At heel

Basic training goes hand in hand with the first proper walks, which should be short  and often, with a little heelwork introduced straightaway. Most professional dog trainers maintain  that a dog should  walk on the left-hand  side of his owner,  with the neck about  level with the owner’s  leg. This is because most people are right-handed; hunters  generally  carry their guns  under  the right arm, and a dog on the same side would receive a few knocks from the gun as it came up to aim. It is immaterial  to the dog whether it is taught to walk to heel on the right or the left side, but it would be confusing in obedience  trials and when the dog is walked by somebody  accustomed  to the left-hand  dog.

The lead is customarily carried with the loop at the end over the right wrist or grasped in the right hand; the left hand can be used for taking up the slack and checking a forward pull. No dog, young or old, should be allowed to pull on his lead; most dogs can pull more strongly than their owners and the ensuing tug¬ of-war  results in an owner with sore shoulder  muscles and a dog gasping for breath. Give the command ‘Heel’ and step off at a reasonable, purposeful  pace, the lead held loosely in the right hand ; pat the left leg encouragingly and give a small  jerk to the lead to get the puppy’s attention.

Once the puppy has learn t to obey the basic commands, it is a good idea for owner and dog to join a training  class, where he can be taught more advanced programs in the company of other dogs and handlers.  Training classes are advertised  in the local press  and  at veterinary  surgeries;  they are generally inexpensive and offer good opportunities for getting the puppy  used to canine company,  and  for the owner  to establish  friendships with other  dog lovers.

The reason for training a dog is simple; he must be taught his place in life and his position  in the household.  An untrained dog gets into  mischief, and  the more intelligent, the more mischief he will dream  up. Untrained dogs cause road  accidents,  frighten  or  bite  legitimate  callers,  chase sheep,  trespass  on private land and create annoyance  in the neighborhood with their constant barking and roaming.  At worst they end  up being destroyed  or discarded  as strays. The fault lies not with the dog but with the owner; basically there are no bad dogs, only irresponsible owners.