[nagdu] owner training and pulls

Fri Aug 6 16:40:12 UTC 2010

Meghan,

Another thing to add to my list!  /smile/  Mitzi is a go girl, so teaching
her to pull in harness was not something I needed to do.  Except for a few
times when I started having her guide home from the playground when she
wanted to stay and play. /lol/  So I was stymied, not to mention tired,
hungry and cranky.  Using the clicker and treats and coming up with some
sort of patience helped a lot.

Otherwise, the trick for me was keeping up with her, and slowly teaching her
to moderate her pace without inhibiting her natural motivation.  Again,
clicker and treats!

I'll keep the treadmill in mind in case I end up with an unmotivated dog
next time!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Meghan Whalen
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2010 8:10 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training and pulls

Treadmills can also be used to teach the dog to pull in harness.

They learn quickly to keep their feet moving, or they will slip of the back,

and they learn through praise that pulling into the harness and trotting 
along on the treadmill is a good idea.

Meghan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 2:54 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training and pulls

> Jordan,
>
> I really have no idea about question #1.  They have all just pulled in 
> harness, and a lot.  I can't remember teaching them I wanted them to pull,

> just a lot of work on moderating that pull to something manageable.
>
> Dogs are hardwired to pull against resistance.  that's why most dog 
> trainers will tell you in order to teach the dog not to pull on leash, you

> have to stop pulling on the leash to get them to stop.   My personal 
> method is to just turn and go a different direction.  Yet another reason 
> why I start in my front yard.  I get pretty dizzy the first few sessions! 
> *smile*
>
> As for question #2, why I decided to owner train in the first place...I 
> had been training dogs since high school for obedience, flyball and 
> agility. I've always had dogs and my first guide was more of an experiment

> just to see if I could do it.
>
> Also I have to admit that at that time my thoughts about guide dog schools

> weren't very positive.  Not having a ton of information I sorta lumped 
> them all together and assumed that what went on at one was par for the 
> course.  I had heard countless horror stories of canes being taken away, 
> not being allowed to leave and trainers with poor attitudes of blind 
> people. I didn't know very many blind people with guide dogs.  The one I 
> knew the most from college had a horrible dog that constantly ran him into

> things.  It was pretty awful.
>
> I know I've stated other reasons in the past and those are true too.  I'm 
> just not remembering them at the moment.  Mainly though, it looked like 
> something that I could do and that would be fun.   It turned out that I 
> was right I could do it and the rewards were well beyond fun.
>
> Julie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jordan Frances Ortiz" <ortizj32 at students.rowan.edu>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 12:44 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] owner training and pulls
>
>
>> Hey Julie:
>>
>> I was reading your email on how you train your puppy and work a guide at 
>> the same time, and I'm actually really interested in this process.  With 
>> the Seeing Eye puppies we have to keep a pull in the leash constantly so 
>> they can go into harness once back at the school.  This is where I run 
>> into the problem of working Viola and handling a puppy at the same time. 
>> If they are both pulling in my left hand Viola can't work and we'd 
>> probably never make it anywhere hahaha.  My question is how do you teach 
>> the puppy how to pull in harness when its time?  The only way I can walk 
>> 2 dogs together is to make Viola heal and have the puppy lull.
>> my second question for all onwer trainers.  What made you decide to train

>> your own?  How did you decide what kind of dog you wanted?  Sorry 2 
>> questions.
>>
>> Jordan and viola
>>
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>
>
>
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