[nagdu] owner training

[Julie J.]

Matt,

Welcome to the list!  I'm Julie, one of the moderators and also an owner 
trainer.  I'll try to help as best as I can.

You are probably not going to find much on the internet about how to 
owner train because to the best of my knowledge there isn't much of 
anything.  I'm still working on writing a book about it, but I've been 
working on it for something like two years now.  *sigh*  I promise I 
will get it done one of these days.  *smile*  When I first started out I 
read everything I could get my hands on about guide dogs and dog 
training.  With the knowledge of how guide dogs work and dog training 
methods, I put them together to develop my own methods of training a 
guide dog.  If you've worked two guides already you will already have a 
solid idea of what you want the finished product to look like.

Here are some random thoughts in no particular order.  I need to get to 
work shortly, but I'll try to elaborate later if this doesn't make sense.

Have you trained a dog before?  If not you may want to find some people 
in your area who are good trainers, even though they won't know anything 
about guide dogs, hopefully they will be helpful in bouncing around 
ideas about training theory and methods which you will be apply to guide 
dog training.

Choosing a dog to begin the process is probably the most difficult 
part.  Are you planning on starting with a puppy, older puppy or adult?  
Are you getting the dog from a shelter, breed rescue, breeder or a 
direct rehome from a family?  Each situation has advantages and 
disadvantages.  My best advice here is to make sure you get in your 
contract or adoption agreement that you can return the dog in the first 
month if it doesn't work out.  Temperament testing will tell you a lot 
about a dog in  short time, but I think you really need to be around a 
dog for a few weeks to thoroughly evaluate him or her.

Do you have good mobility shills with a cane, or someone to assist you 
or some means of keeping yourself safe while you are moving about and 
training the new dog?  This is super important.

Okay gotta go.  Keep asking questions I'll have loads of time this 
weekend to chatter on about training! LOL  It doesn't take much to get 
me going on and on and on about dog training! *smile*

Julie

On 12/8/2011 6:16 PM, Matt Diemert wrote:
> Good evening all,
>
> My name is matt Diemert, and I'm a former guide dog user.
>
> My last two matches did not work out, and I have a strong desire to owner
> train my next guide.
>
> I've researched the internet fairly exhaustively over the past three years,
> and haven't exactly come up with too many references and/or information
> regarding the process of owner training.
>
> I'd appreciate any suggestions any of you may have and any input from those
> of you who have chosen to owner train. Where should I begin. While I have an
> idea of the breed, sex, and temperament of the dog I wish to have, I'm not
> sure what would come next. I'm comfortable with the idea of teaching
> obedience, and I've done some clicker training with my previous two guides,
> so I'm comfortable with at least the theory behind this idea.
>
>
>
> I'm sure this has been covered on list over and over, so if you wish to
> write me off list, please feel free to do so.
>
> Thanks all for allowing me to join this group.
>
> Regards:
>
> Matt D.
>
>
>
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