Chapter 8
🐾 Time for the final fine-tuning
In this part, we focus on the last details of your heelwork.
Take another careful look at your training and ask yourself:
✅ Am I still walking too slowly?
✅ Is my arm swing natural enough?
✅ Am I still praising too much?
✅ Is there still any small hand cue left?
It can help to film yourself and compare the videos so you can spot any unwanted help or small inconsistencies.
🏃 Check your pace
Take another close look at your walking speed.
Your pace should suit your dog’s natural rhythm and comfort.
Sometimes the heelwork looks better if you walk:
➡️ a little faster
or
➡️ a little slower
Small changes can make a big difference in the overall picture.
📏 Vary the distance
At this point, you can also start changing the number of steps more freely.
For example:
➡️ 15 steps
➡️ 7 steps
➡️ 20 steps
You no longer need to stop after exactly 10 steps every time.
🌍 Generalize the heelwork
Now it is also important to practice in different environments.
For example:
✅ on the training field
✅ on a new meadow
✅ in unfamiliar surroundings
✅ with distractions
✅ without distractions
The goal is for your dog to understand the heelwork in many different situations.
💡 If a problem appears, take a step back
If something goes wrong, do not immediately correct the dog.
Your dog is not making mistakes on purpose.
Usually, he either does not understand the task clearly enough yet or the behavior is not stable enough.
If, for example, your dog starts moving too far forward, go back and refine that part again using the same steps you learned throughout the course.
🎯 The foundation is complete
If you have reached this point, you have built a really strong foundation for successful off-leash heelwork.
Further details such as:
➡️ pace changes
➡️ turns
➡️ about-turns
➡️ and more advanced variations
are not covered in this course.
But the most important part is already there:
You and your dog now have a clean, motivated and reliable heelwork foundation to continue building on.