# Sticky  Choose to Heel Exercise



## krandall

It was a nice enough day to take the training outside today, so I decided to do an exercise called “choose to heel”. If you have reinforced heel position well enough, your dog should want to DRIVE back to heel position, even when you send him away. I think Ducky did great for an 11 month old puppy! No leash, nothing to make him stay with me… even when I threw the cookie in challenging directions, he found his way back to my left side and heel position. Good baby!


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## EvaE1izabeth

I love it! Is that what he’s doing, “driving” into heal, when he stops so instantly and attentively? Like he’s braking?


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## Tanya’s Hav

Ducky is a champ! What are you using as training treats? Has he outgrown the Fresh Pet cat ones you mention in the Raising Ducky thread?


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## krandall

EvaE1izabeth said:


> I love it! Is that what he’s doing, “driving” into heal, when he stops so instantly and attentively? Like he’s braking?


No, when he comes running so quickly back to me after I tell him to go get the cookie I throuw for him. I don't TELL him to come back... it's entirely his choice. Which is pretty cool.


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## krandall

Tanya’s Hav said:


> Ducky is a champ! What are you using as training treats? Has he outgrown the Fresh Pet cat ones you mention in the Raising Ducky thread?


Oh, the Fresh Pet cat is just "starter treats" for when puppies are tiny, and have tiny teeth. He has had full adult dentition for months now. Once they have a good set of choppers, you want to start using all kinds of different training treats to keep things interesting! This happened to be cut up turkey meatballs. But there's nothing magic about that. I try to use good, high quality protein.


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## krandall

Jackie from Concrete WA said:


> You've done such a good job training. Plus, it's obvious that he is so smart! I'm curious - do you always hold and offer the reward with the same hand? Would that help in teaching what side of your body is the heel side?


Actually, I'm holding the food in my right hand and only transferring a piece into my left had to feed to him. You DEFINITELY don't want a dog who will only stay in position if there is food there! You can tell dogs who are taught by luring, because as soon as the owner doesn't have food in their hand. the dog will leave them. The opposite of what Ducky is doing here. Even when I show food and SEND him away to get it, then give himNO further cue... just keep walking... He WANTS to come back and "join up" with me. He is so conditioned to be on my left side, in heel position... he really doesn't even THINK of being anywhere else. 

He eve moves to that side of me on his way to his crate to go to bed at night, and I have NEVER asked him to. He just does.

Here is how he learned heel position. Only a VERY few steps at a time, but he never learned that being anywhere else was an option:






Only maybe ten cookies-worth at a time (because my back can't take more! LOL! but over and over again, a few times a week

Then in this one, several months later, we were fading the chin heeling, with more and more steps of me standing up. But NEVER going so far that he had ANY inclination to lose attention or wander out of position:






Now what I am doing is strengthening his commitment to that. Making it CLEARER in his mind that the BEST place to be is right at my left heel. That is THE most heavily reinforced place in his life!


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## Johanna

This is so cool! After I watched your videos last night, I decided to see what Naomi would do if I tried the same exercise. I wanted to teach it to her but I still don't know everything she learned from her breeder. She's super smart and came with her novice trick training title. Her breeder taught her a lot and I promised to keep working with her but I'm sure there are a few things I don't know about what she was trained. Anywho, I grabbed some treats and started doing the exercise the same way you did in your video and I'll be darned, she already knew it!! I told my husband about it tonight and then we demonstrated and he was blown away. Every time I threw a treat, she would go grab it and then immediately come and join up in the heel position again as I kept walking. VERY COOL INDEED! I'll make sure to ask her breeder about it the next time we chat.


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## JaJa

Oh my God, how cute❣I can't believe I missed this post! I'm going to have Ed listen to the heel one, although when we come to Massachusetts you're going to have to put Dicky under lock and key or Ed will abscond with him 😆 I just showed him the first video and he's already in love💖


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## skubler

Ducky could teach his own classes! And what a coincidence, I was just getting online to ask you about hand position, treats, repetitions, and so on. How old was Ducky in the first video, he looks very young and is doing so well!


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## krandall

skubler said:


> Ducky could teach his own classes! And what a coincidence, I was just getting online to ask you about hand position, treats, repetitions, and so on. How old was Ducky in the first video, he looks very young and is doing so well!



I'm not sure which video you mean. If you mean the chin heeling, he was 11 weeks old.

In the last video (the younger driveway one). 9/10/21, he would have been just over 5 months.

