Dog Training: Teach Your Dog To Heel
One of the most basic but important commands for your dog to learn is to heel. The object of commands is to teach your dog who the boss is and for the dog to behave respectfully in public. The heel command is very easy to teach and for the dog to learn.
The heel command teaches your dog to walk by your side and not to your side or in front of you. You most certainly want your dog to be beside you for safety reasons as well as to protect others from your dog running wild. You will want to keep this in mind, particularly if you have a large dog that may be threatening to others.
There are a variety of methods you can use to teach your dog. One is through positive reinforcement and the other is a mixture of positive and negative behavior methods.
The first method is to teach dog by voice command, stating heel. The first step is to decide which side you want your dog to walk on. Then you will need some treats and a short leash. You then walk forward and stop and place the treat on your hip and state firmly, "heel." When the dog steps with you, praise the dog and give them a treat. This will teach your dog who is the boss and you will end up having a closer bound. The dog learns to that he needs to listen for your commands and then to respond with the desired behavior.
The other method involves a longer leash. Call the animal to you and then position yourself so that the dog is by your side. Once he is, in a strong and firm tone, say "Heel." Try this method a couple of times and if the dog obeys give him a great deal of praise and a treat. If he does not, use the leash to tighten the grip around his neck and keep trying to reinforce the behavior. The dog will quickly learn, once he understands what to do to prevent the leash from being pulled on his neck.
If you have a new dog or puppy and intend on walking him, this is a great command to learn. All dogs learn differently, so chose the best method based on the personality of your dog. Keep in mind that dogs learn from repetitious behavior and if you repeat the command regularly and consistently, your dog will pick it up eventually.
Dogs do need to learn commands so that they are respectful to you as well as others. Keep in mind to train with love and consistency so that your dog understand what the boundaries are and he will be a much happier and well behaved.
