OB215: Competition Heeling Part One - Fundamentals

Mental breaks.  

As we all know, learning requires an enormous amount of concentration. We can only take in so much new information before our brain is overloaded. And at that point, no more information is going in. You’re done! Often when we are learning we take frequent mental breaks. This is a good thing!  It enables us to learn for a longer period of time. And the time we are learning we are totally focused. Dogs are the same way. They can only take in so much information at a time. They can only focus and process for a certain period of time. Once they hit their threshold, they are done. Giving them frequent breaks optimizes learning. And it keeps it fun and exciting. We can do things like chase food, tug, throw food, do a cookie scatter, personal play, etc. Pick what our dog LIKES and what your dog thinks is fun. If a dog doesn’t have strong toy drive, and you choose that as an option, your dog is not really getting a quality break. If your dog doesn’t love personal play and you choose that, again, not optimal for your dog. Always remember, all dogs are different. If you’re not sure what your dog likes, experiment. And read your dog. Your dog will tell you what they prefer, we just need to listen. 

Mental Endurance 

I define this as the ability to stay focused for an extended period of time. Ultimately, our dogs need to remain extremely focused for a long time. But that doesn’t happen overnight. It happens slowly, over time. If you push too hard, your dog will become overwhelmed. A young child has a very short attention span. Same with a dog. Initially they can only focus for a few seconds.  Then a few minutes.  Then a few more minutes.  And so on. When I’m training, I know what my dog’s current threshold is. How? By listening. I watch their face, especially their eyes. If I overdo it, they literally get a glazed look. And we know what that feels like! Once I know their threshold, I look to build on it but VERY slowly and mindfully. I might ask for just one more rep, and really do everything I can to help them through that rep, then jackpot. IF at any time my dog tells me it’s just too much, I MUST MUST MUST respect that. It’s a balance.  Push a little (otherwise we never progress), but not too much (because then the dog will get demoralized).

Handling:

Our dogs are constantly looking for information. Your body is a primary source of information. You must become aware of the impact your body has on your dog. If you are consistent, your dog knows what you want. Inconsistency will always confuse your dog. Taping yourself is a good way to become aware of what you are doing with your body. Once you are aware, you can develop good habits. You can ensure that you are always giving your dog the exact same picture.  Make it a habit in training and it will increase the likelihood you will do the same thing in the ring.  Which will help your dog tremendously!! 

With heeling, it’s super important to have good posture.  Stand up tall, keep your shoulders square, keep your right hand at your side, and your left hand either on your waist or at your side. Things like twisting, leaning, bending, having your right hand at your waist, etc. will have an impact on your dog.  For some dogs it will add pressure.  For all dogs it will skew the heeling picture.  We will talk about footwork separately.  For now, become aware of what you do with your body and start to work on improving it.