Loose Leash Walking vs Heeling: Mastering the Leash for Better Walks

In this blog post, I'll briefly dive into the world of leash training, uncovering the nuances between loose leash walking and heeling. But here's the twist: I'll also explore how you can use the strengths of both techniques to increase engagement and improve your walks with your dog.

Walking a dog can be a joyous experience for many owners, but unfortunately for some, walks can be one of the most challenging and frustrating parts of both a dog and owners day.

Mastering leash walking skills can make a huge difference in the quality (and enjoyment) of walk you have with your dog.

When it comes to leash walking, the two main skills are loose leash walking and heeling. These two techniques are so similar yet so different at the same time, and even though the purposes are different, they can be incorporated into your dog's walk.

This is what the majority of people are looking for when it comes to walking techniques, nothing fancy just being able to walk and not being dragged along.

The concept of leash walking is very simple to teach, however many people get it wrong. Owners try to speed up the process, move too fast or just don't make it fun enough for the dog to learn and understand. If you find yourself struggling with leash walking, check out these loose leash walking games to help your dog understand the concept quicker and easier.

I don't really consider leash walking a behaviour but more of a mindset, you aren't asking the dog for anything but respect for the leash.

Heeling is being able to walk (or even run) and have your dog right by your side normally maintaining eye contact as they go.

As mentioned heeling is used in a more competitive manner, I feel a lot of confusion stems from the use of the word “heel” when walking a dog. Many owners actually aren't looking for heeling, this falls more under a behaviour.

One has “loose” criteria whilst the other has expectations.

The majority of owners just want a dog that understands loose leash walking, they aren't looking to have their dog look at them engaged (although that can be very beneficial for reactive, fearful and insecure dogs).

We all understand the benefits of a dog that understands the concept of loose leash walking. Your dog won't be pulling you around, trying to rush over to other dogs or people, barking around etc.

So what about heeling? Why would the average dog owner need that? The answer is engagement. There are times you will find there are distractions or triggers in the environment that could “test” your dog out on walks.

Being able to teach your dog to heel at certain times can be very beneficial in many situations involving distractions and triggers, especially if you have a reactive dog. Being able to call them in by your side and have them engaged as you walk past whatever may trouble them.

Heeling is harder to teach than the average leash walking. Heeling involves multiple separate mechanisms to bring the whole machine together.

By being able to bring these two together you can allow your dog the freedom of liberty through loose leash walking, and then reel them in to heel for specific situations.

Structured walks allow your dog to understand when it’s time to pay attention and when they can explore their surroundings. By alternating between loose leash walking and heeling, you can maintain your dog’s engagement, reduce pulling, and reinforce better behaviour, all while allowing them to enjoy their walk.

This approach not only keeps your dog mentally stimulated, but it also builds a stronger connection between you and your dog, as they learn to follow your lead and respond to different cues.

Check out my blog post for more tips on mastering structured dog walks.