Hunter's Heart Brittanys - Proofing and Other Training Hints

Heeling is convenient when you are in a crowd, at the vet or any other situation where you want more control of your dog. It is fairly easy to learn once your dog is old enough to pay attention. The most you should expect from a puppy is to follow you on a loose lead.

In obedience competition, dogs are expected to maintain a very exact position the whole time you are heeling. The dog's head- to-shoulders area is always lined up with the midline of your left leg. i.e. Lined up exactly with the seam of your left pant leg. He should be as close in to your leg as reasonably possible. (i.e. Another person shouldn't be able to walk in between you and your dog.) But the dog can't ever be so close that they are touching you (because that interferes with your movement).

When you're starting to teach a puppy to follow at your left side, you just want him to be generally in the right area. Don't expect perfection! Perfect heeling takes a long time to learn! (Expect at least 6 months training on this to heel reasonably well, and longer than that - if ever -not to lose any points heeling in an obedience trial.)

Teach heeling in stages. For example, practice walking on a loose lead until your puppy/dog is responding consistently, before you start teaching him to follow at your left side. Before you teach your dog anything new, you should read up & understand the plan. If you don't understand how to teach a skill, your puppy is bound to get confused. Don't try to understand how you train from your first walk to advanced heeling: it's a lot to absorb, even for a human.

Taking Your Puppy Out For a Walk

Part of being the alpha dog, or leader, is that you should control the direction and speed of the walk. Even if you haven't taught your dog to heel at all, he definitely shouldn't be pulling on the lead.

With our adult Brittanys, we allow them to sniff & wander as much as they like for the first half of the walk. (We find they really need this exercise to get rid of pent up energy.) Then we practice heeling for the second half.

One way to stop pulling is to use a Halti or Gentle Leader head harness. This is especially helpful for when a small child is walking a relatively large dog that tends to pull. When you use this head harness, the lead attaches to it under the dog's chin (instead of at the collar). The Halti uses the dog's instinctive reaction to corrections using the scruff of the neck, like those a dam uses to discipline the pups in her litter. Whenever the dog pulls, his head is pulled down towards the ground with a similar amount of force. You've probably noticed that even a small dog can pull at the lead strongly when a buckle collar or body harness is used. That's because their body muscles are very strong muscles. Think of the strength of your own quadriceps, or thigh muscles. But the muscles at the front of the neck are weak in comparison. Think of the strength of the muscles in your hand. Basically, these head harnesses use the dog's own force to correct him when he tries to pull.

To train your puppy/dog not to pull, correct him every time he pulls. Say something like "Pay attention!" in a low, voice that sounds like a growl & means business. Stop walking, give some slack in the lead & then give a quick "pop". (Trainers call this a "check".) When you "pop" the leash, first consider the size of your puppy. If you have an adult male Brittany who weighs 40 lbs. and is really misbehaving, plant both feet before using both arms & hands to give a forceful pop. But if you have a puppy who weighs 20 lbs, the pop only needs to be a quick rotation of your wrist for a gentle pop. The same technique can also be used with a Halti, but note that you don't need to pop as strongly when the Halti's on. Experiment with different degrees of force. As soon as you get a response from your Brittany, you know you're doing the pop properly for that individual dog.

After you've consistently given corrections every time your puppy pulls, he'll realize that if he wants to keep sniffing & wandering, he has to pay attention to your location. Continue to correct the dog for pulling when he forgets himself due to distractions. But as time goes on, your dog will learn & you'll notice that he pulls less and less. Progress to the next stage when & if you're confident that your puppy is ready for a new challenge.

Terms Used to Describe Heeling

We described the exact heeling position above. There are a few other words you should know.

Whenever you stop (aka "Halt"), your dog should automatically sit beside you in the heel position. Eventually your dog will anticipate the sit anytime you stop walking and you won't need to give an additional command for the sit. In a "perfect sit", your dog should be facing in the same direction as you are & his rear end shouldn't swing in or out. His ear should be lined up with the midline seam of your left pant leg.

