Generalization 🌍

🐾 Bring the heelwork to the training field

As soon as the 10 steps are working reliably at home, we can finally start transferring the exercise to the dog training field.

But one thing is very important:

Do not expect the same level of performance outside immediately.

What works perfectly at home often needs to be rebuilt a little in a more exciting environment.

🔥 Start with your usual training ritual

Begin just like you do with food driving:

➡️ Go onto the training field
➡️ Put on the chain
➡️ Let your dog activate you
➡️ Play briefly if needed
➡️ Bring your dog into the basic position
➡️ Then start the heelwork

You can use the same motivation and energy that you already used during food driving.

📉 Lower the criteria at first

If your dog can walk 10 steps reliably at home, do not immediately demand the same on the training field.

Instead, make it easier again:

✅ use the hand under the armpit if needed
✅ start with only 2–5 steps
✅ help your dog become confident in the new environment

Some dogs are also much more excited on the training field. That is completely fine — and often exactly the kind of motivation we want later.

🔄 Train at home and on the field in parallel

For a while, continue practicing both:

➡️ at home for clean technique
➡️ on the training field for generalization and motivation

Over time, you can reduce the amount of work at home and increase the amount on the training field until the dog can also perform the 10 clean steps outside.

🍪 Add variation to the reward

Once the 10 steps are working really well on the training field, you can start varying the reward.

Until now, you usually stopped first and then rewarded.

Now you can also reward while walking.

But the reward point stays the same:

➡️ Bring the hand back under the armpit
➡️ Reward directly from that position

This helps prevent the dog from starting to look at your hand, your face or somewhere else.

💡 Rewarding while walking is optional.
If it confuses your dog, simply keep stopping before rewarding.

If your dog handles it well, you can use both variations and alternate between them.

🐕‍🦺 The goal is for your dog to transfer the same clean heelwork from home to the training field without losing focus, position or motivation.