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Behavior First introduced in Kindergarten

Heel

Walk at your side, matching your pace.

  • Teaching
  • Reinforcing
  • Proofing
  • Maintenance

Maple's stage at Elementary

Success indicator

Dog maintains heel position for at least 10 steps.

Reinforcement

How we teach it

  • Distraction Introduction: Gradually expose dogs to distractions, reinforcing heel position in various scenarios.
  • Social Walk Challenges: Walk near people or dogs, marking and rewarding dogs' maintained heel.
  • Treat and Toy Reinforcement: Reward dogs with treats or toys for consistent heel behavior around distractions.
  • Progressive Distraction Levels: Gradually raise distraction intensity, testing and reinforcing dogs' focused heel response.
  • Dynamic Distraction Elevation: Introduce dynamic elements to distractions, promoting adaptability in heel reinforcement.

Practice at home

  • Be aware of your surroundings. If you are in a distracting environment, it may be helpful to shorten the length of the leash or to use a head halter.
  • Take Photos or Videos: Capturing your progress back at home or outside will help us provide additional feedback.

Watch it

Heel tutorial thumbnail

Go deeper

The "Heel" command is one of the most important commands that you can teach your dog. It is used to teach dogs leash manners and is the foundation for good behavior.

Read the Heel guide

Maple's record

No record yet

This skill has not been assessed for Maple yet. It will appear here after a trainer records it.

Add structure to your week

See where Heel fits in Maple's personalized training plan.