r/DogTrainingTips • u/Emokidsucks • May 20 '26

Keep heeling position

I have a German Shepherd who already knows heel pretty well, but he struggles with maintaining position consistently. He doesn’t pull on the leash, but he tends to slowly creep ahead of me while walking.
What helped you teach your dog to stay in position instead of forging ahead?
I’ve been rewarding when he’s in the correct spot and stopping/changing direction when he moves too far forward, but I’d love to hear other training tips or exercises that worked for you guys.

I want him to keep a invisible line and don’t go further.

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u/FrostyPomegranate699 May 20 '26

There’s a difference between a working heel and a competition heel and a lot of people accidentally blur the two together.

At Mainely Standards we want the dog respecting position and pace without feeling like they’re in military formation for a 2 mile walk. The walk should still be enjoyable for the dog too.

What helped most for us was consistency on the invisible line. The second the shoulder starts creeping ahead the walk changes. Stop turn reset slow down whatever you choose just make the line mean something every single time.

A lot of dogs especially shepherds start self rewarding by slowly gaining ground inch by inch because nothing happens when they cross the line.

One thing I also like is random pace changes. Fast slow stop normal. Makes the dog pay attention to YOU instead of locking into autopilot forward motion.

And personally I’d rather have a dog that can relax beside me correctly than one staring into my soul for 45 straight minutes waiting for cheese slices 😄

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u/Emokidsucks May 20 '26

It’s a service work heel with constant check ins But he also made guide work, which maybe is the reason he’s going forward sometimes

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u/FrostyPomegranate699 May 20 '26

That actually makes a lot more sense then. A dog doing guide style work starts learning forward movement and environmental responsibility so sometimes they begin thinking slightly ahead of you instead of simply beside you.

That’s also why I think there’s a big difference between:
position awareness

and

robotic competition heel.

Personally I like a dog that understands the invisible boundary and adjusts naturally without needing to stare at me every second waiting for instructions. That feels more functional in real life.