Positive reinforcement occurs when a desirable event or stimulus is presented as a consequence of a behaviour and therefore that behaviour is repeated. For example, in dog training, if a dog pees in his designated area outside the owner says “yes” and rewards the dog with a treat. The dog repeats this behaviour because he knows that when he pees in his designated area something good happens, he gets a treat.

Why is Positive Reinforcement a Preferred Method to Train Dogs:

Positive reinforcement is a humane way of training dogs. A dog is rewarded for behaviours that he does correctly and not rewarded for mistakes.

Mistakes are not punished in positive reinforcement training, they are simply just not reinforced. If mistakes are not rewarded your dog will make less mistakes because he will be more likely to repeat the wanted rewarded behaviours instead.

Benefits to Positive Reinforcement Training Including:

Dogs will want to offer the wanted behaviour because they are rewarded for it.

• Dogs are food, play or attention driven. If a dog can get more of these awesome rewards then why wouldn’t he want to show you a behaviour that will in turn give him that?

Dogs are given the chance to think about the behaviours that are wanted and to perform them with the hopes they will be rewarded with a treat.

• Positive reinforcement training is a mentally stimulating exercise for the dog. Your dog has to think about the behaviour that he was performing when he got a reward in order to know which behaviour he should repeat to get more rewards. You do not pressure your dog to perform a behaviour rather he is given time to think about and perform it when he is ready to offer it.

Your dog is always given a choice whether to perform a behaviour.

• In positive reinforcement a dog is not punished for not performing the behaviour. Like humans dogs should have the right of choice. They should be able to choose if they want to perform a behaviour and not be given an aversive stimuli, like a shock, if they chose not to perform it. The more humane way to teach a dog to offer a behaviour is to reward him when he does the wanted behaviour so he will want to choose to perform it.

No pain is afflicted on the dog to elicit the behaviour.

• No aversive stimulus is applied to elicit a behaviour eg. choke chains, shock, or leash yank which may lead to stress, fear and aggression.

Communication with your dog will improve.

• You learn to be effective in communicating what you want your dog to do.
• Your dog will learn from you what you want him to do and he will want to do these behaviours for you.
• You will learn to read your dog’s body language to sense he is understanding or if he is getting stressed and needs a break from training for the day.
• It is important for both you and your dog to understand each other and when you do you both will learn a lot from each other and be able to communicate more easily with one another.

You will develop a strong bond with your dog.

• You will be spending a lot of time with your dog and positively rewarding him with treats.
• He will enjoy the time he spends with you and develop more trust and respect for you.
• If you weren’t already, you will now definitely be your dog’s favourite human!

Many different behaviour issues can be treated using positive reinforcement.

• Unlike punishment, that may actually make reactivity and aggression worse, positive reinforcement is a great way to train these behaviours.

It can be used to train any dog.

• Young puppies, adult dogs, and even senior dogs can all learn new behaviours or be reinforced to offer previously learned behaviours by way of positive reinforcement training.
• It can be used to train humans and other animals as well.

The whole family can be involved in the training.

• It is easy to teach all members of the family how to do positive reinforcement training. Children can also be involved by providing treats when your dog performs a wanted behaviour.
• One member of the family should begin by teaching the dog a new behaviour initially and then the rest of the members can be shown the cues and continue to reinforce these behaviours as well.

Positive reinforcement training is fun!

• Training your dog should be a fun experience. If it isn’t then you aren’t doing it right!
• Your dog should be excited to learn and enjoy being rewarded for offering good behaviours.
• You should have fun spending time with your dog and teaching your dog new behaviours.

When you or your dog is bored, stressed and no longer having fun the training session ends.

• When you are training using positive reinforcement with your dog you want your dog to be having fun and not stressed or bored. You also want to be in a good mood yourself when you start training your dog. If this isn’t the case then don’t train.
• During a training session if you or your dog become stressed or lose focus end the session on a positive note with a behaviour that your dog already knows and loves to perform. Treat him for it and end the session. Take the rest of the day off and start fresh when you both are ready to have some fun and train!

