Age to teach heel

[pudelpter]

I have a 16 week old pup. What age do you start to teach heel? I want him to get used to being out in front for hunting. Been using the clicker for here,sit and kennel.

[Trekmoor]

I'm guessing from the little picture that you have a hunting , pointing, retrieving pup ? Heelwork is just about the last thing I teach a pup that will be expected to move away from me to hunt. I know it wouldn't always happen but I prefer not to take the chance of the pup becoming too inhibited to move far from me. I like to see a pup hunting really hard first for quite some time before I teach it to walk to heel.

Bill T.

[Double Shot Banks]

I taught my lab around 5 months because thats when i got most of the other obedience done. i would say let it mature a little, its a bigger concept than sit and here. But i would do it before you start teaching him/her to be steady and doing finished retrieves.
Isaac and Banks

[Sharon]

I'm guessing from the little picture that you have a hunting , pointing, retrieving pup ? Heelwork is just about the last thing I teach a pup that will be expected to move away from me to hunt. I know it wouldn't always happen but I prefer not to take the chance of the pup becoming too inhibited to move far from me. I like to see a pup hunting really hard first for quite some time before I teach it to walk to heel.

Bill T.

excellent advice

[Neil]

As soon as they can walk they learn to heel on lead.

The Boykins lean to heel off lead as agreed above. The Britts only heel off lead from horseback.

[birddog1968]

I never teach a pointing breed to heal. They will over time learn to walk on a slack lead but heel, nope I just don't see the need. If i did teach heel it wouldn't be until well after they are broke.

[EvanG]

I start teaching "Heel" at around 8-10 weeks. But I'm not talking about formal training. I'm talking about teaching per operant conditioning; treat training. I start teaching all the fundamental obedience commands as soon as they come home (around 7 weeks). By 3-4 months they are proficient, but still not formally trained.

EvanG

[Neil]

I start teaching "Heel" at around 8-10 weeks. But I'm not talking about formal training. I'm talking about teaching per operant conditioning; treat training. I start teaching all the fundamental obedience commands as soon as they come home (around 7 weeks). By 3-4 months they are proficient, but still not formally trained.

EvanG

Yes.

I call it learning to be a good citizen. Their 1st 6 months are spent in the house, a lot of it in my lap, loving. Time playing, fetching toys, being led, just being around us and our rules.

In trials heel from horseback is very important for gaining the front after a find or absence.

[RayGubernat]

I do heel/whoa drills with my pointer pups. I will start at about 16 weeks using a Smith wonder lead. It is a lot of play and standing around waiting for the puppy to figure out what that darn thing around its neck is doing, but they figure it out pretty quickly.

My last pup also wore a very short , very light checkcord from a very early age, in the back yard. She also got to spend some time on a tieout. I think it helped.

My pups are trial bred pointers and I don't think you could permanently inhibit their desire to run and hunt. I cannot comment about some other breeds or types of dogs.

Lots and lots of different ways to get from point A to Point B with a bird dog. Most of them work fine.

RayG

[EvanG]

I start teaching "Heel" at around 8-10 weeks. But I'm not talking about formal training. I'm talking about teaching per operant conditioning; treat training. I start teaching all the fundamental obedience commands as soon as they come home (around 7 weeks). By 3-4 months they are proficient, but still not formally trained.

EvanG

Yes.

I call it learning to be a good citizen. Their 1st 6 months are spent in the house, a lot of it in my lap, loving. Time playing, fetching toys, being led, just being around us and our rules.

In trials heel from horseback is very important for gaining the front after a find or absence.

I love bringing them through the whole process and doing all the advanced work. But I always miss that first 6 months!

EvanG

[4dabirds]

Use the clicker to teach heal now. No reason not to. Break it down into a behavior chain. You could use a board to give the dog a reference . Put the board at heal when the dog steps on it click and treat

[EvanG]

Click on the image above and watch what Anne Everett, trainer of many, many Obedience Champions does with the little Golden pup "Luke" to teach 'Heel'. Luke was 9 weeks old at the time. Keep it simple. Use a clicker if you like, but it's not necessary.

EvanG

[birddog1968]

OP states he wants the dog to the front, its beyond my comprehension why then you would teach sit and heel to a 16 week old pup. All I would
be doing is happy timing and building as bold and independent a dog as I could possibly get before putting training in pup to keep him reined in
and under total mind control. Cut him loose let him run let him have his way with some birds, let him develop as much independence as possible in
this early stage, you have the rest of pups life to put control work on him......

