Mary Allen
There are several ways to teach your dog to heel.
The Bei Fuß training is basically always relatively similar.
In order to be able to teach your dog to heel, of course you have to consider a few things.
In principle, you can also teach an older dog to walk. However, this may take a little longer than teaching a puppy to heel.
We have created a step-by-step guide that will take you and your dog by the hand and paw.
In a nutshell: teaching a dog to heel with a leash – this is how it works
You can train your dog to heel, with or without a leash. First you will find the instructions for practicing on a leash.
First, let your dog run where it wants to run.
With a gentle pull on the leash and a hand movement, you point next to you.
Say your command word (my dog knows bei foot as “here”) and give your dog a treat.
Let your dog keep coming back to you and remind him of his position with the leash.
Teach the dog to heel – you still have to consider that
The training itself is quite simple. Nevertheless, there are always a few things that don’t work quite so well.
You should pay attention to this:
When to teach a puppy to walk?
The earlier the puppy gets to know the most important commands, the easier the training will be later.
You should train your dog to walk as soon as he has mastered the basic commands of sit and down.
There is no exact date for this – but make sure not to overwhelm your dog, especially when it is a puppy.
Dog runs too far forward at heel
Sometimes it happens that your dog walks too far forward during heel-toe training.
This happens primarily because you give your dog the wrong or incomprehensible signal.
Make sure you keep your hand or the treat steady on your hip. If you use a toy, you can tie it to your belt.
This will prevent your dog from running too far forward.
How long will it take…
… until your dog can heel.
Since every dog learns at a different rate, the question of how long it takes can only be answered vaguely.
Most dogs require about 5-10 training sessions of 10-15 minutes each.
Step-by-step instructions: Teach the dog to heel
Before we start, you should know what tools you can use for the step-by-step instructions.
Utensils needed
You definitely need treats.
Anything that makes friends with your dog and is considered a reward may be used.
The instruction
You pick up a treat that you don’t want your dog to touch.
Give your dog an empty hand. As soon as he touches her or even follows her, you give the command.
At the same time you change the treat into the previously empty hand and feed it.
As soon as your dog understands this and reliably touches the hand, you walk a few steps and let him follow your hand.
Teach a dog to heel without a leash
Without a leash you have to proceed a little differently.
Pick up a treat that you don’t want your dog to follow.
Have your dog touch or follow the empty hand and give the command word.
At the same time as you give the command, change the location of the treat and give it to your dog.
For more tips and guidance, check out our dog training bible. This saves you a tedious search on the Internet.
Conclusion
All dogs can learn to walk. So far there are no restrictions. Teaching a small dog to heel has another little special feature:
Don’t hold the treat too high here. Otherwise, your dog will do the “Hans-Look-In-Die-Luft” and almost dislocate his neck.
For more tips and guidance, check out our dog training bible.