How Do You Teach A Greyhound To Heel?

[GreytNut]

I've been truly spoiled in that all of my hounds have been great on a leash. Tiny even came preprogrammed with the "Heel" command. He's a pleasure to walk. He never tugs on the leash and I always know right where he is.

 

Riley... not so much. He tugs until I think his head is going to snap off and he is always running ahead, dragging me along behind him like a water skier.

 

So this begs the question: What is the best way to teach my ornery young pup to heel?

Edited April 29, 2011 by GreytNut

[LuvAPuppy]

Most obedience heeling takes place with the dog on the left. You do what you're most comfortable with. Tell him "heel" and start to walk,leading with the leg next to the dog(non verbal cue he's to follow you. If you want him to stay, lead with the leg NOT next to the dog - an advanced move). When he starts to lead you/drag you, turn around wordlessly and walk the other way. It doesn't have to be at all harsh, like jerking. Just catch him off guard. The concept is that he'll start to think you're crazy and have no direction so he'd better stick by you because you don't know what you're doing. You will spend quite a bit of time walking around in little circles because as soon as you start a new direction he will sprint past you and be in the lead again. Eventually he will get the idea to stay close. Praise and treat can help enforce when he does it right.

[greysmom]

Spread peanut butter on your left thigh?

 

You might also look into a head halter. It's not a permanent solution but it gets the point across.

[gracegirl]

Yep, what Luv said. I've used the rapid change in direction method before. I've also used the method where I just plain stop. If the dog knows sit, you can stop and ask for the sit before continuing along. To be successful at either of these, though, it's my opinion that you need a very short leash. That gives YOU the leverage to be in charge. The longer the leash, the more power the dog has. I have always from day 1 used a 4 foot lead on my two pups. I do own a few 6 ft leads but they are in storage as they are never used. For dogs that are learning to walk at a heel, I love the leash with the control loop about a foot from the snap. That would be really handy as a way to not jerk your dogs neck, and to also keep him close.

 

It's also important to reward the pup for a job well done. Starting out, keep Riley right next to you and say heel, then immediately treat while Riley is right there. Keep doing this over and over. Combo this with the change of direction game....you'll have a very well behaved dog in no time. I take great pride in my very well leash trained dogs. (okay, okay...Grace came that way, but still I was the one to train Fen!)

[Guest CampWhippet]

Dog class taught our non-racer how to be a good dog. The ex-racers seemed to get the leash thing perfectly without class.

 

[Guest larock]

how do you get a greyhound to heel?

 

...why you put a band-aid on him, silly!

 

(sorry, not helpful I know but I couldn't resist!)

Edited March 29, 2011 by larock

[Guest Swifthounds]

The change of direction, or wirelessly going in a circle method each rime the pup pulls will teach a smart pup that pulling gets him nowhere fast ( literally).

[turbotaina]

I've trained off-track dogs using the change in direction or just plain stopping. We don't move until the leash is slack. You can also train the dog to target your hand and focus his attention on you.

[GreytNut]

I see a lot of stopping and going in circles in our future. He is going to think I'm absolutely insane.

[Batmom]

I've trained off-track dogs using the change in direction or just plain stopping. We don't move until the leash is slack. You can also train the dog to target your hand and focus his attention on you.

 

For somebody who wants to pull all the time, I usually use the "just plain stopping" method. I get dizzy easily .

 

If you have a decent place indoors, you can practice first with NO leash, your "heel" command, and some good treats. Then leash on (still indoors) and practice some more. Once the command/process/reward are cemented in his head, the transition to outside is a bit simpler and smoother.

Edited March 30, 2011 by Batmom

[Guest june]

If you take him for walks try walking at a brisk pace encouraging him to stay at your side (don't be too picky at first just no sniffing or wandering around)and walk, walk, walk. Every time he is close to you reward. If you use a clicker that is great if not use an "alert" word as soon as he does what you want. I use "yes" another I've heard and like is "sweet." Keep his focus on you as much as you can and use your alert word every time he comes close to you and/or looks at you. Treat every time you use the alert word. After a while use the alert word and treat only as he gets closer to where you want him. He'll figure it out.

 

Although they can be very distracted at first I've found with my greys this works very well. You may want to change directions at first when he is out of control, but I've found that after several blocks they usually start to pay attention to me; I've got the treats. Also, don't feed him just before walking. The more you can do this and the longer the walks the quicker he'll learn.

Good luck and remember to have fun!

june

Edited March 30, 2011 by june

[Guest amethyst]

My best advice is don't pull on the leash, shake it. If you pull, they'll pull back.

Also, talk to him. They can learn English. (I learned this from Patricia Gail Burnham's book).