In the first video (Choose to heel) he is the oldest, 11 months old.

But REMEMBER!!! This is NOT what you want for the conformation show ring!!! This is NOT "gaiting", and Ducky knows the difference! I am pretty sure you are training your puppy to show in conformation. I am experienced in both, and clear enough with my cues to be able to make it very clear to my dog which we are doing when. If you are NOT clear, (and if you have to ask questions about hand position and cues, my guess is that you are learning) I would choose one or the other to work on FIRST with your puppy so that both you AND he don't get confused.

It is COMPLETELY possible to teach your puppy to do both at the same time and have them learn to do both fluently. You have seen in the above videos that Ducky has a very clear idea of what formal heeling is, even though he has yet to be in the competition obedience ring. Here is a video of Ducky in the show ring last weekend.






As you can see, when gaiting, he is out ahead of me, looking straight ahead. Now, a class dog does not need to be out ahead of you. But Ducky is showing as a special now, and they are expected to show a bit more "pizzazz" (which we are working on... he is still a puppy, and still has a puppy coat compared to all the fully mature dogs in the ring with him!!! LOL!) For a "class dog", it is COMPLETELY acceptable for them to move at your side, but they should be looking straight ahead, NOT up at you, and they should not be as close to your side as heel position. If the are in "heel" position, looking up sideways at you, it will make them move their front end crooked, and the judge will not get a good look at their nice straight movement.

Here is a photo of Ducky gaiting properly, close to my side, on a loose lead (which is how Havanese are supposed to be shown) looking straight ahead, and with enough space between him and me that the judge can see his movement. This much space be tween us would be too wide for heeling.









Here is Kodi and me heeling. THIS is very good heel position (But Kodi is a pro!!!  ) Half the distance between us, and looking right up at me!!!:








Can you see the twist to his shoulders though? This is why formal heeling is not required for long periods, and it is taught in VERY short stretches and the dog has to build the muscles to do it over a period of time! It is physically hard work that gaiting is not. Gaiting should be the dog's NATURAL way of moving. That's why you can be showing a puppy in conformation at 6 months, and people who are serious about formal competition obedience often don't even START showing their competition dogs until they are close to two years of age.

But while YOU (the human) are learning, it is better to stick to one or the other, until you get a pretty good handle on what you are doing and can teach the puppy the difference! I am assuming that you've started working with someone in handling classes at this point? They should be helping you with the finer points of gaiting, along with the video I suggested from the Puppy Culture web site!


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## skubler

krandall said:


> I'm not sure which video you mean. If you mean the chin heeling, he was 11 weeks old.
> 
> In the last video (the younger driveway one). 9/10/21, he would have been just over 5 months.
> 
> In the first video (Choose to heel) he is the oldest, 11 months old.
> 
> But REMEMBER!!! This is NOT what you want for the conformation show ring!!! This is NOT "gaiting", and Ducky knows the difference! I am pretty sure you are training your puppy to show in conformation. I am experienced in both, and clear enough with my cues to be able to make it very clear to my dog which we are doing when. If you are NOT clea, (and if you have to ask questions about hand position and cues, my guess is that you are learning) I would choose one or the other to work on FIRST with your puppy so that both you AND he don't get confused.
> 
> It is COMPLETELY possible to teach your puppy to do both at the same time and have them learn to do both fluently. You have seen in the above videos that Ducky has a very clear idea of what formal heeling is, even though he has yet to be in the competition obedience ring. Here is a video of Duck in the show ring last weekend.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can see, when Gaiting, he is out ahead of me, looking straight ahead. Now, a class dog does not need to be out ahead of you. But Ducky is showing as a special now, and they re expected to show a bit more "pizzazz" (which we are working on... he is still a puppy, and still has a puppy coat compared to all the fully mature dogs in the ring with him!!! LOL!) For a "class dog", it is COMPLETELY acceptable for them to move at your side, but the should be looking straight ahead, NOT up at you, and they should not be as close to your side as eel position. If the are in "heel" position, looking up sideways at you, it will make them move their frond end crooked, and the judge will not get a good look at their nice straight movement.
> 
> Here is a photo of Ducky gaiting properly, close to my side, on a loose lead (which is how Havanese are supposed to be shown) looking straight ahead, and with enough space between him and me that the judge can see his movement. This much space be tween us would be too wide for heeling.
> View attachment 178945
> 
> 
> Here is Kodi and me heeling. THIS is very good heel position (But Kodi is a pro!!!  ) Half the distance between us, and looking right up at me!!!:
> View attachment 178946
> 
> Can you see the twist to his shoulders though? This is why formal heeling is not required for long periods, and it is taught in VERY short stretches and the dog has to build the muscles to do it over a period of time! It is physically hard work that gaiting is not. Gaiting should be the dog's NATURAL way of moving. That's why you can be showing a puppy in conformation at 6 months, and people who are serious about formal competition obedience often don't even START showing their competition dogs until they are close to two years of age.
> 
> But while YOU (the human) are learning, it is better to stick to one or the other, until you get a pretty good handle on what you are doing and can teach the puppy the difference! I am assuming that you've started working with someone in handling classes at this point? They should be helping you with the finer points of gaiting, along with the video I suggested from the Puppy Culture web site!


