[nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

/lol/  Too funny.

At our old park, one of the park favorites was a golden who would bring two
or even three tennis balls with her from home and spend most of her time
making sure none of the other dogs forgot which balls were hers!  When she
did a round of greetings to her people friends, comlete with affectionate
lean on the legs, she would carry her balls in her mouth to be sure to show
them off.  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Joy Relton
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 7:16 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative

Tamara,

You make me laugh. 

I am reminded of a snowy day in undergrads when, after I was seated in class
my professor said "I guess my lectures must be boring. I see that Vicki has
brought her own entertainment". My otherwise perfectionist golden retriever
was lying under my seat proudly holding her tennis ball which she had
carried over a mile from our apartment to my class in several inches of
snow.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:52 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative


Tracy,

Nope.  My sighted help is not trained!  /grin/  I am as bad, if not worse,
than the dog at preventing myself from getting sloppy when said sighted help
is around.  We're still trying to both build up our good habits, not slack
into bad ones! /smile/

I once decided to trust Mitzi's judgment on a pleasant country route beside
a fairly dangerous roadway.  So I got to go with her to go bark at a goat.
/smile/  I was so proud of myself for letting her guide me safely and surely
across the grass to the safer path beyond, then I just wanted to jump up and
down and scream.  Also, I had a heck of an argument on my hands convincing
her that this was not what she was supposed to be doing right now.  I was
embarrassed to be doing all of this in front of what I guess to be a goat.
The goat did not appear to care.  /grin/

She still pauses for a half beat to look towards that goat's pasture, and I
automatically say, "Don't even think about it."  Which she clearly does
before deciding to go ahead and do her boring old job.  /smile/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:15 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative

It's been a while since I've had a new dog, knock wood, but I think that
what I do to encourage initiative is to encourage the dog to make decisions
when we get into a situation, and show him that I'm willing to go with his
decisions once he makes one.  At first, this can involve standing somewhere
and saying Hup-up in a cheerful way, and sometimes some gentle handwaving to
suggest possibilities.  I've even found myself giving that wonderfully
mystic GDF command "Find the Way!" In my experience, this kind of thing
requires me to work my dog on my own quite a bit.  Standing still and
waiting for the dog to figure out a challenge seems to drive sighted people
buggy.  Even if I explain before we set out that I am trying to teach the
dog that he can figure things out without much help, when the situation
comes up, the sighted person barges ahead saying "Oh come on; this way."
So, instead of the dog learning that he can make decisions, he learns that
if he waits, someone will go ahead and he can follow them.  Not the
conclusion I want.  Someone told me that her dog would look around for a
sighted person to follow, if the dog felt her person was confused.  That's
initiative too, but not the kind I want. So, for me, it's really important
to work with my dog alone in the beginning.  Maybe other people have better
control of their sighted partners than I do, but for me they can be quite a
hindrance to team-building.

In the beginning, and not much after either, I wouldn't expect the dog to
figure things out if I was facing the whole wrong way or something. An
experienced dog can sometimes figure that out, but really it's my job to at
least aim in the generally right direction. Although once, at a state
convention banquet, I had to step out, and I pointed the way I thought we
should go and told Echo "Outside!"  She led me the other way than I pointed,
around the table and to a clear aisle, and then took me to the door.  I was
very impressed.  Just like in the Seeing Eye dog books!

I may have messed up Ben's initiative a bit by not trusting his decisions.
It's hard for me to tell when he's going around something and when he's
going to sniff something, especially in suburbia, where the work is less
challenging and he gets more distracted. Luckily, Ben has lots of confidence
and initiative, so I haven't made a complete hash of things. Tracy



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