Struggling with attention and heel on leash

[Ecw21]

Hey all-

I've had my new Brittany, Chloe, for right at a month and things have been great overall. She is an angel in the house, sweet and affectionate; also very obedient inside. However, once we head out the door, things really change. I live in an urban area so we do a lot more walking on leash than off. When we are walking (or doing our customary 4-Mile morning run), she really struggles with the heel. I am continuously correcting her and bringing her back to heel but she does not seem to care or pay attention during these corrections. I feel that I am constantly giving her the command and 'wearing' the word out. She pulls ahead almost constantly if unchecked...she has really tested my patience so far and I'm looking for advice on how to proceed. I'm not sure if she just cannot pay attention (she is 2 years old) or if she is willfully ignoring me.

When off-leash, she quarters and ranges nicely, comes back when called and, checks back with me periodically. I live in a populated area and much of our time is spent on leash, so you can understand my dilemma. Thus far, I haven't really been particularly hard on her. She seems to be pretty hard-headed so I am looking for any advice you may have.

Thanks, as always!

[Zerah Morris]

Use a 15 foot check cord to run/heel the dog. When he heads out, simply turn and run the opposite direction and hold on tight. Do not give any comand, or any indication of what is about to occur. When he hits the end of the leash just keep moving like nothing ever happened. The dog will learn really quickly that he needs to know where you are at all times when at heel, and he cannot do that if he is out in front of you.

Nagging the dog to death just teaches it to ignore you.

[RayGubernat]

Ecw21 -

At 2 years old, the youngster should know what heel means, so i think you may have taught her that pushing the envelope works.

Suggestions; Get a command lead and do som heel drills in the yard... turning, stopping starting. Do it silently...no commands or signals whatever. Make the dog pay attention to where your knee is.
The key is that the dog is in complete control of whether or not it gets pressure. If it surges ahead, the loop closes on the command lead applying pressure. If it lags behind the loop closes applying pressure. If the dog goes left or right when you are going straight...same deal. if it fails to turn with you, once again it puts the pressure on itself. If it stays right at your knee...no pressure at all.

Most of my pointers figure it out pretty quickly. I'd bet your Brit would be pretty quick on the uptake also.

If the dog is particualrly hardheaded(which I don't see happening with most Brits) you could substitute a metal choker collar or prong collar and checkcord for the command lead.

If the dog's only problem is surging ahead, you could put a 10-12' lead on, and spin the bitter end of the rope like a propeller, having it pass close to your knee. If the dog surges ahead, it gets klopped in the schnozzola by the rope. It is amazing how fast they figure out just where that rope end is going to be and just how far forward of your knee they can be. In a few sessions, you should be able to just rock the rope back and forth and then just let it hang there.

It is important to do all of the above silently so that the dog learns that it is between them and the command lead or checkcord. The dog needs to learn that it must either pay attention to your movements, watch your leg and knee... or something unpleasant happens.

You should be able to heel the dog in the yard without a lead. Then when you clip a lead on and go for a walk or run, the dog should be on their best behavior(unless of course he spots a squirrel or rabbit).

RayG

[gonehuntin']

Use a heeling stick.

[okiebirdhunter]

Buy a Command/Wonder lead, bring her to your side and start walking. As soon as she moves in front of your leg, if you are heeling her on the left side, turn to the right fast, sharp, and hard, make it count. If you allow her to surge forward the lead will slide down to the bottom of the neck where it is useless. If you turn sharply it will stay up right behind her ears where it belongs. After a few times she will begin to look to you for your direction. If the crowds into you, turn into her and keep walking, she'll eventually move. If she lags behind, cue her with the lead and she'll catch up. Pretty soon she'll start watching you.

John Bellah

[topher40]

Use a heeling stick.

Amen to that!

[crackerd]

Use a heeling stick.

A what, GH? Next you'll be telling how its use oughta be twinned with that other training tool, the prong collar...

MG

[Nebraska]

Sent you a PM.....

[Ecw21]

Thanks for the advice everyone. My command lead is in the mail as we speak!

[mudhunter]

One thing I will add is that heal takes a lot of repition, more so than any other command I feel. So what ever method remember that It will take a lot of time. After my dogs know the command I enforce with an ecollar and that works great for me, my dogs are all collar conditioned prior to heal.

[Georgia Boy]

My current pup learned heal on lead in about 5 minutes, he was about 6 months old and I used a prong collar. (OMG)

[Ecw21]

Just worked her on the Wonder Lead yesterday and this morning. She did very well...When I put her on a regular lead (4 footer) she went back to pulling. I'm assuming this will take a few weeks of regular training. She is e-collar conditioned but didn't know if I should be using the e-collar that much in a non-hunting situation. Does that make sense or am I way off base?

Thanks everyone.

[kninebirddog]

Just worked her on the Wonder Lead yesterday and this morning. She did very well...When I put her on a regular lead (4 footer) she went back to pulling. I'm assuming this will take a few weeks of regular training. She is e-collar conditioned but didn't know if I should be using the e-collar that much in a non-hunting situation. Does that make sense or am I way off base?

Thanks everyone.

Keep with the command lead

another thing I use a light tap for go and a contast till stopped for whoa ...no words just the cues

Think of it like fred astaire and ginger rodgers...many of the dances they did he didn't tell her where and how to move he cued her with the shoulder and the waist

you can add the words once the cues are understood

Cue to move with you cue to move her forward also doing quartering...

once you have her working well with you if you desire to go back to the leash let a little slack in the line and the pop it taut where there is contact feeling at the snap but not so strong that it physically moves the dog in any manner

once a dog is braced and pulling your defeating the lesson

also when she moves in front of you with out being cued to do so turn 45 degrees away and let HER hit the end of the lead

let her catch up

also do some excersises where you ct in front of her also....if there is contact between the two of you it is because SHE is in your way she is colliding with you not you into her ..if she is paying attention she should turn with you..if she does this constantly just keep walking into her till she is trying to get out of your way

don't make eye contact with her during this little excersise but beaware of her body language...she should start to look at you and pay attention....then you have a dog that will begin to cue off of you not her doing her own thing


Like a pack of wolves going after a large kill the pack has to cue off the leader to work together in order to be successful if they just do their own thing the pack goes hungry