"Dancing" with my doggie

[doglover27]

Anyone know how I can get started with heel work with my dog? Like how it can be done to music? I am training him to be my service dog, and I think this would be great for him and I as a service dog team. Anyone do this with their dog? If so, how did you get started? Any tips?

[Mattie]

I don't worry about my dogs walking to heel but when teaching them to walk on a loose lead when they get next to me I use the word "Close", of course they don't stay there but it is a start to the word Close. I eventually start to work in my garden with them, put them into a sit next to me, take a step forward and say "Close", when they start to come with me, I then take 2 steps, when they are with me for 2 steps I increase it to 3, and so on. I do reward them and with Dolly and Cyril I have been using a clicker before rewarding them. I don't really practice this enough, must start to practice this more, Dixie, Tommy, Joe Bonnie and Merlin were all taught like this.

I am a lot further on with Bonnie, she is a very quick learner, if I tell her to "Round", she will walk round my and sit at my left side. To do this I first got her to follow a treat round me then told her to sit, reward her. When she started to follow my hand I then put the word "Round" on.

For going under my leg, again I started by getting her to follow a treat under my leg, started from the inside to outside first, then from the outside to inside, I wanter her to go under any leg that was up and from either side, once she was following my hand I put the word "Under" onto it.

For twirl again she followed a treat at first to the word "Twirl", to go the other way I just said "Other way".

I really must start doing this again as she was getting quite good at it.

Poor Tilly, if I ask her to do anything she panics so can't do any of this with her, even basic obedience is difficult for her, she only has stale air in her brain. Dolly and Cyril I really need to do more training with them.

[doglover27]

Thanks, I will try this with Charlie. I don't call it "heel" either. I just want him to stay at my side when I back up, turn, etc.