We have a comprehensive lead walking program as well as a team of puppy training coaches<\/a> all waiting to help you all in the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So why do you need to teach your puppy the heel command? It\u2019s important to teach your puppy to heel for a few reasons\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n This all sounds great doesn\u2019t it, so how do you get your puppy to Heel? <\/p>\n\n\n\n To teach your puppy the heel command, we\u2019ll first be looking at reinforcement and positioning, suitable equipment, and then the method used to teach your puppy to heel.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Different puppies like different kinds of rewards. For heel walking you will want to use a high-value reward, to a discerning poodle this might need to be liver cake or roast beef slices, to a non-fussy labrador some commercial dog treats will do just fine! <\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t have to be the left side like the traditional obedience or gundog style of heel walking, and later on, you\u2019ll want to teach your puppy to walk on both sides equally well, but in the initial stages, pick a side, any side and stick to that side for a little while. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend a harness and 2m training lead. You can also use a regular collar as there is no way your puppy will be pulling. Check out our review here of our favorite puppy leads<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Never fear, we mean your puppy not you. Teaching a puppy to walk to heel is all about creating a reinforcement zone next to your heel and teaching your puppy \u2018hang out here and good things will happen\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re going to start inside, just walking and feeding our puppy on that left or right side so we don\u2019t need their lead on yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always feed your puppy in that little zone next to your heel, be it left or right and they will soon learn that that\u2019s where the magic happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Start off easy and teach your puppy to walk to heel indoors, then take it out into the yard. Once you\u2019ve mastered it in the house and yard, try doing it with the lead on so you have time to practice before going out in the big wide world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Walking to heel takes time to perfect, you\u2019ll need to practice a lot, and be patient with your puppy! Each new day and training session will bring about its challenges, lead and heel training is seldom a linear progression and you WILL find many Zigzags along the way! (Pun intended!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too often we withdraw reinforcement too soon, or we make our puppies walk to heel for too many steps before rewarding and they get bored or confused. Make sure you’re using a treat your puppy really likes and they haven\u2019t had for the past few weeks, puppies love novelty when it comes to food rewards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n New places are very interesting and your puppy will want to sniff. To make sure your heel walking training goes well, reinforce and reward your puppy sooner than you would in a known location, it keeps them interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can include teaching your puppy to sit at the side of you<\/a>, teaching your puppy to spin, or teaching your puppy to \u2018middle\u2019 – sit in-between your legs in the middle of you. You\u2019ll find these exercises in the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a> and they\u2019re so useful for teaching your puppy that fun things happen around your heel position! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s some great news: you don’t have to stop at “heel”. There are many ways in which you can ingetrate the heel command with others in order to shape your puppy even more into a well-behaved little friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start by combining something simple like \u201cheel\u201d and \u201csit.\u201d As you walk, say \u201cheel,\u201d then stop and add \u201csit.\u201d There you have it-you pippy would not only be heeling but also sitting like a pro!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, try \u201cheel\u201d with \u201cstay.\u201d This duet would ensure that your puppy stays by your side when you pause while you’re walking. Say \u201cheel\u201d first, and then \u201cstay\u201d when you stop. See? It\u2019s like having a little shadow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So there you have it, our guide to teaching your puppy the heel command, we hope you\u2019ve enjoyed reading it. Why not learn a little about Puppy Recall Training<\/a> while you\u2019re here or find out how the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a> can help you further with your puppy heelwork training?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why is it important to teach your puppy the heel command?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to teach your puppy the heel command?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rewards to use to teach puppy the heel command<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Pick a side to walk puppy to heel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Get the right equipment for walking puppy to heel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Begin training a puppy to walk to heel – start naked!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Teach puppy to walk to heel in different environments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Useful extra tips for teaching your puppy to heel successfully<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t rush the process when teaching your puppy to walk to heel<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t be stingy with rewards when teaching heel walking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When you go to a new location – reward sooner and more frequently<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"dog](\"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/bharathi-kannan-BrtCGcrZd10-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
Throw in some shadow skills to teach your puppy the heel command – it will keep them interested!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Using the Heel Command with Other Commands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n