• £80

Heel!

Does your dog check out, during heelwork? Perhaps wandering off, sniffing things or losing focus? Maybe you want to start things off in the right way with a new puppy? Whatever your difficulties are with heelwork, we tackle them on this course.

Harness headaches

If you come from a more traditional background, you might find it hard to accept the use of a harness at first. 

This course explains the science behind why harnesses are needed - especially with young or inexperienced dogs who pull.

All harnesses are not equal, though. The wrong harness (for your particular dog) can make your task much harder.

This course takes a deeper dive into the recommended equipment needed to support your training.

Hi, I'm Jo

I'm a gundog trainer who uses force-free training methods and I've created Force-Free Gundog to help you train your dog

What does the course include?

  • 5 week course (take a look at the table of contents below for details)
  • A comprehensive programme - from zero heelwork to beginning walk-ups
  • A focus on working with environmental distractions
  • Detailed video demos of all exercises
  • Presentations on key subjects
  • Illustrations of all exercises
  • Unlimited help via on-site messaging (including training questions!)

Contents

Introductions and hellos

Welcome to the course! Did you know that heelwork is actually a pretty difficult behaviour?
**COME AND JOIN US IN THE FACEBOOK GROUP**
Hello and welcome to the course
Preview

Week 1: Getting ready and getting focussed!

This week we talk about setting yourselves up for success in the weeks ahead.

This means ensuring you have the right equipment supporting your training and that you have a food-motivated dog.

We're also going to look at the idea of focus or attention or engagement (this concept has various different descriptors) and cover a few exercises which can help build this as a 'habit' in your dog, even when in distracting environments.
Week 1.1 Using food in training
EXTRA: Food motivation in more depth
Week 1.2 Equipment
Week 1.3 Top 4 recommended harness brands
Week 1.3 An option for escape artists
Week 1.4 EXERCISE - 'Go Sniff'
Week 1.4 VIDEO - 'Go Sniff'

Week 2: First steps (literally!)

There are two main exercises this week:
  • The Hand Goes Up and Down
  • The Repositioning Move

These exercises should be begun in your house and yard and then progressed to the street outside your house, using the same few metres of ground (walking backwards and forwards on the same few metres).

Only if things are going well there, progress to more rural locations for brief sessions.
Week 2.1 How to hold everything
Week 2.1 VIDEO - How to hold everything
Week 2.2 EXERCISE - The Hand Goes Up and Down
Week 2.2 VIDEO - The Hand Goes Up and Down
Week 2.3 EXERCISE - The Repositioning Move
Week 2.3 VIDEO - The Repositioning Move
Week 2.4 Homework

Week 3: A few add-ons

Hopefully you've got the core exercise (The Hand Goes Up and Down) working well indoors and in the yard - and are beginning to work on it outside your house in slightly more distracting environments. 

Here are some add-ons to help you, now you're going to be confronted by more distractions!
Week 3.1 Working Around Distractions and an Introduction to Add-Ons
Week 3.2 EXERCISE & VIDEO - Be A Tree
Week 3.3 EXERCISE - A Dog In Front, Is A Dog Behind
Week 3.3 VIDEO - A Dog In Front, Is A Dog Behind
BONUS VIDEO - Circles with Eye Contact
Week 3.4 EXERCISE - Be Unpredictable and Engagement Breaks
Week 3.4 VIDEO - Be Unpredictable
Week 3.4 VIDEO - Engagement Breaks
Week 3.5 EXERCISE - Sit At My Side
Week 3.5 VIDEO - Sit At My Side
Week 3.6 Homework

Week 4: Some more add-ons

Week 4.1 Cues and Heelwork versus Loose-Lead Walking
Week 4.2 EXERCISE - Stop When I Stop
Week 4.2 VIDEO - Stop When I Stop
Week 4.3 EXERCISE - Transitional Points
Week 4.3 VIDEO - Transitional Points
Week 4.4 EXERCISE - Look At That
Week 4.4 VIDEO - Look At That
Week 4.5 Homework