As you can see there are many great benefits to training using positive reinforcement. Although there are many methods of training dogs, Good Heels Dog Walking Services only uses positive reinforcement when working with client’s dogs. I highly recommend that you use positive reinforcement to train your dogs as well and choose trainers and other dog care providers who share the same views to work with your dog.

The post Why use Positive Reinforcement to Train Your Dog? appeared first on Good Heels Dog Walking.

There are many factors that you may consider when deciding on what treats to give your dog. These may include: quality of ingredients, perceived taste, size, whether it can be broken down into smaller pieces, etc. Some treats are better for everyday positive reinforcement of already mastered behaviours, some better for training new behaviours and some are better for more special/newly introduced behaviours or difficult behaviours. Treat choice is also very dependant on the dog.

I have compiled a list of my favourite treats to give my dog and the dogs I walk with explanations as to what makes them good treats. I have also included some food reinforcers that you can find right in your fridge or any grocery store. Hopefully this will make it easier for you to decide which treats to give your dogs too.

Store Bought Treats

1)Pure Bites Freeze Dried Treats:

Why I like These Treats:

-They come in different meat flavours: chicken, beef liver or lamb liver.

-100% pure meat source.

-Natural, pure and easy to digest.

-No preservatives.

-Made from only one ingredient.

-Low calorie.

-High in protein.

-Ideal for dogs who are overweight.

-They are good for dogs with health issues including: diabetes, GI disorders, allergies or are on a restricted diet.

-Aside from using them as treats, they are great to use as a food topper for picky eaters. Just break down half or a whole piece into flakes and top it onto food. Your dog will love the flavour and will eat the kibble underneath too.

Cons:

-Liver is very rich. If too much liver is consumed it may cause loose stools. It is important to  limit daily intake to the recommended amount and break big pieces down into multiple small rewards.

-Liver treats are better used as a special reward for a new behaviour or difficult behaviour rather than as a normal everyday positive reinforcement.

Where to buy:

-Most pet food stores, local and chain, carry these. They come in a few different sized bags.

2)Dog Delights Beef Tendersticks

Why I Like These Treats:

-100% pure Canadian beef.

-No preservatives.

-Sticks can be broken down into very small pieces to be used for many sessions throughout the day or longer period of time.

-Since you are able to break them down into smaller pieces they are suitable for many different sizes of dogs.

-They are made in Canada.

Where to buy:

-A large bag can be bought at Costco for low cost and lasts a very long time.

3) Zukes Mini Naturals

Why I Like These Treats:

-Small size which makes them great for training.

-Low in calories.

-They come in a variety of different flavours.

-They are made from high quality ingredients including: protein rich meat, wholefood berries, and savory herbs.

-Free from common allergens: no corn, no wheat, no soy.

Where to buy:

-Pet Food & More, Bosleys and Petsmart carry these. I imagine many local pet food stores would carry them as well.

From Your Fridge

-Apples

-Carrots

-Cheese

-Hot dogs

-Diced chicken or any other meat your dog enjoys.

Other:

Your dog’s own kibble

-Kibble is great as an every day reinforcer but not likely a high enough reward to train a new or difficult behaviour.

-Kibble is a safe bet if your dog has allergies, can eat his own kibble and you have difficulty finding a treat you know they will be ok with.

The treats I have listed can be used for training and reinforcing good walking behaviours including loose leash walking and heeling. I hope your dog enjoys these treats as much as mine does! Happy Training!

The post Dog Treats Recommended by Good Heels Dog Walking appeared first on Good Heels Dog Walking.

1)Hide & Go Seek

This is one of my favourite games to play with my dog and I think he would agree it is one of his favourites too! You can play hiding yourself (like in the children’s game), his favourite toys, or even treats.

How it works:

You will need your dog’s favourite toys, treats, and a clicker

If you are planning to hide your dog’s toys and your dog doesn’t already know his toys by name practise playing fetch and getting him to bring a specific toy back to you. Reward him by doing so with a click and a treat and then eventually giving it a name and rewarding him for bringing the specific toy you have called. This way he will know his toys by name before playing hide and seek.

If your dog already knows his toys’ names then start at the beginning of the game.

If you are using treats or yourself (or another person) you can begin the game right away.

