I'm interested in the concept that *if* something kicks off, it's your weight against the dog's pulling power.

I'm currently practising off lead heelwork with the flatcoat, as I'd posted previously, I'm fortunate in that she has a desire to please me, rather than herself, and I've taken advantage of that. What little training I do, if she gets it right, she gets nice calm praise (high pitched geeing her up type praise would send her loopy), and if she looks like she's going to break her heel, all it takes is a low grumbly 'Oi!' at the right moment. Fortunately my timing skills have progressed beyond that of a cucumber, or a slug in reverse, as I've previously been described, and I'm usually pretty much spot on.

I've worked up to this point by doing sit stays with her watching the other two bombing around and whizzing past her, and also on lead heelwork with the other two bombing round and whizzing past her.

One old addage that sticks with me, if you can't control a dog on lead and next to you, then you have no hope with that dog off lead, five, ten, fifty yards away. With that in mind, my main focus with Rhuna, is keeping her steady, and getting her attention on me, if it wanders, breaking where ever it's gone to and getting it back on me again.

When I have three dogs next to me on lead, if all three went at once, they would weigh more than me and just one of them is powerful enough to pull me off my feet (Tau) if she decided to. Heelwork isn't about having more power than the dog to stop it from bolting after something, it's about interacting with your dog so that nothing out there is worth bolting after in the first place. And in the dog's mind, it's getting them to always anticipate that there could be something really exciting about to happen, at which they have a chance to *win*, whether that's simply rewarding them with a retrieve, or getting them to sit and giving them a nice treat or a fuss at the end of a piece of heelwork. Different things motivate different dogs.

I use a lether dog matic on my male GSD not because he pulls he will happliy walk at what ever speed i am going but i walk all 3 of my dogs together all have extremely high prey drive, this is not a problem if i see the prey first - squirrel, bird, cat, rat as i warn them so they wont react but if they see/smell before i know its there then all 3 will lunge at once - without the headcollar on the largest i would be on my knees before giving voice to stop them.

But sometimes that is what it comes down to unfortunately. Whether through the dogs training not being up to the standard where it can hold a position regardless of distraction or because of behavioural issues and something beyond your control happening to put the dog over threshold and causing it to react.

I'd rather not have to physically control my dog and just be able to have him sit or carry on walking nicely to heel and I'm working towards that goal but at the moment that's just not a realistic expectation of him.

Although I totally 'get' that notion, I dont necessarily agree with it. I dont think I have ever seen a spaniel or HPR walk 'nicely' to heel, especially when on a lead. I'm sure I dont have to tell you that these same dogs are under brilliant control at great distances.

When on a lead my dog is not focussed on me at all, even treats cannot hold his attention on me yet let him off a lead and I couldnt lose him if I tried, he is constantly watching where I am, what i'm doing and 'checking in' with me. And yes, I can control him well at distance whether that be to stop him, recall him or turn him.

So yes, although I agree with your statement to some extent (e.g if a dog is reactive), I dont agree with it 100%.

Exactly the same for Bo. She is terrible on lead despite years of battling to get her to walk nicely. Off lead however she is excellent; I have never had such an instantly responsive dog. I could not lose her if I so much as tried.

Exactly what Labradork has said.

I work in a pet shop and if I see people looking at head collars or buying one at the till, I always ask if they need a hand chosing the appropriate size for the dog and how to fit it if they aren't aware of how to do so already.

I also tell them that they're welcome to bring their dogs in to have one properly fitted. The same goes for harnesses as well.

Head collars are excellent if fitted and used corrently.

wouldnt we all but sadly its not always the case. i would love to be able to trust phoebe but frankly cant. I have done all training possible and did all the stuff as a puppy. this behaviour started at around 18 months old with no warning for no reason. so a headcollar is the answer here and the same for many large breeds.

sometimes things are not as black and white as "i want this behaviour from my dog, therefore i am going to get it"

everybody on here who has dogs that are reactive for what ever reason have done and still do try methods to to change this behaviour and some of us myslef included have chosen to now except this is who are dogs are and given up trying to change them

I've seen spaniels and HPR's walk nicely to heel, the OH's spaniels walk to heel on lead, they will pull if you let them get away with it which they are more likely to try if it's just a walk or exercise run, rather than training or working, but they're too bl**dy clever for their own good, but that's just the floppy eared kind for you.

I find heelwork improves drastically if I've got a dummy in my pocket, although it's not that bad without it, the second they clock that dummy it then becomes a competition between them.

It's not as much as 'I will get it' as 'how do I motivate the dog to want to get it?' and working round it like that. You can clicker train some dogs to walk to heel, and clicker training can be incredibly useful, but I keep it a lot simpler than that these days.

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A few years back when I just had the two dogs, I could hand the lead over for Tau to an experienced handler, I knew she knew where 'heel' was, I'd trained her to know that much, but to get her to walk at heel was a different matter. I just didn't have the handling skills.

A few years on and currently, a friend is struggling with her dog, popping over for a couple of informal get together/lessons a couple of times a month. She had never taught her dog to heel, just to walk close by to her. The dog knew what was being asked of it but is going through a bit of a teenage phase at this moment. I took the lead and within a few minutes he was walking beautifully to heel, sitting when asked to (which he does really nicely in any case). He was doing left and right turns beautifully for me, and the only difference was a little bit more handling experience and understanding how to motivate the dog to *want to get it right*.

Completely agree, I gave up years ago to try to change my dogs behaviour, we now simply manage it.

If you saw me walking Millie , you would think what a well trained dog she is ,she is focused on me, if she gets the chance to walk off lead, she does not leave your side, yet all the training , redirection in the world, will not draw her attention away from another dog if she clocks it before I do.

The head collar for me gives me a little more control if ever we are in confined spaces, its the only time I use it these days...i.e vets and such.

I have had them for years, and will not hesitate to use them for any future dogs, if I feel the need...........BUT, that does not mean I will refrain from teaching my dog to walk "nicely" on a normal collar and lead.

that's what I love about this forum - there's no size "fits all" and it's about adapting and modifying techniques. My monster doesn't really respond to "goooood boy" it's very frustrating and if he's excited he doesn't really respond to treats either. Sometimes I can only do the "ahhahh" because I like to think it has some effect.