[nagdu] anticipating

[Julie J]

Steve,

No, I wouldn't call it patterning.  I don't take the same exact route to 
work every day, but no matter what my initial decisions about the first few 
blocks he'll make the correct turns to get to work.  During the school year 
when I go there pretty regularly I also vary the route, but he will usually 
catch on and choose the correct direction.  that's about a half an hour 
walk, while getting to work is 10 minutes or so.

I'm guessing he knows by the time of day and the stuff I bring along and the 
general direction we turn when we initially leave home, where the final 
destination is.   It's sort of like he has a mental map of the final 
destination and can choose from a variety of specific routes to get there. 
I think that's probably over estimating his mental capacity, perhaps it's 
just that I'm giving subtle clues of the general direction I want to go that 
he's picking up on.  Or it could be that we've exhausted every variable of 
each route and he's simply repeating one of them?  I don't exactly know.

Julie



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Johnson" <stevencjohnson at centurytel.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 6:24 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] anticipating


> Julie,
>
> Isn't this also patterning?  I would expect that a dog would anticipate 
> when
> patterned, but conversely, should be able to move beyond the regular route
> when commanded.
>
> JMO,
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Julie J
> Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 2:14 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] anticipating
>
> Heya all,
>
> I will have had Monty two years tomorrow. We have worked together as a 
> team
> for about 10 months of that.  I was reflecting back on all the progress we
> have made and how smoothly we are working together, at least most days.
> *smile*
>
> Anyway this morning on the way to work I was pondering the issue of guides
> that anticipate turns.  My understanding is that most of the programs
> discourage this.  I'm talking about a dog who makes a turn on a regular
> route without direct direction from the handler to do so.
>
> Monty does this all the time.  I have actually cultivated the skill 
> because
> I appreciate it.  Of course if I feel him begin a turn and I want to go
> another way I simply stop, praise him and give the new instructions.  Also
> if we pass a place where we have turned in the past, but it's not a really
> regular place, he'll sort of do a half turn with a pause and look back to
> see if that's what I want.  I absolutely love this and can't imagine 
> working
> it differently.
>
> My route to work is basically straight west with only a deviation of one
> block north.  I vary the route as much as is possible.  It really makes no
> difference where I choose to turn north, he always figures out where to go
> at the next corner.
>
> I'd love to hear how all of you balance the initiative of the dog,
> anticipating turns, indicating possible turns and the like.
>
> Julie
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