide by the command. When the dog reaches the condition of obedience, be certain to reward them with lots of positive reinforcements, such as play time and treats, along with rich spoken praise.
Whichever of these methods you choose in the training of your dog, the 'heel' command is certain to go a long way in making you a greatly more contented dog owner who will be proud to demonstrate your dog anyplace. Remember to train with love, patience and consistency and your dog will return you with devotion and many, many years of companionship.
About the Author:
Anthony Stai is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several pet related topics including dog training. You can see more of Anthony's articles on his Dog Training informational web site located at http://www.petinformation4you.com