Those who do teach "heel" teach "heel" as a place, not an action. "Heel" is the spot the dog is to be in--a precice spot by your left side, his shoulders even with your leg (or whatever the exact position is---I don't do it.)

By that thinking, you can teach the "heel" position while you're both standing still. That's how it would start. Then take one step--heel. Break it down into that kind of thinking and "heel" does mean "come get in this spot beside me and stay there...and when I move you move."

Teaching loose-lead walking isn't as strict. It's simply communicating with the dog through the leash that ANY amount of tension on the leash is a violation of the rule. That does allow for the dog to have some small amount of leeway, forward or back, as long as the lead does not go taut, even when you stop, change directions, or change pace. As soon as the dog "gets it" (which is pretty quick) you can turn it into a fun game by changing your pace (several steps fast, then several really slow), stopping, etc---just like your crazy walking.

And fill up you pockets with treats, rewarding the dog for playing along with the game. Staying by you to avoid a collar correction is one thing, but getting a hot dog for doing it is way more fun.

Here is the link to the video I was referring to. You'll enjoy it since it involved a beautiful mal pup!

Now this gal IS going for the formal heel and I did not. However, for me, it was helpful to have the structure of the garage doors on the other side of Falcon. When I tried to train a nice walk initially, I was not as successful as getting the idea across of the fact that I wanted him by my side. When I added the barrier, it "clicked" in his mind far easier for some reason. Most probably due to my lack of experience... but I found the "tool" of the wall to be of help.

I did not request/train the looking at me while walking. Falcon tended to casually watch me because we were using treats and he was watching to see where they were coming from, but I did not train the dog looking at my face while walking. Now when we walk he does not look at me.

I also found using a word (ended up using foos due to not having been successful with heel initially) was more effective than not having a command. Perhaps because we had been using commands for other behaviors - it made sense to him. When trying to walk without a command Falcon would forge ahead; once we introduced the wall and then a command, we had more success.

Every dog and every trainer is different - you'll figure out what works best for you and your pup. Doesn't really matter as long as you and your dog are having a good time training and you get your point across. Regardless, I think you'll find this video inspiring on many levels!

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php?id=701