How to Train Your Dog to Heel Without a Leash

Start out with your dog walking on leash and your treat bag fully loaded. Be sure to work off a bit of energy and let your dog pee and sniff a bit before getting down to work.

Place a treat in your hand and, while still walking, call your dog to you. Keep walking while you treat your dog.

As soon as your dog finishes the treat and starts to head back to the end of the leash, immediately offer up another treat so that your dog wants to head back in your direction and is constantly checking in, thinking she’ll get food.

When your dog is reliably checking in for treats, slowly lengthen the time in between food rewards.

Apply a command to the behavior, saying the word "heel" before administering a treat. Treat as long as your dog remains by your side. Slowly increase your demands, only rewarding when your dog is at your side for longer and longer periods of time and when her body position is in the ideal heel.

One you’ve mastered this on-leash, it’s time to take off the training wheels. Practice off-leash heeling with treats in the backyard and slowly work up to distractions of people and other dogs until your pup is reliably heeling without a leash.

Start out with your dog walking calmly on leash. You may want to walk for some time before starting the training to help alleviate any excess energy.

In your left or right hand (depending on which side you want your dog to learn to heel) you should be carrying a toy or spoon that’s been coated with peanut butter. After your dog has had a chance to burn off energy, get her attention with the toy or food.

Keep walking and allow your dog to tug on the toy or lick the spoon while at your side. If she stops walking by your side, remove the spoon or the food. Do this continuously for several minutes at a time, multiple times a day over several days until your dog begins to associate following alongside you with a tasty or fun reward.

Once your pup is reliably following alongside you with the toy or spoon, bring your hand up from time to time and remove the constant treat. Your dog should keep walking and may look in anticipation at the item. Occasionally drop your hand and allow her to have the reward. Slowly increase the amount of time in between rewards until she is following alongside reliably without constant treating.

Once your dog has mastered this behavior on leash, work through the steps again but this time without a leash. You may see some regression in behavior but don’t give up. If need be, up the “value” of the reward with a tastier food item (frozen beef on a stick, anyone?) or a more exciting toy. Slowly increase the amount of time your dog goes between treats along until she is reliably heeling by your side without a leash.

The “watch me” or “look” method of teaching 'hee'l is great for dogs that have some advanced training under their belt. If your dog already knows the 'watch me' command or 'look at an object' command, you can combine these behaviors with walking to help jump start heeling without a leash. Start out by walking with your dog loosely on a leash.

While walking continuously, give your dog the “look” or “watch me” command to make eye contact. If your dog is out ahead of you, this will cause her to turn back around. Reward instantly for the appropriate behavior.

After your dog is looking while on leash reliably, ask for her to watch your hand or leg. Point to the spot and say "watch", just as you would if you were holding still. You may need some tasty treats to both bribe and reward good behavior here.

Watching a spot such as your hand or leg while you continue to walk will naturally put your dog into a 'heel' or 'by your side' position. Remember to praise and treat and maintain a brisk walking pace so that your dog learns the appropriate behavior involves movement and not simply a 'come' or 'sit'. Slowly increase the length of time between the commands and treat spontaneously if your dog remains by your side. This lengthening of time in between treats will be the foundation for a solid heel.

Once you’ve mastered the on-leash heel, start out in a quiet, distraction-free space to teach heeling without a leash. Use the exact same methods and don’t be worried if you need to take a few steps back in order to move ahead in your training. Before you know it, you’ll have a super obedient pooch that knows how to heel both on the leash and without.