Let’s talk about the importance of having a solid heel command. Is it always necessary? No. Is it incredibly useful when you need it? Absolutely!
We went camping last weekend with our dog, Copper. We got a morning hike in before the heat hit, and halfway through the trail we noticed that we were surrounded by poison ivy and stinging nettles.
Now typically Copper is allowed to wander with a loose leash on hikes. The goal is to enjoy our journey and I want him to be able to do the same. But as soon as we saw what was in our path, I called him into a strict heel for the remainder of our hike. This means he is walking tight at my side with his right shoulder in line with my left calf, and he regularly checks in with me.
Having this skill allowed me to focus on the path and my own footing without worrying about what he was getting into. And we finished our hike without incident.
We don’t always need to have our dogs in a strict heel position on walks, but we do need to know that they can get into this position immediately when asked. Can you imagine walking a mile through poison ivy/stinging nettles with a dog that has no concept of where his body needs to be? Unfortunately, I’m guessing many of you can. And I bet that would be an incredibly stressful mile.
Train for the unexpected moments like these so that you can enjoy anything that gets thrown at you!