Heel vs. Return To Hee

The heel position means your dogs' shoulders must be parallel to your knees. Return to heel is the means to arrive there. Both commands are action words and require movement on your part to teach your dog what it means.

The voice command for both tasks is the same. The movement of your left foot and the direction to which you point your index finger and direct your eyes do change, depending whether you are going to move forward on the heel, or to have your dog return around at your side to resume the heel position. It is imperative that your dog return to the heel position in the manner described herein. Many guides to training for the obedience ring, schutzhound, and police dog training will permit your dog to return to the heel position by moving himself around behind the handler, coming in toward your right side and around to your left, from behind you. Avoid this, as it is likely to create problems.

Likewise, if you allow your dog to "come" when called, and resume his place at your side, you're looking for trouble, although it is allowed in other methods. Every detail is important, for matters only your dog understands at this time! * The heel position is one of equality. Its kind of like if you were to go out to the field to hunt. You'd heel your dog to an area you want to search, and then give him his opportunity to do his dog thing. At the moment you send him off to search, he's taken the position of leader.

Once he makes his find, he gives that job back to you. You fire, and he's in charge again. He gets his bird, and brings it back to you and gives it up to his leader. Then he gets another chance to repeat this performance. It's a 50/ 50 proposition. That's where we'd like to start. Fair, 50/50. But first, we still have to finesse the command sequence to get there.

Try this sequence without your dog, but with your leash in your hands, and in the privacy of the most comfortable place you can find. If you are fortunate enough to have a friend or family member interested enough to help out, give them the script to follow, and have them read to you and supervise the details.

When your ready to try working this on your dog, only try the command sequence once or twice, and then tell him he's "free." "You're free" is a command just as important as heel or sit. It tells him he can relax. Make it sound like that umpire says, "play ball!" Don't forget to smile and say "good boy."
Review in your mind, how your dog took to this, and how you performed your commands.
Don't worry about making your dog actually perform his commands. We have plenty of time to teach him, and you both are just getting used to many different stimuli. You cannot make mistakes at this time! If you're dog doesn't know what you want, then he won't realize when you have made a mistake.

And besides, you're in charge, and can make or break any rules you choose! Starting and stopping this command sequence is good exercise, as it is brief, and comfortable for your dog. Feel free to ask him to "go back to work, heel, sit, stay, good boy, sit straight," several times a day if you like, but only do it once at each session, ending as always, with "your free."

You may escape from any command sequence only upon completion of that sequence. However, you can escape any situation or command sequence by asking your dog to "come."
Your "come" command has been described earlier under "conditioned reflex." At that time, we were only interested in the "come" command. Now, you are going to learn to have your dog come and sit in front of you, before returning to the heel position. This sequence will always be followed exactly at any time you issue the "come" command. When your dog comes to you, he is subordinating himself to you.

When you ask him to sit in front of you, you are dominating him. When you ask him to return to heel, he's once again equal. .