BEGIN HEELING OFF LEASH

For intermediate obedience dogs ready to start show polishing.

Begin Heel off Leash

Work in a quiet, secure area, do the heeling exercises, 3 circuits, 2 times daily.

Keep a journal, use the calendar and clock.

Hang the leash over one shoulder, Anna Lee prefers you use your right, use hands on leash to give corrections then let go of leash. Keep your voice up and get the dog to watch you by being quick and chatty. The clip to the collar should hang straight down. (Remember when we first started heeling the clip was at a slight angle) Now we are giving less clip guidance. Go through all the heel commands: sit at heel, forward, halt, forward, slow, normal, left turn, about turn, fast, normal, right turn, halt.  Help with automatic sits by leash corrections, let go of leash.

 Video yourself working the dog, and after the evening practice use the hup stick as a reward for fun, then put the dog in the crate to percolate the lesson. After about ten minutes, time to come out of crate or enclosure for a cuddle or treat or supper or whatever you prefer as reward for your dog.

Toys are a great reward after percolating time

The hup stick is a good release 

Treats in a puzzle toy are an excellent way to reward

KEEP IT INTERESTING

Circulate TOYS

For dogs who like to play with toys

Keep three sets of toys, in three different buckets or bags to rotate for interest, cleanliness and learning, and one bucket for highly prized play items.  Toys can be a great motivators for rewarding dogs and cats. Make note of which toys your pet favors so that you may employ them in bribery and reward. Keep those for special time in a special set. Label the buckets; 1,2,3 and Special.  Many dogs value their security in terms of personal possessions. If your dog is so inclined, pay attention to those needs by seeing that the “stash” is protected and not raided. A towel or small blanket to hide the bucket or dish from view is often satisfactory. Change the play toys bucket every other day, keep the Specials for obedience praise.

Check toys for safety, wear and cleanliness. Wash kongs, hard rubber toys, frizbees and nylabones with water and a bit of bleach, then dish soap and water, then rinse really well. The bleach will cut the saliva and the dog smell. Launder fluffy toys in a toy wash, hot water and unscented detergents. Dry the fluffy toys in the dryer. If they do not survive the laundry, you did not want them for your dog and do not repurchase them. Discard used rawhides; they get germy quickly.

PAYING ATTENTION

Circle to the Right   teaches the dog to pick up speed in order to keep pace with the handler. In Novice obedience competition, it is demonstrated in the figure eight exercise. 
While you are on a walk with your dog on leash be busy, train a bit but not all the time.
Make a circle to the left or right around trees, sign posts (don't crash, keep your head up), or even around underground parking lot pillars.


Use a "Slight" leash pop going into the circle

Happy up your voice and shake the lead to encourage the dog to keep pace Give big verbal praise coming out of the circle “what a good dog”

ROLL OVER TRICK

Work while down on your knees to be less intimidating and to look different from formal exercises. Dog does not require a collar for tricks.

 Get the dog to sit. From sit go to down position, Walk around on your knees to the dog’s side and lay the dog down onto its rib cage with its back to you. (Legs pointing away from you) Bait the dogs’ nose with a treat as you turn her over by lifting on her front leg that is on the floor.

ABOUT TURN

Keep moving smoothly, don’t look back to see where the dog is. Feel with the lead and respond to tautness by shaking or jerking or popping depending on the position in the turn. Use your big voice to get attention and help the dog to stay focused and keep pace. Do Not adjust your pace to that of the dog.

When the dog forges ahead of you while out on a controlled walk, or while going through the door or gate, use a sharp jerk and change direction or speed saying DOG “heel”, or c’mon let’s go, or laugh madly, mix it up. Then you can do something else like a front and sit, or a fast and sudden placed corrected stop, Learn to look ahead to make the corrections happen just prior to or at the exact same time as the dogs’ mistakes.

BEGIN THE RECALL FOR ADULTS

Send the dog into the crate. Tell her to “wait” there. Sitting is ideal but standing is ok. Get the dog to look at you, keep your hands and fingers extended out for attention getting and use your voice. Back away from the crate, create anticipation, “Are you ready? Are you ready?” Dog “Come!” as you back up a few steps, lots of praise as she comes to you. Send her back and do again three or four times. Keep it fun and happy.

FRONT AND FINISH

From sit in front, Leash in right hand, slight pop or shake on the lead as you say “dog, Round” ,step back with right leg,(take more steps if needed at first) pass lead behind your back into your left hand as you step forward, (keep moving until she is up with you) then placed sit and praise. Use your voice and lead shake to encourage the dog to come around into the heel position. You need to take a few steps at first, but eventually you will not move and only the dog will move in this exercise.

HOLD THE DUMBELL AND WALK

Have the dog sit at heel position, place the dumbbell in her mouth carefully and instruct the dog to “Hold”

Step back to the full extent of your reach as you encourage the dog to keep holding.

If she begins to lower her head, she is thinking of standing up but she must not until you are ready for her to start moving. Tell her firmly to hold. She must not move until you have let go of her muzzle and are telling her to take a few steps. Just a few steps at first is all you need. Say “OUT!” to get the dumbbell back. If she won’t let go, just a slight tap on the end of the bell will do the trick.

