I have three dogs and walk them together but from advice on another thread I will be walking them separate. Obviously I'm a novice, so, if I walk them separate when do I walk them together? My pittyx, Gabby, went through obedience up to advanced at petsmart (should be petdumb as they left out quite a bit) Now we are attending AKC obedience. I don't think I've ever grasped the true concept of heel. I want them to heel all the time so I've never walked without starting and saying heel. I don't think I make it different than a regular walk and when they're all together and one pulls I find the color coded leash pull and say "Dogs name, heel" even if she's the one farthest from me. This is probably confusing since that one can't get next to me and "heel" means right there by your knee right?. More clearly here are my ?s-1. Do I still walk them together after first walking separate like maybe the pm walk can be together? 2. Do I use the heel command when walking together?

Edited by Michelle Pociask (08/01/2009 08:53 AM)
Edit reason: clarity

First, I start just about every command indoors, distraction-free. That also means no other dogs, who can be crated or in another room. Do you have a basement? Or the kitchen works for me.

I would probably work with each dog separately indoors and then in the yard, the driveway, and then the regular sidewalk.

I would probably have a different command for casual good-walk (loose leash, stay beside me) walking because of the multiple-dog factor. That is, I am always walking two or three dogs, so on those walks I want just that casual heel I described.

Only with one just dog do I give the "real" heel command.

So they all have "Let's go!" and "Heel." This way "heel" isn't confused with the "Let's go" where everyone just has to be beside me, one on one side, maybe one or two on the other -- no real "heel" look to it.

Remind us: You are going for CGC on all three, one at a time? And do you have any LB obedience videos? You are new to marker work? How do you start your heel training?

I don't have any videos yet but am interested in buying one. I am interested in CGC for the two smaller ones as those are the ones that will be called "pitbull type". I plan to begin Bolt in obedience and continue Gabby as I'd like her to go as far as she can. I do the heel command from a sit take the left foot and say "Dogs name heel" as I step. I'm really only doing this with Gabby diligently, but since I'm walking them separately I will do with all. You've completely answered my question. I will say "let's go" to them all instead of "heel." When they are all on the left side and he's not next to me Chief shoves everybody into me until he can move to the "inside lane". I understand with the multiple dog walk to only do "Heel" with the one in the correct position for heel. I actually have a space inside the fence next to the house that's paved where I can work them separately with few distractions. I have a basement I can start Bolt down there. I've been a little lax in his "training". Usually just walks and the treat reward. Definatley new to marker work. They haven't mentioned it at Dunes Dog Training club. Could be coming up though as Gabby and I had to start at beginer.

When you say "Begin Bolt in Ob and continue Gabby," do you mean the class you're doing?

That would affect the video choice.

I personally love the Power of Marker Training video and would watch it first and then apply the whole marker concept to the Basic Ob video (which also has marker work pointers in it, but the new marker video first, IMO, just illuminates all kind of training).

But I do my own Ob training.

If you have gotten any distance at all in a class and have not been introduced to marker training, I would imagine you won't be. (Loading the marker is the very first step.)

So anyway, post back.

Completly off subject but can someonf PLS tell me how to start a new thread. I really want to get some input ipo vs schh

 Quote: jason penwell

Completly off subject but can someonf PLS tell me how to start a new thread. I really want to get some input ipo vs schh

See the top of your web page right now where it says "forum list"? Click it. Now scroll down until you come to the forum you want (such as SchH) and click on it. Now up on top you see (in blue, towards the left) "New Topic."

That will open up a new box that will start a new thread.

P.S. General comment: When you fill in the "subject," it's good to make it specific, rather than "Help!" or "Info Needed."

... and back to "The Heel Command" .....

I have three dogs also. Bindi understands heel and when I walk her she does well. I want my dogs to heel beause I do have three and one day when they all understand the command, we can walk together. What happened to me is I tried to include my new dog and thought perhaps the other dogs example would help her to heel. She did pretty well, but in the process I found, since each dog matures individually at their own rate, and each one is distracted differently and has different attention spans, that I was doing Terra a disservice. (Oh, another thing I try and do is to teach my dogs to heel on either side of me.)
Like Connie was saying, I began all over again with my new dog.
She is trained in heel at home like I did with my other two dogs Bindi and Cody. I take my dogs out each individually to practice and walk, and I take them all out together to run errands, or go to the post office, or whatever, just so they get used to moving as a unit. It has worked so far. Maybe that will help you, or perhaps one day a week, or on the weekend you could take them all out together. But like Ed has instructed us we do not want to ask a dog to do something, and expect them to do it, with corrections when they do not obey, until we know they know what we are talking about. Sounds exciting to be entering a higher level of training with you dogs.

By the way, how did you like the PetSmart method? I live near PetSmart and go in often to watch them, they don't seem to be doing much when I am there, but just wanted your opinion since you have used their services.

Oh, I have used both of the vidoes you are talking about, and I would start with marker training too. I didn't know about marker training and got the obedience video first, but once I did get the marker video, I felt it is the basic, or foundation of training. Just my two...cents.

Edited by Sharon Empson (08/02/2009 09:37 PM)
Edit reason: forgot to add about videos I used

DO NOT go to Petsmart. My dog went all the way through to advanced and when they evaluated her to start at AKC obedience they said she needed to start at the begining. I am going to have Gabby go as far as I can in obedience and start Bolt when the new round of classes begin. Mine are actually doing better on the together walk after doing a separate am walk.

I meant tell anyone you know not to go to Petsmart for training, you're right they don't do much of anything. It sounds like you've probably done more with the two dvd's than we did going through beginner, intermediate and advanced there. Figure eight weeks for each session.