Now we get lots of questions on all of our videos and a lot of them refer to the
size of the dog, you know,
will this technique work with my little Chihuahua or my big German shepherd?
And I can tell you that there are fewer differences than there are similarities
in terms of how we teach these dogs to walk nicely with us.
In today's video we're going to answer the question,
does size matter and whether our techniques will work for a six pound poodle,
a 26 pound Border Collie or this 126 Pound Wolfhound. I'm Steve Walsh.
Welcome back to McCann Dogs.
So the easiest way for me to show you that I can use the same techniques for
that little poodle as I can for the wolfhound is to do the same drill with each
of them. But to make it hard,
I'm going to get some really great distractions to really test their skill and
show them how to be right. So check out these distractions.
A whole bunch of really fun toys,
a whole plate of hot dogs out of the package who doesn't love bacon jerky.
And an Apple just doesn't seem like much my Wolfhound really loves apples.
You've seen us work these three dogs before this little poodles been in some
videos and those other two dogs have been in some videos as well.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is our expectation.
No matter what we're working on is the same,
whether it's this little dog or that big giant dog.
But we're also keeping in mind the dog skill level and continue to help them to
make great choices.
So I've set up a challenge for you guys that whether it's this big Irish
wolfhound or this little poodle,
I can show you that no matter the size of the dog,
if you have consistent expectations and use the same techniques,
you can teach them not to pull on the leash.
So I'm going to spread these toys out a little bit so I have a little bit of
room to work, which gives me some distance to work with,
but also makes the distractions really visible to the dogs. So,
but a big pile of toys there. Get my plate of hot dogs.
Put those down right up front. Those are delicious.
They can of course after the side over here,
and let's not forget the Apple. Let's put this right up here as well.
So I've got lots of room to work, lots of things to catch the dog's interest.
Now there's a couple of ways that I walk my dog.
One is a little bit more casually where my dogs can be anywhere around me.
Their only job is to not pull on the leash and we call that leash respect.
And if you haven't seen the video that we did on lease respect,
click the link in the description below.
So now I'm just going to move a couple of steps at a time casually moving a
little bit closer to these distractions and a little bit,
a little bit further away.
Now if I take a couple of steps and I pause and she pauses with me,
by all means I am going to yes and reward that.
But if these distractions are a little too much and she decides to pull on the
leash and say they're going to face her and on her head level,
add some pulses on the leash until she checks back in with me. Now,
one of the challenges of having a giant breed is getting those distractions a
little bit more in her face.
So I've just taken a second to lift these up a little higher so they're a little
bit more interesting to her to get some,
I'm hoping I can show you how to work through it when she maybe makes not the
greatest choice. So here's what it's gonna look like again with me.
A couple of steps in pause. Good girl. Excellent job.
Now I got to tell her with me,
and I'm going to back away because this also tells me how committed is she
actually to me, if I backed away and she was still looking at those streets,
it really tells me she's not that committed. She's very committed now,
so I'm going to make it harder again with me. A couple of steps, girl. Oh yes.
Good choice. Excellent girl. I'm going to yes, in her award. That very good.
I might take a couple more steps. Yes. Good girl with me. Excellent job.
Let's go over here with me. Good girl.
Good with me lips with me. I got you. I did. All right.
So I backed away there. She didn't move. She was fixated on the apples.
I told you she loved apples. No big deal. I simply faced her,
added some pulses on the leash until she reconnect with me.
And then I backed away and I backed away in a manner that encouraged her to move
with me and was pretty engaging for her.
And you'll notice she kind of picked up her pace as she moved towards me.
This is what's teaching you that it's more valuable to stay with me.
So I gotta try that exact distraction again. Okay. With me. Good girl.
A couple of steps and pause. Yes. Good girl. Excellent job. Very nice.
So that time instead of staring longingly longingly at the apples,
I paused. She looked at the apples. Look right at me. Perfect. Yes. And reward.
What does it look like now with this 26 pound border Collie?
What's going to look the same? I'm going to use the same principles. Good.
Again, I don't care where she is around me.
She just has to not pull on the leash. Good girl. Excellent choice. Good.
See if I can make it harder.
I got you. Yeah, I did. Yes. Good girl. Excellent job.
So I threw those in the ground. She went, wait a second, I really want those,
and I started to back away and she went, no, no, no. I'm going to stay at those.
I pause for just a second to add those pulses to get her reconnected with me and
that's important. What I didn't do was just pull her away from those things.
I use those pulses on the leash to get her connected to me.
Started to praise her, but then she actually looked back at those treats.
That's okay. I actually said her name at that point to get a refocused on me.
Then we had some fun.
Now I'm going to go try that exact same thing with that same distraction and see
what kind of decisions she makes. Okay with me. Good girl. Excellent job.
Good girl. Yes. Good. Very good with me.
[inaudible]
yes. Good God. Good. Excellent job.
So you'll notice that I was making those really good girl really visible to her.
She's having a little debate in her head right now,
whether she should pull the leash or not. She's making great decisions.
Good girl. So what does it look like with this cute little poodle now? Well,
it's going to look the same. My goal and expectations are exactly the same.
Now with the little dog like this,
I could easily just tighten up on the leash and pull her away,
but that's not really helping her understand that she shouldn't pull the leash.
So let's see what it looks like. Yes. Good girl. Excellent job. Very nice. Good.
I'm going to be a little closer to these ones.
See what she thinks of the Apple with me. Good girl. Yes. Good girl, hap.
Excellent girl. Good job. Now let's try it with these hot dogs here. Yes.
Good girl. This way with me. Good girl. Yes. Good girl.
Excellent choices. He knows she actually avoided those hot dogs.
I'm going to try and make it a little harder for her with me, girl.
I got you. I did. Very good girl. So again,
I put that hot dog on the floor and she paused for a second and thought maybe I
should hang out here.
I bent down to her head level out of the little bump on the leash. She turned,
we had a little fun and a little party and she's very excited by that exciting
tone in my voice. So we'll try it again now with that hot dog with me. Girl.
Yes. Good girl with me. Yes. Good girl. Excellent job.
Very nice with me. Go ahead. Let me hit good girl. Yes.
Good girl. What a good puppy dog. Hooray. So again,
you saw right there, she made a conscious choice. She looked at that hot dog,
looked right back at me. That is the perfect, Oh, I caught you again.
She's making some great choices and really trying to work out in her head, hi,
here's my girl. What she should do in her only job right now. Where'd you go?
Good. Is to not pull on the leash.
Even though today we put down some really tough distractions and they struggle
with,
those are follow-through made it easy for them to be right every single time,
no matter what the size of the dog was.
If you want to learn more about that skill, we call Leasher spec cook.
That video right there. If this is your first time on the channel,
make sure you hit that subscribe button.
We publish new videos every week to help you to have a well behaved four legged
family member. And with that, I'm Steve. This is Skye. This is Hippy Shake.
Happy training!