Training Terms

There are a lot of training terms that should be memorized. Most are self-explanatory. Here is a glossary for you of some of the most common.

Directions given in class, or at shows to handlers:

When heeling you will the following, forward, right turn, left turn, about turn, fast, slow, and halt.

When practicing stays; sit your dog, leave your dog, return to your dog, and finally exercise finished.

When practicing recalls, Your dog is in heel position, sitting. Commands are leave your dog. At which point you say stay and walk forward and turn to face your dog. Next the judge or trainer will say, “call your dog”. After you call the dog, the judge will say finish, and after the dog is in heel position, sitting next to you, final direction from the judge will be exercised finished.

Heel Position: This means dog is at your left side, facing the same way as you. When starting a heeling pattern the dogs will be sitting with his shoulder even with the handler’s leg. The goal is to keep you dog in this same position when heeling, throughout right and left turns, about turns, and fast and slow pace. If a dog is “heeling” he should automatically sit whenever you stop.

Lagging: This means the dog is not staying in the heel position but is walking behind the handler. It your dog laggs, pat your leg encourage him to move up, give a treat, and give lots of praise when he gets into proper position.

Forging: This means the dog is

too far in front of the handler. The way to fix this is by turning quickly into your dog, lightly hitting it with your knee or foot if is a small dog.

Praise: Praise should always be exuberant! Make sure you use a lot of praise. In the beginning this means encouragement often. Farther along in training praise can be used only at the end of the exercise. Praise means verbal or food rewards.

Commands: When training a dog use constant calm, commands. Insist on an immediate response, then lots of praise. Never nag, only in the first few weeks are you to say a command more than once. Once a dog knows the command, never repeat it. It’s sit, enforce if necessary, and praise!

“No” command: This means stop what you are doing. Never say No while heeling. It should be used when a dog gets up from a sit or similar situations.

“Watch me” command: This means pay attention. While heeling or on a stay, watch me means pay attention. Giving treats after saying watch me will really help keeping your dogs attention.

“OK” command: This is probably the most important command there is. It means, your dog has completed the exercise properly, it is the release word, always very happy and given with praise!

The “Pop”: This is the word I will use to mean correct with the lead. It is a short jerk, not a pull, always followed by an immediate release. How strong the correction is depends on the size and temperament of the dog. What is most important is the timing. Your goal is to give the correction the instant the dog does the wrong behavior. When heeling, always follow with praise, when the dog moves from a stay, a no is also used.

Attention: Your dog should be attentive to you at all times. Your level of success depends of how well you can keep your dogs attention. Nothing is learned when your dog is day dreaming, or watching the dog in front of him, not you!

Distractions: When the dog has lots of distractions, it is much harder for him to stay focused. Many of you will say, “he does that just fine at home! This is normal. Once your dog knows an exercise, he must learn to stay on track with distractions. It is important to not always train in your backyard. Be ready to correct and praise, use that watch me command to keep him focused.

Anticipation: As your dog learns commands sometimes the dog thinks he is smarter than you are and will anticipate the command. An example is a dog that comes to you, and does not stop in front. He will continue to come directly to the heel position. It is important to mix up your training, so the dog will wait for the actual command. In this case you need to sometimes only call your dog and not do a finish. If you need to practice the finish do it separate from the recall (come).
Exercise Finished: This is what your trainer or judge will tell you when a certain exercise is over. It means you can give your dog an OK command and praise.

Putting on the dog’s collar correctly. You will not get the correct “pop” if your slip chain is not put on properly. Slip the chain through itself, and make a P. With the dog sitting in FRONT OF YOU, FACING YOU, slip the collar over the dogs head. If put on properly, the running chain will be on the top part of the circle when pulled tight.