LEARNING THE LEASH

Controlled walk notes

Leash should never be tight, should always hang loosely. If pulling tight, flick leash to shake or snap chain in order to gain dog’s attention. Direct dog to move closer to you so that leash is no longer tight, and change something (direction, pace, or stop altogether) Praise during and after change, praise after corrections on the move. For example, dog is pulling ahead. Speed up a little bit then snap the lead as you slow down and at the same time say, “GO EASY”, then right away say, ”What a good dog!” because the correction should have brought her into position. You should have one hand on the leash most of the time, not two. Keep your elbows snug against your sides.  Feel where the dog is rather than look.  In a controlled walk, the corrections are a snap or pop or shake the chain, change direction of travel unexpectedly and follow through with something else now. There is a difference between the change of direction and the about turn while heeling. Change of direction does not give the dog a chance if he is not paying attention. He is going to get snapped and he has to catch up because you are now suddenly nine feet away from him. With the about turn while heeling (in competition), the handler actually steps around the turn to allow the dog to keep pace.

Remember, when the collar snaps, your voice should be praising the dog. “Hey! What just happened” Act as though you had nothing to do with the correction. The leash did it; not you. Keep your voice tone ”up”.

You must anticipate your dog’s next move and decide your next move. Use the correct snap on the lead. Use the correct tone of voice for commands. If your dog is lagging constantly, entice him to keep up using a happy voice instead of more correction. Three tries and things should work; if not try something else. Be especially aware of timing with commands and corrections. Think about when it should happen.  Mix up the practice routine to avoid boring your dog.  

COME WHEN CALLED

Beginning the Recall Exercise

Leash and slip collar in hand.

Dog is inside crate waiting to come out.

Bounce gate 5 times; say, “Wait”

Put leash and collar on dog, close gate loosely, bounce it a few times, leave it open, saying “Wait” as you stand up and get ready to call your dog. Hold your hands out and extend “wizard fingers” as you say wait to give puppy visual “wait” encouragement.

You should be standing about 9 feet away, one arm and leg extended forward toward the crate ready to stop the dog from coming out until called.  Do what it takes.

When ready, command “DOG” to “Come” to you. Use small snap corrections with the lead.

Gather up the leash and backup quickly and lightly on your toes to guide him to the front of you where hopefully, he will sit. Do not sweat the small stuff; if pup does not sit do not worry. Just get him situated in front of you.

Say “What a good dog”, and pat his chest when he gets to you.

Do not make puppy wait in front of you. Either do the exercise again straight away, or proceed outside, or proceed to do whatever you were doing when you first decided to take him out of the crate or out of his enclosure.

If this is an actual practice “session” do it three or four times or until you get it right, put the dog back in the crate for a treat and to think for a few minutes, then put him on the house lead and there you go.

This exercise can be practiced from a mat or a day bed once the pup has the idea. A “house lead is a light 3/8 inch x 7 ft. nylon kennel leash with a small clip which is used as an umbilical so the pup may follow you around the house.

 Do not give young dogs full access to the house right away. Remember that these are rewards that must be earned. (by you and the dog). If you want puppy to sleep in the bedroom, then you need to be diligent about training. Sleeping with Alpha and Beta is serious freedom. Train using a CALENDAR a CLOCK and a JOURNAL. Record your activity and thoughts; training should be brief and frequent. When you miss a day entirely write down that you have missed the day entirely.  Record your daily care of the pup as well. THE CALENDAR AND CLOCK WILL BE CHECKED BY THE DOG NANA.

TRAINING THE RECALL USING THE LEASH AND CRATE TO START

Adult recall

Keep sessions brief; do an exercise only three or four times, a couple of times a day.

 

Training

The greatest training skill a handler can learn is the ability to be consistent.  In the wild, canines do their things in the same way, at the same tine, day in and day out, so they will know what is going on; dogs do not function well with confusion. Dogs need to know what is going on. Speak aloud and confidently to your dog. Words have vibrations, which dogs can see and feel, even before we have said the words, only “thought” the words. Dogs can read such vibrations over great distances.

Kennel rules

Begin in home, using the dog box (crate, cabin).

Spend some private study time with the collar to learn how to put it on properly. The clip of the lead attaches to the ring coming from across the back of the dog’s neck. Put the collar and lead on pup; make sure the collar is not on backwards.

Spend some time going over how to go into the dog crate. Once a dog will wait in the crate for the next command from four or five meters (say 12 feet), then it is ok to proceed to the recall beginning.

Hold onto the lead and tell the dog to go into the kennel. Tell the dog to go in the same way each time, and have the treat ready. Use praise, but quietly, and be ready to enforce the command to GENTLY take the treat. (Cover top of nose with your hand and firmly say “gently” if needed). When it is time to take the dog from the crate, bounce the crate gate gently as you open it. This helps the dog to remember to wait while you open the kennel door. Also, tell the dog to WAIT in the crate as you open it. If you need to be sharp, bang the gate closed making enough noise to make the dog jump back. As you attempt to hook up the lead, the dog may push past you.  If this happens, tell the dog “that is WRONG IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS so get BACK in there and WAIT”.  Once the dog understands how to wait in the kennel, move on to:

Part One of the Recall Exercise

Holding onto the lead, tell the dog to Wait in the kennel, Tell her to Wait as the gate is opened. Try to keep the lead slack.

Look directly into the dogs face and eyes. Keep telling her to WAIT

Turn sideways arms extended leash full length, while telling her to Wait

Ask “are you ready?” Then, draw the leash up bringing dog to you as you say Shady Come. Say, “What a good dog! Sit”. Help her sit.

Say lets go and proceed to door, through the door, and out to the PP pen or start over again for three times.

Stairs Exercise

Help dog sit at the bottom of the stairs, short flight is best for starts. Jingle the collar and tell the dog to go easy. Start up the stairs. As the dog pulls up the stairs, give a small jerk on lead as you go back down the stairs, saying Oops! This way now. Start up again saying GO EASY. Continue until the dog walks up the stairs gently, without tugging.