My name is Rick and I recently adopted a nine month old border collie named Jack from the shelter. I love to cross country ski and Jack and my other dogs love to go with me. The problem is that I can't teach Jack to unheel. You see I'm a good skier and 99% of the time there is no problem but occasionally on a steep grade or icy snow I will slip. I know I know slipping is the purpose of cross country skiing but what I mean is that i will slip in an unintended manner causing my pole to come down in a random and forceful stroke. This is getting complicated fast so you just have to ski for yourself what I am talking about for as they say skiing is believing. Anyway I am very concerned about stabbing Jacks paw with my ski pole so as I am slipping and sliding, here we go again, in a controlled fashion, I know that is oxymoronic but let me continue, as I am skiing I will occasionally blindly wave my wands (poles) behind me and will occasionally whack Jack. pause for emphasis. Now when i say I whacked Jack I mean that in a doggy sense and not a mob sense. There is no anger or emotion involved, Jack has never whelped or run under a bush and will trot around for about 5 minutes at a safe distance and then return to the heeling position. I have tried positive reenforcement but have to throw the treats off to the side and still find Jack crowding me for the next treat. Perhaps the problem is terminology as Jack does not understand the term unheel. Come to think of it neither do I. What I want is for Jack to do is to maintain a safe distance from me but Jack maintain a safe distance from me is a full sentence and I don't want to open up that can of worms because some trainers say use concise commands like sit, stay, heel etc and others say dogs can actually understand full sentences! I hesitate to ask for advice for fear someone might blithely say " I've got some advice for you bub, why don't you stop beating your dog". I have considered leaving Jack at home to avoid impaleing his paw, however if you knew how much he enjoyed his ski trip Im sure he would rather endure an occasional whack rather than stay home. What should I do? SKIERED IN NEVADA