Advanced Retriever Training by Hill Laura;

Author:Hill, Laura;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crowood

Use a treat in your left hand to lure the desired heel position, and only deliver the treat when the pup is in the correct position. The left hand will eventually become a target for the puppy.

To try this method, put the pup on the lawn and then put the treat in front of their nose, using your left hand, and use it to lure them around to your left side to the desired position, where you can let them lick and nibble at the treat just on the side of your leg at knee level. Make a few steps in this manner with their nose pressing against the treat trying to get it, and praise the pup and deliver the treat with that left hand all the while they are making contact with your leg. In this way, the pup begins to understand that this particular position is very rewarding, and they will want to maintain it. If the pup is holding the position, allow it to lick and nibble at the treat, all the while praising it. Using this ‘lure’ method is a lazier way to achieve a good heel position, compared to clicker training. But I find it works very well, quickly, and is easier to manage than trying to juggle both a clicker and treat delivery with the correct hand.

If the pup goes to move away because it is distracted by something else, let it go and investigate, then gently lure it back again using the treat in the left hand once more. Reserve any praise until the time that the pup is in the required position, and at that point again praise and deliver the treat. You should only do a couple of repetitions of this game, and should aim to stop before the puppy gets bored. It is something that you can easily do with a puppy indoors too, and fit it around other household activities in the morning or evening. Just a few minutes here and there is enough. You don’t want to become boring. All you are trying to do is make the association that being at the ‘heel’ position, at the left side of your leg, is extremely rewarding, enjoyable and worthwhile.

Only when the pup is achieving this reliably should you start to back-chain the ‘heel’ command on to it. You don’t want to use the cue word until you are entirely confident that the puppy understands the correct position completely and is consistent in it.

By not using a lead, you have not been tempted to maintain the pup in position using resistance. And the puppy in turn has not learned to pull against the lead, as it has never been part of the routine. The puppy has chosen to maintain its position, rather than being forced to hold a position. When you do eventually slip a lead on for the first time, the puppy is already nicely at heel, so the lead will just dangle loosely and not figure as being something to be pulled against.

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