I usually play with hiding toys and then when he finds a toy I reward him with play. I find that this gives him the most exercise, keeps him busy the longest and overall he seems to enjoy the time he spends playing it with me.

The game is pretty simple, if you are hiding yourself then have him sit and stay. You hide while he stays. Then you have him come and find you by saying “(dog’s name) come”. When he finds you reward him with a treat, good boy or play for finding you. Repeat this for as long as you want.

If you are hiding treats have him sit and stay while you hide the treats around the house or apartment. You will then say “ok” to allow him to move out of sit and then tell him to go find his treats. Let him explore the house sniffing around until he finds all the treats you hid. Click and say “good boy” as he finds the treats. If your dog has never played this game before start off easy with some obvious locations so he can get used to relying on his sense of smell versus you giving him cues.

If you are hiding toys do the same as you would for treats but tell him to specifically find a certain toy. Reward him if he finds the right toy. I usually start off by only hiding the same toy (ie. Wubba) a few times so it is easier since only one specific toy (Wubba) is always hidden. Then you can progress to hiding different toys (ie. a Wubba, rope and football) in different places and asking him to find a specific one. Reward with a click and treat when he finds the correct toy.

What makes this a good training game?:

• It practises and positively reinforces sit, stay, come and ok (release) cues.
• It teaches your dog to rely on his sense of smell.
• It teaches your dog to learn names for specific objects

Health Benefits:

• It involves mental stimulation
• Your dog is constantly moving around getting exercise trying to find you, treats, or toys.

2)Fetch

How it works:

You will need a toy to fetch with, a clicker and treats

If your dog has never played fetch before then this is a good game to teach him how to play. If he has not played before I would take out a clicker to reinforce him for fetching and bringing back toys so he will learn to repeat these behaviours when you play with him outside as well.

Pick a toy that you can play catch with indoors (eg. a small ball, a stuffed toy you can throw far enough to get a good run in, a tug toy).

Get your dog’s attention to play fetch with the toy. Throw the toy. Most likely he will go retrieve it, if he does and you are clicker training, click when he runs for it and throw him a treat to reward him. Then you want him to bring it back. If he automatically does it great, click and reward him with a treat. If he doesn’t bring it back, say his name and ask him to “come” to you. If he does, click and reward with a treat. Now that he has brought it to you, you will want him to drop it so you can pick it up. If he drops it on his own click and say “good drop it”. If he tries to pick it up again before you grab it you also want to practise “leave it” to have him “leave it” as well. Continue to repeat throws, fetches,”come” “drop it” and “leave it”. You can reward with click and treats but eventually just rewarding with continuation of play will be enough to keep him repeating the behaviours.

You can also add “sits” and “stays” into the mix by having him sit and wait till you throw the toy and not retrieving it until you say “ok go get it”.

I also sometimes encourage him to go faster by saying “come come faster faster” I feel like that makes him get more excited and want to sprint faster to bring the toy to me. Keep in mind that it does take time for your dog to understand what you are asking of him so be patient, keep repeating and positively reinforcing and most important of all have fun with it!

What makes this a good training game?:

• Positive reinforcement training with repetition for retrieving, coming back to you, dropping something, leaving something. sitting, and staying.

Health Benefits:

• Depending how far you throw the toy and how big or small your dog is, this game can involve quite a bit of tiring sprints to fetch and bring back the toy.
• Mental stimulation for your dog to understand what behaviour is being rewarded and repeating them as well as performing the behaviours on cue.

3) 101 Things to do with a Box

How it works:

You will need a box, clicker and treats

This game focuses on the training method called “free shaping”.  You will be rewarding your dog for his natural behaviours. You will reward him with a treat for any behaviour that is associated with the box. There are no cues given from you just simply trial and error from your dog and a click and treat reward to tell your dog he is performing a behaviour you would like to see.

Prepare a box leaving one side open with flaps cut off or turned inside. Put the box on the floor near your dog. If he looks at it click and reward with a treat. If he doesn’t look at it throw a treat into the box and if he looks at the treat in the box click and reward him with a treat. Click anytime he looks at the box. If he only looks at the box but doesn’t attempt to move towards it throw a treat close to it and see if he moves towards it. If he does click and reward with a treat.

