[yorkietalkjilly]

I don't worry that much about heeling with Tibbe - am more interested in his enjoying his walk as best he can and as long as he doesn't pull or cross in front of me, I let him walk as he wants, lagging back or out to the side or ahead. It's all about him and his enjoyment. I let him sniff, pull ahead and take all the time he needs all the way up the block so he gets to "read the mail" of the scent of other dogs, cats and people and pee, potty and just take it all in at his own pace. If he wants to stop & sniff for 3 minutes in one spot, we do. Then, on the way back down the block, we speed it up and go briskly to get in some good exercise for him. I do stop should he ever pull on the leash and stand there until the leash goes limp and then start again but he just doesn't pull. He's learned I'm easy with him on walks as long as he's not pulling or causing me to stumble.

You could watch some of the YouTube teaching heel videos with the most hits that are taught by serious dog trainers and not those who try to be amusing at the beginning before they ever get to teaching or hogging all of the video time hawking their training business and get some great pointers, see the best at work. Watch them over and over and over and get the feel for when to move and what to do to anticipate the dog's moving out of position and how to place a correction in a timely fashion, when and if to treat, etc. Watching a good dog trainer teaching "heel" is far easier than reading how to do it to me.