There are 3 speeds when heeling: "Normal", "Slow" & "Fast". Normal means a brisk walk. (The quick pace keeps your dog interested & focused.) If you walk fast enough, your dog will be trotting at your side, which looks a lot better than a slow, sluggish, jerky pace. The Slow means walking noticeably slower than your normal pace e.g. half as slow. If you are walking so slowly that your dog thinks you are stopping & sits, your speed is too slow. "Fast" means you're jogging, not just a hurried walk.

In addition to heeling in a straight line, you & your dog should be able to do turns. "Right & left turns" are 90° turns (i.e. your walking path follows the corner of a square.) An "About turn" is a 180° turn to the right, which is away from your dog, or clockwise. Some people also practice "Left about turns", i.e. a 180°turn to the left, which is towards your dog, or counterclockwise. The left about turn isn't required in obedience competition, but it's useful to practice for dogs who tend to "forge" (i.e. heel too far ahead). Don't use these too often with a dog that "lags" (i.e. follows too far behind).

Teaching a Puppy to Follow at Your Left Side

If you eventually want to train your dog to heel, it's a good idea to teach him the basics of walking on your left side without pulling when he's still a puppy. We wait until the puppy knows the "sit-stay" before we start teaching heeling (usually at about 4 months).

Your puppy should be able to maintain heeling position for 2 - 5 minutes. Then release him for a break e.g. by saying "OK" & getting him wound up for play. (You can get him to walk on your left again, at another session later in the day.)

The easiest way to teach walking at your side is by using small food treats. I like to hold the (bundled up) leash & a bag of treats in my left hand. (But if another position works better for you & your Brittany, by all means use it.) Bend your elbow to keep your left hand resting against your left hip. Be sure to keep your shoulders squarely facing forward, and not turning your upper body to keep an eye on your puppy. Then you can use your right hand to occasionally pick out single treats & offer them to your puppy.

First teach your puppy to follow along at your left side while you're walking in a straight line. Start with the puppy sitting at your left side. This is the heel position. Say "Gypsy, heel" in an upbeat, excited voice. Starting with your left foot, walk quickly forward in a straight line.

Most puppies are very focused on food & will naturally follow at your left side when you position the treat there. Once you have your puppy following at your left, rely on your enthusiastic tone of voice to keep his attention. Occasionally lean down to your puppy's level to give him a small food treat. (Remember to give just enough of a taste to motivate, not enough to make a meal. Avoid the temptation to overfeed! For example, it you're walking around your back yard, don't give treats more than once for every 3 revolutions.)

Every time you want to stop, first slow down gradually. As soon as you stop, give the hand signal & command for sit. If your puppy/dog doesn't sit on command, "place him". This means you show him what you want him to do by pushing down his rear end. (Remember not to push on his back, it's more like a scooping under the rear to encourage him to bend those back legs & sit.) Don't expect exact positioning & offer lots of praise once your puppy sits.

Whenever your puppy lags behind, encourage him with your voice (e.g. "Hurry, hurry!") & get his attention focused on the treat at your left hip.

If your puppy "forges" ahead of you (i.e. pulling you along), give a quick, gentle leash "pop".

You do not want to be fighting your puppy. So always hold the leash so that there's some slack (except when you correct with a pop).

Remember whenever you give a correction, follow with praise as soon as your puppy responds by behaving correctly. It's very important to get the timing right. You want to give a treat only when your puppy is trotting alongside you in the heel position. Be very careful not to give a treat if your puppy is jumping up, even if he's jumping up because the treat is being offered. You don't want to reward jumping up, instead of rewarding proper heeling.

Once your puppy's heeling well on straight-aways, add right turns. Instead of holding the treat at your left hip, offer the treat in front of your pup's nose to guide him around the corner.