Wait until he does something new with the box ie. put a paw on it, put a foot in it, touch it with his nose but only when he does a new behaviour will you reward with a click and a treat, not a repeated behaviour. This will teach him to problem solve and try new things that may result in a treat. If he seems to become frustrated and fails to do new things have him do a behaviour he knows, like shake a paw, and jackpot him with lots of treat and end the game there.

Next time you play you can switch it up by thinking of a goal behaviour, eg. getting into the box. At first reward him for just looking at the box. Reward him a few times for this. Then only reward him for a new behaviour that brings him closer to the goal ie. paw on the box. Reward him for this a few times and then move on to only rewarding for another new behaviour that brings him closer to the goal ie. foot in the box. Only rewarding him for the new behaviour. Then jackpot him when he performs the goal behaviour “getting into the box”.

Have fun with it and feel free to quit anytime you think your dog has had enough. Make sure to always end to session with something positive, ie. a behaviour he masters like “sit” or “down” and give him lots of treats for that behaviour.

Experiment with different goal behaviours to earn him a jackpot, eg. flipping the box, putting it on his head, carrying the box in his mouth and so on.

What makes this a good training game?:

• It is great because your dog is rewarded for behaviours he is learning on his own. This encourages him to problem solve, be creative and experiment with new behaviours in the chance he may be rewarded.
• It is a good training game for working on memory. He has to remember what he has already tried so he knows to try something else to get a treat.
• It is good for positively reinforcing many different behaviours
• It is a great way to learn more difficult behaviours slowly, but effectively, by building up from other behaviours.
• This can be applied to learning a new difficult skill by breaking it down into smaller steps, eg. laying on a mat

Health Benefits:

• It involves lots of mental stimulation for your dog to be able to understand what behaviour he is being rewarded for and to come up with new behaviours to try.
• It involves physical exercise since he is moving into lots of new positions each time.

4) Tug of War

How it works:

Grab a toy you can hold onto and your dog can tug to try to pull away. Play with your dog letting him chew the tug toy while you give it light tugs to try to pull it away while he is chewing on the other end. Introduce cues “leave it” so he lets go and if he listens let him tug on it again. You can also say “drop it” if he ends up pulling it out of your hands to have him practise that cue as well. Reward him with treats when he obeys your cues.

You can also combine this game with Fetch. Play Tug of War for a few minutes and then when you have your dog “drop it”and he “leaves it” you can throw it so he goes to fetch it. If he retrieves it and brings it back play some more Tug of War as a reward. Depending how “play motivated” your dog is, you may need to have him look at you after he leaves it so he doesn’t think that you picking up the toy means it is time to Tug of War again instead of fetch.

What makes this a good training game?:

• It teaches him to allow you to play with his toys without being possessive over them
• It teaches your dog that “leave it” doesn’t mean he was bad and play stops.
• Practising and reinforcing “leave it” “drop it” “look at me” and “come” (if used as a cue to return toy back to you after a fetch)

Health Benefits:

• If fetch is combined then it is good exercise because of the sprints to fetch the tug toy.
• Mental stimulation
• Physical exertion to grip onto the tug toy and prevent you from taking it

5) Put Toys Away

How it works:

You need toys, a toy box (or any other place you want to designate as the area you want your dog to place all his toys in), a clicker and treats

Your dog must know how to fetch a toy before he can play this game.

Begin by playing fetch with your dog with a toy. You want to have the toy box in front of you so that when he brings the toy back he drops it into the box. If he drops it automatically click and reward him with a treat by throwing it into the box. If he doesn’t drop it then you can use the words “drop it” to have him drop it into the box. Click and reward. If he drops the toy anywhere outside of the box do not click and reward just keep playing fetch with him normally until he learns that when he drops the toy into the box he gets a treat.

Once he drops the toy in the box consistently for awhile you can move the box further away from you. Keep moving the box to different areas so you know he knows where he puts his toys. If he stops dropping them in the box you may have moved to the next step too fast.  Move the box back closer to you again until he gets it right every time, then you can move the box further away again.

