Board and Train Puppy Training: Building a Clear Heel Position with Gemmy

One of the most overlooked aspects of dog obedience training is position clarity.

Many dog owners focus on teaching commands such as sit, down, come, and place, but often spend very little time teaching their dog exactly where they should be in relation to the handler. As a result, dogs frequently develop inconsistent heel positions, poor body awareness, and confusion during obedience exercises.

That's exactly why we're spending time working on heel position development with Gemmy, a 5½-month-old Dachshund currently enrolled in our Board and Train puppy training program at Primal Canine.

In this training session, the goal isn't to teach long heeling patterns or advanced obedience. The goal is much simpler and much more important. We're creating clarity around where heel position exists and helping Gemmy understand how to consistently find and maintain that position.

Why Heel Position Matters

A proper heel position creates the foundation for many future obedience behaviors.

Before a dog can confidently heel through distractions, perform advanced obedience exercises, or maintain reliable positioning during walks, they first need to understand exactly where they belong relative to the handler.

Many obedience issues stem from a lack of position understanding rather than a lack of obedience itself.

Dogs that aren't clear on heel position often:

• Forge ahead of the handler

• Drift outward

• Crowd the handler's legs

• Lose focus during movement

• Struggle with transitions

• Become inconsistent during obedience exercises

By teaching position awareness early, we create a much stronger foundation for future training.

Adjusting Heel Position for Small Dogs

One of the unique considerations with Gemmy is her size.

Traditional heel position is often demonstrated with the dog very close to the handler's left leg. While that may work well for many medium and large dogs, it isn't always the most practical solution for smaller breeds.

With a puppy as small as Gemmy, having her directly against my left foot can increase the likelihood of accidentally stepping on her during movement or transitions.

Instead, I'm intentionally teaching a heel position that's slightly offset from my leg while still maintaining the structure and purpose of the exercise.

The objective isn't forcing the dog into an arbitrary position.

The objective is creating a position that is:

• Clear

• Consistent

• Functional

• Safe

• Easy for the dog to maintain

By doing this now, we're helping Gemmy develop habits that will serve her well throughout her life.

Using Marker Training to Create Clarity

One of the most effective ways to build position understanding is through marker training.

Rather than physically manipulating the dog into position over and over, we allow the dog to discover the correct answer and then clearly communicate when they've found it.

Throughout this session, we're marking the exact moment Gemmy enters the desired heel position and reinforcing her for making the correct choice.

This creates a clear learning process where she begins to understand:

• Where heel position exists

• How to find heel position

• How to remain in heel position

• What behaviors earn reinforcement

The clearer the communication becomes, the faster and more confidently the dog learns.

Reinforcing the Implied Sit

Once Gemmy finds heel position, the work doesn't stop.

We're also reinforcing the implied sit that accompanies the position.

Rather than repeatedly asking for a sit command, we're helping Gemmy understand that settling into position and maintaining that position is part of the exercise itself.

As she remains seated, we reinforce duration using her duration markers and reward her for continuing to make the correct choice.

This helps create a cleaner, more complete picture of the behavior.

Over time, the dog begins to understand that heel position isn't simply a location. It's a position that includes engagement, patience, and maintaining the behavior until released.

The Value of Indirect Rewards

Another important part of this exercise is the use of indirect rewards.

After Gemmy successfully finds and maintains position, she's released using her indirect reward marker.

This creates a clear distinction between working and being released while helping maintain enthusiasm throughout the session.

Indirect rewards offer several benefits:

• Increased engagement

• Better reward clarity

• Stronger understanding of markers

• Improved training flow

• Greater independence

For young puppies, these concepts help create a training experience that remains fun while still building important obedience skills.

Building Foundations Before Advanced Obedience

At only 5½ months old, Gemmy is still in the foundation phase of her training.

We're not concerned with perfection.

We're focused on helping her understand:

• Position awareness

• Marker systems

• Duration

• Engagement

• Reward mechanics

• Communication

These are the building blocks that support everything we'll teach later.

Advanced obedience isn't created through advanced exercises.

It's created through strong foundations repeated consistently over time.

Every successful repetition helps Gemmy develop a better understanding of the training process and prepares her for more advanced concepts in the future.

Gemmy's Board and Train Progress

Gemmy continues to impress us with how quickly she's learning and adapting to new concepts.

For a young puppy, she's showing excellent engagement, a growing understanding of our communication system, and an eagerness to participate in training. Her ability to find the correct position and begin understanding the expectations of the exercise improved noticeably throughout the session.

Most importantly, she's building the foundation necessary for long-term success.

We're excited to continue developing her obedience skills and helping her progress through the next stages of her Board and Train program.

If you're looking for professional puppy training, Board and Train programs, obedience training, behavior modification, or dog training services in Gilroy, San Jose, Morgan Hill, and throughout the Bay Area, visit www.primalcanine.com to learn more about our training programs.