You are so darn smart and accurate, lol. I had no idea that I was trying to teach healing as opposed to gaiting. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️ I don’t have access to any handling classes for conformation near me. They have a ton of earth dog events, classes, etc., and are talking of putting together a ratting group. Which is fine, but none of that helps my situation. I need to learn how to teach Dew to gait, or at least begin with loose leash walking. I have all the puppy culture videos, and have rewatched and went over my notes on winning in motion. Now I’m going to reread my pigs fly leash walking section.


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## skubler

I found a weekly handling class and tonight is our first go at it! Excited and nervous! Any tips for my poor boy who gets carsick?


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## krandall

skubler said:


> I found a weekly handling class and tonight is our first go at it! Excited and nervous! Any tips for my poor boy who gets carsick?


I know that people use 1/2 of a non-drowsy generic dramamine for puppies who get car sick. …And I’d probably not feed supper until after class!


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## JaJa

krandall said:


> I know that people use 1/2 of a non-drowsy generic dramamine for puppies who get car sick. …And I’d probably not feed supper until after class!


I just bought some. Lacie threw up in the car on a 40 minute drive to our in-laws. I read this post earlier before I headed to the store. I think you've mentioned it here before Karen so now I'm ready.


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## krandall

JaJa said:


> I just bought some. Lacie threw up in the car on a 40 minute drive to our in-laws. I read this post earlier before I headed to the store. I think you've mentioned it here before Karen so now I'm ready.


I think other people have mentioned it… I’ve never needed it. I just happened to have someone standing in my kitchen when I read the question who knew the answer! LOL!


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## krandall

gudditerhuhdfh said:


> Ducky is a champ! What are you using as training treats? Has he outgrown the Fresh Pet cat ones you mention in the Raising Ducky thread?


We use all kinds of different things. I try to stick to things that are healthy lean protein. I only use the Fresh Pet rolled food with very young puppies because it is too messy to put in a pocket or training pouch. But I use a lot of the pellet-type Fresh Pet food as training treats. The small dog formula. You just have to pick out all the little carrot and blueberry pieces ahead of time so it’s not too messy! I also use Happy Howie‘s rolled food. This is meant as a training treat, and is MUCH harder than Fresh Pet, and until you open the roll, it is shelf-stable. I use frozen turkey meat balls, cubed small, pork loin roast, left over steak or chicken or turkey, also cubed small. Mix it up! Dogs like variety in training!


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## mudpuppymama

gudditerhuhdfh said:


> Ducky is a champ! What are you using as training treats? Has he outgrown the Fresh Pet cat ones you mention in the Raising Ducky thread?


I highly recommend FarmHounds treats. I have been using the beef and bison lung. They are very easy to break into small pieces. This is a very healthy treat. I have ordered some of the others to try. I prefer single ingredient treats with zero carbs.









Bison Lung


Transparently sourced from 100% pasture-raised, grass-fed bison, these beef organ dog treats are perfect for every pup and any occasion! High Value, 100% Bison Lung, Transparently Sourced from family farms that practice regenerative agriculture! Know the farm. Trust the product.




farmhounds.com


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## krandall

mudpuppymama said:


> I highly recommend FarmHounds treats. I have been using the beef and bison lung. They are very easy to break into small pieces. This is a very healthy treat. I have ordered some of the others to try. I prefer single ingredient treats with zero carbs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bison Lung
> 
> 
> Transparently sourced from 100% pasture-raised, grass-fed bison, these beef organ dog treats are perfect for every pup and any occasion! High Value, 100% Bison Lung, Transparently Sourced from family farms that practice regenerative agriculture! Know the farm. Trust the product.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> farmhounds.com


Those are nice as treats, but not great for training. You want things that are soft and easy to swallow in one bite, without chewing much. If you need to wait for the dog to chew, you loose reps, and the flow of the training session deteriorates.


