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6. Heeling Problems How To Overcome Them

Forging

Leash corrections can be made by an assistant who walks at the dog's left, while holding the leash in the RIGHT hand. The owner commands "Heel!" When the dog forges, the assistant jerks back­ward on the leash while the owner gives praise.

For off-leash corrections, the assistant walks backward in front of the dog. After the owner gives the heel command, if the dog forges, the assistant tosses some object (an empty cardboard carton is excellent) directly in front of the dog, or bangs on the floor with a rolled magazine. These are excellent corrections for in­structors to use with unruly dogs in a Beginner's Class. For proper timing, the owner must give the heel command before the instruc­tor makes the correction.

Lagging And Heeling Wide

Lagging and wide heeling are difficult problems to overcome once they become a habit. There is no one magical cure. If your dog is the greedy type, carry food to encourage her to stay close. When you take the leash off, have a fish line or a strong piece of string already attached to the collar so you can make corrections when the dog doesn't expect them. If the dog is not the scary type, ask three or four assistants to help by dropping articles surreptitiously, and ONE AT A TIME; or to push some object, such as an empty carton or a folding chair, toward the dog when she lags or heels wide. Tapping the floor with a long pole in back of the dog is also effec­tive. Be careful not to overdo corrections and be generous with praise.

Dog Lags On The Figure 8

Hold the leash in BOTH hands, low and close to your body. When the dog is on the INSIDE of the circle, walk naturally. When she is on the OUTSIDE, speed up, jerk the leash in a series of snaps, giving praise. About the third or fourth time around, speed up WITHOUT jerking the leash, but give praise just the same. This teaches your dog to change pace,  an important feature of the Figure 8. When you take the leash off, walk naturally but con­tinue with the praise until your dog consistently remains close.

Dog Is Slow To Sit On The Halt

Put the dog on leash. Wad the leash into a ball and hold it in your LEFT hand. Keep your elbow straight. AFTER your feet come together, jerk the leash backward with force to make the dog sit. The important thing is not to be moving your feet at the time you jerk the leash.

LARGE DOGS An assistant at the dog's left can spank the dog to a sitting position AFTER the handler halts. Don't forget the praise

SMALL DOGS Carry a light rod in your RIGHT hand. The leash in your LEFT. After you halt, reach in back of your body and tap the dog gently,  but firmly,  on the hindquarters.

Dog Heels On Wrong Side

Reach back with your RIGHT  hand  and cuff the  dog's  nose when she comes in on your right  side. After which, pat your left leg with your LEFT hand to en- courage her to heel there.

Carry    something    in    your RIGHT hand, firm but soft, that just clears the floor. Make the same correction. Or, kick back with your RIGHT foot when the dog comes in on the right

Heavy-Set Dog Fails To Change Pace

Heel the dog between two people. When you run, give praise. If the dog doesn't run with you, the person on the dog's left jerks the leash forward, with BOTH hands. When the leash is off, continue giving praise when you change pace, until the dog thinks running is part of the game.

Dog Bites At Hand

Hold the LEFT hand still. Slap the dog's nose with the RIGHT hand. At the same time, tell her "Stop it!"

LARGE DOGS "Spank" your dog when you make the turn. Reach back with your   RIGHT   hand   or   your RIGHT foot and tap the dog's hindquarters,   then   clap   your hands playfully in front of your body, to encourage her to come close.

SMALL DOGS Put your dog back on leash and make sharper corrections.

Dog Nips Ankle On The Fast

Ask an assistant to hold a small, rolled magazine or the leash wadded into a ball. When your dog barks or nips your ankle when you run, have the assistant throw what she is holding at the dog's feet and tell the dog "Stop that!" Give praise, especially when your dog will run without misbehaving.

LARGE DOGS The correction is the same as for slow sits. After you halt jerk backward on the leash, held  in the LEFT hand. Or, have an assistant make Alternate   correction:   Bring the leash in back of your body and hold it in your RIGHT hand. After you halt, jerk the leash to  the right. Give praise!

SMALL DOGS Same, but in a more gentle manner, although the severity of the correction really depends upon  the temperament of the dog.  the  correction  from  the dog's left.

Dog Sits At An Angle

Walk the dog between two people. If she swings her hind- quarters AWAY from the han- dler, the person on the dog's left taps the dog on the hip to make her sit straight.

Same, but done gently with a light rod held in the RIGT hand. Or, the assistant can use the heel of her right foot.

If the crooked sit is in the opposite direction, the handler reaches back with her RIGHT foot and taps the dog on the right hip to make her straighten the sit.

Dog Heels And Sits Wide

With the dog on leash, walk her close to a wall or a fence. If she goes wide and bumps into the barrier, she may correct herself, especially if you encourage her to stay close to your side. If she veers away when you halt, pull the leash tight WITHOUT JERK­ING IT, and hold her until she sits close.

Wide heeling is usually the result of jerking the leash without adequate praise. It also comes from grabbing for the dog while she is heeling free. Wide sits are the result of stepping into the dog on the halts.

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