[nagdu] anticipating

[Toni Whaley]

Hello!

All my dogs learned to anticipate  at a turn. However, all of them except my
current one , Hazel, would continue in a forward direction when I
acknowledged their initiative and then Told them to hup up. Because Hazel
"fights" me at these intersections, I work her to all curbs. 

Toni

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 3:57 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] anticipating

LOL Yes, it makes sense.  Monty isn't quite that set on going the same way. 
Actually I find that he thrives on going different routes.  However we live 
in a small town and no matter how I try for variety, he catches on to where 
we must be going and will anticipate the rest of the turns.

Even at the few hotels I've taken him to he remembers the door to where we 
go outside, the room and the meeting rooms.

I did have one issue where I used to let him have an opportunity to relieve 
a couple of blocks before we got to work at a convenient place.  Later I 
decided this was dumb and he could relieve at home before we left.  The walk

isn't that long.  Anyway for a couple of days he was insistent that we stop 
so he could check the pee mail, I guess.  My stubbornness won out and he 
only glances over at the pee mail place as we walk by.  poor dog. *smile*

Thanks for sharing how you balance anticipating into effective teamwork.
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Meghan Whalen" <mewhalen at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] anticipating


> Kirby is the queen of anticipation, and I definitely find it to be a 
> useful skill at times.
>
> What I do is to be sure I have given the command before  she begins to 
> turn, even if I know she will do it on her own.
>
> I think the concern the schools tend to have is that handlers will be 
> passive members of the team` and rely on their dogs for more than they 
> should.
>
> For example, being so dependent on a dog to navigate a complex route with 
> many turns that the handler wouldn't even know when or where to turn 
> without that dog.
>
> So, I try to stay one step ahead of Kirby as we walk familiar routes.  I 
> have to tell her to leave it as we approach familiar turns, or she'll take

> me that way, even if that's not where I'm headed.  She has a tendency to 
> be very persistant that we not deviate from the way we went last time, so 
> if I were not aware, and I let her go on autopilot, I would be in big 
> trouble when it came time to go somewhere new, because she would take over

> and refuse to go the new     way.
>
> I hope this makes some sense, but, to summarize:
>
> Kirby anticipates, I anticipate her anticipation, and by doing so, I am 
> still the one making the decisions.  I tell her to turn left, even though 
> I know she's going to do it anyways, because I want to encourage her to 
> think of me as the navigator and her as the guide.
>
> 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: Friday, August 13, 2010 2:14 PM
> 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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>
>
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