[Neil]

OP states he wants the dog to the front, its beyond my comprehension why then you would teach sit and heel to a 16 week old pup. All I would
be doing is happy timing and building as bold and independent a dog as I could possibly get before putting training in pup to keep him reined in
and under total mind control. Cut him loose let him run let him have his way with some birds, let him develop as much independence as possible in
this early stage, you have the rest of pups life to put control work on him......

All dogs must learn to be good citizens.

[birddog1968]

at 16 weeks i want a rebel....have the rest of the dogs life to make a good citizen.

When you put a bunch of control work on a pup that young he hasn't had the chance to truly be a pup and develop the pure independence without a care in the world.

[Donnytpburge]

[quote="birddog1968"]at 16 weeks i want a rebel....have the rest of the dogs life to make a good citizen.

I agree!

Db

[EvanG]

OP states he wants the dog to the front, its beyond my comprehension why then you would teach sit and heel to a 16 week old pup.

So that it will be far easier later on to formally train him to do it. At this point it's just passive teaching as seen in the puppy portion of the video clip shown. Just because you do not yet comprehend an idea doesn't mean it isn't a good one.

All I would be doing is happy timing and building as bold and independent a dog as I could possibly get before putting training in pup to keep him reined in and under total mind control.

Who on earth suggested "total mind control"?

Cut him loose let him run let him have his way with some birds, let him develop as much independence as possible in this early stage, you have the rest of pups life to put control work on him......

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Live dangerously; get a little knowledge. Sound training does not rob a dog of his style. It merely organizes it.

EvanG

[Donnytpburge]

Knowledge

I can teach any age dog to heel in a short period of time.

I too want a bold, in front dog and the way I teach that is by giving the dog early independence.

The man that taught me about bird dogs is 70 years old, and has
Been hunting, training, trialing, guiding, and breeding them for 60 years.

The first thing he told me was to give the dog time to be a dog.
The second was that you have to know when NOT to apply pressure.

Db

[EvanG]

Knowledge

I can teach any age dog to heel in a short period of time.

I too want a bold, in front dog and the way I teach that is by giving the dog early independence.

The man that taught me about bird dogs is 70 years old, and has
Been hunting, training, trialing, guiding, and breeding them for 60 years.

The first thing he told me was to give the dog time to be a dog.
The second was that you have to know when NOT to apply pressure.

Db

100% good stuff!

EvanG

[4dabirds]

Clicker training is unique in that it is a system of communication with the dog, separate from the reward, that connects the act of a behavior with the reward. So they are separate yet they work together. The desire for the reward motivates the dog to seek the click which in turn motivates the dog to perform the wanted behavior. Not only is there no pressure exerted on the dog but the dog is just doing what it has done for millennia, find way to seek out and garner resources for survival. This is exactly a pup learning to be a pup. This is a pup learning to think in a way that dogs think and setting a dog up to learn to control its environment in a way that it works with the trainer in a symbiotic relationship to get to the same end goal. The dog is motivated to please itself and the trainer gets what he wants as well . What could be better then that.

[EvanG]

Clicker training is unique in that it is a system of communication with the dog, separate from the reward, that connects the act of a behavior with the reward.

This is how mis-communication begins. A clicker is a tool that can be used to communicate a message, but is not a system of training. It's a device; a tool. The way it works is to cue the dog to equate a behavior with a reward is by providing an audible marker, just as verbal praise communicates the same thing, plus providing an additional benefit of being positive by its nature.

The 'system' or set of principles on which clicker training works is called Operant Conditioning. The clicker has been adopted by OC trainers as a marker; nothing more.

What could be better then that.

What could be better than that for gundogs is a tool that acted in a similar manner, but could be heard outdoors under conditions in which the dog works. If you never leave the building where the obedience ring is you can use clickers all day long. For gundogs, clickers are really limited to puppy work. Sooner or later (sooner is usually better) we still need to train our dogs, and use tools suitable for the field. That would be better in my opinion.

EvanG

[birddog1968]

OP states he wants the dog to the front, its beyond my comprehension why then you would teach sit and heel to a 16 week old pup.

