How to Train an Italian Setter to Heel

Video Transcript

" Hi! I’m Melanie McLeroy with Taurus Training for Expert Village, and we’re going to work with a Bracco Italiano also known as an Italian setter. And it’s time to teach this Bracco Italiano how to walk nicely on a leash, how to heel. Now this little girl is really interested in the world around her. So especially to start with, I want to teach her to heel in a low distraction environment. We’re here next to a street in a park. So I need a little extra ammunition, so I got the hedgehog hidden if I need it. So I’m going to get her attention, Bella, good, heel, I want to keep a loose leash, heel, good girl, she’s doing very well, give her a little signal with my hands, little body language, good and I want to mark when she checks in with me, good. Now there I used a little whistle to keep her attention, Bella’s doing fantastic. Sit, good, see how much faster her sit is, even without the hedgehog. Now the equipment that I’m using on Bella is a no-pull harness; if you haven’t already please check out the videos on equipment to decide what’s best for you and your dog. This is working out very well for Ms. Bella, so we’re going to try it again, heel, come on, a little jump there can kind of get her going, and now I really need the hedgehog, heel. So every once in a while I have to put a little tension on the harness, just to help her out, but see when I make a turn, a left turn into her, how she responsive she is, good girl. It’s probably because of the hedgehog, and probably because this is really a very physical dog, she’s very responsive to my getting in her space. Good girl, sit, excellent. So we’ve taught this Italian setter how to heel, walks very nicely on a leash so I’m going to give her a reward. Okay. "