Training the Recall

[BucksMom]

My question is once the dog is sitting in front of you,
after you recall them,
What is the command for them to go right to the heel
position, and what is the command to go left to the
heel position?
Rather is there a certain command or it can be anything
you want? What would the commands be if it was
a competition on recall to heel position?

Hope I'm making sense, I know what I say in practice but
what is said if your competing in a AKC show?

Thanks

[Cassidy's Mom]

Heel should be taught as a position, so if your dog is in a front and you want them in a heel position the command is usually just "heel". I don't know if it matters which kind of finish you want to name heel, but if you're going to do both a flip finish (on the left) and the one where they go around you from the right, I would name them differently.

[BucksMom]

What I say is Heel/flip to the left, then when I want them to go right I say around, that works for us.

I was just wondering if it mattered what you say in a AKC
competition??

[Cassidy's Mom]

Ah, this was in the How Do I Teach My Dog To? forum, not the Obedience and Rally forum. I did a notification on your thread to have it moved there, where you'll get input from people who compete in AKC events. I'm pretty sure they don't care what commands you use (or what language), but I really don't know for sure.

[doggiedad]

i don't know what the commands are for heel
in the ring. you could teach your dog the commands
"heel right" and "heel left" along with the hand signals
for "heel right" or "heel left". my dog heels right
verbally or with a hand signal. i swing my right arm
behind my back and my dog heels right. if i say "heel"
he heels right.

if i lead off with my left leg my dog heels. if
i lead off with my right leg my dog stays.

[BucksMom]

Thanks Debbie ,
Those are good commands doggieDaD but do you do this in the AKC obedience ring swing your arm? I have not been to a show to watch what & how they do the commands.
Yes that is how my dogs are taught left leg heel, right leg stay. Mine are learning and do know several of the hand signals. thanks for the input I learn something new everyday & I love that.

[Jax08]

Isn't a right heal a Finish command and left is Heel?

[doggiedad]

i don't know anything about the AKC ring. when we train
in the backyard i see Westminster. when my neighbor or neighbors happen to be in their backyards i see that as the stands are full. when my GF walks into the yard i see her as the honorable judge and that stick that's laying in the yard, wow, that's the grand trophy. i know my dog likes the trophy because he always jumps for it.

Originally Posted by BucksMom

Thanks Debbie ,
Those are good commands doggieDaD but do you do this in the AKC obedience ring swing your arm?

[EchoGSD]

In Rally your dog is required to do a specific left finish and right finish. The station sign will tell you which direction the dog must go. In obedience the direction is up to the handler, you can go either way. Although in a perfect world the dog will always end up back at your left side in perfect heel position (yeah, right), I've found that some dogs manage a straighter sit when they flip, others when they go around. My GSD with her long body ends up in a great position when she goes around, she is more apt to end up crooked or diagonal on the flip. This is more of an issue with Obedience than Rally. I use two separate words to let my dogs know which way they are supposed to go: I say "heel" when I want them to finish left, and "Bye" for the right finish. You can use whatever word you want, as long as the dog understands it.

[EchoGSD]

PS - @ DoggieDad: in the AKC ring you are allowed to give EITHER a verbal command OR a hand signal for each of the three phases of the exercise (the "leave your dog", the "call your dog", and the "finish"). You cannot do both. Before you call the dog to you, you must turn and face the dog "with the arms and hands hanging naturally".