[nagdu] a bizaare question

Marion & Martin swampfox1833 at verizon.net
Tue Jan 20 10:52:14 UTC 2009


    Well, I'm not sure if they necessarily "figure it out"! I think they 
learn that certain behaviors get an appropriate response. There is a basic 
principle in the area of behavior modification. "Any behavior that is 
followed by a perceived set of positive consequences will tend to increase. 
Any behavior that is followed by a perceived set of negative consequences 
will tend to decrease." If your dog wants your atention and you can see, 
standing in front of you wagging its tail with a longing look on its face 
will get the response ("perceived set of positive consequences". If, on the 
other hand, you cannot see, this behavior will not solicit the response you 
want. If, on the other hand, the dog lays its head on your lap and slides 
its muzzle under your hand to pet it and you do, that behavior will 
increase. The question is, "Do our dogs understand that we are blind?" My 
feeling is that they have no understanding that we are blind, because they 
have no concept of what blindness is. I believe they are only acting in a 
manner in which they have been conditioned to respond.

Fraternally,
Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JULIE PHILLIPSON" <jbrew48 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 11:35 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] a bizaare question


>I think they figure it out they are a lot smarter than I think people 
>realize.  I don't think that is a crazy question either.
> Julie Phillipson
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chasity Jackson" <chasityvanda at charter.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2009 12:02 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] a bizaare question
>
>
>>I have a question and I've never really discussed it...I know that our 
>>dogs
>> obviously guide us because it was what they were trained to do, but does
>> anyone really know or has it been discussed whether our dogs really know
>> that we're blind and understand that we are blind? I'm just curious of 
>> this.
>> My first guide dog, Vanda, moved out of my way when she would see me 
>> coming,
>> but Hadley just lays on the floor expecting me to walk around her. So I 
>> was
>> just curious about that.
>>
>> Chasity
>>
>>
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