Around to Heel

Around to Heel teaches your dog to circle behind you and land into heel position. It’s a great trick for building body awareness and smooth positioning — and it carries over beautifully to loose-leash walking.

This is a movement-first skill. There’s no sit required and no precision heelwork expected. The goal is helping your dog learn a clear path around your body and where to land at your side.

Training Methods Used

• Luring

What You’ll Need

• Small treats your dog loves

• Enough open space for your dog to move comfortably

• Your clicker or “yes!” marker

Before You Start

Choose which side you want “heel” to be. Traditionally that’s on the left but as long as you’re consistent, you can choose either side.

How to Teach It

• Start with your dog in front of you.

• Use the opposite hand to lure your dog behind you, keeping the path tight and close to your body.

• Release the treat, switch hands, and guide your dog the rest of the way into heel.

• Mark as soon as they arrive in the correct spot.

• Toss a reset treat away to start your next repetition.

• Keep treats in your heel-side hand only. With your empty hand, make the same movement behind you using a pointed finger.

• Use your heel-side hand to guide your dog into the final position.

• After several clean reps, start the hand signal and wait for your dog to finish the circle and land in heel on their own, without the lure.

• Add your verbal cue just before you start the hand signal.

Troubleshooting

• Keep sessions to just a few reps.

• Keep your lure tighter to your body and slow the movement down.

• Break the movement into smaller pieces. Reinforce sooner as they come around, then rebuild the full path gradually.

• Make sure your empty-hand signal stays consistent, and give your dog time to finish the movement before helping. A few assisted reps are normal.

• Focus on clean movement first — precision comes later.