Start adding the fast pace. You should gradually speed up to move from normal to fast. Next, add the slow pace. (You also gradually slow down to move from fast back to normal.) Finally, add the left turn & the about turn, using the treat to guide your puppy in the right direction. Start adding distractions (e.g. new locations, people, noises and other dogs). Begin gradually phasing out the food treats.

Keep practicing this way until your dog is consistently heeling well for short periods of time. Then you & he can progress to the next step.

Basic Heeling

Eventually, you have to make the transition from having your puppy follow the treat held at your left hip to heeling with you. Work towards heeling without food treats & getting an "automatic sit". Phase out the treats gradually, relying more on your voice and/or leash corrections to keep him in place.

Your dog will eventually learn to follow your left leg. Whenever you're heeling, you & your dog are a team. You work together & read each others' cues, like a pair of dancers. Of course, one dancer is "leading" & the other is "following". So you should always be aware of what your left foot is doing.

Every time you start heeling, say "heel" at the same time as you step forward on your left foot. You should take a slow, short first step. This gives your dog a chance to notice you're moving & to catch up with you. Gradually speed up (over a few steps) to your "Normal" brisk walking pace.

Similarly, when you're about to halt, slow down gradually (i.e. in no more than 4 steps.) Use this slowing down to get out of an inconvenient location, such as a corner. Plant your right foot where you want to stop. The last part of stopping is bringing your left foot together with your right. (We remember this by thinking "slow - slow - right - together".) The reason why you halt this way is because the puppy is always following your left leg. So when you bring your left foot even with the right, that's what signals him to stop.

When you give the command to sit, he should rock back onto his haunches into the sit position. If your dog doesn't sit on command, "place" him by pressing down on his rear end.

Your dog might be sitting on command, but having trouble finding the correct position. In this case, anticipate the problem every time you're about to come to a halt. Bend over and place his front or rear end like you want. Use upward pressure on the lead to control his front end. And the rear end is guided by your hand. N.B. For very small dogs, you may find it easier on your back to carry a wooden dowel & use it to position your dog's rear instead of bending over. (Dowels are like the pointers teachers use to point at their chalkboard during class. They're available from home improvement stores. It can be a very small diameter, lightweight, & a few feet long. Or you can use a plastic rod like the ones used to open or close blinds, or anything similar.)

Eventually, your dog should anticipate the sit when you come to a halt, and do it automatically, without a command. But your dog may be stubborn and refuse to sit without a command or physical placement. The only way to tell when he knows the sit is to read his body language & use your judgment. If you think your dog knows he should be sitting, but is just not paying attention, correct him (instead of giving the command to sit.) Do this by popping the leash directly up. Use just enough force to get the reaction you want.

Advanced Heeling

Beware of practicing off lead heeling before your dog is ready. Basically, don't practice off lead until the dog is heeling like you want on lead. Taking off the lead before your dog is ready makes you less able to correct mistakes. If your dog is heeling badly off lead, this incorrect heeling can become a bad habit. And it may jeopardize your dog's heeling on lead.

In obedience trials, you are allowed to give the command "Prince, heel" every time you go from a sitting position to heeling. But other than that, you aren't allow to talk to your dog to encourage him. So gradually lessen the talking you use while heeling.

Even working with an advanced dog, you will still have to do some fine tuning to get perfect sits. If your dog sits too wide (too far out) or lagged (too far back), don't use a leash pop as a correction. Instead, say "closer" and use the leash to gently move the dog into the ideal position.

You should be aware that an advanced dog heeling in the right position will usually give you a perfect sit if they sit quickly. If he's not paying attention, he'll probably sit with his rear swung out (so he can look at your face) and/or forged ahead. Work on this problem by giving a quick upward leash pop whenever the dog doesn't sit immediately when you halt. If the dog consistently swings their rear out, you can anticipate this incorrect sit & give a pop up & out diagonally to the left. I prefer not to correct in anticipation of mistakes, so I often practice heeling by keeping my hips square while turning my the upper body toward the dog, so that the dog can look at my face. This gets the dog into the habit of positioning himself correctly with respect to my leg. And during competition, when I have to keep my shoulders square, he maintains that position for heeling and sits.