Next you want to practice having him pick up the toy as it sits stationary beside the box, not after you have thrown it. He should hopefully know that if he picks up the toy and puts it into the box he will be rewarded with a click and a treat. If he doesn’t do it then throw the toy a short distance away and then try it stationary again.

Now you want to add a cue to your toy clean up. You can say “pick up toys”, “clean up”, “tidy up” whatever you want to use as your cue so your dog knows when he should be picking up and putting his toys into the toy box. Say the cue as your dog is dropping the toy into the box. Click and reward with a treat.

Once he masters these steps with one toy you want to teach him he is rewarded only after picking up all the toys. Put out two toys in front of the box. Wait from him to pick up one toy and drop it into the box. Do not reward him. See if he goes back looking for something else to be rewarded for, ie. picking up the second toy and putting it into the box. If he picks up the second toy and drops it into the box successfully reward him with a click and a treat. Repeat this slowly by adding new toys one at a time until you have him putting away all his toys.

If your dog doesn’t catch on to pick up the second, or other subsequent toys throw them slightly to see if that helps draw his attention to the toys. If your dog appears to be getting frustrated at all it is a good time to reward him for doing a trick he already masters, eg. shake a paw, and be done for now. You can play again later or another day.

What makes this a good training game?:

• Shaping behaviour by starting with a new behaviour he has to try himself to be rewarded with a treat.
• Repetition and positive reinforcement to encourage wanted behaviours.
• It teaches him patience to wait and finish the entire task before having a treat.

Health Benefits:

• Expends energy by physically picking up toys and putting them in the box
• Mental stimulation to think what he needs to do to get rewarded with a treat
• Other benefit: Gives him a job to do. Lots of dogs are breed to be work dogs and like having jobs to do. It also helps to prevent boredom which can lead to bad behaviours.

Now that you have learned some fun indoor activities to do with your dog don’t fret the rainy weather instead enjoy your time playing and bonding with your dog.

The post 5 Fun Indoor Activities to do with Your Dog appeared first on Good Heels Dog Walking.

At Good Heels Dog Walking Services  safety is our number one priority when client’s dogs are in our care. An important aspect of keeping dogs safe is using proper equipment. By ensuring we select high quality, proper fitting equipment that is appropriate for each individual dog we can maintain a high level of control while minimizing the risk of injury or escape and keeping the dog comfortable during the walk.

The following is a list of equipment we use during our walks and explanations as to why we use them.

Good Heels Dog Walking Equipment Essentials:

1) Safety Belt (Waist Harness)

Every dog walker wears a safety belt with each leash secured onto it with a carabiner. By attaching the dog to the waist as well as holding the leash securely in both hands it will reduce the chances of the dog getting away.

2) Classic Collar With ID Tag and Licence (Provided by the owner- an everyday essential)

All dogs must be licensed and wear a tag their collar as required by the city. We also require dogs to wear an ID tag with his or her name, address and phone number. Identification is important in case of an emergency so that the person who finds the dog can easily identify him or her and contact the owners. Tags should be secured to a properly fitted collar.

3) Martingale Collar

A Martingale Collar is useful for training and walking.  This collar must be accompanied by a classic collar. Martingale collars tighten a small amount when pressure is applied. There is a mechanical stop that limits the amount of tightening to prevent choking and prevents the collar from slipping off the dog’s head so dogs cannot escape from it.

*Exceptions: Small dogs have sensitive tracheas. Do not use a martingale collar for walking a small dog. For a dog with throat disease it may be safer to avoid using a collar (seek Vet advise).

4) Front Connection Harness

A front connection harness is a type of harness that allows you to clip the leash to the centre of the front of the dog’s chest. This is useful to prevent the dog from using his body weight to pull you. These harnesses are very effective in controlling dogs that are strong pullers.

5) Leash

A standard 6 foot leash is recommended for walking and training. This leash should be leather or nylon. We do not use, nor encourage the use of a retractable leash. Leashes are used to control the dog and keep him or her within a certain distance of the walker. Leashes come in a variety of widths and materials. The stronger/wider leash is used for a larger dog vs lighter /narrower leash for smaller dogs. The leash is attached to both the martingale collar and the front connection harness.