[Guest Swifthounds]

I've trained off-track dogs using the change in direction or just plain stopping. We don't move until the leash is slack. You can also train the dog to target your hand and focus his attention on you.

 

For somebody who wants to pull all the time, I usually use the "just plain stopping" method. I get dizzy easily .

 

I've used a mixture of both. The stopping, standing firm, and just waiting for the dog to slack the leash can take a long time with some dogs - others get the hint quickly. Depending on how long, if you're walking on a sidewalk it can cause some pedestrian annoyance. If you aren't patient, the "turn" or "circle" method is good because the dead stop method can worsen the pulling if you lose patience. When I've used this on the street (let's face it, people think you're odd whether you're constantly circling or stopping all the time) I try for "off" times when it's not crowded. I've also used the dead stop until the dog slacks, and then done the turn (not in a circle, but a 90 or 180 degree turn) with success in those dogs who pull because they think they're leading the way. That's two messages: 1) if you pull, we don't go and 2) I lead, you follow. Empty fields are also good for this as well.

 

If you have a decent place indoors, you can practice first with NO leash, your "heel" command, and some good treats. Then leash on (still indoors) and practice some more. Once the command/process/reward are cemented in his head, the transition to outside is a bit simpler and smoother.

 

I do this in the house with new hounds. They learn pretty quickly that being on your left in heel position produces good stuff. Then when you leash up and head out, you can pair that with the "turning" or the dead stop.

[GeorgeofNE]

Heel is the first thing I taught George!

 

You can train a Greyhound to heel as you would any other dog.

 

I find the rapidly changing directions method, as well as the sudden stops method works well. Also, make sure you start walking with your left foot, and say, in a cheerful voice, "heel!" and set off.

 

I do give an additional "heel" while they're still learning when I turn quickly and without warning. I found with George he REALLY had no clue that he wasn't the supreme leader of the world on a leash, and much hip checking was required to get him to stop crossing in front of me!

[rallyp]

Heel is the first thing I taught George!

 

You can train a Greyhound to heel as you would any other dog.

 

I find the rapidly changing directions method, as well as the sudden stops method works well. Also, make sure you start walking with your left foot, and say, in a cheerful voice, "heel!" and set off.

 

I do give an additional "heel" while they're still learning when I turn quickly and without warning. I found with George he REALLY had no clue that he wasn't the supreme leader of the world on a leash, and much hip checking was required to get him to stop crossing in front of me!

haha... this reminds of the first time I met you and George at that GW picnic... he looked like he was going to pull your arm off

[IndyandHollyluv]

dragging me along behind him like a water skier.

 

 

Too funny. No advice here. My girl Holly walks on lead like she's pulling a wagon (me!).

[JJNg]

I think there's a difference between teaching 'heel' vs teaching loose leash walking. If I'm walking for exercise, especially if walking more than one dog, I'd want them to heel by my side. However, if going for a stroll to provide the dog with some mental stimulation, I just want them to walk on a loose leash, not pull, and have the freedom to and sniff and explore.

 

I really like Turid Rugaas's method for teaching loose leash walking. In some ways, it's similar to the methods of stopping when the dog pulls, and walking in the opposite direction, but it gives the dog more feedback and guidance and focuses more on attention.

 

The basic premise and first step is to teach the dog to orient to a certain distinct sound that you can easily make with your mouth. Most people find it easy to make a clucking sound, like you'd use to encourage a horse to move. Start with a few repetitions of making the sound and immediately give a treat. Kind of like 'charging' the clicker, but in this case, the sound is actually the cue.

 

After you have the dog consistently orienting to you at the sound, you can start to work with the dog on leash, using a fairly long (6-10 ft) leash. Start in a quiet area with no distractions, and try to keep the leash loose. Get the dog's attention by making your sound, take a couple steps away, and reward with a treat as the dog follows.

 

After the dog has this down, the next step is to work on direction changes. Make the sound, take a couple steps, then make the sound again, change directions, and reward with a treat as the dog follows. In this case, the cue serves to both get the dog's attention on you, as well as to let the dog know you're about to change directions. This way, the dog isn't unexpectedly jerked with the leash when you change directions without giving him warning.

 

With practice, and very gradual introduction of triggers, the sound cue can be used to get the dog's attention back on you around distractions. If the dog does near the end of the leash, you can use the cue to re-orient the dog back to you before he really starts pulling. Or if he catches you off guard and does start pulling, stop and wait for the dog to be able to listen, then make the sound cue and reward for coming back to you and continue walking when the leash is loose.

 

This method is described more in-depth in Turid Rugaas's book _My Dog Pulls, What Do I Do?_ She also has a DVD out _What Do I Do When My Dog Pulls_, but it's a European import so fairly expensive, and I've only found it through Dogwise.com .

