Category: Performance Events ¤
  Author: Helix Fairweather ¤
   Title: Patience, Good Heeling Doesn't Happen Overnight ¤

 JC expressed disappointment in the use of the clicker for heeling and/or
 walking both with her own dog and her clients' dogs.
 
 I can appreciate that the people who take classes have their own
 techniques for teaching sit and those work. But I would think the *timing*
 of the clicker would be *exactly* what is needed to teach heeling or
 walking. There are soooo many things going on when a dog is on leash,
 learning to walk, that you need something precise like the clicker to tell
 them what is the right thing.
 
 JC, I am wondering if you're having trouble teaching Ben to heel with the
 clicker because you have raised criteria (outside distractions, etc) too
 soon. I taught Brady to heel using Dawn Jecs' _Choose to Heel_, in the
 very private quietness of our backyard. Brady would never have been able
 to *choose* to heel with me if she had had other options. But our backyard
 didn't have much going on for reinforcement. I'd start out with my hand in
 target position and Brady paying no attention. As soon as she bumped my
 hand, she was C/T'd! Ah ha! sez she. I know what this is about. By that
 time, I had walked away and she had to catch up to me, bump, C/T. If I had
 tried that in a park, she would have been across the park trying to bounce
 a Jack Russell she'd seen off in the distance.
 
 I think it takes a certain level of commitment to the *process* of
 training and *trust* that the end result will come eventually. I think it
 is hard for the average pet owner to rise to that level of commitment -
 people want results and they want them NOW! Dani has done a good job in
 her classes with setting things up so that people get enough results that
 they can see where this can take them. Perhaps she'll jump in here and
 talk about that.
 
 One year ago, Halloween, I took Maggie to the first meeting I ever went to
 of the ABQ obedience club. Why did I take Maggie? because Brady was an
 embarassment to go anywhere with. She pulled, she leaped, she bounced, she
 alerted on everything remotely hairy. To walk 10 feet with Brady on leash,
 took about 20 minutes, due to constantly stopping and waiting for a loose
 leash. The night of that meeting I wanted some *peace* so I took Maggie.
 I'm glad it was the Halloween meeting (dogs in costume) so that it is
 firmly fixed in my mind as to the date. That was 14 months ago!
 
 So now 14 months later, Brady is not an embarassment to go anywhere with.
 She, in fact, INSISTS upon heeling when I only want casual walking. She's
 a delight to work with. Social distractions are still a problem but they
 have become less and less as we keep at it.
 
 Competition heeling does not happen overnight - have patience!
 
 I start a competition obedience class on Saturday with a Dawn Jecs'
 student who is going to teach Brady and I how to do CTH the right way. I'm
 excited! I'll bet we learn a lot.
 
 Hang in there, JC! It will come.
 
 Helix