A general change from the "focus" healing-

[Obelix]

[quote=Rottlva;819443]Actually many people are trying to get away from wrapped around the leg as the dog is actually forged. The wrapped around also causes alot of bumps on left turns, figure eights etc...

Super ideal in my book is the dogs nose looking up right around the seam of my pants, or just a smidge ahead of that

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That's the way we like it too.

[Argus]

Actually it was passed down from the FCI Working Commission that "star gazing" wasn't going to be required to receive full points in heeling. It will be left up to the individual countries to adopt this for VPG/SchH.

While at the club level these new guidelines may be followed but at National Events there has to be something that seperates the high V rated obedience from the rest of the pack so I wouldn't expect to see much of a difference in the near future as to the way trials are judged in phase B.

As for the rules stating direct eye contact you're correct there is no "written" requirement but there has been an unwritten rule for many years. If a dog wants to offer that sort of heeling without going to war to constantly keep them in position great but otherwise I'd pick a different battle to concentrate on winning. There's always a trade-off somewhere. Cause and effect.

[Rottlva]

Throwing this out there....

I absolutely love the look of a dog heeling with his head up. Both my rottweilers have done it very willingly. I am on a quest for an OTch with my youngest Cam, therefore am putting a ton of precision work into him. I haven't even brought him out for his CD because the exercises are not perfect yet, and I'm training him through his UD before we trial. My own choice to do that though! Anyhows, when he is heeling with his nose at the seam of my pants, or just a smidge forward of that, and looking up, he is able to see minor movements with my hip, and shoulder. Those are his cues that something is going to change. A slight roll back with my hip, indicates we are slowing down either to a slow pace, or a halt. My shoulder sucking in a smidge means a left turn, popping out a smidge means an about, or right turn. Read, I am not cueing my dog, rather going through the normal motions of walking an AKC obedience pattern. Because when you walk, you first turn your head and shoulders, then your feet follow, even if it is a millisecond before your feet, your head and shoulders SHOULD be what the dog is watching.....If the dog has a head that is down in "normal" position, wouldn't you think he'd miss these cues thus bump, crowd, or lag on the turns?????