Teaching your dog to walk alongside you, to heel, is an essential part of his training. There is nothing more frustrating or exhausting as an owner than taking the dog out for his daily walks and being dragged all the way.

If your dog is constantly pulling on the lead, you have no control over him, and unwanted behaviours may well develop as a result. Walking to heel, both on and off the lead, is essential for basic control.

There are several ways to teach your dog to walk to heel, but you should choose and stick to one to avoid confusing him.

Step 1

• Position yourself so that your dog walks on your left
• Hold the lead across you in your right hand, which helps you gain control
• You can train the dog on the right hand side, but heel work is done on the left at training classes and in obedience, so if you want to do either of these, start training on the left hand side. The aim is to get your dog to walk along beside you rather than pulling away in front of you

Step 2

• It is essential that you persevere with the heel training. Your dog will not learn overnight but with time he will come to learn what you expect of him
• Every time the dog pulls forward and you feel the lead tightening, stand still and hold your position by keeping your arms to your side
• If your dog continues to pull, give the lead a firm tug. He should stop pulling immediately

Step 3

• When your dog turns to see why you have stopped, encourage him to come back to you by speaking to him and giving him a treat
• When he returns to your side, continue walking or turn around

Step 4

• Keep the lead fairly loose and carry on walking, as long as your dog isn't pulling on the lead
• Whenever he does pull and the lead tightens repeat stages 1,2 & 3
• Your dog doesn't need to be by your side all the time; with a flexi-lead he can have a wander but the lead should remain slack