How to train Contact Heel

@darwinsdogtrainingschool

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Why it worked

The video uses a humorous and relatable "Pokemon evolution" analogy to explain dog training concepts, making it engaging. It breaks down a complex behavior into manageable steps with clear visual demonstrations, appealing to dog owners looking for practical advice.

Summary

The video demonstrates how to train a dog to perform a "contact heel" maneuver. It breaks down the process into steps, starting with luring the dog onto a yoga block and rewarding them for placing their front paws on it. The training progresses to incorporating movement, backward heeling, and targeting a thrown treat, emphasizing consistent contact with the handler's leg. The creator also shares a humorous anecdote about a dog's "evolution" and acknowledges the need to revisit the basics for a specific dog.

Structure

1Introduction to contact heel training and the "Pokemon theory" analogy.
2Step 1: Luring the dog onto a yoga block and marking/rewarding contact.
3Step 2: Adding movement and teaching backward heeling.
4Step 3: Targeting and combining behaviors with a distance lure.
5Step 4: Adding directional changes and refining contact.
6Conclusion: Acknowledging the need for slower progression and reinforcing basics.

On-screen text

How to train Contact Heel I AM THE CREATOR OF POKEMON THEORY, WHICH IN DOG TRAINING STATES THAT IF YOU TRAIN A DOG LONG ENOUGH AND IN A THEY CAN EVOLVE INTO ANYTHING. AND IT IS MY MISSION TO TRAIN THIS ORANGE WIND SOCK UNTIL HE EVOLVES INTO A BELGIAN MALINOIS. THIS IS HOW TO TEACH A CONTACT HEEL. FIRST, GRAB THAT YOGA BLOCK THAT YOU DEFINITELY DIDN'T JUST CHUCK IN THE CUPBOARD 4 YEARS AGO AND DEFINITELY STILL DOESN'T HAVE THE PACKAGING ON. LURE YOUR DOG UNTIL THEY PUT THEIR FRONT 2 FEET ONTO IT. MARK YES, AND REWARD. WHEN THEY DO, FEED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND THEN SAY FREE AND TOSS A THIS TEACHES THEM TO STAY ON THE BLOCK AND THAT THEY HAVE BACK LEGS. GENUINELY AN IMPORTANT STEP. NEXT, LURE THEIR HEAD TO ONE MARK AND REWARD ANY MOVEMENTS IN THE BACK LEGS GRADUALLY BUILD UP THE AMOUNT OF STEPS THEY DO OVER TIME. NOW BACK TO PIGEON STEPS. LURE THEIR HEAD TO ONE SIDE, BUT STAND YOURSELF STILL WHEN THEIR BODY MAKES CONTACT WITH YOUR LEG. MARK, YES! AND REWARD. REPEAT THE PREVIOUS STEPS, BUT TRY TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE LEG. YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE THIS. WE ARE HEADING OUTSIDE FOR THE BUT I RECOMMEND YOU CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THIS AT HOME AWAY FROM DISTRACTIONS. THIS IS HOW I HOLD THE IF HE HAS THE GRACE TO ALLOW ME TO SHOW YOU. LURE YOUR DOG INTO THAT HEEL. NOW WE'RE GOING TO ADD MOVEMENT. START WITH TINY STEPS. HE'S NIBBLING AT THE TREATS THE ENTIRE TIME. WHEN YOU ARE DONE, SAY FREE AND RELEASE. GRADUALLY, I BUILD UP THE AMOUNT OF STEPS OVER TIME. THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT BEHAVIOUR FOR EVERY BELGIAN MALANNOY TO LEARN. A MALANNOY ISN'T A YAMANNOY UNLESS IT CAN WALK RIGHT NEXT TO PREFERABLY UP AND DOWN A BUSY THIS ACTIVITY IS THE BREED STANDARD. NOW I TRY TO ADD A DISTANCE LURE. IT IS UNSUCCESSFUL. I AM MOVING TOO QUICKLY. HE IS, AFTER ALL, JUST A WIND SOCK AT THIS STAGE. SO I GO BACK A STAGE. HOWEVER, I CLOSE MY HAND SO HE CANNOT GET THE TREATS UNTIL HE IS DONE. HE QUICKLY UPLOADS THIS NEW BEHAVIOUR AND WE CAN ADD DISTANCE. WE MOVE ON TO ADDING DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. ALL DOGS CAN HEEL FORWARDS, BUT ONLY YAMAHAS CAN HEEL BACKWARDS. I MAKE SURE EVERY TIME I REWARD THERE IS CONTACT WITH HIM LEANING RIGHT ONTO MY LEG. IF THERE IS NO CONTACT, I JUST GIVE HIM A SECOND TO FIGURE IT OUT OR GO BACK A STAGE. NOW ONTO TARGETING. I THROW OUT A CHEESE, A FAMOUS FAVOURITE OF THE WAMANAН. DRACARYS! I RELEASE HIM TO THE CHEESE WITH A NONCHALANT RELEASE CUE. NEXT, I COMBINE THE BEHAVIOURS, ONLY RELEASING WHEN I HAVE CONTACT THIS IS AS FAR AS THE WIND SOCK GOT. NOW I MOVE ON TO ONE I EVOLVED EARLIER. CAN YOU BELIEVE SHE USED TO BE A BEAGLE? I ADD A FINGER SNAPPY TO CUE HER TO CONTACT HEEL AND VISUALLY TARGET REDDOW THE BALL PIGEON STEPS. IF SHE MAKES CONTACT, I RELEASE. WE'RE NOT GOING FOR DURATION OR THE AMOUNT OF STEPS. WE ARE JUST GOING FOR CONTACT I INCREASE THESE THINGS OVER TIME. I ADD DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHY THE WIND SOCK HAS NOT MADE IT THIS FAR YET. IT IS MOST LIKELY HE WAS NOT WEARING ENOUGH COLLARS. I COULD EASILY HARNESS HIS RAW POTENTIAL OVER SUCCESSFUL REPETITIONS. I INTRODUCED THE IDEA OF ADDING MULTIPLE DIRECTION CHANGES IN THE SAME HEEL. ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE EARLY ON. PIGEON STEPS. ONLY RELEASING ONCE I HAVE CONTACT. HINDSIGHT TELLS ME I SHOULD HAVE DONE ALL OF THIS A LOT SLOWER. IT'S CLEAR HER FOUNDATIONS NEED MORE I SHALL BE SPENDING TIME REVISITING THE BASICS. ONLY MARKING AND REWARDING CONSISTENT CONTACT. ALAS, SHE MAY HAVE HER BELGIAN YAMAHA CARD REVOKED.

