Chapter 7
🐾 Now it starts to look like real heelwork
At this point, your training is beginning to look much more like the final heelwork.
But before moving on, ideally at least one to two months should have passed since the previous step.
I know it is tempting to progress as quickly as possible, but with this type of training it is extremely important to give yourselves enough time.
The cleaner you build each step, the fewer problems you will have later.
🎯 What should already be solid?
Up until now, it was completely fine to walk slowly and quite stiffly.
That was intentional, because our only focus was:
➡️ the correct focal point
➡️ the correct head position
➡️ a stable and consistent body position
Natural arm movement, a looser walking style and more speed will all come later.
✅ When are you ready to move on?
The time frame alone is not enough.
You should only start phasing out the hand once the dog can reliably maintain the same picture every time.
That means:
✅ the dog knows exactly where to look
✅ the head position stays consistent
✅ the body position remains stable
✅ the dog does not drift, tilt the head or become unsure
✅ 3 steps and 10 steps look almost exactly the same
✅ the dog is still motivated and engaged
If you have only managed 10 clean steps once or twice, it is still too early.
💡 Take your time
Every single step is the foundation for the next one.
If the position is not truly stable yet, phasing out the hand too early can weaken the whole setup.
Some dogs will reach this point faster, others will need more time — and that is completely fine.
🐕🦺 Move on only when the picture is really consistent. Then we can start phasing out the hand under the armpit.