Training your dog to heel is very important if you plan to take him out and about with you. It can be very fun to be out and about with your dog on all sorts of activities if he's obedient and well trained. Being trained to heel will assure that your dog does not come to any hurt when he's participating in family activities outside of the home base.



Most every dog owner at some point or another wish they could take their dogs with them to the coffee shop and be able to sit on an outside table with their dog calmly sitting under the table or standing quietly next to him or her, without moving unless given a command. The truth is that by applying the dog training tips below you too can enjoy a dog just like this one.

One very crucial aspect when you are training the heel command to your dog is to do it in a place that is safe, and with not many distractions, at least at the initial stages of the training. Training your dog the heel command on a fenced backyard or even inside your house will be the ideal places to start. As the dog follows your command more regularly you can move out to more open areas and allow more distractions.

If you've a pup he can a lot more easily trained to heel without a leash initially. All puppies love to follow their leader, and this can be taken advantage of in the training to heel program as he will prefer to remain close to you. You can also incorporate food treats into the dog training program, as he will be easy to lead when he can smell food.

To start training your puppy to heel you foremost require to attract his attention. Perform this by holding his collar and saying his name. After you have his attention start to walk in a straight line. Hold the treat reward out in front of your pup. Maintaining your hand near his dog collar, say the command ?heel?.

Stop walking and kneel to his level. Give the ?wait? command and place your hand under his chest to prevent him from moving forwards. Practice this by walking at different speeds. Walk more rapidly and then more slowly, always giving the ?heel? command. Do the ?heel? and ?wait? commands until the pup has the hang of them at different speeds. After your puppy has got these commands, try teaching him to turn around with you.

To teach your pup to turn to the right, merely bend your knees so that you're at his level. Allow him to smell the treat and turn right saying the command to ?heel?. He will turn as you turn by speeding up a little, all the time smelling the treat in your hand. Eventually take the treat away and reward him with praise.

To teach your puppy to turn left, place your hand on his collar and guide him gently to the left. Using the ?heel? command as you do it, and he will shortly master it.

If your dog gets distracted during training, then regain his attention by placing your hand on his collar and calling his name.