Teaching a puppy to heel involves more than getting them to walk next to you. It's about building an understanding of the position, creating value in staying there, and developing engagement between the dog and handler.
In this Training Sessions episode, we're continuing Mikey's obedience training by introducing the verbal command for his heel position while adding movement, duration, and rewarding eye contact.
For Mikey, this session represents another big step in his development, especially considering how nervous and hesitant he was when he first arrived at Primal Canine.
Building the Heel Position Before Naming It
One of the things we emphasize in our puppy training programs is creating a clear understanding of a behavior before introducing a verbal command.
In Mikey's previous sessions, we spent time building value in the heel position through food rewards, luring, engagement, and indirect rewards.
Rather than immediately asking him to perform a heel, we wanted him to learn that being next to the handler was a rewarding place to be.
By establishing that foundation first, we can begin introducing the verbal command to a behavior Mikey is already familiar with.
This gives the command meaning instead of simply repeating a word and hoping the dog figures out what we're asking.
Introducing the Heel Command
Now that Mikey has developed a better understanding of his heel position, we're beginning to associate a verbal command with the behavior.
During this off-leash training session, we're working on several important components:
Naming the heel position: Associating the verbal command with a behavior Mikey already understands.
Adding movement: Encouraging Mikey to maintain the position as the handler begins walking.
Building duration: Gradually increasing how long he remains engaged in the heel position.
Rewarding eye contact: Reinforcing Mikey for checking in and maintaining attention on his handler.
Developing confidence: Giving Mikey opportunities to succeed while continuing to expand his comfort zone.
Each component helps build a more reliable heel while strengthening Mikey's understanding of the exercise.
We're not looking to rush through the process. We want him to understand what he's doing and enjoy participating in the training.
Why Engagement Matters in Heel Training
A dog can physically walk next to its handler without necessarily being engaged.
For Mikey, we want to develop both the position and the attention that goes along with it.
By rewarding eye contact and engagement throughout the exercise, we're teaching him that paying attention to his handler is just as valuable as maintaining the correct position.
This also creates opportunities for clear communication as we begin introducing more movement, duration, and distractions into his training.
Over time, these foundational exercises can help develop a more consistent heel command that we can eventually apply in different environments.
Building Confidence Through Puppy Training
One of the most rewarding parts of working with Mikey has been watching his confidence develop over the last couple of weeks.
When Mikey first arrived for his Board & Train program, he was an extremely hesitant puppy. He struggled with moving away from his handler, engaging with new experiences, and feeling comfortable in unfamiliar situations.
Our initial focus wasn't on teaching complicated obedience exercises. It was on helping him become comfortable enough to participate in training.
Through consistent exposure, engagement exercises, positive experiences, and carefully structured sessions, we've started seeing a different side of Mikey.
He's becoming more willing to explore, more engaged during training, and more comfortable working off leash.
Being able to introduce his heel command while adding movement and duration is a reflection of that progress.
Every successful repetition gives us another opportunity to reinforce the behaviors we want while helping him develop confidence in his own abilities.
Why We Don't Rush the Training Process
Every dog learns differently, and confidence plays a major role in how quickly a dog can progress through training.
With a dog like Mikey, pushing too quickly into unfamiliar environments or demanding too much before he's comfortable can interfere with the progress we're trying to make.
Instead, we're gradually building on the skills he's already developed.
As his confidence improves, we can introduce additional expectations and challenges while continuing to reinforce the behaviors we've worked so hard to establish.
The goal is to develop a dog who not only understands his obedience commands but is also comfortable and confident performing them.
What's Next for Mikey?
As Mikey continues progressing, we'll keep building duration, movement, and engagement in his heel position.
Eventually, we'll begin introducing more distractions and working in different environments so we can help him generalize the behaviors he's learning.
We're incredibly happy with the progress Mikey has made over the last couple of weeks.
With each training session and new experience, he's becoming more confident, more engaged, and more willing to work.
We're excited to keep watching him develop into the confident little pup we know he can be!
Puppy Training and Board & Train in Gilroy, California
At Primal Canine, we work with dogs of all ages, behaviors, and training goals.
Whether you're starting with a new puppy, working through confidence issues, developing basic obedience, or looking to build advanced off-leash reliability, our training programs focus on creating a strong foundation of communication between dogs and their handlers.
Located in Gilroy, California, we serve dog owners throughout San Jose, Morgan Hill, the Bay Area, and surrounding Northern California communities.
Want to learn more about our Puppy Training or Board & Train programs?
Visit primalcanine.com to explore our programs and contact us about getting started.
Follow Mikey's training journey on our YouTube channel, where we share full training sessions, explanations, and the process behind developing better-trained, more confident dogs.