THE "WATCH ME" EXERCISE

WATCH ME
Before starting this exercise the dog should know how to sit in front of the handler, leash on, and the dog should know how to accept praise.

The handler knows how to anticipate movement, can keep eye contact, understands verbal corrections, vertical and horizontal lead corrections, pop and release, and the importance of voice tones and praise.

Controlled walking has taught limits.

The objective of the WATCH ME is to have the dog watch you intently while waiting for the next command. In formal obedience competition, this is taught so that the dog will not look away and miss the hand signals, but will carefully watch the handler for direction. Since all dogs should behave like well mannered show dogs, it follows (in Nana's world) that all dogs should learn the " WATCH ME" exercise.

The dog must know when he is about to receive information. His name is his cue to look at me. He hears his name “Doggie” then the command “watch me”. (or heel, or come, or down etc.)

 It is important here to look at your dog’s eyes. If he looks away, pop and release the leash on the upward vertical (stepping in slightly to ensure a straight up correction) at the same time firmly, verbally correct “NO”.  Follow through with reassuring praise voice, “Doggie, Watch Me”. When he looks at you, immediately say "What a Good Dog, Watch Me" trying to keep the dog watching you with your voice as you speak. Chit chat and hopefully the dog will keep looking at you, even briefly. Anticipate him glancing away and be ready to use the leash correction, your firm correction voice and instantly switch to praise voice. Voice tone changes as you pop and release the leash. 

It is imperative that no lead pressure is present when he hears his name and “Watch Me”. In other words POP and RELEASE on “NO”. Make a definite tone difference between the sound of “NO” and the “DOGGIE WATCH ME”. Practise very briefly but very frequently. When each session is over, give a distinct pat of praise on the dogs sternum. Say "WHAT A GOOD DOG". 

The handler must always praise like an emotionally well-adjusted and in control human being, whom the dog will believe in.

From here the dog will eventually learn to “Watch Me” from the heel position. Practise briefly each time, only a few minutes. 

Once the dog watches at heel, it is ready to learn to “SPRING to HEEL” which is ever so flashy, but difficult to learn if your timing is off. Look for the dogs legs to be moving as your left foot moves forward. 

From the heel position, “Watch Me” “Are you Ready?” “Doggie, HEEL”. Once you are in motion, talk to the dog in a happy voice, even dance about a bit. At this point we are only looking for the dog to be in motion at the instant we are in motion. We are not continuing to walk at heel. This is the "spring to heel" which is the only one part of the heeling exercise.

Leash Corrections are just meant to be attention getters so they should not be harsh whatsoever. There is no room for harshness in training; only respectful accuracy and consistency.

Gently but accurately POP and RELEASE the leash horizontally in the direction of travel, at the same time as saying HEEL (not on name). Release immediately, do not pull but quickly, gently, pop and release. Keep elbows in at the sides. An efficient correction is the only one worth giving. The Inefficient corrections are confusing and cruel to the dog.

 LOOK FOR HER LEGS TO BE MOVING AS YOU STEP FORWARD WITH YOUR LEFT LEG. 

HEELING

Picture this

You are ready to set of walking at a moderate, casual pace, with your well-mannered, happy companion dog keeping a smart pace beside you on your left. Your dog keenly watches your every move, anticipating what comes next. As you start walking the dog is in motion with you. When you slow down walking the dog slows down. When you speed up the dog speeds up. When you stop walking, the dog automatically sits beside you. When you start again, the dog starts again.

How can we make this wonderful thing happen for real?

Well, train diligently for three months and you will reap the first rewards of a lifelong friendship which will transcend far beyond mere dog ownership. Prove to yourself that you have actually done the work by entering  CKC licensed trials.  Kennel Clubs are dedicated to the advancement of pure bred dogs. The Canadian Kennel Club is no exception. However the Canadian Kennel Club offers a Canine Good Neighbour Certificate to qualifying mixed breed dogs. Prove to yourself that your dog is trained and do this. Find out more on the CKC website.

http://www.ckc.ca/en/Raising-My-Dog/Responsible-Ownership/Canine-Good-Neighbour-Program

Let's get back to training the heel exercise. 

Now that your dog is quiet in the crate for you, waits to come out of the crate, stays in a private enclosure, walks in a controlled fashion, uses the outdoor business area for you, sits and accepts praise, and pays attention, …you move on to HEELING EXERCISES

HEEL ON LEASH TRAINING

EQUIPMENT MUST BE APPROVED CHAIN COLLAR AND 6 FT LEATHER LEASH, NO BRAIDING

NO TAGS OR ANYTHING ELSE ALLOWED ON THE COLLAR OR ON THE LEASH

The principal features of this exercise are:

The dog stays close to the handler’s left leg without interfering; without lagging or forging out of position. The dog must adjust to the handlers pace. Never the other way around.