So that it will be far easier later on to formally train him to do it. At this point it's just passive teaching as seen in the puppy portion of the video clip shown. Just because you do not yet comprehend an idea doesn't mean it isn't a good one.

All I would be doing is happy timing and building as bold and independent a dog as I could possibly get before putting training in pup to keep him reined in and under total mind control.

Who on earth suggested "total mind control"?

Cut him loose let him run let him have his way with some birds, let him develop as much independence as possible in this early stage, you have the rest of pups life to put control work on him......

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Live dangerously; get a little knowledge. Sound training does not rob a dog of his style. It merely organizes it.

EvanG

Over training a young dog turns it into a machine, or never lets it reach the potential it could have reached had it been given its time to be a pup. By teaching heel so early You've controlled its mind from the beginning never letting that pup realize its free to stretch to the front. Its why birddogs taught to sit very young will sit during training and a reason why dogs taught to heel will end up boot lickers.

I respect your abilities and knowledge as a trainer, but just a question Evan, how many birddogs (pointing dogs) have you trained?

[EvanG]

Over training a young dog turns it into a machine, or never lets it reach the potential it could have reached had it been given its time to be a pup.

I hope you understand that I'm not suggesting over training. The kind of training I propose with pups is very passive and positively enforced. Minimal if any pressure. All of that comes later.

I respect your abilities and knowledge as a trainer, but just a question Evan, how many birddogs (pointing dogs) have you trained?

Around 20. I don't think we're as far apart as you may suspect. The last thing I would propose is over-training for pups.

EvanG

[birddog1968]

Got ya. Just in the 30+ years i've been messing with birddogs, I've never taught one to sit or heel. They learn to be good citizens just fine without those commands taught so young.
When i get a dog to hunt birds with the last thing i think about is OB training. Labs another story entirely.

[Neil]

I am a firm believer in you cannot put something in a dog without taking something out.

But heeling on a lead is important.

[birddog1968]

explain to me why a pointing dog healing at 16-20 weeks old is important? or even at 8 to 10 months old......Serious question

[Neil]

explain to me why a pointing dog healing at 16-20 weeks old is important? or even at 8 to 10 months old......Serious question

Because after 50 years of dogs jerking on me I have back issues.

And a dog has to learn to stand still before he can learn anything else.

[shags]

at 16 weeks i want a rebel....have the rest of the dogs life to make a good citizen.

When you put a bunch of control work on a pup that young he hasn't had the chance to truly be a pup and develop the pure independence without a care in the world.

Yep. They get plenty of structure learning the house rules, like 'leave it' and 'get off'. Outdoors I want my pup to think he's King of the World.

But I suppose we should define 'heel'. If it means walking smartly in lockstep by my knee, my dogs never learn that. I never want their default position to be glommed onto me. If heel means behave in a civilized manner walking on a loose lead and not tripping me up, within four or five feet of me, then that's what they know. A little bit of time on the stake out or chain gang teaches pups to give to the lead, and a little lead work at potty time finishes them up.

[EvanG]

"Heel" means even with your heels, whether walking, sitting, or standing.

But I'm getting the impression that many here are having trouble discerning between "training" and merely "teaching". If we mention training it seems a common perception of forcing or corporal correcting is assumed to be a necessary part. They are not the same things. Training puppies does not convert them into robots.

EvanG

[Neil]

at 16 weeks i want a rebel....have the rest of the dogs life to make a good citizen.

When you put a bunch of control work on a pup that young he hasn't had the chance to truly be a pup and develop the pure independence without a care in the world.

Yep. They get plenty of structure learning the house rules, like 'leave it' and 'get off'. Outdoors I want my pup to think he's King of the World.

But I suppose we should define 'heel'. If it means walking smartly in lockstep by my knee, my dogs never learn that. I never want their default position to be glommed onto me. If heel means behave in a civilized manner walking on a loose lead and not tripping me up, within four or five feet of me, then that's what they know. A little bit of time on the stake out or chain gang teaches pups to give to the lead, and a little lead work at potty time finishes them up.

YES

[4dabirds]

Clicker training is unique in that it is a system of communication with the dog, separate from the reward, that connects the act of a behavior with the reward.

This is how mis-communication begins. A clicker is a tool that can be used to communicate a message, but is not a system of training. It's a device; a tool. The way it works is to cue the dog to equate a behavior with a reward is by providing an audible marker, just as verbal praise communicates the same thing, plus providing an additional benefit of being positive by its nature.