To improve heeling, you will probably find it useful to do some proofing, i.e. some creative testing of your dog's understanding of heeling. (See below.)

"PROOFING"

"Proofing" is testing your dog's understanding of an obedience exercise. Basically, you try to perform the exercise under as many unusual circumstances as possible, with as many distractions that you can come up with. Don't expect perfection. But do expect your dog to learn to keep his attention on you & ignore distractions most of the time.

If you & your dog endlessly repeat exercises in the same way & the same order, you are likely to be surprised when faced with new situations. How can you learn if you don't try new things & deal with mistakes?

Proofing is a good way to keep you & your dog thinking about what you're doing. It can help you determine when you are ready to enter an obedience trial. You can also use it to to build confidence & concentration. Basically, proofing is a challenge that keeps you both "fresh" & interested in learning more.

Remember that there are different levels of difficulty. For example, it's easier for most dogs to maintain a down-stay while being petted, and more difficult when you put a juicy steak on the ground a few feet away. Consider your individual dog's weaknesses (e.g. Some dogs tend to be more easily distracted by food, while others are more distracted by strange dogs, touch, noises or movement.) The idea is to create a challenge that teaches, not to drive your dog crazy with anxiety. Start with easier proofing and work up to more difficult tests.

The following are some examples of how you can "proof" some of the basic obedience commands. (If you have any favorites that are not listed, we'd love to hear from you.)

General Proofing
(Can Be Used for More Than One Exercise)

- The easiest way to start proof training is to bring your dog to a new place every time you go for a walk or train. (Even if you drive 5 minutes away to train in a new area, your dog is being exposed to a new place with brand new distractions! Set things up so that your dog learns to behave around other people & dogs. That's a lot better than walking around the block or training in your backyard every time.) Another option is to drop in for an obedience class you don't usually attend (i.e. different dogs & handlers, different location).

- Simulate competition environment:

e.g. outdoors without mats, with birds flying overhead
e.g. indoors with noisy ventilation system, applause, mats
covering floor vs. around the edges
e.g. practice exercises in front of other family members
e.g. practice after traveling in the car
e.g. decrease or omit your verbal encouragement during
heeling

- If you can participate in correction match associated with trial held in same location, you will have an advantage. (This practice run will accustom you & your dog to that particular environment.)

Heeling (On Leash)

- Practice automatic sits directly in front of a barrier or wall e.g. in preparation for a judge who forgets to tell you to turn until the last moment, or forgets altogether, or does a sit close to a barrier on purpose.

- Heel along a blank wall (some dogs refuse in this situation).

- Do about turns in ring gate or doorway.

- In a class, heel along a different set of mats or in the opposite direction vs. others in the class.

- Try heeling in front of a busy mall or supermarket.

- Train your dog to heel over, around, & past big, smelly, delicious food treats, food of different kinds. (Make whatever corrections you need to keep his attention on you.)

- Practice where your dog will get his feet (or body when sitting) wet or dirty.

e.g. wet or muddy spots on the ground
e.g. in a class, practice where another dog's poop/pee has
been recently cleaned up

- Arrange for a pretend judge to follow closely, giving loud commands, deliberately getting in the way, jogging alongside during the "Fast".

- Left turns, right turns & about turns during slow & fast.

- Practice working around other distractions:

Children running around & crying.
Dogs of the same breed.
Dogs of the opposite sex (some books & classes suggest training your dog even around bitches in season,).
Different ground conditions e.g. mats, tall grass, mud, sprinkler heads, uphill/downhill, rocks (Remember not to expect perfect sits on uneven ground: it's impossible.)
Different weather conditions (e.g. outside during a drizzle, in preparation for outdoor competition)
Cats & birds e.g. in a pet store.
Activities in the next ring, or (in a class) on the inner/outer set of mats.

