The answer
In a box on your left. On film, the trainers define a pet dog's heel as a place you can see, not a stare at the handler and not competition precision.
Christian gives Apollo the Bully's owner the definition: 'the heel should just be on the left side and it's just a box he doesn't have to stare at you it's not competition or anything like that it's just a street heel basically.' With Hades, the trainer puts it the same way: 'I'm not super like anal with how they, uh, position their heads or like exactly where their bodies are. If they're on the left side and they're not like going super far ahead of me and they're staying at my pace, then that's, that's good.' Dory's trainer gives the owner a line she can check: 'her neck should be kind of at like where your shoe is and if she gets out of that zone ... then you just pull the collar back.'
Inside the box the dog may look; he may not leave. 'If there's a noise or something going on then we don't want him going outside the box so he can look but we just don't want him going outside the box' (Apollo). That holds at every pace. 'I'm just teaching him that even if I'm walking really slow, he has to stay in that box on my left side.' With Whiskey, early in her heel, she finds the box at normal and faster speeds but drops out when the handler slows down: 'Just because they can do it at a fast pace, doesn't mean they can do it at a slow pace or vice versa.' So each pace and turn gets taught, including tight spaces and walking past things she wants.
The box's edges are kept by prompt correction. Christian tells Apollo's owner why: 'the heel is one of those commands where like, if it's not corrected fast enough he'll think the box is bigger than it is.' How much correction varies. With Dory, a pull on the collar is enough, with little e-collar. With Whiskey, still learning the word, the trainer doesn't correct her for hovering in the heel area after a release; he just releases her again so the release means free.
The heel is also used sparingly. 'It's not something i use every walk ... because most of the time you don't need it', but it's useful in a tight spot or around a nervous person, 'so that people see like the dogs a little more controlled'. Our inference: defining heel as a box is what makes it teachable to an owner, because the owner can see the line and knows when to act.
What to do
Picture a box on your left with the dog's neck about level with your shoe (watch 12:42). He doesn't have to look at you (watch 03:20). If he drifts out, bring him straight back, because a slow correction teaches him the box is bigger (watch 04:51). Practise it slow as well as fast (watch 16:24), and keep heel for tight spots and crowds, a couple of minutes every few walks, not every walk (watch 02:56; 06:03).
What the trainers say
that right um so what we do is you know with like say with that the heel should just be on the left side and it's just a box he doesn't have to stare at you it's not competition or anything like that it's just a street heel basically
instead of like any chances, because the heel is one of those commands where like, if it's not corrected fast enough he'll think the box is bigger than it is
other direction and if there's a noise or something going on then we don't want him going going outside the box so he can look but we just don't want him going outside the box
I'm just teaching him that even if I'm walking really slow, he has to stay in that box on my left side.
is basically anytime I would say like you think of it a box that's like kind of in this area anytime I would say her face gets past like around like like her neck should be kind of at like where your shoe is and if she gets out of that zone and just and then you just pull the collar back
optician healing or anything like that. Um, I'm not super like anal with how they, uh, position their heads or like exactly where their bodies are. If they're on the left side and they're not like going super far ahead of me and they're staying at my pace, then that's, that's good.
Just because they can do it at a fast pace, doesn't mean they can do it at a slow pace or vice versa.
How it looks, dog by dog
Apollo (the Bully)
The fullest version, across three sessions with Christian. At a store, he proofs the heel by changing direction and letting noises happen: Apollo can look but not leave the box. At a sporting-goods store, he slows right down so Apollo learns to stay in the box even at a crawl; people pass, and Apollo wants to check them out but holds position. At the owner lesson, he defines it for the owner: left side, a box, no staring, not competition. Before heeling: stop, say his name, call him back. Walk slowly at first. Catch the turns. Correct straight away, and don't let him dodge the heel by going to the right side. Heel is for tight spots and crowds, a couple of minutes every few walks.
On film
going outside the box so he can look but we just don't want him going outside the
I'm just teaching him that even if I'm walking really slow, he has to stay in that box on my left side.
Some people left back in front of us, but he definitely wanted to go check out, but he stayed in the position.
if it's not corrected fast enough he'll think the box is bigger than it is right
And if he thinks he can avoid it, basically that's him going to the right side, right?
Dory
At the owner's first private lesson, the trainer gives her a line to watch: Dory's neck about level with the owner's shoe. If her face goes past it, pull the collar back. Little e-collar is needed. Stay close to help her. They practise in 30-45 second bursts in the park. The trainer adds a warning from another client who stopped using heel for a month and a half and forgot it.
