- In this video, I'm gonna take you inside
one of our intermediate dog training classes
and this is a skill that I struggled with.
I really needed this exercise
when I was training my first dog, Deegan,
to walk on a loose leash.
She was constantly cutting in front of me.
She got it most of the time.
She was doing a pretty good job
but, where'd we struggle is when she'd be distracted
on the side and she'd cut in front of me.
When I worked on this skill it made a huge difference
in my training and it's something that I always remember.
Now, when we were talking
about what Kayla's gonna be teaching
last night in our classes,
I thought, this is perfect for you,
who, you guys seem to really enjoy our leash walking videos.
So, if you have a dog who's just beginning
their leash walking training,
I'll drop a link in the description below
for some of the foundational stuff.
But, for those of you who are at an intermediate level,
where your dog's getting it most of the time,
this is exactly the kind of thing you need to be working on.
And I want you to pay attention
because Kayla gives some really great information
near the end of the video
about how to progress to that off leash scenario.
If you have aspirations of being able
to allow your dog to walk off leash or drag a leash,
then this is the kind of stuff
that's really gonna help you to be successful.
I'm Ken Steepe, and welcome back to McCann Dogs.
(bark)
- I wanna show you an exercise
that you can actually do with your dog
to teach your dog to kind of rock back
and stay out of your side.
Now, this is something I've had to do a lot with this dog,
not so much that he's cutting me off to be bratty.
He just thinks that everywhere you go in life
should be done mach 10 with your hair on fire,
like as fast as you possibly can.
So, I had a lot of problems when I was walking,
with him sort of walking slightly in front of me.
Sometimes, he wants to turn around
and like, walk backwards and stare at my face
which is not a nice way to go for a walk with the dog.
So, one of the things that I'll do with him
is I practice a lot of left turned squares.
So, I walk in a square pattern
but I only turn to the left
or I walk in a circle and I only go to the left.
And what happens here is that the dog needs
to stay on the left-hand side
and when I turn into him,
there are two options, you either cut me off
or, you back up out of my way
and I have a chance to reward you.
So, okay, he knows how to do this
because I had to do this a lot with him,
especially when he was younger.
So, I'm just gonna show you what it looks like
and then maybe my demo dog will help me out
and be my demo dog, do you think?
Okay, yeah.
He's worked good for me in the past.
So, I'm gonna have him sit at my side
and I'm just gonna tell him, let's go.
Good boy, get back.
That's it, good.
And I'm just, get back.
That's it, yay.
Good boy, get back.
Yeah, that was a good one.
So see how he's sort of moving out of my way?
Get back.
Yes, good boy.
Get back.
Yay! Good for you.
So, when you first do this,
you're gonna find it doesn't look quite as easy as that.
Now I've put this on a command for my dog.
I tell him get back.
You can say whatever you want
but that way if I'm walking
and he starts to get a bit a head of me,
hey, get back, get back.
Yes, it helps him just to sort of back off
away from me a little bit.
Okay, I'm gonna use Baxter for a second
because hopefully, he doesn't know what's happening
and he'll make a more, okay, lie down,
a more normal response from a dog that knows
Hi Baxey.
Come here my love.
I know, do you remember us playing our games together?
Oh, oh, oh, okay.
Get in, sit.
Slam's very jealous.
Okay, so, I have a little bit of food in my hand
to help him here.
I'm gonna gather my leash up
and I'm gonna tell him let's go
and I'm gonna just start
with doing some big circles to the left.
And as I tell him, "Get back",
there's two ways that I can help him.
Number one, I can use a bit of food on his nose.
Number two, is I can have my leash gathered up
a little bit more, and if he starts to barge
in front of me, I'm gonna take my left hand
and I'm just gonna bump him back,
oh, yes, look at that,
back behind me.
So do you see how responsive he was even just to that.
He actually scooted back in his sit
when he felt that on his leash.
That was a very smart dog.
Okay, I'm actually not gonna hold food
because I wanna make it a little harder.
Okay, Bax, let's go.
Good boy, I'm gonna try moving into him.
Oops, get back, good.
Get back, good boy.
Oops, get back.
Good, let's go.
Good boy.
Get back.
Yes, that was pretty good.
Let's go, and turn into him, let's go.
Yes! Good.
Let's go, good.
Oops, get back.
That's it.
Get back.
Good boy!
There.
Good, get back.
Yes, good.
Okay, ready, here.
Yay!
Good for you.
So, sometimes you feel a little bit dizzy
as you're moving 'cause you're going in a circle,
but what's nice about this
is that the dog really learns to settle in.
Did you see as I kept going,
he started to give me a little bit more eye contact.
Okay, okay.
A little bit more attention.
You know, the corrections when you do this are not strong.
They're very gentle.
They're sort of a bop on the leash to get the dog back
and a big thing that I'm using to help him
is the turning of my shoulder.
