Heeling too close...

[KRD]

Anyone ever had issues with this? My dog is almost leaning on my leg, making it difficult for me to walk, and essentially impossible to make a left turn. She does really well overall, she stops and sits when I stop, turns when I do, etc. I've tried bumping her with my leg, but that doesn't seem to help much.

[gdgnyc]

Do you do obedience class with your dog?

[Dustin McBride]

Step on toes, put knee into dog, etc. It won't take dog long to know that it is better to be a little further away.

[thelast2]

Sounds to me that the dog is doing what it is supposed to do until you otherwise instruct it. The knee or foot on it the toes will soon take effect.

[Wayne Nutt]

Pushing against you is a form of dominance. The dog is winning. Slap him with a heeling stick a couple of times and he will stop that.

[gdgnyc]

I have seen some dogs heeling like this in obedience class which I think is a result of how it was taught.

[DarrinGreene]

I don't necessarily think it's dominance in every dog. I can see it being a nervous reaction to pressure as well, or as George mentioned, something about the way it was taught.

[yellow machine]

The knee to the cheek, step on the toes or whatever could make a nervous problem worse.

Agreed Darrin, I had past dogs that were just trying to make sure they didn't miss a turn and didn't want to screw up. Instead of correction from the choker to the side try it straight up. Constantly getting tugs to the inside leg may cause the dog to heal close to the leg.

[lem]

Some dogs do what we call the braille approach to heeling. If I touch you, I don't need to look at you. I had one years ago that would lean into me and was able to look around rather than at me in the obedience ring. My instructor had me put a pinch collar on my left thigh with the prongs pointing out. It was positioned on my leg to hit her shoulder (not the face) if she got too close. After a few encounters with the prongs, she learned to stay off my leg. Another suggestion would be to take two steps and turn left into the dog. Repeat that over and over. You'll be heeling in a square. Your dog will get the idea that it isn't too smart to hug your left leg.

That said, my new puppy did some leg hugging when learning to heel. I had a pinch on her and just did some consistent guiding off my leg using the leash. It went away after a few training sessions. Personally, I'd rather deal with that issue than the forging on the way to the line drive the bus issues I had with my male.

Laurie

[meckardt]

Check out a wonder lead... Tuck the dogs outside ear in the slip. If they are going the other way tuck the ear closest to you in it. Either way after a few tugs they will try to avoid the pressure.
http://www.gundogsupply.com/wonleadbydel.html