[Guest TheDoggfather]

I truck walk mine... they cant outrun me in a truck.

[GeorgeofNE]

Heel is the first thing I taught George!

 

You can train a Greyhound to heel as you would any other dog.

 

I find the rapidly changing directions method, as well as the sudden stops method works well. Also, make sure you start walking with your left foot, and say, in a cheerful voice, "heel!" and set off.

 

I do give an additional "heel" while they're still learning when I turn quickly and without warning. I found with George he REALLY had no clue that he wasn't the supreme leader of the world on a leash, and much hip checking was required to get him to stop crossing in front of me!

haha... this reminds of the first time I met you and George at that GW picnic... he looked like he was going to pull your arm off

 

 

I know!! Remember how he INSISTED on being at the head of the pack!!!

 

Those pictures are hilarious. My arms look like rubberbands!

 

I think there's a difference between teaching 'heel' vs teaching loose leash walking.

 

Perhaps, but the OPs question was how to teach her dog to heel.

[JJNg]

Perhaps, but the OPs question was how to teach her dog to heel.

Maybe I was just very naive, but I used to think that teaching a dog to heel was the only way to stop them from pulling. That was before I learned about the concept of loose leash walking. Personally, I feel that dogs enjoy their walks more and get a lot more mental stimulation out of it when they are allowed to sniff and explore. It seemed like the OP's main complaint was her new boy pulling on leash, so just trying to offer an alternative.

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

Things that have worked for us-

 

 

Look at me- that way you can recall their attention to you.

 

When he pulls, stop walking.

 

When he pulls in a direction, go that way but make a circle or a u-turn so you are going in the direction that you want.

 

When he walks nicely with you, reward him by letting him have a loose leash to sniff about.

 

Always keep stinky treats with you and say his name while walking. When he looks at you, reward him with a treat.

 

These are all things we did to help Spud get over his leash reactivity, but it certainly helped him walk better on leash.

[GreytNut]

Perhaps, but the OPs question was how to teach her dog to heel.

Maybe I was just very naive, but I used to think that teaching a dog to heel was the only way to stop them from pulling. That was before I learned about the concept of loose leash walking. Personally, I feel that dogs enjoy their walks more and get a lot more mental stimulation out of it when they are allowed to sniff and explore. It seemed like the OP's main complaint was her new boy pulling on leash, so just trying to offer an alternative.

 

The original question was just about the heel command, but I like the idea of teaching loose leash walking too.

 

ETA: Right now we're just working in the house. It's like his brain flies out of his head when we go outside. Too much stimulation!

Edited April 5, 2011 by GreytNut

[Guest wmlcml6]

Fortunately, all my dogs at home walk "loose leash" just fine. (Although I do let Hope do her potty business before walks begin otherwise she would sniff every single blade of grass and every telephone pole, trying to decide on the perfect pee spot, which holds up the other dogs and they get frustrated.)

 

Walking at the kennel is a different story. I walk 4-6 dogs at a time when we are giving walks to the racers. There are some that like to zig zag in front of you, go between your legs, and others who HAVE to be first (Fly Girl!) so she pulls like a freight train, especially if there is someone ahead of us walking. Once she passes them, she walks less aggressively. What I do with all of those situations is short leash them. Some I have to hold almost at the collar to maintain control. It makes the walk less aggravating for me and for the other dogs. It doesn't make them walk any differently the next time, though.

 

Is it possible for your puller to go outside and release some of that energy doing zoomies in your yard just before walks? Maybe you can tire her out a bit and she'll be more likely to listen to your commands and/or less likely to pull so hard.

 

Good luck!

[GreytNut]

Success!

 

I got out of work at a reasonable hour and the weather was nice enough today to work on "heel" training outside (working inside didn't go so well... tiny house!) So off we went. Riley is one smart cookie. By the end of a 20-minute walk I had him heeling. He's not perfect yet, but he's got the idea. We used the stop-start method and he got it right away.

 

Bonus: Raven went with us, and my old girl learned how to heel too. She's always been fairly polite on a leash so I never bothered teaching her to heel. But by the end of the walk, she was heeling right along with Riley. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

[cleptogrey]

remember to practice, w/ treats for 3-5min at a time, if you can 2xs a day. this way you really have his interest and can focus on instructing one thing at a time. go from the interior of the house to the yard and eventually a quite street before a practice while you walk. keep it short and sweet(some greys barely last the 3 minutes) and praise, praise, praise. stick w/ cheese, dehydrated liver, sliced hot dogs or even bits of marshmallows but keep those treats for training only. eventually things click! remember rome wasn't built in a day. oh, if your pup does not seem to be interested that day- just go on to something else. better to wait until they are really motivated and always practice on an empty stomach(the pup- not you!).