[nagdu] misconceptions about Pilot Dogs and traffic training

[Jenine Stanley]

I think many people have the misconception that Pilot dogs does not train
formally for traffic like other schools do. This was not the case 24 years
ago when I got my first 2 dogs, and from messages here, it's still not the
case. 

My dogs were very solid in traffic. Did we have formal traffic check lessons
like I did at GDF or heard about at other schools? No. Why not? 

One reason is that the Pilot campus is surrounded by neighborhoods, and not
so good ones at that. Every day when students leave the campus, they walk
right onto standard streets with very unpredictable traffic. They walk to a
bus stop and ride the bus downtown where they cross very busy streets. To
get back to the campus, they must exit the bus and cross several streets.
Some of these are light controlled, some are not. 

I got some of the most convincing traffic checks during my Pilot Dogs
training and my dogs were solid through them. They had obviously received
the appropriate training to handle them. 

Once I was actually out with an instructor other than the one routinely
working with me. He didn't like how close my dog had allowed a car to come
and so we did what I later learned at GDF as traffic proofing during which I
would purposely tell the dog to go forward when I knew it wasn't safe then
praise when she stood strongly, not moving. 

I would definitely talk with the school themselves about what they do and do
not offer in terms of training to be sure that you get the most recent and
accurate information. 
Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com