Dogs may be "just an animal" but they can learn to think. Here are a few tips to help your dog not just respond if you have treats, but to think of the proper behavior response.
Give the command once. This is hard for many owners. If the dog is pulling you on your walk, ask him to heel once. Use the dog's name followed by the command (preferably one word). Then . . .wait. Dogs have good hearing so shouting "Fido, heel, heel, stop it, Fido QUIT !" is counter productive. Allow the dog a couple of moments to figure it out.
Use body language, hand motions or lures to help a dog understand what you want. For example, when I am walking my dog briskly at my left side and am going to make a sudden and sharp left hand turn, I "signal" with my left hand for the dog to move back out the the way. At first I might pair it with the word "Back". When stepping off for the "Heel", I might also clap my left thigh a split second before I command "Garnet, Heel!" so that she is ready. After some practice, my dog will learn to pay attention to my left knee so he know which direction I am going without me giving a command or cue.
Mark the correct response and reward the dog's thinking. If I have my dog on a lightweight long line, I permit my dog to go out to the length of it without saying a word or his name. Once he gets to the end and continues to pull, I hold on and remain still and silent, waiting for the dog to quit pulling and check back with me. This may take a moment. As soon as he turns and looks back or steps a little back to me, I smile and mark the behavior with a "Yes!" before moving forward. I may even switch it up and turn around the way we came. I let my dog figure out that if he is too far away or pulling, I stop movement until he at least "checks in" with me.
If your dog willingly comes to you or gives up pulling toward the other dog he sees or the squirrel he was watching, make sure to reward him well (praise, pets, play, treats, etc) for his good decision.
Catch your dog being good. If your dog automatically chooses to sit patiently by you without a command, mark the behavior with a "Yes!". followed by a "Good sit" or whatever he is doing, This will help your dog to think of doing those behaviors without a command- hoping he may please you. Happy training!
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