left turn while heeling - Page 1

My 10 month old male is heeling well off leash except that he is so wrapped around my left knee that it is hard to make a left turn.  He also likes to lean on me. It all looks ok if I am turning right or circling to the right, but find I have to 'knee' him off of me when we are going straight  or circling left or making a left turn.  Ideas?

I teach my dogs a stationary quarter turn to the left, so they learn to tuck their back end in. Teaching a flip finish should also help.

I would concentrate on working him on left turn "boxes"  alternating with regular spuratic turns. Yes, if left turn "kneeing" him in the ribs or a sharp pushing,  is in order, Do it. Do 4,6,8 lefts in a row using your knee if necessary. If he's not paying attention and too accustomed to right turns, it's best to straigten this out now. Should only take 1-2 mins and the left turn, pay attention issue should be over. If not, repete. Maybe try halts,sits, foos, halt, sit to recover his attention, then go back to left turn boxes. IF, he isn't in the mood, stop training, try again when he is at his sharpest and it should only be a matter of 1-2 minutes to straighten this out.

Good luck

TRU

 You do not say how you are teaching the fuss, but if you have the reward, toy or food, in your right hand, this most often results in the dog crowding and leaning. Left turns, as suggested above still won't help much unless you switch hands. But if you will do as suggested above, this should work. I use my right knee to the dogs' shoulder the minute it begins to forge or get too close and make those sharp left turns at unexpected times. Quarter turns to the left are also useful. Don't do any of this in long sessions. Be certain to reward immediately when the dog is correct.

Good luck.

I've never needed to knee my dogs to get them out of my way. I teach them with collar guidance how to move their back end in. I don't want to force their front end away, I want to teach them to keep the back end, well, back. Kneeing them is just not my thing, I guess.

I agree with Hodie

But keep the Dog a bit peckish and hold the treat in the left hand put a little pressure with the left leg as you turn, if the dog is paying attention it will turn with you

keep the sessions down to five minutes in between get it too Halt and Sit

Another way is too carry a short cane and to press it against the dogs shoulder as you turn, hold the cane in your left hand you will already have it in near postition as your left arm should be down at your side whist walking

As Hodie said, you need to address the issue of why your dog is in incorrect position to begin with. and it usually results from forging to watch the toy in your right hand.  If I were you, I would go back to the beginning and teach the dog  "heel" command means correct position, looking at handlers face - always.  When the dog is in the correct position he will no longer be leaning on you and bumping you.

Well, you are all very helpful and perceptive too.  I have been holding the ball under my right arm to hide it, so to speak.  Of course he knows it is there, I just thought it would be bribery to have him focusing on it if I carried it on the left side.  I will work on your suggestions.  Thanks.

Part of the problem is you have not taught the left turn or most likely the correct position in heeling.  Your dog is currently heeling by braile.  He needs to learn that that is not what you want.  Put him on lead and show him where the correct position is, shoulder lined up with your left leg but not touching you.  I teach my dogs starting in a sitting position and on a relatively tight lead, when i give the command I want them to start up and straight, I do not allow them to waver out of position by so much as half an inch without me guiding them back into position with the collar.  We start by taking one or two steps forward, break,throw ball, reward.  I start on my right foot on t the left as that is a body language cue to help him, left leg moving first, the dog is already behind and out of position  as he rises.  Be sure you do not correct or guide him by pulling the lead across your body as that will create a wrapped dog.  To teach the left turn,  I start the dog sitting, place my left hand in the collar, I glance to the left(cueing the dog),  and put my left foot directly in front of his feet and tell him to get back.    I finish the turn as the dog lifts his butt and pivots on his front feet,  using pressure on the collar to help him.  turn, break, reward.  When he is getting that butt back quickly I add steps after the turn and build .  then I add steps before, always glancing with my eyes to the left, turning my left foot to the left with a small step to help him know that we will be turning to the left.  then pivoting cleanly and bringing my right foot around.  Helping the dog stay in step with you is critical for a clean performance.  Your dog will not only be more accurate but he will be more attentive adn happier as he wont;l be always behind and getting corrected.  Right now he is really not working with you but is trying to think of a way he can get the ball that you have hidden from him under your right arm.   Heeling takes time, and like a good pair of dancers lots of practice, it is also the harderst thing for a dog to do really well because he must focus all the time and respond to minute changes constantly, it takes a great deal of focus and thinking on the dogs part.  However, good heeling is a thing of beauty to watch and perform.

Susan

Well said, firethorn.