The handler walks in a confident manner without adjusting to the dog’s pace or position.

The handler walks with head up, one hand on the leash.

The handler avoids looking back to see where the dog is.

The handler and dog are pleasant to look at and listen to; they present the image of a team.

Eventually all corrections are eliminated as training builds.

WHEN HEELING,

Leash gathered in your left hand, dog on your left, preferably sitting but not necessarily right now. 

Do this all at once

LOOK AT THE DOG

SAY THE DOGS NAME and “HEEL”

STEP OFF WITH YOUR LEFT LEG

GIVE A SLIGHT STRAIGHT FORWARD POP ON THE LEASH with your leash hand.

You must bend if you have a little guy. If you use your right hand, reach well across your body to in front of the dog to pop the leash straight forward. Get your happy voice going. Chitty chat and tell the dog how splendid things are today.

Be accurate and soon your dog will cue in to your signal and will SPRING TO HEEL.

CORRECTIONS (pop leash) AND MOTIVATORS (shake leash) ARE ONLY USED IN TRAINING. THESE MUST BE CORRECTLY USED AND PRACTISED:

CORRECTIONS MUST

Be applied in the direction of travel

Be accompanied at the same time by the command or chatting

Be instantly followed praise and happiness

MOTIVATORS MUST

Not take the dog off track

Bring the dog to focus happily

Heeling is taught in parts, and then assembled into the final picture. Talk to your dog. Be happy. Tell your dog to be happy too.

COMMANDS TAUGHT TO THE HANDLER DURING HEELING

FORWARD

HALT

SLOW

FAST

NORMAL

LEFT TURN

ABOUT TURN

RIGHT TURN

CIRCLE TO THE LEFT

CIRCLE TO THE RIGHT

SIT YOUR DOG

COMMANDS TAUGHT TO THE DOG DURING HEELING

HEEL

SIT

GO EASY

FRONT

FINISH

STAY

DOWN

THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR WALKING

Most rescued dogs already walk on the leash okay, but sometimes puppies and always new puppies need to learn a bit. Some dogs just walk on leash no worries, others throw a big fit.The slip collar when correctly placed on the dog will not allow him to escape unless you drop the leash. You must use a slip collar and a leather leash. NOT NEGOTIABLE. Other collars will allow the dog to back out of the gear and run away. People end up with the collar buckled too tight and it hurts the dog. Chain cloth combo collars cannot stop the dog from slipping out either. The slip chain is most comfortable when used correctly and is not unkind whatsoever. Some people refer to the chains as choke collars and indeed they will choke a dog but not if you tell him correctly what you want. I prefer to call the chain a "thinking necklace" or "brain chain".

If the dog will not follow you and backs up and bucks to get away, throwing a big fuss, ignore it. Get onto soft grass or not hard surface for safety in case of tantrums. Set off walking again. Just put your hands in your pockets, look where you are going and walk with great determination even if the dog yells.  Get going. Chitty chat to yourself. Do not look back at the dog, just go. He will drag and protest but not for long if you just get going and talk loud and happy. Pretty soon he will get his feet under himself and will catch up. Resist the urge to look back at the dog. Resist the urge to use food as bait. Wear soft soled footwear to save stepped on paws.

LEATHER LEASH AND CHAIN SLIP COLLAR

THESE ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF THE LEASHES AND COLLARS YOU NEED

WALKING TRAINED WHIPPETS

CLOTH SLIPS USED AFTER CHAIN TRAINED

Chain slip collars

cloth slip collars

COLLAR FOR DRESS UP ONLY NOT TRAINING note links

TRAINING COLLAR TOP DRESS UP COLLAR BOTTOM

Assembled to slip over dgos neck when dog is on handlers left side

CHAIN COLLAR SIZE SHOULD BE DOGS NECK SIZE PLUS TWO INCHES. SOMETIMES THREE INCHES BUT NO MORE THAT THAT

ONLY THIS TYPE OF CLIP IS NANA APPROVED

RIBBON LEADS

WHIPPETS AND GREYHOUND TOGETHER

ONCE DOG RESPONDS TO CHAIN TOTALLY YOU CAN SWITCH TO CLOTH SLIP FULL TIME IF COAT ALLOWS.
LONG HAIR TANGLES

WHIPPET AND GREYHOUND

CHAIN SLIP AND CLOTH SLIP, LEATHER LEASHES

WELL HEELED

WHAT A GOOD DOG

What a good dog

The word WHAT clearly pronounced, instantly gains a dog’s attention in a distinct fashion. WHAT A GOOD DOG!; WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?  WHAT IS THAT NOISE?

