Pivot Hind End Fix (pivoting in the moment!) (Patreon)

In this clip you'll see the three reps of pivoting I do with Denver. This is an example of making adjustments in the moment to get a more desirable behavior.

On the first rep, while he nails the pivot, this is one of those cases where I want to feed in position for duration as this will eventually be the heeling position I want him to maintain. Not preloading my hand with multiple treats caused him to spin out to get a better look at my treat pouch (because he's a baby and hasn't learned that he doesn't have to look for food to be produced yet). So, I could move my treat pouch, but because he loves eye contact, it's likely he will still spin out to look at me. So, instead, I pre-load my hand so the next rep I can feed more quickly in position and release before he moves out of position.

I also make a slight change in how I'm feeding, which is more evident in the third rep which I feed slightly to the outside of his face to tip his butt in. Whenever you feed so the head is tipped slightly away from you, it encourages the butt to tip in. You can see me catching him trying to flip out and immediately feeding in a way that helps him get back into position.

Another way to help this issue if the problem persists is to institute a rear foot target along with the front foot target to help hold the position. To split it down even further, I could also not have him pivot in, but instead have him stand on a target, move myself into position, and just practice feeding him in the correct position without the pivoting portion. So, lots of ways to get the end result of a dog that maintains that heel position once they spin into it. :)

Happy Training!

Filmed 12/04/25