The 'system' or set of principles on which clicker training works is called Operant Conditioning. The clicker has been adopted by OC trainers as a marker; nothing more.

What could be better then that.

What could be better than that for gundogs is a tool that acted in a similar manner, but could be heard outdoors under conditions in which the dog works. If you never leave the building where the obedience ring is you can use clickers all day long. For gundogs, clickers are really limited to puppy work. Sooner or later (sooner is usually better) we still need to train our dogs, and use tools suitable for the field. That would be better in my opinion.

EvanG

system |ˈsistəm|
noun
1 a set of connected things or parts forming a complex whole, in particular I never said it was a system of training only a system of communication.
The greater point I was trying to make is that behaviors that are ingrained at a very young age will stick with the dog for a longer period of time. Using operant conditioning has been proven to be very effective in the speed at which it works as well as in the retention of known behaviors. Creating behaviors in a gun dog that will eventually be used in field training at a very young age using all positive measures allows the trainer to use less correction in the future. So if a behavior such as whoa is trained at a young age using no correction, when the dog is in the field at a later stage the need for the clicker is long gone but the behavior is well ingrained in the dogs mind. To say that the reason not to use a clicker is because it can not communicate to the dog out in the field is completely bogus. Generally if the dog is trained using the clicker at a young age the need for a clicker is long gone by the time you are doing field work. If by chance you were to need , or feel the need to use a clicker in the field you could easily transfer the audible click to the vibrate or the audible tone on the e-collar. The real miscommunication is the lack of understanding the entire basis of using a clicker in the first place. When clicker training a gun-dog you are not simply training another stupid dog trick. What you are doing is establishing in the dogs mind certain behaviors that in the future are expected to be beneficial in the finished dog. If the dog has ingrained within its mind a behavior such as whoa long before it it has an encounter with the bird and it already sees this behavior as beneficial and rewarding to the dog it gives the trainer an advantage when trying to connect the two things in the dogs natural state of hunting. If it is properly done the dog will have been exposed to birds while on whoa but without scent therefore diminishing the need for correction when the dog is confronted with the scent. So ... Back to the subject of why to teach heal to a pointing dog. Because the OP wants to. Nothing wrong with it as long as he is not using any pressure on the dog. Using operant conditioning by virtue of ITS definition leaves the dog in control of the behavior. The dog is doing it because the dog wants to do it . NOt because the trainer is compelling the dog to do it. So if your form of training heal is by pressure then you would be set against it at this age of course. If you truly understand operant conditioning I think you would be for it.

[Neil]

Guys, a dog walking by your side is at " HEEL, not "HEAL". The first is part of your foot, the second is to get well.

[birddogger]

"Heel" means even with your heels, whether walking, sitting, or standing.

But I'm getting the impression that many here are having trouble discerning between "training" and merely "teaching". If we mention training it seems a common perception of forcing or corporal correcting is assumed to be a necessary part. They are not the same things. Training puppies does not convert them into robots.

EvanG

Well said. There are things you can teach a puppy without the need for pressure or very little, without loosing any boldness or independence. IMO, the teaching and learning process should begin as soon as you bring them home. This, along with love, bonding and socializing will all help in a dog that is more obedient, more cooperative and when it is time for serious training, it should go more smoothly and with a confident dog. JMO.

Charlie

[birddog1968]

There's more than one road to china and this thread illustrates that.....

Sounds like all we're talking about is a dog that walks on a slack lead.....That can be accomplished in a day, we stake a dog out or put on the chain gang and walk away, out of sight.
When pup calms down on the chain or stake out, he's learned to "give to his neck" , 90 percent of dogs, after that, will walk fine on a slack lead. What I'm against is taking a pointing pup, especially
this young and giving it a hard formal heel. Most all the dogs I've ever had have been obedient calm dogs on a lead and all have been both house dogs and kennel dogs......I've got 3 now that spend lots
of time with me in a camper no less, and none have been formally heel or sit trained , they are calm obedient dogs and all came by it very naturally. In no way, did not formally OB training them hinder their
ability to take further training, become great hunting partners or make them end up rebels in the house.

[slistoe]

I am a firm believer in you cannot put something in a dog without taking something out.

But heeling on a lead is important.

