[nagdu] Going out during training

[GARY STEEVES]

Hi rebecca:

I think you have somehow misread my message or I was very unclear. Of course the girls went home with their dogs. I too am a very active person and have to leave my dog at home from time to time when I think it is in his best interest for that to happen. 

At the school the girls went out for a couple of hours in the evening to the local coffee shop to chek out boys. Nothing wrong with that but I just think they did this only a day or two after getting their dogs and it was that which I thought was wrong. One can't judge but I would point out that several of them had issues with their dogs having accidents or throwing up in their rooms. Others who did things differently didn't have these issues. Never know if it is related of course but it is curious.

Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: "PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 12:27 pm
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going out during training
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> Gary, 
> Why do you think the girls in your clas shouldn't have gone home 
> with their dogs? I'm curious. 
> When I got my first dog, I marched with a fife and drum corps. I 
> could not have my dog with me while I marched because I needed 
> to stay in formation and because I was holding a flag with seven 
> other girls. At times during our performances, we'd raise the 
> flag and the band would go underneath it.A dog that could not be 
> left would have been a deal breaker for me. 
> I'll add tha chasing boys is what us girls like to do. Why 
> should these girls not have done this? What if one of them had a 
> hobby like my marching that she really enjoyed? Would your anser 
> be different? 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On Behalf Of GARY STEEVES
> Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 2:50 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Going out during training
> 
> 
> Hi Tracy:
> 
> I agree with you. During my class I started off slowly leaving 
> Bogart alone in the room and would see how he reacted. I sort of 
> broke the rules first by showing up at the end of day meeting 
> without Bogart. My room was right across from the meeting room 
> so I could hear what he was doing. I live in an apartment so it 
> was crucial that I could have confidence in him that he wouldn't 
> bark if I left him home alone. I think my instructors trusted me 
> and how I worked with Bogart so I think they got what I was 
> trying to do.
> 
> 
> 
> Once he was pretty good I did nip down to the bar for a beer or 
> two but he was never lefr alone for more than 4 hours.
> 
> The othergirls in the class were all under 18 and they were 
> interested in checking out boys at the local coffee shop.  
> It was actually Bogart's brother, Byran, who did all the barking 
> which did worry me a bit with regards to Bogart but so far he 
> seems very good in this regard.
> 
> I don't think the girls should have been sent home but I think 
> that if the dog wasn't doing good being left alone then they 
> should have had to work at it to build up the dogs trust that 
> you'd come back.
> 
> Gary
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
> Date: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 11:23 am
> Subject: [nagdu] Going out during training
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> 
> > I don't think that going out with a brand-new dog, in an 
> > unfamiliar area,
> > during class is a good idea, certainly not in the first couple 
> > weeks.  It
> > takes a while for the dog and person to adjust to each other, 
> > and, until
> > that happens, the guiding/following may not be all it should be.
> > As to going out without the dog, I wonder what people think 
> > should happen
> > in the following:
> > I was rather shocked by an episode Gary related about his 
> > class.  People
> > were free to go out after the training day, and it sounded 
> like 
> > one woman
> > was making a habit of taking off, leaving her dog in the room, 
> > where it
> > started barking its head off, and other people repeatedly had 
> to 
> > go and
> > deal with the problem.
> > If people are free to go out, and their dog causes a problem 
> in their
> > absence, I think it would be reasonable to give them a 
> warning, 
> > and, if it
> > happens again, send them home.  After all, they're in 
> class 
> > to learn how
> > to handle a dog, and if bar-hopping is more important...out 
> they go!
> > 
> > It did sound nice in Gary's class, to be able to nip down to 
> the 
> > cornerand have a brewski.  But TSE is too far out in the 
> > country for that.  GDB
> > too, for that matter.
> > Tracy
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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