Kroki

Question · Puppy

How do I teach my puppy to heel?

The short answer

Heel means your puppy walks close at your side, its shoulder next to your leg. Start indoors without a lead: hold a treat at your hip, take one step and reward when your puppy is right there. Build up to a few steps, then add the word “Heel”. Keep sessions to a minute or two and use a harness, never pressure on the neck. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, has no heel step but teaches loose-lead walking on a harness, a good base for heel.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Choose a side and a reward spot

    Decide which side you want your puppy on, often the left, and always hand over the treat right next to your leg at nose height. The place where the food appears is the place your puppy will want to be.

  2. Start with a single step indoors

    In the hallway or living room, without a lead, let your puppy stand beside you, take one step and pay it at your leg if it moves with you. Then try two steps, then three. That is a whole session.

  3. Add turns and stops

    Puppies stay closer when the walk is interesting. Turn away from your puppy, stop, start again, and reward every time it catches up with your side. Little changes of direction keep its eyes on you.

  4. Name it only when it works

    When your puppy sticks to your leg for five or six steps, say “Heel” just before you set off. Keep the word for this close walking only, not for every walk.

  5. Try a few steps outside on a harness

    In the garden or a quiet street, clip the lead to a harness and ask for heel for a few steps, then release with “Free!” so your puppy can sniff. Most of a puppy walk should be relaxed loose-lead walking.

Training a grown dog instead?

Grown dogs can hold heel for longer stretches, but many already have a habit of pulling, or have been pulled back on a collar in the past. They often need a fresh word, a harness and more distance from other dogs at first. The page for grown dogs explains how.

Why a harness and tiny sessions suit a young dog

Where the lead attaches matters. In a study of 26 dogs, pressure on the neck through a collar raised the pressure inside the eye, while the same pull through a harness did not raise it significantly (Pauli and colleagues 2006). A puppy still bounces, lunges and stops dead on the lead, so a harness keeps those bumps away from its throat and eyes.

Heel asks a lot of focus from a young brain, and more practice is not always faster. Dogs trained once a week needed fewer sessions to learn a task than dogs trained five times a week (Meyer and Ladewig 2008), and in a study with 44 beagles, one or two training days a week and one session at a time worked better than daily training or three sessions in a row (Demant and colleagues 2011). For a puppy, a few steps of heel, then a sniffing break, then nothing more for a while is plenty.

Heel or loose-lead walking: what’s the difference?

  • Heel: your puppy walks right at your leg and watches you, for short stretches such as passing another dog or crossing a crowded pavement.
  • Loose-lead walking: your puppy may sniff and wander a little ahead or to the side, as long as the lead stays slack.
  • Puppies mostly need the second one. Sniffing is how they learn about the world, and long stretches of heel are tiring.
  • Teach both with different words, so your puppy knows when it must stay close and when it may explore.

Common mistakes

  • Holding the lead tight to keep the puppy close. It learns to lean into the pull, not to stay with you.
  • Rewarding in front of you. Treats handed out in front draw your puppy ahead of your leg.
  • Asking for heel on the whole walk. A few short stretches per walk are enough at this age.
  • Yanking the lead when it drifts. Stop, wait, and reward when it comes back to your side instead.

When to see a professional

Heel practice should feel easy for your puppy. Talk to a professional if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

What age can a puppy start learning heel?

A puppy can start learning a few steps of heel from around eight to ten weeks, indoors and off lead. Keep it to a minute or two, and leave longer stretches outside until it is older.

Which side should my puppy walk on?

Either side is fine, as long as you stay consistent at first. Many people choose the left, which leaves the right hand free; you can teach the other side later with its own word.

Can I teach my puppy to heel without a lead?

Yes, and indoors that is the best way to start, because the lead can’t do the work for you. Outside, keep your puppy on a lead and harness for safety.

Is a collar OK for heel training with a puppy?

A harness is the better choice. Pulling on a collar puts pressure on the neck and has been shown to raise pressure in the eyes, while a well-fitting harness spreads the load over the chest.

Why does my puppy bite the lead when we practise?

Lead biting usually means your puppy is overexcited or tired. Shorten the session, give it a chew to carry, or practise heel off lead indoors for now.

How far should a puppy walk at heel?

Only a few steps to a few metres at a time. Heel is hard work for a young dog, so mix tiny stretches of heel with plenty of loose-lead walking and sniffing.

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