@Forrest - in a youtube video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPA_O_LrHKQ ), you mention that you like to maintain a distinction in expected behavior for when Elzer is on your left vs right side. You reserve your left side for sport/competition heeling and use your right side for everyday walks, etc.   

The idea being that setting consistent expectations for behavior in either position is less confusing for the dog. 

Is this a practice that you still maintain or have you found that it doesnt make much of a difference?  Would you recommend we also follow this practice? 

Hi Scott,

With El, I still walk him on my right side when informally moving about. And on my right I still practice mostly focus and contact heeling. However, i can 'shift' him to my left side when simply walking about and he is relaxed and relatively effortless.

Context and experience mean so much to a dog. In the end, they know when they're on an 'everyday walk', abiding by whatever expectations you've created for them in those settings. And when you focus your training on more specialized skills like focus or contact heeling, they know what to do then because the context leads them.

With my next dog,  think I will teach contact heel on my right side and focused heel on my left. And I can spend as much time as I should calmly migrating with my dog... I imagine it could be on either side, and they won't 'push' for behavior because the context calls for long, non-event walking, and perhaps rarely leads to the other options. However, I'll always 'proof' the strength of focus and contact heeling my 'calling' on them when unexpecxted:)