Hi everyone, I hope i've asked a reasonably intelligent question. But I'm just after some advice on methods used to train my dog to come into the heel position from out in front or if he or she isn't quite square. I've seen a few competition videos and i gotta say it looks very impressive. Thought i'd ask before trying it myself and confusing the dog. I do have a few ideas, but an expert opinion would be appreciated.

i am not an expert but i would suggest using a prey item, like a ball on string or toy that they love and "popping" it from your waist to your left shoulder when the dog is working in drive, i have seen this method used to teach the military finish (flip finish you described) often, there may be a need for some forward heeling immediately after the "pop" of the prey item to keep the dog in heel position, but slowly you reduce the forward heel to an automatic sit. i believe this is a common way. good luck

My GSD does this type of finish. I am also definitely no expert but this is how my trainer (since it was me being trained more then the dog) had us do it. First Dakota was solid on heel and recall. I give the "come" command, she sits in front of me. Then like Travis said, I held a piece of food or her ball in front of me and then tried to all at the same time 1) give "heel" command 2) move toy/food quickly from front and center to between left shoulder and left hip 3)started walking forward slightly to dogs right. When dog is in heel position we walked a few steps and I gave the reward. Eventually you can eliminate the walking forward and add the sit when the dog spins.

Sorry if it seems confusing it was a lot easier to do then to explain <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I taught my first dog to go around me and my new dog to flip. Dangerous thing to do when I have a piece of food in my mouth, as gets very close to my face at times like he wants to snatch it right out of my mouth. Toy works pretty well too, although sometimes they keep jumping for it.

I'm not getting a mental picture of this, Is there a website with pics/vids of this?

Dennis, I'm not following you. You don't know what a flip finish is? or how to train it?

Don't know what it is, if it looks cool, I'll train

Ah, well a flip finish is simply when the dog is sitting directly in front of you and from that position you give the "heel" or "fuss" command, the dog leaps straight up in the air and rotates his body so that as he lands he is sitting in the heel position. I have also heard this referred to as a "military" finish.

The other method is for the dog to walk completely around the body and sit in the heel position.

Although the flip finish is very flashy and looks cool, some people don't like it for the simple fact that if the dog doesn't land in the exact heel position, a judge in a trial can take off points for a crooked sit. Something I see in my own dog is that when his drive is down, he will not get airborne, he just swings his rear around into position. When his drive is way up, all four paws come all the way off the ground which looks pretty cool. Anyway, as I mentioned I've trained both methods and I don't really seem to have a preference for one or the other. I guess to each his own. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

This is one thing that Gypsy and I have had a hard time with. I didn't want to teach her to go around behind me (plus she was really having a hard time with it), so we just started teaching her to do it ON the left side. I used, and still use, food to make sure she gets in the right place, because otherwise she just slides her butt out to the side rather than all the way around. You're right, it really IS hard to describe! lol

However, it's still as if she doesn't fully understand what she's supposed to be doing. She doesn't have a problem returning to heel from behind (where all she has to do is step up to wherever I'm standing and sit at my left side, or keep going if I start moving), but the return to heel from the front or side seems to still be confusing to her. I'm not trying to get her to leap in the air or anything (although that would be cool), but I can't help but think I'm doing something wrong, or something. Sometimes she will do it on her own with a lot of verbal encouragement - she sort of scoots and sits, scoots and sits until she's in the right position - but other times she just acts like I've said something in Martian or something.

thanks, I don't compete but I like to show off at the park, I think I can get Max to do that before his butt gets too fat