From Nice to not so very nice, THIS IS A WORD YOU MUST USE WITH DOG TRAINING

When praising your dog with a pat, pat on the sternum and say WHAT a good dog. Stress the WH sound of the word. whoowah

When praising your dog with only a word of praise and no patting, say, “WHAT a good dog”

The manner in which you praise your dog is most important.

WHY LEATHER LEASH?

WHY MUST I USE LEATHER LEASH? WHY MUST I USE A CHAIN SLIP COLLAR?

LEATHER BECAUSE THE DENSITY OF THE MATERIAL LENDS ITSELF TO EFFECTIVELY CONVEYING YOUR DIRECTIONS TO THE DOG BY WAY OF THE COLLAR.

CHAIN BECAUSE THE SOUND OF IT CUES ATTENTION TO THE COMMAND, THE CLOSING ACTION MOVES THE DOG INTO POSITION, AND ONCE THE DOG IS IN PLACE, THE OPENING ACTION KEEPS THE DOG IN POSITION.

For the leash and collar to work safely, comfortably and effectively, the handler must know how to use it correctly

When the team is in motion, THE CORRECTION FROM THE LEASH MUST POP IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.

When the correction is for attention at a distance, THE CORRECTION FROM THE LEASH IS A SHAKE, NOT A POP AND TRAVELS VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY.

 Employ WHAT and the ALPHABET OF PRAISE

Every correction requires a follow up action on the part of the handler accompanied with praise.

A leash to a dog is like reins to a horse. Leashes and reins are leather and not fancy. Fancy gear is for graduates.

CONTROLLED WALK NOTES

                                    

 LET'S REVIEW AND REFRESH

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). You must use your voice to get your dog’s attention and keep that attention during the change maneuver. When, for example, dog is pulling ahead,  speed up, then give a heads up snap to the lead as you suddenly slow down and at the same time cheerfully say, “GO EASY”, then right away say, ”What a good dog!” in a pleased and happy voice.

The correction should have brought dog into heel position or at least close to you and not tugging. Leash should be slack. If not, perhaps you did not do the correction properly. Practise makes perfect. 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. Keep your head up and look where you are going; the dog will follow. 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 and clapping. When dog is pulling ahead you can also change direction, like, go the other way suddenly. Change of direction does not give the dog a chance if he is not paying attention. 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.) snap the leash as you change direction and laugh. “Ha Ha! Pay attention Silly!” “What a good dog!” Happy voice. 

The idea is to have the dog walk with you without tugging on the leash, at a comfortable 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”.

THE IDEA IS TO HAVE THE DOG BESIDE YOU IN A CONTROLLED WALK

You must anticipate your dog’s next move and decide your next move. Use the correct signal 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 requests, commands and corrections. Think about when it should happen.  Mix up the practise routine to avoid boring your dog.  As the walk becomes more controlled, heeling begins to happen. Happy voice, happy dog.

"WALKIES!"  and good luck!                   

 

               

WALKING IN A DECENT AND ORDERLY FASHION

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.  

TEACHING YOUR DOG TO "HEEL ON LEASH

Learning to HEEL ON LEASH is an important step in a dog's education. After learning the CONTROLLED WALK, a dog can learn to HEEL ON LEASH at any age, any where. Giant breeds are best taught while they are under six months of age; any later and they have a weight advantage that must be taken into account. Begin teaching the heel on leash in a quiet location, indoors at home preferably, and then gradually work your way out into the world. Have a mental image of how you want look, of how you want your dog to look and keep actual practice sessions brief.

HEEL ON LEASH

EQUIPMENT MUST BE APPROVED CHAIN COLLAR AND 6 FT LEATHER LEASH, NO BRAIDING

NO TAGS OR ANYTHING ELSE ALLOWED ON THE COLLAR OR ON THE LEASH

The principal features of this exercise are:

The dog stays close to the handler’s left leg without interfering, not lagging nor forging out of position, adjusting pace to the handler’s.

The handler walks in a confident manner without adjusting to the dog’s pace or position.

The handler walks with head up, one hand on the leash, the other hand prepared for leash corrections.

The handler avoids looking back to see where the dog is.

The handler and dog are pleasant to look at and listen to; they present the image of a team.

CORRECTIONS (jerk leash) AND MOTIVATORS (pop leash) must:

Be applied in the direction of travel

APPROVED EQUIPMENT, NO TAGS

Be accompanied at the same time by the command or chatting

Be instantly followed praise and happiness

ABOUT TURN IS A “STEP AROUND TURN” and is an about turn to the right

Heeling is taught in parts, and then assembled into THE DOODLING EXERCISE which will prevent boredom on the dog’s part.

THE IMAGE OF A TEAM

STEP, GIVE THE COMMAND, POP THE LEASH AND PRAISE ALL  AT ONCE

BE HAPPY AND DOODLE