On film
neck should be kind of at like where your shoe is and if she gets out of that
zone and just and then you just pull the collar back you don't need to do so much
working with a client and uh she looked at me and she's like what's heel so she just like forgot
Whiskey
Early heel, 'assigning the box'. On a store outing, the trainer starts with the leash on to guide her, aiming to not touch it later. Whiskey checks 'where's the box' as he moves, and holds it at normal and faster pace but falls out when he slows. So slow pace, turns and tight spaces each get their own practice, and he walks her past things she fixates on, such as the sliding doors. When she hovers in the heel area after a release, he doesn't correct her; he releases her again so the release means free.
On film
As I move, she kind of checks, like, where's the box.
Just because they can do it at a fast pace, doesn't mean they can do it at a slow pace or vice versa.
Again, went by the door, she fixated a little bit and she kind of wanted to go that way,
she was kind of hovering around the heel area okay okay i'm not going to correct for it um
Hades
In Poseidon and Hades's household, the trainer gives the pet-dog standard: not sport or competition heeling, no fussing over head position. Left side, not far ahead, at the handler's pace. He teaches it with pressure during the heel and a release into freedom on 'break' as the reward, and says that has worked better for him than luring with treats.
On film
optician healing or anything like that. Um, I'm not super like anal with how they, uh, position
the reward is just a release into freedom, right?
Why it works
As stated on film: a box is a criterion the handler can see, so both handler and owner know when to act (watch 12:29; watch 03:20). The dog learns the box from where corrections happen, so slow corrections teach a bigger box (watch 04:51). Pace and turns don't transfer on their own, so each is taught (watch 14:03; watch 16:24). High-value distractions make a dog want to release himself to investigate, which is why the proofing uses them (watch 15:11). Hades's trainer uses release into freedom as the reward for holding the box (watch 03:31). Inferred, not stated: allowing the dog to look but not leave keeps the heel usable in real public places, where a dog that must stare at the handler would fail.
Where the trainers differ
How firmly are box errors corrected?
One view
Straight away, with the e-collar, so the box doesn't grow (Christian, Apollo).
On film
with it. Now with the, with that, I'm going to use the e-collar right away to correct it.
Another view
A pull on the collar is enough, with little e-collar (Dory); and a dog still learning the word isn't corrected for guessing (Whiskey).
On film
zone and just and then you just pull the collar back you don't need to do so much
she was kind of hovering around the heel area okay okay i'm not going to correct for it um
How to read it
Different stages and dogs: Apollo was near the end of his program with the owner handling; Whiskey had just started heel; Dory needed little. All agree the box is the criterion; they differ on the tool and the stage.
Common owner mistakes
- Correcting heel drift slowly or not at all, so the dog learns a bigger box.
On film
if it's not corrected fast enough he'll think the box is bigger than it is right
Watch at 4:51 ↗ - Only ever heeling at one speed.
On film
Just because they can do it at a fast pace, doesn't mean they can do it at a slow pace or vice versa.
Watch at 14:03 ↗ - Letting the dog dodge the heel by going to the right side.
On film
And if he thinks he can avoid it, basically that's him going to the right side, right?
Watch at 5:50 ↗ - Stopping heel practice altogether after go-home.
On film
working with a client and uh she looked at me and she's like what's heel so she just like forgot
Watch at 16:16 ↗
Questions owners ask
Does my dog have to look at me when heeling?
No. The pet-dog heel on film is a box on your left; he doesn't have to stare at you and can look at things, as long as he stays in the box.
On film
that right um so what we do is you know with like say with that the heel should just be on the left side and it's just a box he doesn't have to stare at you
How close should he be?
Dory's trainer's line: her neck about level with your shoe. If her face passes it, pull the collar back.
On film
neck should be kind of at like where your shoe is and if she gets out of that
Should I heel on every walk?
No. Christian uses it in tight spots and around nervous people, practising a couple of minutes every few walks; most walks don't need it.
On film
right it's not something i use every walk or i do every single time i take them out because most of
Why is he fine at a normal pace but not slow?
Because pace doesn't transfer on its own; each speed and turn has to be taught.
On film
Just because they can do it at a fast pace, doesn't mean they can do it at a slow pace or vice versa.
The lesson
The goal
Teach and keep a visible heel box at every pace, with prompt correction at its edges.
Learn first
The drill
As coached for Apollo's owner: stop, say his name, call him back for attention, then 'heel'; walk slowly at first; keep him on the left, matching your pace; catch the turns; correct at once if he leaves the box; release in an excited voice (watch 03:50). Vary pace, including very slow (watch 16:24). Dory: 30-45 second bursts, neck at the shoe (watch 12:29).
Watch out for
- A slow correction.
- One pace only.
- Letting him go to the right.
- Heeling all the time.
- Asking for a stare.
Check yourself
Your dog heels well until you slow down, then drifts ahead a step. Is he still in the box, and what do you do?