[nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?

[Meghan]

Kirby used to not come when I grabbed the harness.  I used clicker, had her 
target my fist right through the harness.  Tada, dog in harness.  Once she 
was always doing it, I taught her the command "work", and now, if I say 
"Kirby, work," she comes running and dives into the harness.  I think she 
had a couple of nose bumps from the harness straps when she was a sensetive 
green little guide dog, and that made her a little reluctant to get into the 
harness.  Now it's the best thing ever, though.

I can also just snap the clicky thing on the leash, and there she is, just 
like magic.  This works if she's running like a doofice having a great time 
in the yard or if we're just in the house.  No matter what, there she is.

I'm loving this whole working a dog in the prime of their working period. 
This is the first dog I have had long enough to see what the prime years 
really are like, and it's lovely.  I thought I was bonded to my first dog 
after 19 months...wow, we're coming up on 3 years, and let me tell you, I 
feel like I know every little thing that makes her tick...and stop ticking. 
It amazes me to think that in 3 more years, I'll know her even better and 
the level of understanding we have right now will seem like nothing.

What wonderful animals.  As long as I have a dog or two in my life, I can 
take on anything, I'm certain of that.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?


> Dar,
>
> I've been entertaining myself with the image of you storming out of the
> house in a huff with your cane while your dog watches from the crate...
> Well, I've done the same, although I don't crate Mitzi.  I just grab my 
> cane
> and blow.  Whaching the ground vigorously to make sure it knows I'm mad at
> it!  /lol/  It's a wonder I haven't broken a good cane that way.
>
> Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit, but there are just times when the "hard to
> get" game is not nearly so amusing as Mitzi thinks it is.  Actually, I can
> take a 3-minute walk around the block to convince her she really, really
> wants to put on her work clothes.
>
> A couple of months ago, we were taking some guests to the train station, 
> and
> Mitzi was being too cute and cool to let me just put the harness on her
> without trying to chase around after her.  Oh, aren't we funny?  So I
> finally got disgusted, tossed the harness into a corner, grabbed my cane 
> and
> blew out with everyone else to get in the car.  Including Daisy, who was
> delighted.  We have never, ever before taken Daisy without Mitzi.  It's
> usually the other way around if we're not taking both dogs.
>
> Since then, we haven't had a single game of "hard to get."  Funny how that
> works...  I guess it's not so amusing if you have to stay home by your
> lonesome, is it?  /grin/
>
> The flip side is that I can't even think that I might want to go out
> somewhere without having a poodle attached to my leg.  /lol/  Makes it 
> tough
> to get ready, especially with the coonhound bouncing around in front of me
> to make sure I don't forget her...  We don't have a convenient staging 
> area
> by either of the doors, so I need to grab things up from here and there, 
> put
> them down to take a final trip to the loo, pick them up, put them down and
> remember to grab the think I almost forgot this time...  /lol/  Turns into
> quite a production because I can't take a step without tripping over a 
> dog.
>
> Talk about the Law of Unintended Consequences!  Problem solved!  New
> problem!
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of d m gina
> Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 9:44 AM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] What do you do when you're angry with your dog?
>
> Oh he loves to go everywhere.
> I knew when I took this stand I would be watched.
> He doesn't wait for dad any more.
> Now even going outside, I just get the bag and he comes running.
> Now he thinks all bags are for him smile.
> Took four years of training but I did the trick.
> I am pleased for both of us.
>
> -- 
> --Dar
> skype: dmgina23
>  FB: dmgina
> www.twitter.com/dmgina
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future
>
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