The dreaded heelwork or close on lead

We started doing the heelwork at training this week, and I'm finding it oh so difficult, there's too much going on with the left hand and I'm finding it so difficult, I need to grow two more hands on that side! You have the treats in there, one to give her now whilst she's sitting at your side, then you move the hand up to your hip and when she's done a step or two to heel you give her one treat, but some drop on the floor , plus you've got the lead there too in that hand oh there must be an easier way???

I'm practising in the garden, but using no collar and no lead, and it's much better I can get about 5, maybe 10 steps, but then I forget when I'm supposed to actually give her another treat, so I just use my voice to praise most of the time, but by next week, we've got to do 20 steps with your dog walking to heel and it's just not gonna happen, so I need some help please! Lol!

Never done this before quite honestly, coz all my dogs have always been offlead dogs, I've never actually HAD to use a lead for more than a few yards, and then when I've had to do a bit of road work in the village, the dog has been old enough to just "know" to walk by my side, I've never had a puller!

I really would like to get to grips with this though, and I forgot the bit about WHEN to give the next treat/treats as you walk, how many steps then, and is it ok for me to not be using a lead at all then, or will it be detrimental for when I actually put the lead on for next week's training? It's impossible to have so much going on in that left hand to me anyways? Any advice then please?

You will find it easier to have the lead in your right hand quite slack and hold most of the treats also in your right hand, just moving one treat into your left hand when you give it to Zena.

Is this compulsory? I thought having a dog was meant to be fun?

Do you have to keep the lead in your left hand?? i've always been taught when trainind walk to heel to have the lead across you in your right hand and treats in your left hand, or in an easy access pocket, makes it much easier..don't know if your training club will allow that though! mine allows us to work with what feels comfortable, as if we are comfortable so are the dogs..if you get what i mean, therefore the dogs work better! might be worth giving it a go to prevent the overbusy hand syndrome

I tend to start doing my healwork with the rotties off lead, I do most of my training off lead to be honest, I also like to have handlers in my club working without a lead, they tend to work harder at what they are doing without laying on a lead to much, but its not ideal for many clubs to do this,


If I were you I would buy a bum bag for your food, when in the garden you could also try doing large left hand circles, right hand circles, I often find begginers find this a bit more easy than doing straight lines, duno why though x

I agree with Shona when you do heelwork off lead the handlers do interact more with the dogs, when on the lead they just tug it and forget to talk to the dog.

The thing is, I already have the lead in my right hand, but then also in the left to keep her there kind of thing? Apparently, you have to keep all the treats hidden in the LEFT hand, so she smells them before you move your hand up higher, and you sort of keep moving one treat forward to give to her, but that doesn't work in practice coz some of them fall on the floor (with me anyways! ) so then Zena dives to the floor, oh it's all a bit of a nightmare!!!

Oh it IS fun when we're out, but I HAVE to do this training bit, coz not only is she a gsd, she's from a working line, which means if I don't get to grips with just about everything she'll be running rings around me (I know that coz my last one was from working lines, but I managed to wear her out with my horse riding, but I don't have a horse now). Yes, it's all fun in the main, but this girl is quite special, so this time, I want to actually do the training properly, because I might actually want to go into obedience with her if I fancy it when the time comes!

To be honest, I can't actually remember last week whether we had the lead ALSO in the left hand, but I know we had the END of the lead in the right hand, but surely you need to hold the dog there kind of thing by gently taking a hold of the lead IN that left hand??? Otherwise, what's the point of the lead anyways, I might just as well carry on doing what I'm doing and not use one at all?? If you see what I mean??!!

Thanks Shona, and I tried to get a bumb bag just about EVERYWHERE last week, but they're as rare as that rocking horse poo now aren't they! I did manage to get a small over the shoulder one which I use to take mobile phone, car keys etc when out and about, so maybe I can stuff some treats in there at training perhaps? I like this no lead thing and Zena works quite well without the lead on, by that I mean, much better than at training last week, although I did manage to get 7 steps last week!!! Hopefully we can advance on that a bit for next week, otherwise I won't be getting far onlead will I! Lol! She said we have to walk the whole way into the Church from the car park with our dogs to heel and she doesn't care if it takes us 40 minutes to do it!! I wonder if she's erected some hidden cameras around the place, hmmmmm

you could also use a money belt for treats, if you cant find one pm me your address again I will send you one....

Ah yes, a money belt! Thanks Shona, I'll try and get one of those - preferebbly a full one!!! Thanks for the offer too, it's very kind of you and I'll take you up on that if I have no luck around here!

I ordered a bum bag off the internet and it came two days later.

The lead is in your right hand but not to be used because the treat is there to keep Zena in the right position and to lure her at first.

I don't know if this helps but I first taught Tala to touch my left hand with her nose for a treat and then gradually moved her into heel position so she was still pointing her nose at the hand. I used a clicker to train but you can use a word instead, such as YES, when she does what you want.