This module focuses on polishing the heeling behavior for competition or advanced obedience. It includes:
Step into the dog's space slightly. To maintain its front paws on the bowl, the dog must step sideways with its hind legs.
The Focused Heeling method offers several benefits, including: Focused Heelingwith Michael Ellis Torrent
Michael Ellis has a long-standing partnership with Leerburg, one of the world's premier dog training content producers. You can purchase the official Focused Heeling with Michael Ellis course directly from Leerburg as a physical DVD or a digital streaming video. This ensures you get crystal-clear, unedited, and virus-free content while supporting the creator. 2. Online Courses and Interactive Academies
The Focused Heeling method offers numerous benefits for dog handlers, including: This module focuses on polishing the heeling behavior
The physical mechanics of focused heeling require a dog to build distinct muscle pathways. Dogs do not naturally walk looking up at a 90-degree angle; handlers must teach them to do so safely and smoothly without tripping or drifting. Focused Heeling with Michael Ellis I Trailer
This is why the course is listed as intermediate, with a prerequisite understanding of Michael's foundation work with food and toys. The "Two-Toy" Game
Leerburg hosts hundreds of free, highly informative segments from Michael Ellis’s focused heeling lectures on their official YouTube channel and website. For many handlers, these free clips provide enough conceptual overview to successfully fix specific positioning or motivation problems. Summary: Invest in the Process
To completely remove the hand cue while maintaining a vertical head look, Ellis frequently utilizes a technique where food is held in the handler's mouth and dropped directly into the dog's mouth upon the marker cue. This forces the dog's gaze strictly upward toward the handler's face, rather than tracing the handler's left hand. Why Downloading the Torrent Hurts Your Training
Many traditional training methods attempt to force a dog into the correct physical position using leash pressure or corrections before the dog is mentally engaged. Ellis flips this approach. He teaches that engagement—the dog’s active desire to interact with and look at the handler—must be established first. If a dog is not highly motivated to look at you, forcing them into a heel position will result in a flat, sluggish performance. 2. Reward Markers and Clues
The reward (toy) must come from the handler’s body (usually the left armpit) to reinforce the connection between the handler’s position and the reward [1]. 3. The "Two-Toy" Game