Now that spring is here the Buzzdog and I are polishing our rally moves. Anyone have helpful tips on reverse heeling? He has a nice attentive forward heel but he's just baffled when asked to heel backwards for 3 steps. I practice against a wall or fence to keep him straight, but with backwards pressure on the leash and me stepping back he just drops into a sit. Off leash I've tried stepping back and patting my leg but he thinks I want a left finish and starts moving round to go behind me.....We marker train, but so far I'm not getting him to even make that first step backwards so I can mark it.
I think there was a thread on this a long time ago but I can't find it - please post the link if you know where it's at.
OK - he knows front paws on the pad so we can work on rear paws. I'm trying to think through how this would translate into reverse heeling when there is no pad to target?
Maybe I'm just not being too clever this evening (long day at work...)
It's about building rear end awareness. Dogs tend not to realize they have a hind end so they don't think about moving it. So you build the awareness of *using* the hind feet and build a willingness to back up. It becomes easier to ask for it in heeling if the dog already has the concepts. Or at least it has for my dogs. It's back chaining in a sense - you're teaching the backup then adding it to the heel.
As to why use a step - it's a large and distinct target area. That seems to lead to quicker success for beginning dogs (since they can't see a rear target like they can a front one).
Duane Hull Webboard User Reg: 09-23-2011
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Quote: Mara Jessup
It's about building rear end awareness. Dogs tend not to realize they have a hind end so they don't think about moving it. So you build the awareness of *using* the hind feet and build a willingness to back up. It becomes easier to ask for it in heeling if the dog already has the concepts. Or at least it has for my dogs. It's back chaining in a sense - you're teaching the backup then adding it to the heel.
I found it easier to teach backing after I taught pivoting on the touch pad. We went from pivoting on the pad to a find-the-leg drill, then slowly introduced backing ( a half-step at a time) into the drill. Eventually, we could back up a few steps. Now, heeling backwards is part of all of our heeling drills, and Sadie has also learned to back up on her own.
For rear leg awareness I like walking them lengthwise through a ladder on the ground.
I might raise it up 4-5 inches if needed.
Relative to the size of the pup or young dog of course.
For backwards heeling work with the dog between you and a fence/wall. No ladder.
Using a lure initially go for one step back, mark and reward. Build off of that.
"Backup" has always been a natural for my dogs because of yard gates that swing in. A simple "backup", open the gate and they automatically back up to avoid the gate hitting them.
Now I know that a mark and reward makes it a lot faster then a light wack with a gate.
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Reverse heeling
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