Pairing compulsion with the ball

We can sometimes obtain extremely good results in heeling using entirely inducive methods. However, with the vast majority of dogs we must eventually resort to using the leash to polish this skill.

The handler corrects his dog for inattentiveness of any kind with instantaneous right turns or right about‑turns accompanied by sharp jerks on the collar. He corrects going wide with right‑handed turns and circles and gentle corrections, combined with encouragement and praise when the dog closes up to heel. He corrects crooked or slow sits with abrupt halts and instantaneous corrections upward and back for the sit. He corrects forging with tight, somewhat punishing left‑handed circles in which he presses in on top of the dog, banging into it with knees and feet until the animal comes back into station.

The trick is to make the dog precise, but without losing the delightful spirit it showed when its work was unruly. Therefore, the harder the handler must be on the dog in order to polish the heeling, the more frequently he brings the ball out and plays with the animal. Still using the leash, the handler keeps the dog perfectly in station while the animal learns the changes of pace–from normal to slow to normal to fast and back to normal.

We prefer sudden changes of pace to the slow, gradual transitions that many trainers use to make the changes easy for the dog and keep it in station. Fast transitions are difficult, and we use them because they keep the dog’s interest and require it to watch its handler closely. In addition, fast transitions show the judge that the dog is really working instead of just daydreaming at heel.

^{Heeling is, pure and simple, an attention exercise. (Janet Birk and “Jason,” Schutzhund III.)}

^{Once the dog is heeling well for food, we begin to increase animation and intensity of focus by introducing the ball.}

^{In the Schutzhund about‑turn the handler turns to the left while the dog turns to the right.}

4. Teaching the Schutzhund about‑turn

The Schutzhund about‑turn is utterly different from the AKC about‑turn. In Schutzhund the handler turns to the left into his dog, while the dog turns to the right, going entirely around its handler and back to heel.

The most straightforward way to introduce the about‑turn is to simply guide the dog around with the leash, changing it from one hand to the other behind one’s back. The handler can also use the ball to lead the animal around the turn, switching the toy from one hand to the other. If the handler makes his turn smoothly and decisively, the dog will quite naturally go around.

It is common to see dogs in competition that run wide on their about‑turns or come around slowly. In training, their handlers often accentuate the problem by slowing down and pausing a beat in the middle of the turn in order to give the dog time to catch up.

Instead of pausing a beat, the handler should actually speed up in order to teach his dog to hurry. He should snap a fast about‑turn and then sprint forward five or six steps. The dog will be left behind and will hurry to catch up. When the animal comes perfectly into station, the handler throws the ball for it. The animal will soon pick up the habit of hurrying through the about‑turns.