How to Teach the Heeling Set Up for Utility

Prepare to win in the Utility ring by having a flawless entrance. Your performance actually starts outside the ring. Follow the steps below to achieve success as you enter the ring.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Dog
• Leash

1. Set yourself back from the ring, out of the sun if it’s a hot day, so you have the dog’s attention when the steward motions to you. This will help ensure that you will be heeling into the ring and cueing the dog for a sit.
   
2. Make eye contact with the dog. Do not talk to anyone; give your dog your total attention.
3. Take two short steps, on your right and then left foot, to complete the stop.
4. Brake on your left foot as you pull upward with your leash in your left hand. This will reinforce the dog to sit.
   
5. Say "halt" as you stop on the brake foot and "sit" as you actually stop with your left foot if your dog has a hard time picking up the sit cue.
   
6. Keep your dog’s attention even while talking to the judge or ring steward while in the ring.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice keeping the dog’s attention in the ring by having people talk to you while in a class situation. The "set up" is really the mental "get set" so the dog will be used to this in the ring.