The Correct Way to Teach the
“Heel” Command
By Rhett Kermicle
If the command “Heel” is so basic and simple, you
have to wonder why you see so many dogs that won’t walk quietly by
their owner’s side. Admittedly, some dogs are easier to train than
others, and some seem bent on doing the opposite of whatever you
want them to do. The truth is, the same principles that apply to
all of you hunting dog commands apply to the heel command.
Properly training this command is not difficult, but it does
require firmness and, just as importantly, consistency.
The choke chain is the old standby product for
teaching heel, and we still use it at our kennel as the starting
point. Slip the choke chain over your dog’s head so that the tag
end comes out across the top of the dog’s neck. This allows it to
tighten immediately when you pull on the lead, but relax quickly
when you release the tension. If you put the choke chain on
backwards, you should immediately know it because it will not
function smoothly.
Take your dog out walking. Each time he tugs or
gets beyond the point where the front of his shoulder is aligned
with your knee, quickly snatch the lead and bring him back into
position. This snatch-release program could take a few sessions,
or it could take many, depending on your dog’s character and
temperament. However, at this point you are not giving a verbal
command. The dog is simply learning from the pressure of the choke
chain what you want.
When you can tell your dog understands what you
want, you can link the verbal “Heel” with your walks. You can vary
your walking speed, turn toward the dog and turn away from him at
various intervals. Give him a “Heel” along with the tug on the
lead when if he falls out of step. Soon your dog will be looking
to you for guidance and anticipating your moves in an effort to
stay in good heeling position.
To finish this exercise, you can next introduce an
electronic collar to the progression. As with all e-training
exercises, a proper introduction to this valuable tool should
already be complete. If you need help with this, you can review
several earlier articles in my training article series, which I
have archived at
www.sportdog.net.
You should start with the lowest level of stimulation your dog
will respond to. If you need to administer a correction, do so
with both the choke chain and the e-collar. After a few sessions
you should be able to phase out the choke chain.
Some hunters I speak with don’t put much time into
teaching the heel command, because they don’t see much application
for it in the field. But there are many times when the ability to
quickly bring your dog to heel is valuable. The most obvious is
when a hunter is trying to line up his waterfowl dog for a
retrieve. And in the uplands, sometimes you want your dog to walk
under control as you make your way back to the truck after hunting
a piece of cover. There’s no sense in letting him continue to run
and use valuable energy if you’ve already hunted out a piece of
property.
Take the time to teach this simple but important
command and your hunting experiences will be more productive and
pleasant.
Rhett Kermicle has 20 years’ experience training
hunting dogs. He is a co-owner, guide and dog handler at Wild Wing
Kennel in Sturgis, Kentucky. For more information, go to
www.wildwingkennel.com.
Cutline for photo: Everyone likes a dog that walks
quietly by your side. As with any command, training a dog to
“heel” requires firmness and consistency.