I sent a dog for summer work with a well known Brittany pro one summer. First thing he said when I talked to him was "Who the bleep taught this dog to heel - and why????"

Why is heeling on a lead important? For walks in the park?

[Neil]

I am a firm believer in you cannot put something in a dog without taking something out.

But heeling on a lead is important.

I sent a dog for summer work with a well known Brittany pro one summer. First thing he said when I talked to him was "Who the bleep taught this dog to heel - and why????"

Why is heeling on a lead important? For walks in the park?

I don't walk dogs in parks. And I don't what the pro is known for, but he obviously is younger and free from back injuries. Even so he should have recognized the importance in heeling from horseback. Both to regain the front after a find and for the scout to put him on birds.

Heeling is also a stepping stone to standing still.

I thought I already explained this.

[slistoe]

This pro only ran some of the most winning dogs on the all age Brittany circuit. Stayed with him a week and never saw him "heel" a dog. He did insist they respect the end of a checkcord, as do I.
I have never had to heel a competitive dog to regain the front - they get there fast enough on their own. As for the scout - I guess if I had All Age dogs....The stepping stone in training - Is that Training with Mo?

[shags]

There are times when you may not want your dog to the front without you, and it's smarter to hold him back until you can at least see what might be going on up there . Once you do, it's no big deal to issue a Turbo BlastOff command

Ask me how I know this... I learned the hard way.

[Neil]

This pro only ran some of the most winning dogs on the all age Brittany circuit. Stayed with him a week and never saw him "heel" a dog. He did insist they respect the end of a checkcord, as do I.
I have never had to heel a competitive dog to regain the front - they get there fast enough on their own. As for the scout - I guess if I had All Age dogs....The stepping stone in training - Is that Training with Mo?

Nope, that is training with Mace. And if they won't heel from lead, I will put a half-hitch around the flank. I am done with dogs jerking me around.

You all need to come watch the NC at Ames, it is common for the handler to heel a dog into a field, hold them up while waiting on the judges so as to show them at the far end. Doesn't seem to effect their independence much. I would guess the dogs spend up to 10% of the brace at heel, either with the handler or scout.

Neil

[slistoe]

Having the dog heel and not having the dog jerk you around are different things. The latter can be easily accomplished without the former - as you have already indicated.
Personally I have found that heeling to the horse was most useful for all those times that we didn't get to the end of the course in judgement.

[EvanG]

The greater point I was trying to make is that behaviors that are ingrained at a very young age will stick with the dog for a longer period of time.

Maybe. Maybe not. Not all dogs are the same. But even in the best of cases, dogs do not remain pliable little puppies that think the sun rises and sets on the owner/trainer. If they have any substance to them at all they will mature, and become like teenagers; testing authority in behalf of a world full of distractions that seem like more fun than doing what the handler wants them to do. That’s why ‘teaching’ alone does not constitute the complete cycle of training.

Using operant conditioning has been proven to be very effective in the speed at which it works as well as in the retention of known behaviors. Creating behaviors in a gun dog that will eventually be used in field training at a very young age using all positive measures allows the trainer to use less correction in the future.

The principles of OC are very effective…to a point. Great stuff for the passive teaching of puppies, or dogs that don’t have to work in the field or marsh under demanding, distracting conditions. I’m a believer in using OC for all my puppies and teach that in my seminars. Many of the principles continue to be useful over the full course of training.
What many people do not understand is that OC is not inherently pressure-free. It is not negative-free. It is not a way to trick dogs into reliable man made behaviors. It is conditioning. It appears very much as if you’re giving credit that is not due in the long haul.

So if a behavior such as whoa is trained at a young age using no correction, when the dog is in the field at a later stage the need for the clicker is long gone but the behavior is well ingrained in the dogs mind. To say that the reason not to use a clicker is because it cannot communicate to the dog out in the field is completely bogus.

What’s bogus is your premise that OC training occurs without pressure for a fully trained gundog. But that’s not all.

Generally if the dog is trained using the clicker at a young age the need for a clicker is long gone by the time you are doing field work. If by chance you were to need , or feel the need to use a clicker in the field you could easily transfer the audible click to the vibrate or the audible tone on the e-collar. The real miscommunication is the lack of understanding the entire basis of using a clicker in the first place.