6) Treat Pouch & Natural Treats

An important part of every walk is positive reinforcement of good behaviours. We start every walk with a treat to warm the dog up to walking with us. We treat as a reward for many good behaviours throughout our time together including, sit, stay, down, eye contact and any special skill that the individual dog may know or be working on to reinforce that behaviour. The quality of the dog treats we give out is important to us. We select high quality all natural treats. We do not give treats to dogs with food allergies.

7) Water

It is very important to bring water on a walks to keep dogs hydrated. We always bring a water bottle and a water bowl on all our walks. Water is frequently offered to dogs. Home water bowls are filled as needed as the dogs will likely be very thirsty afterwards.

8) Poo Bags

This one is obvious… If one of our client dogs poops we scoop! We make sure we always have extra poo bags on us to clean up after our client’s dogs. One of our biggest pet peeves is people who do not pick up their dog’s poo. It is not only annoying for the person who steps in it but it can also cause health problems for the dogs who comes into contact with it. So please be sure to always pick up your dog’s poop!

Specialized Equipment for Reactive Dogs

1) Gentle Leader or Halti

These are both forms of head collars used as additional control for walking a reactive dog. The handler attaches a second leash to the head collar. This is used to assist the handler in getting the dog to look away from the other dog or whatever the dog is reacting to when the handler pulls gently on the leash. This is only used as necessary if the dog does not respond to  “watch me” or “look at me” cue which is used and rewarded as a replacement behaviour for the reactive behaviour. Once the dog looks away, the collar is released and he is always praised or rewarded with a treat.

2) Muzzle

A muzzle should only be used for short duration of time as it limits the dog’s ability to pant, drink or eat. It should not be used to punish behaviour ie. barking or chewing. Muzzles are appropriate in certain situations. They are important equipment to use in an emergency situation in which a dog is injured and may be more likely to bite another dog due to severe pain or fear. A muzzle may also be necessary in a threatening situation in which a dog has a history of biting another dog or person. This behaviour must be dealt with by a specialist but in any situation of worry it is best to muzzle the dog to prevent reoccurrence. If a dog does not behave well for a groomer, a muzzle may be used as a safety precaution.

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What Does it Mean for a Dog to Heel?

The “heel” cue means that the dog must walk directly beside the person walking him, not in front or behind. The dog must stay with the person walking him at all times, keeping at the same pace and only walking when the person is walking.

Why Would I Want My Dog to Heel?

Teaching a dog to heel is a difficult, but important skill to master. There are two forms of heeling, informal and formal.

Formal Heeling

Formal heeling requires full focus from both the person walking the dog and the dog. It is a very advanced skill requiring a lot of concentration and training. This would be important for a show dog or in a situation where there are lots of distractions. The owner literally is facing down at the dog and the dog up at the owner and positioned next to one another.

Informal Heeling

Informal heeling still requires training and concentration but to a lesser extent than formal. By teaching your dog to informal heel you are able to keep your dog walking close by your side and focused on you while walking in everyday life situations. The difference from formal being that you both are able to walk looking forward at what is ahead of you and not facing directly at one another. You will learn to read each other’s body language to anticipate changes from that position, ie. when he needs to pee or when you want to walk quickly.

If you continue to reward your dog for staying close to you he will be less likely to run ahead of you pulling towards places, ie. the dog park, or other dogs. This skill is very important if you want to eventually walk your dog off leash in order to keep him with you and under control.

Follow These Steps to Teach Your Dog to Heel:

You will need your dog, high value treats, a treat pouch, a clicker & walking equipment (leash, collar, harness).

1) Start practising in the house with few distractions.

Have your dog on a leash at the left side of you, the handle of the leash in your right hand close to your body, your left hand positioned further down the leash and treats in it as well. Ask your dog to “sit” at your side. Say “look at me” to cue him to look up at you, mark with a click and treat to reward when he looks. Say “okay, lets go” so he knows it is time to get up and start walking. Walk forward a few steps, click and treat him as he follows and stays focused on you. Stop and immediately cue him to “sit”, click and reward him. Repeat this sequence over and over again till he learns to focus on you when walking. Increase the number of steps you take as he gets better at it.

