Re-learning heel work...

[Geoffer]

Bramble heels well both on and off the lead but out of curiosity I thought I'd try Miff's test last night. Well..........Bramble took it as a recall (I suppose heel/here sound almost the same) and sat in front facing me. 10 minutes re-training with second 'heel' command, a tap on the leg and plenty of praise when she was sat to heel and she came back to heel position every time but also, without prompting, then took the recall whistle to mean heel and also when retrieving came back to a heel position instead of sat facing me in front. I'm not sure I mind, but it highlighted that she didn't associate 'heel' with a position relative to me.

[Naj]

I think Miff makes good sense, & teaching 'position' is the basis of most reward based methods of heeling. The dog is never allowed to move forward unless it is in correct 'position'. I'm sure that Andrew is saying the same thing, perhaps in a different way , and reiterated what others have said about training in unwanted behaviours by letting previously trained responses slip into something else. I can't recall anyone 'pointing fingers', in fact, not a deal has been said about punishment or reward, both of which have their weaknesses. I do agree with Andrew that some appear to rush into free-heeling way too early. Perhaps I'm not the best at training 'heel', but I've trained it most methods & even my 'trained' dogs have needed the occasional (usually verbal when at loose heel, which my spaniels invariably were when I was shooting over them, and most of the time when out & about away from roads) reminder to maintain position.

Naj