Cliff Notes Week 3: Pace Changes and Heeling Patterns

WEEK 3
Dog Learns Discipline

HEELING PATTERNS & PACE CHANGES

Heeling mechanics this week put more responsibility on the dog to find the ‘Safety Zone’ by your left side. Remember - When heeling, the dog’s head is aligned with the seam of your left pant leg and its rear should be in line with its head. The dog should move parallel to you when walking.

This week, turns are no longer referred to as ‘training turns’ but simply ‘turns’. 

This week the “Sit” command is no longer given!

The ‘Safety Zone’ Shrinks

• Week 1: The ‘Safety Zone’ was a 5 ft. radius on your left side
• Week 2: The ‘Safety Zone’ was 3 ft. by your left side
• Week 3: The ‘Safety Zone’ is now within 15" - 18" by your left side
• This allows the knee to do the workload communicating to the dog which direction to go.

Heeling Patterns

• Start to increase your heeling distance/times each day.
• Include the Right About Turn, the Right Turn, the Left Training Turn and when needed, the Right About Training Turn (RATT) for a dog that is lunging or to far away to successfully do another corrective turn.
• Include pace changes (see below)  
• You should be doing a lot of Halts and Auto Sits now
• *IMPORTANT*  The “Sit” command is no longer given
• Auto Sits are non-verbal - Just your hands beside the dog (KISS). If they don’t sit within 1 second, your hands become the Sit Correction.
• After every Sit, add an Exercise Finish (1 step halt/Auto Sit), then continue your heeling.

Pace Changes

• NORMAL = A pace that keeps the dog striding out (no time for lollygagging)
• The dog must focus on the handler in order to ‘read’ their body language.
• SLOW = ½ the speed of Normal
• The handler walks more on their heels, shoulders back as they slow up.
• The dog can read the subtle body changes and learn to understand the shift in how the handler walks which means to slow its pace.
• FAST = 2x the speed of Normal
• The handler’s body should lean forward as they break into a run.
• Arms are 90 degree angles, bent at elbows like a runner.
• The dog can read the body changes and learn to understand the shift in how the handler moves which means to increase its pace.

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Daily Training Sessions

• Follow Training Protocol before and after every session

• Before each session: LL warmup until the dog ignores high distractions
• After each session: LL Cool Down
• Quiet Time should be done at least 2 times a day

• Days 1-2: Low distractions
• Days 3-4: Medium distractions
• Days 5-6: High distractions