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## mudpuppymama

krandall said:


> Those are nice as treats, but not great for training. You want things that are soft and easy to swallow in one bite, without chewing much. If you need to wait for the dog to chew, you loose reps, and the flow of the training session deteriorates.


The lung treats are pretty soft and mine seem to swallow them in one bite if I cut them up into small pieces. However, some of their other treats like the turkey trainers are definitely harder and they tend to chew those. They are also a little big for trainers for a small dog. I cut those up and use those for hiding treats around the house. I ordered some heart treats so I will see how those are. I also tried the bison tripe which is definitely not for training because they are way too hard and require chewing. However, they make an awesome healthy chew that actually takes them awhile to get through. I typically do not feed chews but since this were way too hard for training I decided to try it. I imagine all the jerky treats are similar and not good for training. I am still experimenting with their treats to see what works. I do prefer single ingredient treats though without carbs or preservatives.


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## krandall

mudpuppymama said:


> The lung treats are pretty soft and mine seem to swallow them in one bite if I cut them up into small pieces. However, some of their other treats like the turkey trainers are definitely harder and they tend to chew those. They are also a little big for trainers for a small dog. I cut those up and use those for hiding treats around the house. I ordered some heart treats so I will see how those are. I also tried the bison tripe which is definitely not for training because they are way too hard and require chewing. However, they make an awesome healthy chew that actually takes them awhile to get through. I typically do not feed chews but since this were way too hard for training I decided to try it. I imagine all the jerky treats are similar and not good for training. I am still experimenting with their treats to see what works. I do prefer single ingredient treats though without carbs or preservatives.


The other problem with ALL of these, from my perspective, is that I do a LOT of training, and they just get VERY expensive. A pork loin roast is about $4 per lb, and I can feed us and then make a TON of left-overs. Same with the other whole meats I use. Filet mignon, if you chose to buy it, is much cheaper than most commercial “dog treats”.


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## mudpuppymama

krandall said:


> The other problem with ALL of these, from my perspective, is that I do a LOT of training, and they just get VERY expensive. A pork loin roast is about $4 per lb, and I can feed us and then make a TON of left-overs. Same with the other whole meats I use. Filet mignon, if you chose to buy it, is much cheaper than most commercial “dog treats”.


Yes treats can be very expensive. However, when I cut the lung up into small pieces there are a fair amount of treats. And I feel I am supporting local farms. Really the best and most economical thing is to make your own. Sometimes I make air dried treats for mine. However, I like to have pre-made treats on hand. Plus I make all their food myself so I save tons of money there and don’t feel too bad about blowing some money on treats. I may have started a chew habit now with using the bison tripe for that…they had a blast. I really should get back to making at least some of my own treats though. I think I just got lazy.


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## krandall

Gor me, with the amount of training I do, and the amount of training treats I go through in the process, it’s well worth it to cook extra meat for us and use that. Training treats (per pound) are SOOO much more expensive than regular dog food, even when you are feeding premium stuff like Nom Nom!

That doesn’t mean I NEVER use commercial treats, but almost never for serious training. I always have a bag or two around. Kodi always gets one after he gets his eye drops and other meds, for instance. And don’t ask me why, but they ADORE their crunchy Charlee Bears before bed. Absolutely empty calories, but very FEW calories, and they love them! LOL!


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## mudpuppymama

krandall said:


> Gor me, with the amount of training I do, and the amount of training treats I go through in the process, it’s well worth it to cook extra meat for us and use that. Training treats (per pound) are SOOO much more expensive than regular dog food, even when you are feeding premium stuff like Nom Nom!
> 
> That doesn’t mean I NEVER use commercial treats, but almost never for serious training. I always have a bag or two around. Kodi always gets one after he gets his eye drops and other meds, for instance. And don’t ask me why, but they ADORE their crunchy Charlee Bears before bed. Absolutely empty calories, but very FEW calories, and they love them! LOL!


I think using homemade treats is awesome. It Is very healthy and you know exactly what your dog is consuming. That is why I make their food too. I really like knowing exactly what they are getting.


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## mudpuppymama

I just wanted to report back that today I opened the Farm and Hounds beef heart. I was hoping it would be similar to the lung and suitable for cutting into small pieces for training treats. However, it is more like jerky and more suitable as a chew. Looks like chews are back on the menu!!!


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