07/21/2025
So many of you who are struggling with your reactive dog are still allowing them to pull on leash, to walk in front of you, to zig-zag all over, to sniff and mark anywhere and everywhere.
First things first — you don’t train your reactive dog to Heel because it looks pretty, or because tradition says it’s “the right thing to do.” You train them to Heel because of the positive mindset benefits, and the positive relationship benefits.
Having your dog hold a consistent, relaxed, mentally challenging Heel is a serious ask of your dog and of you — which is why it’s so valuable.
*Consistent: It’s not a 30 second thing that we get for a moment, celebrate, and then go back to our regularly scheduled chaotic, disconnected nonsense. It’s a precise position that your dog holds for an extended period of time, at your request, even though they’d rather be doing otherwise. This creates (and displays) a deferential (follower) attitude and a chaos-free relaxed mindset.
*Relaxed: Your dog gives in to the precise, and challenging (more on that below) position you’ve requested. You’re not holding the dog back, and you’re not needing to constantly correct for the position to be maintained. Your dog understands what you’re asking for and relaxes into offering it without debate or contention — even though it’s difficult, and contrary to what they’d otherwise be doing. This has what should be glaringly obvious relationship dynamic benefits, and yes, mindset benefits as well.
*Mentally challenging: Your dog will want to walk faster than you, will want to zig-zag, sniff and mark. This is already a huge ask, and will already deliver tremendous benefits. But there’s more to be had. Asking for a precise and consistent Heel that is FURTHER back is another level of challenge and thus another level of mindset and relationship benefit. We walk all dogs further back than a traditional Heel, because it’s a taller ask — and if you can achieve it, it yields greater degrees of mindset and relationship benefit. Your dog is giving you something you request that is tremendously difficult and counter to what they’d prefer to do.
You see, the Heel isn’t about looking pretty, or impressing your friends. It’s about tangible, highly beneficial mindset and relationship benefits — benefits which will aid you tremendously in creating the right dynamics to then properly resolve reactivity issues.
But if you can’t get this stuff, then you have to know that you’re in no position — as far as your dog’s mindset and your relationship to be asking for it. You’re still struggling to walk, you’ve got no chance of running… yet.
