Does your dog really need to learn how to heel?

I get a lot of clients who contact me to ask if I can teach their dog how to heel. Of course I can, but I always ask why they want their dog to heel. I generally get answers along the lines of: their dog pulls all over the place on walks and they want them to heel so the walks aren't so miserable. So I ask “do you want your dog to heel? Or do you just not want them to pull on the leash?” Which usually gets the response of: “that's not the same thing?” 

NOPE!

Heeling and loose leash walking, while requiring similar skills, are two different things. Let's look at each.

Most people think of heeling as: the dog just walks next to me. But the reality is, it is much more complex than that. It means come into position at my side,walk when I walk, turn when I turn, stop when I stop, and sit when we are stopped.

It is great for navigating busy places, when your hands are full, or when your dog is off leash because your dog should be able to heel without any leash guidance. Their job is to follow your body's movements. You are the one who dictates where the walk goes and the dog is just following along.

Loose leash walking, on the other hand, really has one rule: Don't pull hard on the leash. 

That's it! 

The dog can walk wherever they want, can check out whatever they want, as long as they aren't dragging me all over the place. This is my preferred way to take dogs out on walks.  We are out moving together as a team and together we decide where we want the walk to go.

How do I allow the dog to ask to go places if they aren't allowed to pull? There is a difference between pulling and using light leash pressure. Where is the line between the two? Because in both instances the dog is putting pressure on the leash.

I like to have people think in terms of passive and active resistance. Passive resistance is when you feel the leash pressure but it doesn't take much effort to keep from being pulled along. Think of someone taking your hand and guiding you somewhere. You feel them leading you but it is gentle and you could resist easily if you wanted.

Active resistance is when you have to put real effort into not being yanked off your feet. Think of someone taking your hand and quickly pulling you towards a door. It takes effort from you to resist them and if you are not careful you could easily be yanked down.

This is the gauge I want my clients to use when they are loose leash walking. (And it gets easier to tell the difference the more you feel it). As long as you only need passive resistance the dog is fine. Once they switch and you need active resistance then you have to stop and bring them back.

Now, why do I prefer to have my dogs loose leash walk most of the time instead of heeling? The main reason is that walks are supposed to be for the dog's benefit. If all our walks are done in heel is the dog really able to enjoy themselves? In a heel they have to be focused on your movements at all times and they are not allowed to leave your side. When do they get a chance to relax and just enjoy checking out their environment? Also, when they are in heel they have to match our pace. Dogs are built to move faster and cover much more distance than we are. When they are heeling they are forced to move at a pace that isn't natural to them. Loose leash walking allows them to stretch their legs and move at a more comfortable pace more often.

Of course this doesn't mean that heeling is useless and has no benefit. Heeling is great for building up attention and helping your dog learn to focus on the task at hand. I love using heel when we are navigating a busy, crowded area. Or when my dogs are off leash and I need them super focused on me. I will often mix moments of heeling into our regular loose leash walks, especially if we are passing something particularly distracting for them.

I truly believe loose leash walking is better for dogs both mentally and physically for a majority of their walks

But both skills absolutely have their place, it is just about knowing when and why to use each one.

If you are looking to help your dog improve their leash skills reach out to me via my website or contact me at 773-340-9606