2) Introduce a cue to the heel behaviour when walking.

As you walk with him, if he attempts to walk ahead or away from you, tap your left thigh to have  him come walk beside you. If he comes close beside you click and reward him with a treat. Continue to practice walking, heeling and sitting. He will learn to stay next to you and automatically sit when the walking stops.

If you prefer a vocal cue the word “heel” can be used.  You would say “heel” click and treat as he is starting to walk beside you the first time you use it. You continue to add the cue in each time starting with a second before he is performing the behaviour to even sooner, a few seconds before, so he learns that when you say “heel” he should be walking right beside you.

3) Move heeling outdoors.

Move your training outdoors to introduce more distractions. Start in a quiet area and then when he is comfortable there move to an area with more distractions. Have him walk a few steps then sit and reward. Continue to walk and have him “heel” to stay close, while continuing to reward him for staying focused.

4) Vary directions

Now that your dog has mastered heeling outdoors you can start introducing a change in direction. Have him heel as you are turning corners. This is also great to do if your dog starts pulling on a walk. Have him heel, turn around and start walking the other way.

Once your dog’s heel is on cue (meaning he does it every single time you ask) you can start to fade out the clicker and continue to reinforce with “good boy” or “good girl” and a treat. Eventually only occasional treats will be needed to reinforce the behaviour but always remember to say “good boy”.

Keep in mind that although heeling is a useful skill to teach your dog it is not necessary, nor recommended, to continuously make him heel during the entire walk. A dog should feel free to explore and sniff around while maintaining a close distance and a loose leash.

Loose leash walking and heeling are both important skills to use during a walk with your dog. It would be best to use loose leash walking during the majority of your walk and then cue in a heel when necessary.  Ideal situations to ask your dog to heel would be when you see other dogs approaching you or when you are crossing a street.

Happy Training! I wish you and your dog all the best in mastering heeling!

The post Teaching Your Dog to Heel appeared first on Good Heels Dog Walking.

Dogs Love to Pull. You Can Train Them Not To

It is in a dog’s very nature to want to wander around, explore and sniff things while outdoors. When a dog pulls on the leash to try to sniff things it can be very frustrating for you as the owner.  Being able to train your dog to be good at loose leash dog walking will make your outdoor adventures together more enjoyable.

Follow These Steps to Train Your Dog to Walk With You on a Loose Leash:

You will need your dog, walking equipment (harness/leash/collar), a treat pouch, high quality treats and a clicker . Make sure your dog is familiar with clicker training. He must know that a “click” means he is doing something correct and will be rewarded in return “with a treat”.

Step One: Start by putting the equipment on the dog

If your dog has never used any walking equipment before it is a good idea to let him sniff the items to prevent fear.  Once you think he is comfortable with the items put the collar and harness on. I find that a front connection harness is very helpful to prevent a dog from pulling. Do not use a back connection harness it will only encourage pulling. As you are putting the items on click and reward him for letting you do it. Next, attach the leash to the harness.

Step Two:  Decide on goal behaviour you want to reward

Everyone will have their own idea of what they consider a loose leash walking behaviour. I personally consider my dog to be walking with a loose leash when he is walking at my side (preferably the left) or slightly in front as long as he maintains a loose leash in between us. You may want your dog to be right next to your side in more of an informal heel position. Either way, choose the goal behaviour you want to reward.

Step Three: Watch for the goal behaviour, click and reward with a treat

Walk with your dog on a leash. Pay close attention to your dog for when he shows you the goal behaviour. When he does click as he is doing it and reward immediately after clicking.

You may want to start out by rewarding him for just keeping focused on you and walking in the same direction as you, then to a certain distance away from you, then progressing up to only rewarding him when he is in your goal position.Walk with your dog around the house trying to maintain a loose leash and a close distance between each other. Click and reward your dog with a treat whenever he performs the goal behaviour.

