Dr. Dunbar’s 28-Day Good Dog Challenge

Heel-Sits

Day 12 · Walking nicely starts with a single step.

Why Heel-Sits?

When you walk your dog at a steady, unchanging pace in a straight line, as most people do on sidewalks, you’ll gradually lose your dog’s interest and attention. Your dog gets bored walking at the same pace in the same direction, and eventually finds their own amusement. Sniffing! Pulling!

You start with your dog sitting, to check that you’re in control and have your dog’s attention, before you even think about taking a step. Then take one snappy, huge step forward, and ask your dog to Sit again, to check you’re still in control.

Step by step

Teach a 1-step Heel-Sit

1. Lure your dog to Sit by your left side.
2. Say “Heel,” and take one large step forward, luring your dog forward with your left hand.
3. Quickly say “Sit,” and lure a Sit beside your left leg, with your right hand reaching across the front of your body.
4. Praise, and step again.

Now go for a record

Try for two 1-step Heel-Sits in a row, then reward. Then three before you reward. Then four, six, eight, and ten.

Once you can string together ten 1-step Heel-Sits for lots of praise but a single food reward, try 2-step Heel-Sits. Then 3-step, then 4-, 6-, 8-, and 10-step Heel-Sits.

Taking it outside

As soon as you put your dog on-leash and hit the sidewalk, things can go south very fast, because there are zillions of distractions. So take it one stage at a time:

1. Off-leash, indoors and in your yard.
2. On-leash, indoors and in your yard. Handling a leash and food rewards is much harder than heeling off-leash.
3. On the sidewalk, stand still first. Before you go anywhere, give your dog plenty of time to take in the new surroundings.
4. Once your dog can Sit and look up at you, then, and only then, do ten 1-step Heel-Sits up the sidewalk. Stop for a 5-second Sit-Stay, about-turn, and do twenty 1-step Heel-Sits back the other way.
5. Work back and forth near the end of your driveway, so you’re mostly on familiar ground. Each time, go a little farther, and add more steps to each Heel-Sit sequence.

“Go sniff!”: the best Life Reward

After an especially good sequence, ask your dog to Sit and make eye contact, then say “Go sniff!” Nothing gets a dog’s attention better than learning that a Sit-Stay and Watch leads to “Go sniff.”

Mars and the three walks

My dog Mars was a gift from Kelly, who had eight dogs and was moving to Spain. Mars walked brilliantly for Kelly, but I had so much difficulty controlling him. He’s big and strong, and he didn’t sniff like a normal dog. He lunge-sniffed, with extreme speed and force. He damaged my shoulder and had me over a couple of times.

So I followed my own advice, and it took just three walks. Our contract was agreed and signed. Now Mars heels happily, jauntily, and magnificently by my side, automatically Sit-Watches whenever I stop (so as not to ruin my street cred), and every now and then I tell him, “Go sniff,” and wait until he’s ready to move on.

Hey Mars, wanna sniff-walk? — Ian

Special tips

What’s next

• Tomorrow, Day 13, it’s Rollover, a fun trick.
• Use it every day. A few Heel-Sits at the start of every walk.

Filming tips and prizes: Videos and Prizes.