So, as I say let's go and I go to move,
rocking that shoulder back to help him get out of the way
and if I need to, putting my left hand on the leash
to guide him into position.
Once he's walking at my side though,
you'll notice my left hand came off the leash.
I don't hold the dog as we're going around.
I use the leash and then I make it loose again.
Oh yes.
So I have an opportunity to reward him
for paying into me.
Okay.
That was such a good boy.
So, let's go ahead and give this a try.
Let's see.
I wonder if we should just try one side at a time.
Only because you're gonna be walking with your heads down,
all walking in the same direction,
so you don't bop into one another.
So, let's just let him settle in with you.
Let's work this side first.
Come on baby.
Such a good dog.
Okay, have your dogs get in a sit.
You might need to spread around
just so you don't bonk into one another.
And I want you just to work nice big circles
only to the left guys.
No sits for this one.
Just, let's go walking.
So go ahead and play around with it.
Tell 'em let's go.
Yup, good Em.
Gather your leash up a bit more
so it's not between his legs
but your leash correction was absolutely perfect.
Good Cheryl.
Good.
Turning to the left.
Keep turning into the left.
And if your dog moves out of the way.
Yes, Timmy, what a good boy.
Good, and turn it.
So, Cheryl, I would use your leash there.
And then try to turn only to the left, hun.
Yeah, only to the left.
Good, Ron, that looks great.
Good.
Yup, keep turning to the left.
Yes, good Em.
Did you see that?
Yes, that was a good dog.
Okay, you guys look great.
Work your walking right back to your chairs.
It was excellent.
Let's give the three of you guys a try.
You can go ahead, get your dog sitting.
That was really good, guys.
It's weird to only go to the left, I know.
But, just, we're gonna see if the dogs
will settle in behind us.
So when you're ready, come out, circle to the left,
square to the left, whichever you'd like.
Give it a try.
Leash is in the right, but if you need to bop him back
with your left hand on the leash, you can do that.
And then once he's there, Jay,
you can take your left hand off.
There.
Yes, good boy.
Let's go, good.
Good, Jen, put the leash in your right hand
and use the left hand on the leash to adjust.
There you go.
Yeah, perfect.
And then you can take your left hand off
'cause he is absolutely amazing right now.
Good dog.
Yup, pick up the pace.
He's doing awesome.
Yup, turn into him.
Good.
And then take your left hand off
if he's doing it right.
Yes, good.
Good boy.
Good Jen.
Nice.
Super.
Okay, you guys stay out there for a second
and have your dogs sit.
If the opposite happens.
If you're walking and your dog starts to cut
in front of you, I told you what to do.
But another thing I just saw
is when you're walking, sometimes the dogs
are starting to drift away.
So, if that starts to happen,
and I'm walking and more and more space
is coming between my dog and I,
I'm just gonna step in and say,
"Hey, let's go."
And I'm actually gonna give a touch
and then I'm gonna move the opposite way
and as my dog responds to that
and she starts to move back into my side, yes.
And then I can reward.
Try not to be so, sort of tentative.
Just get on it, move away from them
and that usually sucks them right back in towards you again.
Okay.
So let's switch groups.
If you were walking, you're gonna hang out.
If you were sitting and waiting,
you guys are gonna walk all over now.
Try to drag your leashes if you can
and again, I want you to focus on your dog's movement.
Help them to know where you want them to go
by getting in there.
Touch, voice, all that stuff.
Okay, go ahead guys.
Wait.
Let's go.
Good.
And Em I gonna have you just work your sit there
for a sec, hon.
That's okay.
Let's go, that's it.
Good Jen.
Good.
Okay, let's go.
There she is.
Now reward her, yes.
That's better, good girl.
Keep your pace up guys, walk like you're in charge.
That's it.
Let's go.
There, now reward.
There we go, Hum, good boy.
I know it's much harder to have the leash on the floor.
We have to really work a little bit more
but what happens, I find, when we do this
is it teaches you to be better
about reading your dog's body language
and what they're thinking about.
Sometimes when the leash is in our hand,
we have that sort of sense of security
and we're not as engaged or as aware
of what our dogs are thinking about.
When the leash is on the floor,
we tend to get a little bit more aware
but, then unfortunately, what also happens
is we tend to sort of get more nervous
and that shows in our body language.
And that's sort of why I kept saying,
"Come on, stride right out"
because a lot of you, sort of,
your walking sort of started to become like this
and you absolutely don't do that
when the leash is in your hand.
You guys all walk like really quite confidently.
That will make a big change in your dog's decisions
as to whether they wanna listen or not.
If you're sort of looking a bit wishy washy
and tentative in your control,
your dog's gonna say, "Huh, you don't think you
"have control over me, so I'm gonna do my own thing".
So you really have to walk with more confidence.
- If you still feel like you're still struggling
to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash,
make sure you check out that video right there.
It's the five reasons
that your leash walking training isn't working.
If this 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.
On that note, I'm Ken, happy training.