[nagdu] Adrian jumping on people on street!Considering retirement

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Fri Jan 1 19:44:53 UTC 2010


Joy,

Are you sure that's not my dog you're talking about?  /lol/  Mitzi gets in
trouble just to get a response.  Then she grins!  The snottier we get
without thinking, the more thrilled she is with her success!  Brat!  /grin/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Joy Relton
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 3:03 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Adrian jumping on people on street!Considering
retirement

Iona,

Remember it's the behavior that you want changed, not the dog. It's sort
of like having a misbehaving child. At times, you want to put the child
in the closet and close the door, but you take a deep breath, tell the
child that you love him/her but you don't love their behavior and
neither does anyone else. Then, begin to find ways to anticipate the
behavior and find a way to tell the dog in this case what behavior you
do want. Lots of walking has always helped my various beasts. My current
one will pester me if I don't play, walk, groom and all other important
activities on a regular basis. Our recent snow storm made it
interesting. Fortunately, we were able to go to the mall and walk quite
a bit as there was no where to walk in our neighborhood for a while.
Mostly, relax, and stay calm. If your dog is anything like mine have
been, if I get upset about a particular behavior and raise my voice,
it's like Christmas. Belle's thing that drives me crazy is, sometimes
when I pick up her harness and hold it for her to walk into she goes
down on her front legs with her butt in the air and sort of frog jumps.
She's clearly teasing. I started reprimanding her with a sharp voice and
noticed that she did more of the jumping and added a little pawing on
the floor. When I stopped raising my voice and said "no" calmly and then
"come". Her behavior stopped. That definitely doesn't mean that she
doesn't try to repeat that behavior on occasion. She's a tease. The
greeting at the door is something I have really gotten firm with,
because I do not like her to jump up on people and I believe that it is
not her job to greet at the door. That's an easy thing to stop, I simply
put her on leash and make her sit at my side as I answer the door, or
put her on tie down. She may be released later, if she behaves
appropriately, if she starts to jump up she's sent to her rug and/or on
tie down.

If you patiently work through it, though, I have every confidence, that
your dog, like my child we return to the lovely person you know and
love.
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Ioana Gandrabur
Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2009 9:48 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Adrian jumping on people on street! Considering
retirement


Thanks so much Tracy!

It is nice to hear encouragement. When you say Ben is jumping on people
is it on friends or total strangers out of the blue? does he give you
clues that he's about to do it?

I am trying to work him more often. In fact I think I could live with
this it is just that I feel bad for people being jumped at by guide dog
gone nuts. Also I am wondering what image I am sending as a guide dog
user with this kind of behaviour. But in my heart I feel he is safe to
work and would not like to give up on working on this.

Best,

Ioana

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]On
Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: December 24, 2009 8:36 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Adrian jumping on people on street! Considering
retirement


Hi Ioana.
Happy holidays!

In my experience, dogs have 3 basic kinds of problems--ones you can fix,
ones you can live with, and ones you can't live with.  Only you can
decide if your particular problem is one you can't live with.

But it seems to me like a jumping problem is one that can be fixed, and
it sounds like you're on the right track.  I'd try to work him every
day, if you can.  I know my dogs have gotten a little squirrelly if they
haven't gotten regular work.  Even a long snowy weekend can get Ben a
bit sloppy or sniffier than usual when we first go out. The prong collar
or gentle leader also seem like good possibilities.

I know what you mean; dogs know when that trainer is around and act like
little angels!  But you do have the deed on film, so that may help, too.

Ben jumps on people sometimes, but only when he's saying Hello.  With
him, it's a playful, excited kind of thing.

Anyway, I'd say Don't Panic!  There are still plenty of things to try.
Tracy

> Hi all,
>
> I wish you a great happy healthy 2010 and a wonderful Christmas and 
> holiday season in general to you and your guides and all your loved 
> ones.
>
> I am however writing about a rather disturbing problem I have with 
> Adrian. He has started to every once in a while jump at a person 
> passing on the street next to us. No growling or straining before or 
> after the jump. After he does it he is perfectly calm and response to 
> me perfectly. Did any of you
> ever have to deal with such an issue with any guide? A trainer will
come
> in
> January and see us work. I am worried that he will not catch him in
the
> act
> because it is not a regular thing. We did get 1 jump on film and will
send
> it to the school. We are hoping to find out what is motivating him.
Fear,
> play drive or pray drive or aggression but we think the last one is
very
> unlikely. I have tried the prong caller (the only thing that made him
stop
> barking at other dogs and sometimes at people). I fear that punishing
the
> barking repressed the behaviour and now I am stuck with this jumps
with no
> warning that are harder to control.
> Will try gentle leader again in hopes that I can detect movement
towards
> the
> person before he jumps. The frustrating thing is that I have no
warning
> and
> can only react after he has done it. I don't want to give up on him
and
> will
> try getting him out more giving him more play rewarding him for just
> passing
> people on the street but although this has decreased the problem from
1 2
> times  day to 1 in a month I am thinking it is 1 too many. Should I
retire
> him? He is my first dog and we have worked well for almost 2 years so
the
> idea of doing so breaks my heart. He did not hurt anyone but it is
scary
> for
> people and frustrating for me. The pity is that for the rest he does
> outstanding guide work and has a great disposition.
> This is confirmed by mobility instructors and school trainers in past
> visits.
> Am I overreacting? I don't think so and yet the idea of retiring him
makes
> me feel as if I give up on him too easily. He does not seam stressed
while
> working and is always ready for it. But what else to try I could not
say.
>
> Thanks for your ideas and support!
>
> Ioana
>
>
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