Week 5: Working with environmental reinforcers

Week 5.1 A few words of encouragement
Week 5.2 EXERCISE - 'Go Sniff' revisited with heelwork
Week 5.2 VIDEO - 'Go Sniff' revisited with heelwork
Week 5.2 VIDEO - Releasing to complete freedom
Week 5.3 EXERCISE - The Good Stuff Is In Front
Week 5.3 VIDEO - The Good Stuff Is In Front
Week 5.3 VIDEO - Beginning Walk-Ups
Week 5.3 VIDEO - Take an urban walk with us
Week 5.4 Wrapping up

FAQ

What happens after 5 weeks? Is there a time limit on the course or will I continue to have access?

You have ongoing access to the course. There is no time limit. You can decide to work through the material more slowly, if you'd like.

I don't want to work my dog, is this course still suitable?

All dogs need to be able to walk at heel, not only working dogs. If your dog can walk at heel in a rural environment around distractions, they can walk at heel anywhere. Gundog-style heelwork is therefore an excellent choice for all breeds of dog.

Can I take this course with a puppy?

Yes! This course contains some of the earliest exercises I work on, with a new puppy. You may need to remain at some of the earlier stages longer with a puppy and progress more slowly, but the approach and the material is the same.

What types of gundog is this course for?

All types of gundog! Truth be told, any breed of dog can take this course - your dog doesn't even need to be a gundog. Every dog needs to be able to walk at heel! 

However, the final week of the course we do look in more detail at some aspects of heelwork which only retrievers need to grapple with - but all other material is relevant to all subgroups of gundog.

What if I have some questions whilst taking the course?

Included in every course is unlimited help via on-site messaging with me. Just click on the speech bubble icon in the bottom right of the screen. Easy! You can ask tech questions or dog training questions.

What equipment do I need for this course?

We cover the equipment which is needed in detail on the first week of the course, so full info can be found there. In brief:
  • Harness
  • Tasty treats
  • Clicker
  • Treat pouch and/or container

Can you guarantee perfect heelwork by the end of the course?

There are many variables in dog training and a lot of them are outside my control. (For example, your own level of motivation, availability of your time to train, what your dog brings to the table and your ability to follow instructions!)

There are also many factors which influence how long it takes for any particular dog to achieve results. For example, a dog's prior learning history, her food motivation and her experience of training.

So it is not possible to guarantee that you will have perfect heelwork by the end of the course. In fact, whilst the course is divided into 'weeks', it typically takes longer than a week to achieve some of this material, for most dogs.

But, after 5 weeks, you will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skill to be able to achieve excellent heelwork with your dog, in the future. It is an achievable goal for your dog!

What if I decide the course isn't right for me, after purchasing it?

No problem! Just contact me within 30 days after purchase and I will give you a full refund.

Can you unlock course content early?

The courses have been carefully designed to provide you with the right amount of information each week.

Too much information at once can be overwhelming, leading to you skipping material and picking and choosing which bits to watch. (Splitting applies to humans and not just dogs!) You will not get best results, if you approach the course in this way.

Moreover - the exercises need to be practised for at least a week before moving on. (Frequently it will require longer - it depends on the dog's progress.) The number of reps you get in, at each stage of the course, is important for future success.

Even if you are 'only' having difficulties with a later stage of training, the origins of that problem frequently can be found in shaky foundations. For this reason, you will rarely get best results by skipping ahead to where you believe the issues lies. You should first consolidate each previous stage for the requisite time - and ensure you build on solid basics.

Lastly, I care about course content, about how the courses are delivered and about doing the best job I can with what I'm teaching you. I take pride in delivering material in the way that I think is optimal for your learning. 

For all these reasons, I am extremely reluctant to unlock course content early. But, if you feel you have an exceptional circumstance, please get in touch.