The FINISH

Getting a dog from the position sitting in front of you, which is called a “FRONT,” into the HEEL position is called “the FINISH.” That is what I want to spend this week’s lesson covering.

It’s imperative to know this drill for competitive dog sports, but it’s also very nice to know how to do with your pet dog. I see people jerking their dogs around trying to get them to “go around” and get into that “heel position,” and that’s unnecessary. Teaching your dog a solid FINISH looks great and is just another fun thing to that will bond the two of you. Please remember, these exercises take a long time to perfect, so be patient with your dog.

There are two different “FINISH”es… the go around and the J finish. You can choose whichever one you want, or you can really push your luck and try both. I highly recommend that you pick and master one first and then move on. You can test them both and see which one fits better to you and your dog and then choose. I prefer the J finish, which can be developed into what is called a flip finish depending on how your dog does it, and their speed.