[Carters Mom]

Carter and I went to a private trainer. She taught us the traditional "heel." The hardest thing for me to learn was not to keep the leash tight. Loose leash walking is the best.

Now when we go for walks, I allow him to loose leash walk ahead or behind me just a bit but when I say "heel", he returns to my side. He always walks on my left side. It is much easier for you if your dog walks on one side or the other, without switching. If they switch and you're talking and not paying attention, you could trip over them or step on them. Its a safety issue for me - thus why I trained Carter to remain on the left.