- Work on unusual heeling patterns:

Slow then halt, fast then halt.

The Figure 8

We don't recommend that you practice the Figure 8 more often than once a week. Dogs usually find it boring, and tend to get worse the more you practice it (rather than better). When you do practice the Figure 8, you can proof in the following ways:

- Use different objects as posts: e.g. garbage cans, piles of food, strange dogs, chairs, trees.

- Using unusual people for posts:

e.g. Wearing rain gear with umbrella, wide brim hat, scarf that flaps in the breeze & may touch the dog; short, tall, fat & thin body builds; different races; men with a beard or moustache; people with food treats in their pockets or on their shoes, talking to each other, staring at the dog, coughing, clapping.
e.g. Person deliberately tries to distract dog with food.

- Circle around a single post 2-5 times.

- Practice sits in different parts of the figure 8, e.g. in the center, around the left or right turn.

The Stand for Examination

- Pull forward on the lead so your dog must resist to stay in place.

- Expose your dog to unusual examination techniques:

Pretend judge approaches from left, right, behind.
Approaches hesitantly, fearfully (may upset dog).
Runs hand along body from forehead to tail (similar to petting).
Pressing on dog's head, back and/or rump (this is one you can do yourself).
Passes hand 2 inches above dog, not actually touching him.
Touches so lightly as to tickle dog.
Kneels down on ground e.g. for small dog.
Judge's clipboard near dog's face/head, judge's scarf/tie touches dog during exam.

Heeling Off Leash (aka Heel Free)

- Simulate off lead by looping the lead around the back of your neck. (You can grab the loose end with your right hand if your dog is about to take off, but the lead can't unintentionally guide the dog to the same extent as when you're holding onto it.)

The Recall ("Come" aka "Front")

- Try recalls in front of a busy place e.g. supermarket.

- Expect dog to continue to come to you despite someone else shouting "down" or "no" (simulates competition where 2 different events are held in rings next to each other).

- Call your dog while someone is feeding/petting him.

- Say the dogs name, followed by meaningless word e.g. "Rufus, Banana" or "Prince, chocolate" or followed by the command to "stay". (This ensures dog is listening for the command "come" & not anticipating the recall.)

- Outdoor location with no mats for (unintended) guidance.

- Recall to where handler is standing off to left or right, or behind the dog, or in front in a straight line but in or near a doorway/exit (dog may bolt).

- Recall where dog must go over or around food in his path, around obstacles e.g. tree in the path, past line of people & dogs (like spectators at ringside), through a crowd.

- Call dog after you disappear from sight e.g. around a corner. Dog must not only find you, but also must recognize the proper sit position.)

The Finish

- Try finish in front of a busy place e.g. supermarket.

- Start the finish from other than ideal position e.g. dog near but out of reach, dog sitting facing you but off to the left or right.

- Finish near a wall.

- If you usually have your dog finish by moving around behind you, set up distraction behind you e.g. interesting person, treat, toy.

The Sit-Stay

- To proof any of the stay exercises, use all kinds of noises & food, squeaky toys thrown near your dog, ball rolling by, swinging a scented canvas retrieval dummy.

- Practice stay in rain, wind, sun & when perfectly silent environment (unnerves some dogs).

- Other dogs running loose, coming to meet your dog while he remains in the stay position (e.g. in an off leash area), or doing other interesting things like playing fetch.

- Try stays in front of a busy place, e.g. supermarket, school at recess.

- Put downward pressure on the dog's collar so he must resist to remain sitting (you can do this one yourself).

- Have dog stay while you yawn & stretch, take a deep breath, twitch hands, bend knees, lean over, sit down, walk around dog.

