When you say heel, do you mean teaching the dog to walk nicely on the lead without pulling or are you talking about the dog actually doing the heel command, which is very precise and what you use in obedience trialling - the dog will look up at you the entire time etc?
Teaching loose lead walking is definitely possible /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif Firstly I never walk on a flat collar because it gives you very little control. A martingale collar is good because it's more comfy than a check chain and can be adjusted to sit right under the dogs ears, high on its neck, which is the most sensitive area and therefore gives you more control with less correcting on your part.
When you start walking, and the dog starts to pull, immediately change directions so the dog has to turn quickly and run to catch up with you. If the dog is lagging behind give her a quick check on the lead (pull the lead across your body, not upwards). Repeat every time the dog walks in front of you and pulls on the lead. This teaches the dog it will gain nothing by pulling and that it must walk beside you.
Heel as a command is a bit different. You wouldn't do a whole walk with the dog heeling because they are craning their neck to look up at you it would be painful for them. They must look at you because we use heel in obedience so the dog watches you for commands etc. Start in a low distraction environment to teach the dog what 'heel' means.
Position the dog on your left side, so it is inline with your leg. She must be sitting exactly inline and not off to an angle etc. Show the dog you have a treat in your hand, and step off with your left foot saying 'heel' in a happy, excited tone. Stepping off on your left foot is a signal to your dog to heel (just like when you command the dog to stay, you step off on your right foot, as that is a command signal for the dog to stay).
Lure the dog with the treat, so it stays precisely by your side. Take a few steps and then stop, the dog must sit exactly by your side. Repeat the process so the dog understands where it must be when you are 'heeling'. Each time you stop and the dog sits, praise and reward with the treat.
Gradually you will be able to hold the treat to your chest, the dog will look up at you each time you 'heel', and will sit automatically each time you stop moving. Once you get heel in a low distraction environment, try doing it outside, at the park, etc. Use only high value treats (like chicken, sausage, cheese etc) that the dog only gets when you do this training. Wean the dog off the treats too - so don't reward every time the dog heels and sits automatically, but every second, third time etc.
When you have a heel pattern down you can incorporate downs, stays, stands and recall etc.
Here is a video I made of Daisy when she was first learning heel and other obedience commands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM_O9HJzhV0
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