Off lead heel

[wildfowler.250]

Can I ask for some advice on here as it’s been about 7 years since our last pup and all the phases blur into one.

I’ve an approx 6 month old male lab who is just starting to get there with various things in the last few weeks. Really good with waiting for his food. Starting to bring a dummy back a lot better thanks to treats,(previously he got more of a kick trying to turn it into chase). And he’s pulling much less on the lead now. I’d give him a 7/10 on the lead whereas the two older girls I have are 10/10 - they’re not completely perfect in other departments but for the emphasis of heel and lead work they’re solid.

Now I remember the ‘zoomies’ phase with one of our previous pups. And actually the boy we have at the moment is a relation of one of our older bitches who was hard work but she ended up good.


My current issue is this:

He walks brilliantly to heel in the garden.

Walks well enough on lead for his age in various environments.

Off lead, no interest in heel for more than 5-10 seconds. Runs laps , chews grass, eats cowpat like cake and will come up to within a few yards for returning to lead but wants you to chase him and can be tricky to get back on - I just start walking off.


Is this something that will just take time for him to mentally mature? Or is there a better way to get him to want to be glued to my side? Honestly don’t think a treat is more reward than a chase or cow pat at this stage. The nice thing is he’s obsess with my other lab so she attracts him back as much as anything!


I suspect too young and he’s quite an immature dog but some reassurance is always appreciated!


Thanks!

 

[wildfowler.250]

*to add, what age should I expect him to be good off lead at heel along a farm road? It’s difficult to transition from something between garden and farm as there’s nowhere really that’s a safe for him in between

 

[glasshalffull]

Walking at heel off lead is one of the last things I teach a gundog. Don't rush the training at 6 months he's still adolescent. As long as he stops and recalls on the whistle there's zero problem just now. More importantly he should come back to you and not your other dog on the whistle firstly I'd say. Stop and recall firstly then the rest.

 

[Tim.243]

To young....too much going on.

 

[FISH BOY]

My labs just over a year old and what really helped his recall was a little game of hide and seek.

If he runs off, just hide behind a bush/tree and call/whistle him, potentially giving a treat when he comes back. After a while it will become second nature to him.

 

[GSP84]

What you’re describing is a lack of attention and lots of distraction.

He is young, so won’t have along attention span, sessions should be short and frequent, 15 minutes at a time.

While lacking attention, and enjoying distraction, keep him on the lead… keep him looking at you, and any hint of looking elsewhere (at other dogs / sticks / poo / birds / anything at all other than you) give him a check on his slip lead. But keep on the lead, people try to rush to fast.

 

[User00036]

Not got experience with gun dogs, but old farmers would tie em to their belt, when they got home they would tie em to the back door, right from a puppy. The upshot was, those dogs never left your side, unless they were working.

 

[marrajack]

One trick I was told was make a bale twine lead and put that on with slip lead. Remove slip. Walk in figure of eight pattern and Pat lead against hip at every turn Before long try with no lead and repeat A jerk with the invisible lead can be used for running in, making a noise as well
My old cocker was better off a lead than on one sadly GWP isn’t ha

 

[J.kerslake]

I disagree with a couple of the above comments, definitely not too young to be doing heel work, and I certainly wouldn’t leave heel work to be one of the last things to teach. How can you expect a dog to be steady in certain situations if he doesn’t even know he’s not supposed to leave your side until told. You need to nail the heel on a lead first before you worry about the off lead heel. Plenty of figure of 8 on the lead, use the sit/stop whistle while you’re doing it as well, once he’s got the idea, drop the lead over his back and do the same, keep going until you can do it with out the lead. You need to be doing it where the dog will be distracted once he’s getting the hang of it.

 

[muddy42]

It may be boring, but nothing wrong with lots walks on the lead at that age. That is much better than losing control and having them flushing and going wild. Stop the dog pulling by changing direction when it pulls. It sounds strange but it soon works. When they are good on the lead, as others have said, I replace it with a piece of rope. You can allow this rope to rest on the dogs back or trail along the ground. If the dog strays forward, you can quickly regain control.

 

[Poola]

you might also try wrapping the lead round the dog’s neck, tucking it underneath itself… off lead but not feeling like it. You can move on from that to draping the lead across the dog’s shoulder when walking. Lighter touch still. And as advised above, changing direction and speed and stopping and sitting up when walking is helpful in keeping attention.

 

[Ratel]

When he's older and doing well to heel on a lead, slip lead off and tell him to heel whilst swinging a stick from side to side in front of yourself. After a couple of bangs on the nose they usually get the idea. Always worked for me.

 

[Heym SR20]

Little and often. Use his favourite toy or a biscuit in your pocket and just tap your side to keep him close. Do it for a minute or two and first and build it up.

And also practice on the way back from a walk when he is tired, not when he is full of exuberance. If you are working outside, doing jobs etc keep him with you.

But he is only a puppy so attention span is limited. And if you reign him in too hard he will loose all the initiative that makes a good working dog.

You do see a lot very obedient quivering wrecks that are almost radio controlled. But they are terrified of thinking for themselves. Personally I like my dog to have drive and go, and its up to me to concentrate on that and think ahead.

She is now 6, walks to heel off the lead, but when stalking I do have her on a long tracking lead that runs on the ground and I can step on it if needs be. Off the lead she tends to potter ahead but stops and looks at me regularly. She is pain though when she sees a cat or a squirrel!!

 

[Brittany boy]

Similar to Heym, hold a treat in your hand , whatever side you want him to heal to, as you walk even better if he’s hungry. Walk a short distance stop put him into sit and reward. New treat in hand and walk on again. As time goes on don’t treat ever time but use praise instead. Always let them have a good run to burn off the puppy energy and do his doings before trying to train him .

 

[Rusty Gate]

I disagree with a couple of the above comments, definitely not too young to be doing heel work, and I certainly wouldn’t leave heel work to be one of the last things to teach. How can you expect a dog to be steady in certain situations if he doesn’t even know he’s not supposed to leave your side until told. You need to nail the heel on a lead first before you worry about the off lead heel. Plenty of figure of 8 on the lead, use the sit/stop whistle while you’re doing it as well, once he’s got the idea, drop the lead over his back and do the same, keep going until you can do it with out the lead. You need to be doing it where the dog will be distracted once he’s getting the hang of it.

We've a hound nearing twelve weeks. He follows the four year old Beagle everywhere. He's watched him do sit, paw, lay down, copied & can do them aa himself. He wants toearn which helps.

 

[trucraft]

If he’s going to be a peg dog/retriever or stalking companion then heel now is what I’d do. As said, prob little too soon to go off lead by sound of it.
With some more lead work under your belt then I would use a length of Para cord about 2m or so that I hold to start then let drag. So light that the dog has the experience of off lead but just step on it every time he get too far forward or distracted. Keep swapping Sessions between the slip lead and the power cord.