- Return to heel position but instead of releasing dog, run away from him.

- Practice longer stay than required for level of competition you're preparing for e.g. 3 minute sit & 5 minute down for Novice.

- A helper ensures dog remains in position while you leave the room.

- Leave food treat or favorite toy on ground near dog. (This is more challenging with the sit-stay than the down, because dog can't lie down to get his nose closer to the treat. You may want to correct if the dog sniffs repeatedly. You definitely should correct for moving paws.)

- Prepare for distractions that come with obedience competition:

e.g. Practice with your dog & another dog back to back separated by a few feet (simulates stays in adjacent rings in a trial)
e.g. Nearby dog moves to the "down" position instead of continuing to sit
e.g. Other dog performing recall or retrieving
e.g. Other handler says words e.g. "Down", "Come", or "No!".(This prepares dog to only listen to his handler's command when faced with dog show where many different activities going on at same time.)
e.g. Person drags a chair or baby stroller behind your dog, child running or crying, door slams.

- Make sure your dog is used to sudden noises, e.g. clapping or knock on door or doorbell

- Don't always follow the sit-stay with down-stay. Try circling your dog twice before releasing, return to your dog & wait different period of time before releasing him, return & walk away without a release, stays mixed with recalls, etc..

The Down-Stay

- Practice down on cold concrete, wet grass.

OTHER TYPES OF CORRECTIONS

Some people give a more physical correction for very serious misbehavior such as: pooping/peeing inside your house (in a dog who has already been reliably toilet trained), aggression towards humans & fighting with other dogs, stealing food or objects, and house-wrecking by a trained dog (not just a young puppy playing with something new).

These methods include the " shakedown", & "pinning" your dog (aka the "alpha-wolf" rollover). These techniques assert the master's dominance over the dog, but they require close physical contact with the dog. This means that some dogs might try to bite you while you are correcting them this way: you should be sure you know what you're doing. (Retaliation of this kind is less likely with leash corrections .)

These corrections will never be required for the majority of Brittanys. We have had limited success with these maneuvers even when one of our adult dog's misbehavior might have warranted them. They also have the potential to be misused: e.g. for minor misbehavior that could be corrected by consistent verbal scolding & good leash corrections. Remember that Brittanys don't tend to respond well if they are treated too harshly. If you are in doubt about how to handle your dog, get some help! We only mention these techniques so that you are aware of them: they might be useful with some dogs in some situations, when other methods haven't worked.

To use these corrections, an intimidating attitude & surprise are essential. To begin the shakedown, quickly & forcefully place your dog in the sit position. (It should be clear to your dog that you aren't going to groom or pet him: he's in trouble.) Kneel down & grasp the scruff on either side of the dog's neck. Be sure to grab the collar too, in case your dog tries to bite you. Lift the dog's front feet a few inches off the ground, and shake him back & forth for about 30 seconds, telling him how bad he is the entire time. Most dogs will yelp when you do this properly, because they don't like what's happening. You don't need to hurt or abuse the dog, just use enough force to "shake him up" mentally.

You can follow the shakedown with the alpha-wolf rollover, to finish off the correction. If the shakedown was effective, the dog should no longer consider fighting back. Abruptly place the dog in the down position. You'll need to grab the scruff on one side of the dog's neck while you go down on one knee. Keep the other hand ready in case the dog tries to bite you. Roll the dog over onto his back using your grip on the scruff of his neck. Continue scolding your dog firmly, and maintain eye contact. Most dogs will go into a submissive posture when you correct them this way, i.e. looking away from you, curling their front legs up against their body, spreading their hind legs, & tucking their tail between their legs. Even when you let go of them & stand up, they may remain in that posture until they regain enough confidence to get up again.

After using these corrections, you should leave your dog alone for 30 minutes, to recover his "nerves". After that, you can "make up" by doing something positive.

For more information about essential, common corrections, go to our Essential Training section.