# Heeling side



## Hockeyhunter99 (Oct 11, 2007)

bit of a question to all the dog people out there. when you train your dog to heel, which side is the appropriate side and why? i know many book say the left side but doesn't say why. personally i have always trained to the right side but have had friends tell me it is backwards. they can't seem to answer the "why" part. except that it is how it has always been done. let me know what you think.


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## duckmander (Aug 25, 2008)

Just guessing here. But, this should be for the same reason we dont like to sit on the right side of another hunter.

Those dang shells flying across in front of our faces.

Is distracting.


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## Wes (Aug 1, 2006)

I think heeling on the left comes from carrying a gun in the right hand, keeping the dog out of the way when mounting a horse from the left side etc. However, what ever works best for you is correct.

Wes


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Both sides


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

BROWNDOG said:


> Both sides


Same here.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

If you're a hunter, teach them to heel on the side you don't carry your gun on. Some field trialers teach their dogs to heel on both sides, but there really isn't much of an advantage to it. Even Mike Lardy is not a huge fan of it.


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## Chaws (Oct 12, 2007)

I don't use the double sided healing in trials or tests because with a young dog that is very high power tends to get more confused when they're trying to focus so hard on waiting for the birds to be thrown. I like the two sided healing for hunting because you never know which side you want them on all the time depending on how the blinds or boat is set up.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

I could see the benefits of both sides for hunting.

My dog is only trained for my left side right now. I'm right handed, so when I'm throwing dummies and he's heeling, it works out great as I don't have to worry about knocking him in the head with a swinging dummy.


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## TK33 (Aug 12, 2008)

i have the issue of shooting left handed and throwing right handed. :bop:

I tried both sides with my 6 year old lab when he was young by pointing my hand but after gun training he stayed on my right side. I now have a 7 month old lab too, by default he heels on my left. I would like to switch that to keep my right hand free to hold the pup while I shoot my training gun but it has been a lost cause. If he is breaking I just shoot the training gun right handed.


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