Board and Train Puppy Training: Teaching Sit and Down from Heel Position with Gemmy

When most people think about dog obedience training, they picture a dog sitting directly in front of its handler. While that position certainly has its place in training, it can also create unintended habits if it's the only picture a dog learns.

That's why, in this training session with Gemmy, we're focusing on teaching sit and down positions from heel position using a Cato Board as a shaping tool.

Gemmy is a 5½-month-old Dachshund currently enrolled in our Board and Train puppy training program, and like all young dogs, she's still in the foundation-building phase of her development. At this stage, our goal isn't perfection. Our goal is creating clear communication, developing body awareness, and helping her understand where we want her to be in relation to her handler.

By teaching these positions from heel side early, we're helping prevent common positioning problems that many dogs develop later in life.

Why Dogs Tend to Drift in Front of Their Handlers

One of the most common issues trainers see is dogs automatically moving in front of their handler whenever they're asked to sit or down.

The reason is simple.

Many dogs develop a reinforcement history where almost every sit, down, and reward occurs directly in front of the handler. Over time, the dog begins to assume that front position is always the correct answer.

As a result, when owners ask for a sit or down from heel position, dogs often:

• Swing in front

• Curve toward the handler

• Forge ahead

• Lose proper alignment

• Create inconsistent positions

This isn't disobedience.

It's simply the dog performing the picture they've practiced the most.

By introducing these exercises early, we can help puppies develop a more complete understanding of positional obedience.

Using a Cato Board to Create Clarity

One of the tools we're using during this session is a Cato Board.

The board itself isn't the behavior. Instead, it helps create a clearly defined working area that makes it easier for Gemmy to understand where success happens.

For young puppies, platforms can be extremely valuable because they:

• Improve body awareness

• Encourage cleaner positioning

• Help define working space

• Reduce confusion

• Build confidence during shaping exercises

When Gemmy steps onto the board, she immediately receives information about where she should be. From there, we can begin shaping sits and downs while maintaining alignment with the handler.

This allows us to focus on position development without needing excessive physical guidance.

Building Better Heel Position Awareness

Heel position training is about much more than walking nicely next to a handler.

True heel work requires the dog to understand where they belong relative to the handler regardless of whether they're moving or stationary.

That means learning how to:

• Stand in position

• Sit in position

• Down in position

• Maintain alignment

• Stay aware of handler movement

These skills become increasingly important as obedience training progresses.

By introducing them during puppyhood, we're creating habits that will support future obedience development and make advanced training much easier later on.

Why This Matters for Small Dogs

This type of training becomes especially valuable with smaller breeds like Dachshunds.

Many small dogs develop the habit of constantly moving around their handler's feet. While it may seem harmless, it often creates frustration, inconsistent obedience, and can even become a safety issue.

It's common to see handlers accidentally stepping on or tripping over small dogs because the dog has never learned how to maintain a consistent position.

By teaching Gemmy to remain on the heel side and face forward rather than forging ahead, we're helping create better spatial awareness and cleaner movement patterns.

These small details often make a huge difference in everyday life.

Building Foundations Instead of Chasing Perfection

At 5½ months old, Gemmy is still learning how training works.

One of the biggest mistakes puppy owners make is expecting finished obedience too early. Puppies need time to develop understanding, confidence, and consistency before advanced expectations are introduced.

That's why sessions like this focus on:

• Building understanding

• Developing body awareness

• Creating reinforcement history

• Improving communication

• Teaching position concepts

• Encouraging engagement

Every successful repetition adds another layer to the foundation we're building.

The goal isn't to create perfect obedience overnight. The goal is to create a puppy that understands how to learn and can continue progressing as training becomes more advanced.

Gemmy's Board and Train Progress

Gemmy continues to impress us with how quickly she's learning.

For such a young puppy, she's adapting well to new exercises, showing excellent engagement, and demonstrating a willingness to work through new concepts. Her ability to understand the exercise and begin offering cleaner positions throughout the session was exciting to see.

Most importantly, she's developing the foundations that will support her future obedience training.

As we continue her Board and Train journey, we'll keep building on these concepts while introducing new challenges and opportunities for growth.

We're extremely happy with her progress and excited to see how she continues to develop over the coming weeks.

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.