Not only does it look shabby, but it also prevents
the dog from accomplishing his full measure of discipline
and character. You can prevent your dog from developing
the bad habit of crooked sits simply by using your free
left hand while heeling.
As you prepare to stop during a walk, make sure that
your left hand is in a position to place on the dogˆ‚s
rear in such a way as to prevent him from moving around
in front of you after you have come to a complete stop.
If your dog succeeds in sitting in a crooked way, hold
back the praise until you have straightened his sit.
As your left hand drops to his rear, keep your left
thumb pointing toward your left leg. This will ensure
that you do not accidentally place your dog in a crooked
sit.
You do not have to push down heavily on your dogˆ‚s
rear. You need to simply press lightly to help guide
him into the proper sit position. It is more the right
hand pulling the leash upward than the amount of pressure
on the dogˆ‚s rear that will place him easily and quickly
in the proper sitting position. Putting heavy pressure
on your dogˆ‚s rear may stimulate him to resist, which
is an unwanted action.
In these learning steps, the less resistance you have,
the better off it will be, both for you and your dog.
Also keep in mind the importance of a positive attitude.
Recap Of The First 10 Days Of Correct
Heel Training
Your first ten days of obedience training should consist
of proper leash introduction, getting your dog to walk
confidently and happy. This is achieved without lagging
or straining as he walks at your left side in the response
to the command ˆ¨HeelˆÆ. The first ten days of obedience
training also consists of the introduction of the command
ˆ¨SitˆÆ in which you place the dog in the sitting position
each time you stop.
Once you are confident about placing your dog in the
sitting position, which took one full week, you are
now ready to bring your dog to a higher level of discipline,
intelligence, and response.
You must decide to never place your pet in the sitting
position again. You have spent one full week showing
him exactly what sit means, and it only takes four days
for the average house dog to learn the average thing.
Now, itˆ‚s time to show your dog that he must do it for
himself and that you will not be leading him by the
hand all of the time.
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