Clickers don’t train dogs. Trainers train dogs. Clickers are merely tools, and they are useful only for the shaping behavior through conditioning. They simply do not have sufficient influence to complete the training cycle. Neither do vibrators or buzzers.
What they can help with is shaping behaviors that will become commands and needful behaviors that will later become reliable, stable ones through actual training.

If the dog has ingrained within its mind a behavior such as whoa long before it it has an encounter with the bird and it already sees this behavior as beneficial and rewarding to the dog it gives the trainer an advantage when trying to connect the two things in the dogs natural state of hunting. If it is properly done the dog will have been exposed to birds while on whoa but without scent therefore diminishing the need for correction when the dog is confronted with the scent.

If a clicker is adequate to do that in the field there is a dog deficit.

The dog is doing it because the dog wants to do it . Not because the trainer is compelling the dog to do it. So if your form of training heal is by pressure then you would be set against it at this age of course. If you truly understand operant conditioning I think you would be for it.

And that is the most bogus assertion of all. If the trainer isn’t in charge he’s not the trainer. He is at the dog’s mercy. If you’re happy with that, good luck.

In short, show me a clicker trained, positive-only Field Champion, and I'll fall right in line. In fact I'll help for a "Clickers unanimous" club!

EvanG

[tdbmd]

I have read the comments with interest.

Our Vizsla is 7 months old. I don't care if she heels at my side necessarily, but I don't want her pulling all over on the lead.

She is back from the trainer this weekend and is e-collar conditioned, which is great for taking her out to the field and working but how about just a walk around the neighborhood? My daughter is 10 and I don't want her pulling her all around or even worse, pulling the lead out of her hand.

Do I put the e-collar on for walks as well, if only for "emergency"?

[Grange]

Heeling is also a stepping stone to standing still.

That is how I looked at it with me english setter. I used the Perfect Start/Perfect Finish method for whoa training and they started with heel.

With my lab I lived in a subdivision so I had my dog walking at the heel position from day one. Now my lab doesn't need a leash as she naturally walks in the heel position and is easily called to the heel position. I never really did formal heel training with her.

My setter was a different story. I believe I tried formally teaching heel too soon and it had negative impacts on her range and run. She was around 6 months or so when I started doing the heel command on our walks. I believe I noticed the negative impacts before it was too late and backed off. It took a few months to see my setter's run go back to normal. I restarted the formal training at about 1 year of age and then worked into whoa training like the videos showed. At a year old I didn't see my setter act so hesitant when I let her run. Now on a walk I can let her pull on the leash or simply give the heel command and she will walk at the heel position. It's great when taking a dog to the line at a trial.

[Fun dog]

This is an interesting thread. I started teaching heel to my pup at an early age. Unless your dogs spends its life in a kennel and only gets out to hunt there are so many times when heel is necessary. Heel is not natural to a GSP so it's an ongoing training theme that we have to work on a lot. Now hunting in the field is natural to her and learning to heel has not inhibited that in any way. A couple things I have found in dogs is that they like to learn. Give a dog a mental challenge and you have a happy dog. Also working on one thing seems to sharpen the other things that have been taught. Dogs like to do things with their people so if you go out and heel your pup for 5 or 10 minutes, they are going to love it. Then let them run and play for the same amount of time. While you can over condition a dog physically, I'm not so sure about mentally. As long as you keep the sessions short. So while I wouldn't condition my dog 3 times during the day I can certainly mentally challenge them and they will be happy to go each time. If you are going to test your dog in NAVHDA, you'd better have heel down pat.

[Nutmeg247]

...
What many people do not understand is that OC is not inherently pressure-free. ... Clickers are merely tools, and they are useful only for the shaping behavior through conditioning. ...

One thing of interest to me (and I am speaking from the position of someone who is simply trying to learn, and is on my very first gundog that I'm training myself) is that the R+ trainers who do well at things like ringsport, where the dogs work a bit remotely, do acknowledge using some pressure, particularly when proofing against distractions, distance, etc. That pressure may not be an e-collar, and may be simply walking into the dog to move it away from a distraction, but it is pressure.

For heeling, whether done using a clicker or simply saying "yes" as a verbal marker, early on there doesn't need to be much pressure of any sort whether you're shaping or luring the dog into a heel? My current teenage pup is pretty much at the half-proofed heel stage; while that can be frustrating to me, I don't think the heeling work has dampened his enthusiasm.