Original caption

How I train a dog to contact heel. #creatorsearchinsights #dogsoftiktok #dogtricks #DogTraining #dogtrainer

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Transcript

I AM THE CREATOR OF POKEMON THEORY, WHICH IN DOG TRAINING STATES THAT IF YOU TRAIN A DOG LONG ENOUGH AND IN A certain way, they can evolve into anything. And it is my mission to train this orange wind sock until he evolves into a Belgian Malinois. This is how to teach a contact heel. First, grab that yoga block that you definitely didn't just chuck in the cupboard 4 years ago and definitely still doesn't have the packaging on. Lure your dog until they put their front 2 feet onto it. Mark yes, and reward. When they do, feed a couple of times and then say free and toss a treat. This teaches them to stay on the block and that they have back legs. Genuinely an important step. Next, lure their head to one side, mark and reward any movements in the back legs. Gradually build up the amount of steps they do over time. Now back to pigeon steps. Lure their head to one side, but stand yourself still when their body makes contact with your leg. Mark, yes! And reward. Repeat the previous steps, but try to maintain constant contact with the leg. You're ready for the next step when it looks like this. We are heading outside for the video, but I recommend you continue to practice this at home away from distractions. This is how I hold the treats. If he has the grace to allow me to show you. Lure your dog into that heel. Now we're going to add movement. Start with tiny steps. He's nibbling at the treats the entire time. When you are done, say free and release. Gradually, I build up the amount of steps over time. This is a really important behaviour for every Belgian Malannoy to learn. A Malannoy isn't a Yamannoy unless it can walk right next to you, preferably up and down a busy street. This activity is the breed standard. Now I try to add a distance lure. It is unsuccessful. I am moving too quickly. He is, after all, just a wind sock at this stage. So I go back a stage. However, I close my hand so he cannot get the treats until he is done. He quickly uploads this new behaviour and we can add distance. We move on to adding different directions. All dogs can heel forwards, but only Yamahas can heel backwards. I make sure every time I reward there is contact with him leaning right onto my leg. If there is no contact, I just give him a second to figure it out or go back a stage. Now onto targeting. I throw out a cheese, a famous favourite of the Wamanah. Dracarys! I release him to the cheese with a nonchalant release cue. Next, I combine the behaviours, only releasing when I have contact. This is as far as the wind sock got. Now I move on to one I evolved earlier. Can you believe she used to be a beagle? I add a finger snappy to cue her to contact heel and visually target Reddow the ball. Pigeon steps. If she makes contact, I release. We're not going for duration or the amount of steps. We are just going for contact. I increase these things over time. I add different directions. You may be wondering why the wind sock has not made it this far yet. It is most likely he was not wearing enough collars. I could easily harness his raw potential over successful repetitions. I introduced the idea of adding multiple direction changes in the same heel. Once again, we are early on. Pigeon steps. Only releasing once I have contact. Hindsight tells me I should have done all of this a lot slower. It's clear her foundations need more. I shall be spending time revisiting the basics. Only marking and rewarding consistent contact. Alas, she may have her Belgian Yamaha card revoked.