I don't know about training to heel, but my dog loovvveeesss it in a frozen kong. Keeps her occupied forever. So does cream cheese frozen in kong.

Ditto for my boys. Never thought about freezing the Kong until someone here mentioned it, though.

Do you have a watch (attention)? I never start formal heeling until I have a "watch" on the dog. Once I have the "watch" I slowly start taking a step with the leash somewhat taut to try to guide them. I also generally start on a fence to aid in their position. This video shows my puppy after a few sessions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV5ubPTDuM0

There is plenty that I could have done better in it so don't think that what I am doing is always correct ;-)

My guys take to this way of training heel position quite well and I usually don't have a problem moving from a watch in heel position to movement in heel position.

Anyways, this is just my personal way of doing it :-)

I'm glad this was brought up.
we have good leash manners but no real heel with Yote and he has proven challenging to teach it to. (of course) I will try the cream cheese on a big spoon trick and see if it works!!

ETA: frost is so cute in that video, I love watching her work.

Hey Pat, just so theres no confusion I don't use Peanut Butter. I was just going along with Dennis. I like to spit treats from my mouth and actually release my dog when I reward him, not really try and keep him in position.

The peanut butter thing looks interesting. How do you use it?

Just hold the spoon so he walks keeping his head up more or less toward you, even if gives no eye contact ?

 Quote: ingrid rosenquist

This video shows my puppy after a few sessions. Anyways, this is just my personal way of doing it :-)

Holy crap. Seriously.

I have been trying to train my dog to fuss for months now, and we are not that far along. How did you train her to stay at your heel even when you go backward? I'm still trying to get the concept across to my dog that "fuss" is a position he should be in relative to me. His eye contact is great, but he's not really getting the concept of position. I'm using a clicker and treats as a lure. My dog is 19 months.

I've started trying to teach him when I say fuss he is to go to my left side, sit and look up at me. He does the last two really well, and we're working on going to my left side. Once he's there though, I can take a few steps and he'll follow, and when I stop he'll automatic-sit. (yay!) So how did you train your puppy to go to your left side?

Hope this is in line with the OP's question.

Hi Angela!

For the backing I break it down into incremental steps that I learned at an Ellis seminar. I start with teaching the command back not in heel position but in front of the dog and initially say "back" and then use my hand with food in it (but not accessible to the dog) and step into the dog. Once the dog gives and backs a step, I reward. I slowly work until the dog understands the back command and will back away from me.

Once that is accomplished (and the dogs understands heel position), I will have the dog in heel position along a wall, sofa, fence etc and ask the dog to back where it can't get out of position. I will gently give a pop back if the dog to aid the dog it it needs it.

For teaching the flip finish, I use food to guide the dog in initially with taking a step back with the left leg to aid the dog into coming in straight. This video shows me luring Frost when she was about 11 weeks old into heel position. Again, this video could in part be a "what not to do as a handler" lesson as I reward behavior after having to give multiple commands, rewarding after she breaks before I call her, and I talk way too much etc but it does show me working on heel position ;-)

I honestly enjoy reviewing my video'd training sessions and learning from all the mistakes I make in them. Hope springs eternal that I don't do it the next time around when I bring up a puppy again :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0Zs6H6oWGc

Good luck with your pup!

Holy crap. Seriously.

I agree... very impressive to those of use who don't have this type of experience yet! Seeing the training at this stage (instead of 100% perfect strutting across a field) really helps to visually break it down for me and the explanation of teaching back up, etc... was really helpful. BEAUTIFUL puppy!!!

Ingrid, very nice videos and a beautiful pup. That's really helpful to me to see one of your working sessions.