Starting in on heel work with my dog I am wondering why it is that typically dogs are sent back around our right side to slip into position on our left side. If the dog is on a lead being held by the left hand, then one has to swap hands and swap back or get wrapped up in the lead! Is there a reason dogs aren't rather sent back on the left side where the lead is held, to turn around and get into heel position? The lead would never have to switch hands. I'd be glad for input. Thank you.
Hi Clemens I don't know what country you live in, so I can't comment on your observation. There isn't any norm here in Australia. One can send the dog into position by directing the dog around the back of your legs or getting the dog to pivot on your left side. In obedience trials one is free to use either movement. I do encourage handlers to hold the lead in their right hand, which leaves the left hand free to give the hand-signal for stand, and in particularly to give treats to the dog. If the lead is held in the left hand and you do treat with the left hand--which makes sense because it does not encourage the dog to move around in front of you to "meet" the treat--then you risk flapping the lead in the dog's face. It's better to avoid such a potentially aversive practice.
Whereabouts are you based, Clemens? Here in the UK, dogs are traditionally heeled on the left to leave the gun arm of right handed people free. They also traditionally deliver the bird to the handler's right hand and then are sent to the left hand side behind them in order not to be a tripping hazard by crossing in front of them. The dog would be off leash for this, so need to switch leash hands. However, these are old traditions not set in stone rules - if having the dog return on your left and reorient into heel from there works better for you, I would go with that! If you don't shoot, it's also not necessary to teach a left heel if you prefer not to. I was raised around working gun dogs, so I always expect the dog to be on my left - so I prefer a left heel purely out of habit. But we have for example had students on Pippa's Dogsnet training courses who have limited use of their left arm, or who have another reason to prefer a right hand heel. And they simply reverse all her heel training instructions to teach a right sided heel instead
