[nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience

Tue Feb 9 18:24:38 UTC 2010

Michelle,

Great!  This list is really great for getting helpful, thoughtful advice and
suggestions accompanied by plenty of support and encouragement.  The good
folks here saved me and my GDIT all sorts of woe back when I was getting it
all figured out.  /grin/  Which does not mean I will not come crying for
help again in the future.

Troy sounds like a great guy.  We moved from one home with a tiny laundry to
another home with a tiny laundry room despite our firm intentions to be sure
we did not have to put up with the inconvenience of a tiny laundry room and
two dogs.  /smile/  The laundry also leads to the door to the backyard, just
as the old one did...  So we still just dance the same dance we did before
on laundry day and grumble the same old grumbles about it all.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Michelle
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 12:50 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience

Thanks for that. I did relieve Troy the other day on Sunday afternoon before

taking him to his water dish, making him sit for about ten seconds and then 
letting him have a drink. It worked. So thanks for answering my question 
everybody!

Cheers,

Michelle
----- 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: Monday, February 08, 2010 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience

> Michelle,
>
> Yes, consistency is crucially important.  I also think it might be helpful
> to shorten the time you expect him to stay until he is reliable at that
> level.  then increase the time a few seconds at a time until he is staying
> the length you need.  My opinion is that if you ask a dog to do something 
> he
> isn't capable of or willing to do and he messes up it will cause 
> frustration
> for everyone involved.  I think over time it also deteriorates the 
> training.
>
> It might also be helpful to practice when he isn't exceptionally thirsty 
> so
> he will be more likely to succeed.  Success builds success.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michelle" <m-johnson at bigpond.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Troy can access it regularly, except for occasionally when we close the
>> door while our house is air-conditioned, otherwise yes he does have 
>> access
>> to water.
>>
>> Thanks for the advice there, I'll make sure all people who help me with
>> Troy's water dish put him in a sit stay.
>>
>> Michelle
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Susan Jones" <sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 12:05 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>
>>
>>> Michele,
>>> Do you keep your dog's water container where he can't get to it
>>> regularly?
>>> I always leave a bowl of water down for Rhoda.
>>> When I go to my mom's, the place where I have to feed her is closed off
>>> from
>>> the rest of the house much of the time, and she will not go there to
>>> drink
>>> when thirsty.
>>> So, I started keeping a small bowl of water for her in the bathroom I
>>> use.
>>> That way, she's not shy about going to drink, and I can be sure she will
>>> get
>>> what she needs.
>>> I personally would not make water an obedience issue, though while you
>>> are
>>> refilling her bowl, she must sit and stay, and not get in your way.
>>> JMHO,
>>> Susan
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Michelle
>>> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 5:09 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>
>>> The vet has found Troy to be in perfect health since last year when I
>>> took
>>> him a few times. A few days ago I took him to the vet just to get a
>>> measuring cup for his shampoo and they say he looks very well.
>>>
>>> To clear up anything that I may have not explained properly, I don't 
>>> mean
>>> that I put washing in the laundry before letting Troy drink and stuff
>>> like
>>> that. If I know Troy needs a drink and the door is closed because of air
>>> conditioning and I open the door to go and check his water dish before
>>> letting him to drink, or if someone has to quickly go into the laundry
>>> and
>>> then walk out, we expect a sit stay for about a minute and then let Troy
>>> go
>>> in for a drink, otherwise there's not enough room for the dog and us.
>>>
>>> I'll encourage him to drink a lot more water during the day, although he
>>> does get very strong-willed about not drinking until later on... Troy is
>>> a
>>> funny dog! He waits until he's very thirsty before he drinks.
>>>
>>> Hope this clears anything up for you all,
>>>
>>> Michelle
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 4:29 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Michelle,
>>>> I'd make Troy wait til the cows came home for the water if he breaks 
>>>> the
>>>> Sit
>>>> command.  In other words, water NEVER appears until he learns to stay.
>>>> Maybe don't keep the water down so then you always know how much water
>>>> is
>>>> in
>>>> the dish before it is put down. Make him sit and stay before you put it
>>>> down.  If he breaks, remove it immediately - before he gets to it. He
>>>> has
>>>> to
>>>> know that he must wait for your OK before going for the water.  This 
>>>> can
>>>> be
>>>> a safety issue as he coould cause the bowl to be upset and water 
>>>> spilled
>>>> all
>>>> over the place.  Some dogs have tried to knock the bowl out of the
>>>> person's
>>>> hand.
>>>>
>>>> Have you had him check for any conditions that would make him very
>>>> thirsty?
>>>> I have found that it is wise to find out if there is a medical problem
>>>> before correcting some behaviors.
>>>>
>>>> HTH!
>>>>
>>>> BTW, welcome and hope you join us in our lively discussions.  I'm Lyn
>>>> and
>>>> I'm working with my eighth dog, Landon. He's a four-year-old red
>>>> Lab/Golden
>>>> cross from The Seeing Eye.
>>>>
>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Michelle" <m-johnson at bigpond.com>
>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 1:48 AM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've got a question. I'm a first-time guide dog user, and have had my
>>>>> current guide dog for just over two years. He's good with his 
>>>>> obedience
>>>>> commands most of the time, but when it comes to telling him to sit and
>>>>> stay when I'm checking how much water he has in his container, or if
>>>>> someone else has to go into the laundry for a few minutes for any
>>>>> reason
>>>>> and Troy is thirsty, I, or the other person, will tell him to sit and
>>>>> stay, but then his compulsion to drink right now causes his obedience
>>>>> to
>>>>> go out the window. What do I do about this, so then he won't 
>>>>> generalise
>>>>> this breaking of commands to other parts of his working and social
>>>>> life?
>>>>>
>>>>> Advice much appreciated,
>>>>>
>>>>> Michelle
>>>>>
>>>>> P.S. Even though Troy gets enough water to drink each day and has
>>>>> access
>>>>> to it every day, when he wants water, he is so impatient that he can't
>>>>> seem to sit and stay for as lo g as we need him to when it comes to
>>>>> checking his water container or going into the laundry for other
>>>>> reasons
>>>>> before letting him go for a drink. He breaks his stay before I or
>>>>> others
>>>>> leave the laundry.
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>>
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