If he causes the leash to become taut STOP. He will stop and then eventually look at you as if to say “Hey, what is going on, why are we stopping?”. When he does this or when the leash becomes loose again, because he stopped pulling, click and reward. Continue to walk for a few minutes making sure you are paying close attention to when he shows you he can walk with a loose leash. Make sure you are clicking and rewarding. Practice this for at least a few sessions or until you are confident he will perform it perfectly every time. Once this happens you will add a cue to the behaviour.

Step Two: Adding a cue to the behaviour

Give the cues “this way” every time you turn to move in another direction, or if he loses focus on you. Continue to loose leash walk him for several minutes around the house, taking breaks by have him “sit”, “stay” and “look at me” (if these are behaviours he already has on cue) making sure to reward with a treat. He will understand that you are the leader and he will want to obey your cues. Every time you have him start walking again from a sit position say “okay, lets go” to let him know you want him to follow you and start walking again. Continue to walk loose leash around the house until you are confident he listens and follows your cues every time. Make sure you continue to click and reward when he listens and follows your cues.

Step Three: Add distractions

Adding a spouse, friend, or child in the room will help to ensure that your dog will follow cues even when there are distractions. Continue with loose leash dog walking around the house, this time with a spouse, friend or kid standing in the room or walking around the house. Do not punish the dog if he loses focus, rather reward him when he focuses all his attention on you and the cues you are asking him to perform. Make sure you reward with lots of clicks and treats.

Step Four: Take loose leash dog walking outdoors

You will want to start this step in a quiet area outside. Follow the same basic steps as in house loose leash dog walking except you are outside.  Pick a relatively low distraction area to start, like your backyard or quiet neighbourhood. Perform at least a few short sessions in which he can perform well before moving onto the next step.

Step Five: Move to a busier area with more distractions

Once your dog is able to walk well on a loose leash outside in an area with limited distractions, it is time to add more distractions. Walk on a street that has people regularly walking down it. See how he responds and if he can continue to focus on you and your cues. He may try to focus his attention on other people or dogs but try to keep him focused on you by using the “look at me cue” and rewarding him with a treat. Reward him when he follows you on a loose leash. Have him “sit” and “stay” several times during the walk to keep him busy and more focused on you and reward that as well. When he gets the hang of walking back and forth on a loose leash it is time to add some distance.

Step Six: Walking for longer duration and correcting pulling

Try to walk you dog in one direction down the street on a loose leash. If he continues to walk with a loose leash, that’s fantastic, if not (and likely the case for most puppies or untrained dogs) he will try to pull ahead or in one direction or another. As soon as the leash goes taut, STOP! Act like a tree by standing completely still. If he turns his head around and acknowledges you click and reward him with a treat.

Let the leash become loose again. If he continues to pull do not let him drag you. Once again stop and wait for acknowledgement and/or a loose leash. Reward when he is able to walk with loose leash. If he constantly pulls and can’t walk in the same direction with a loose leash, try turning and walking in another direction. Never allow him to continuously pull on the leash, that will only encourage the behaviour. If he still doesn’t catch on I would do some other tricks to make him happy and feel rewarded such as sit or shake a paw. I would try training again later that day or the next day.

Patience, consistency and positive reinforcement is key!

It is not easy to train a dog to walk well on a loose leash. Consistency of training and lots of positive reinforcement is the way to train him to develop this behaviour. If he does not catch on to a particular step in the first session practice over multiple sessions. Keep sessions short to a maximum 3 minutes especially in the beginning , so your dog doesn’t get frustrated. Keep consistent at training with a few short sessions a day until the behaviour is learned. Once you are confident he has learned the behaviour and it is on cue you can fade out the clicker and continue to reinforce with “good boy” and treats. Eventually he will walk on a loose leash only needing occasional treats. You can even reward him with other things such as play time at the dog park.

During walks it is important to allow your dog times where he is free to sniff things around you as a reward for walking well. I don’t mean allowing him to pull you towards things, but simply allowing him to sniff things close by while maintaining a loose leash and close distance to you. This will show him there is a time and a place for sniffing and if he walks well when you want him to he will be rewarded. It does take time and patience but trust me it will be worth it in the end. Once you have taught your dog loose leash dog walking your walks will be more enjoyable for the both of you.

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