[nagdu] owner training

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Wed Apr 14 04:13:45 UTC 2010


Jessica,

I got Mitzi from Mrs. O'Poodles, owned by a woman named Marcia Shannon, in
Grants Pass, Oregon.  http://www.mrsopoodles.com/

Yeah, her site is more fun than snooty professional.  However, she breeds
for temperament for companion dogs, not for show, so the dogs of hers I know
of have great temperaments -- very mellow, smart, companionable, without
some of the nervous tendencies poodles can have if they are overbred or line
bred.  She has some great color lines going -- reds, chocolates and a few
even more exotic new colors -- but there are plenty of black throwbacks.
Not nearly as lucrative for her, or as expensive for a prospective buyer,
but still great dogs and great looking dogs.

She has also donated pups and then breeding stock to Guide Dogs of the
Desert, in Palm Springs, California, so she has worked with the trainers and
others from that program and knows the qualities the pros look for in a
guide dog very well.  I had a very good idea of what I wanted in terms of
temperament to begin with, but I have to say it was great to talk to a
breeder who knew how to answer my questions because she got why I was asking
them!  Also, she was able to add to the discussion.  Conveniently, she just
happened to have a then nearly 6-month-old small black female that was
needing a good home but not as likely to find one as the higher priced large
reds who hadn't gone during the fall but were being snapped up around the
holidays.  I had wanted a large black male, and I did salivate over the
large red male she mentioned, then I looked around my apartment while
remembering that my own curly hair turns awfully red in a rainy climate like
Portland's and that I did not want to match my dog quite that much.  /smile/
Also, the apartment was pretty tiny, and I wanted to be sure the dog had
room to rutn around once in awhile.  So, small black female, which Marcia
was saying more and more she believed would be very right for me.  I didn't
know Marcia well at all, although I had an intuitive good feeling about her.
Turns out she was right!  Mitzi really is "just the dog" for me.  What this
says about me, I often wonder, but we won't go into that.  /smile/

I've read articles by other poodle breeders who have donated stock, so they
mght also know about temperament and guide work.  Jenine Stanley has also
provided some good information on the list.  The thing about poodles is that
they're, well, poodles.  /smiles/

Have you decided to go forward with owner-training, or are you still in the
decision-making phase?  What is your training background and experience?
Have you worked with poodles before?  Tell me more, tell me more!  I never
want to put the brakes on someone who is considering owner-training, but I
do want to give responsible suggestions and answers to their questinos.
It's not like getting a sweet puppy and taking to a 5-week obedience course,
and you're good because now the puppy won't destroy your house.  Guide dog
owner-training is just a bit different than that.  Although I have gotten a
whole lot of unsolicited advice -- even stern instructions! -- from people
whose training experience is precisely that.  /lol/

Anyway, that's what I know for now.



Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jessica Pitzer
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2010 4:35 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training

I'm wondering where you specifically found yoru poodle as I'm
considering a poodle. Thanks. Jessica

On 4/11/10, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Jessica,
>
> I apologize for not getting back to you directly for so long about your
> questions.  I was working on my own reply along the lines of what both Rox
> and Julie said, but I got overly long-winded and it was late, so I was
> stupid... /smile/  Also, I can usually be pretty confident that the both
of
> them will answer questions about owner-trainer very well while I'm still
> trying to figure out what to say.  /grin/
>
> Anyway, by now you've gotten some great information about the dog
selection
> part and some of idea of what your life will be like once you do find that
> elusive right dog.  If you think that all sounds absolutely dreaful, it
> might be time for you to reconsider owner-trainer.  If you found yourself
> thinking that you just can't wait to get to all the hard work and
> frustration and exhaustion and more, then owner-training could be for you!
> /smile/  The most telling key trait of the successful owner-trainers I
know
> is that they *love* it.  They don't fall into bed dead asleep at night to
> dream dog training then drag their still weary bodies out the next morning
> to start it all again because of their dedication to duty and diligence.
> They do it because they can't wait to get going again for another day,
> because they just are enjoying the process, even the parts that make
strong
> men go pale.  /smile/
>
>   I will add that it really helps to inform yourself to the nth degree
about
> the ins and outs of temperament testing, temperament requirements for
guide
> dogs, given the nature of their work, etc., etc.  I have my list of
internet
> resources buried deep somewhere in the bowels of my computer archives, but
> there is a lot of new stuff coming out all the time that you should be
able
> to find easily.  Same with books, and honestly I've been reading books
about
> dogs and animals for so many years, I think I started doing my study
before
> I could actually read the books myself.  /smile/  If you want to get some
> good ideas about books to read on the subject, this list is a good place
to
> ask!  I don't have a current reading list myself, I'm afraid, but as I get
> more reading worked back into my life, I will be asking those questions
> myself.
>
> Another resource is the vi-clicker-training list,
> vi-clicker-trainers at freelists.org.  Ann Edie is the list owner, I believe.
> I'm afraid I've been lax about keeping up there, but she can tell you more
> about it.
>
> As for equipment:  Pawpower Creations, of course!  Julie started the
harness
> making business a few years ago as On-The-Go, and everything I have for
> Mitzi is from her.  Great gear!  Rox and her husband have since taken on
the
> harness making, so my new purchases will be from Pawpower.  The harnesses
> are not only very good but very affordable, and Pawpower is good to work
> with.
>
> I still have odds and ends floating around from Mitzi's pre-harness days,
> and if you want to discuss more about pre-harness training, I will be
happy
> to tell you what I did and used.  Usually that depends on what you find in
> your area that you can afford and still feed the dog.  /smile/
>
> Anyway, that's all I can think of right now that might be helpful.
>
> I am interested to know what you learn and what you decide about
> owner-training.
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Jessica Pitzer
> Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 2:13 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] owner training
>
> Hello,
> I've thought about not saying I'm going to do it, but I've thought
> about owner training.
> I obviously have no idea how to do this, I mean I  have had dogs all
> my life and have trained them to sit stay come heel down paw, etc. but
> how didy ou train your guides, how did you select them and where did
> you get them from, and where did you get equipment.
> Thanks.
> Jessica
>
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