Data Driven Dogs
Research Insight
How "Heel" Became a Dirty Word — and What to Say Instead
At a traditional training club, Ian Dunbar discovered that the word "heel" was followed by an average of 2.7 leash jerks. The dogs had learned that "heel" didn't mean "walk beside me." It meant "pain is coming." One word, ruined by what always followed it. But the data also revealed a simple fix that cut corrections by 90%.
Seminar Clip
Watch: Leash Jerk Research — Ian Dunbar
›The Numbers
Dunbar and his colleague scored handler-dog interactions at a traditional obedience class. In a one-hour session, each dog received approximately 50 leash jerks. The word "heel" — which should have been a neutral cue — had been paired with jerks so many times that it became what behavioral scientists call a secondary punisher. The dog heard "heel" and braced for a correction. Motivation dropped. The command designed to keep dogs close was pushing them away.
The 80% Problem
When they mapped where the dog was positioned at the moment of each jerk, a pattern emerged: 45% of corrections happened when the dog was too far ahead (forging), and 35% when the dog was too far behind (lagging). That's 80% of all leash jerks from just two positional errors. And here's the insight that changed everything:
Each problem is the solution for the other one.
A forging dog needs to slow down. A lagging dog needs to speed up. Instead of jerking in both directions, teach two words: "steady" for slow down, "hustle" for speed up. Give the instruction before the correction. If the dog responds — and most do — say "good dog." No jerk needed.
The Result
Implementing this — instruction before correction — reduced leash jerks by 90% in a single session. From 50 jerks per hour down to 5. The dogs weren't suddenly perfect. They were getting information instead of punishment. "Steady" told a forging dog what to do. "Hustle" told a lagging dog what to do. The jerk told neither dog anything useful — just that they were wrong, without any instruction about how to be right.
The Hidden Problem
There was one more finding: when the dog was walking correctly — right beside the handler, loose leash, perfect position — the handler said nothing. No praise, no acknowledgment, no "good dog." The correct behavior was invisible. The dog was only noticed when wrong. This is the silence problem: if the only way to get attention is to make a mistake, the dog has no incentive to be right.
What to Do Instead
Replace the jerk with a word
Dog pulling ahead? Say "steady" and slow your pace. Dog falling behind? Say "hustle" and pick up your pace. The word gives the dog actionable information. The leash jerk just says "wrong" without telling them what "right" looks like.
Praise the correct position
When your dog is walking beside you with a loose leash — the exact behavior you want — say "good dog." Every time. This is the piece traditional training missed entirely. Reinforce the position you want, not just correct the positions you don't.
Retire "heel" if it's poisoned
If you've been jerking on "heel" for months, the word may be damaged beyond repair. Pick a fresh cue — "with me," "let's walk," "close" — and start clean. The new word has no history of predicting pain, so the dog can actually learn what it means.
Fifty leash jerks an hour. Ninety percent eliminated by two words: "steady" and "hustle." The science isn't complicated. Instruction before correction. Tell them what to do before telling them they're wrong.