OB225 Competition Heeling Part Two - Skills & Engagement

Heeling requires significant concentration and sustained focus to maintain position, focal point and engagement. Heeling is easily the most difficult obedience exercise. When trained properly, it is a beautiful dance between dog and handler that is a joy to watch.

Course Details

In this class, we will focus on fine-tuning turns and transitions with pace changes. We will work on building endurance in heeling as we put pieces together and lengthen chains. We will break down the Figure 8 exercise, teach the pieces and then put it back together. Our focus will be on building accuracy while maintaining animation and attitude! Heeling should really be a bunch of fun tricks chained together.

WE HAVE A TA FOR THIS CLASS!!!! THIS IS A HUGE BONUS FOR ALL STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY BRONZE!! Debbie Johnson has been my students for decades. She was my TA for two classes last semester which was incredibly helpful.

Teaching Approach

This class will have written and video lectures each week. There will be video examples demonstrating all exercises. Because everyone has their own learning style, I encourage students to move at their own pace. Students will need access to a space large enough where they can perform straight line heeling for about 40 feet give or take. A space at least as large as a regulation ring would be ideal. You will not need actual ring gates if you don’t have access to them. Students will need to move around with their dogs as is required for heeling. I am happy to work with you to modify the training to your abilities.

Syllabus

WEEK ONE

Dogs Love Tricks!
Juggling Act
Maintain Your Vision
Cues for Clear Communication
Set Your Foundation
Marking is Magic
Figure 8 Deconstructed
Large turns for Figure 8
Handling and Heeling without Dog
Assessment of Baseline
- Normal
- Slow
- Halt
- Left
- Right
- About
Tricks in Motion
- Spin
- Weave
- Bounce
- “Close”
Show me your baseline so we can target what we need to focus on

WEEK TWO

Handling Errors With Clarity
Offering on Silence
Setting Super High Criteria (get less in the ring)
Creating Drive in Heeling:
- Energy Creates Energy
- Threepeats With Play Release
- Exploding Reinforcers
Managing Arousal
Increasing Endurance
- Normal Pace
- Slow pace
Normal Halt
Normal Right Turn
Figure 8 Outside Curve, Inside Curve

WEEK THREE

Drifting
Introducing Fast Pace
Normal About Turn
Normal Left Turn
Transition Into and Out of Slow Pace
Figure 8 Transition to Inside Curve
Figure 8 Transition to Outside Curve
Engagement Games

WEEK FOUR

Transition Into Fast
Transition Out of Fast
Figure 8 Tighten Inside and Outside Curve
Figure 8 Setup to Right or Left
Halt After Turns
Increasing Endurance with Fast Pace
Handling Reaction to Judge Calling Pattern
Position game in turns

WEEK FIVE

Figure 8 Transition out of Left and Right Curve
Fast Normal Right/Left Turn Halt
Fast Normal About Turn
Fast Normal Halts
Figure 8 Adding Halt
Slow Normal About Turn

WEEK SIX

Figure 8 Putting It Together
Keep Them Guessing
- Halts after turns
- Left Right Left
- Fast, Slow
- Halts at Different Paces
Half Heeling Pattern
Full Heeling Pattern

Prerequisites & Supplies

Gold level students should have taken the prerequisite class OB215: Competition Heeling Part One - Fundamentals at any level (bronze, silver or gold). Alternatively, gold level spots may register if they already have a basic understanding of stationary and moving heeling position.Students will need access to a space large enough where they can perform straight line heeling for about 40 feet give or take. A space at least as large as a regulation ring would be ideal. You will not need actual ring gates if you don’t have access to them.

OB215 Competition Heeling Fundamentals

Great heeling is a pleasure to watch. Dog and handler moving together as one. The dog is happy, animated, joyful and confident. Heeling is a dance that should express joy and teamwork. How do you accomplish that? Great fundamentals! Heeling is a complex behavior chain incorporating focal point, position and engagement. I break heeling down into pieces that will make sense to you AND your dog. Each piece is taught as a fun trick. With clear communication and consistent criteria your dog will enjoy learning how to heel. We will work on handling to ensure you are being the best possible partner for your dog. We will start with straight line heeling and add the foundation for halts and turns. Whether your dog is learning how to heel or knows how to heel and has some holes, this course is for you.

OB215 Competition Heeling Fundamentals

Sample Lecture

The Rule of Three: Many, many years ago a mentor taught me to never let my dog make three mistakes in a row. He said three mistakes meant I created a new habit. Ideally, I will address it when the dog makes the first mistake. By the time the dog makes two mistakes, alarm bells should be going off. As a trainer, we need to change something. The dog doesn’t understand. Doesn’t matter if we think they should know it. Clearly they don’t. Change something.

I use a similar rule when the dog is doing something right. Three correct reps in a row and I move on. I either increase the difficulty of what we are working on, or move on to another behavior. After three reps, we are just going to bore the dog. We are drilling. There is nothing to be gained. The dog learned. AWESOME!! Onward and upward!!

Dogs Love Tricks! And so do humans!! Trainers, observers, dogs all have a grand time with tricks. No one is ever upset or disappointed. Dogs make mistakes and it’s not a big deal. Tricks are highly reinforced with our praise, our energy as well as the actual treat or toy. Obedience should be the same way. Because in reality the exercises are just a bunch of silly pet tricks strung together. WE are the ones that take it so seriously. WE get impatient, frustrated, annoyed, etc. We set goals that are not always realistic. Change your mindset and your training will benefit. Remember, it’s all just a trick!!

You will also teach your dog tricks that are functional in heel position. Then you want to reinforce the tricks soooo often over a long period of time that they become inherently self-reinforcing. For my dogs, tricks like bounce, spin and touch don’t need to be reinforced. When I ask for the trick my dogs get super happy and their energy goes up…they love the tricks!! Now I can use them in heeling AS A REINFORCER!! I also use them to increase their mental endurance, to help override distractions and pressure and to keep “boring” pieces of heeling (slow, halts) fun.

It's super important to teach tricks that don’t pull the dog out of heel position. And to make sure that the dog always ends in exact position when the trick is completed. I use bounce, touch, wave and spin. You don’t have to use those. Just some examples. If this is already in place, great!! Make sure to continue heavily reinforcing the tricks for now.

Need to maintain connection with trick:

Maintaining position with “bounce”:

Instructors

Petra Ford

I have been training and competing for several decades in a variety of sports including Hunt Tests, Field Trials, Nosework, Agility and Rally. My first love has always been competition obedience. I have been fortunate to win the AKC National Obedience Championship four times with three different dogs. (Click here for full bio and to view Petra's upcoming courses)...

Registration

Choose the plan that fits your goals and start learning at your own pace.

Gold