[nagdu] leaving your dog alone

Sean Moore sean.moore at mediacombb.net
Fri Jul 15 21:30:51 UTC 2011


clicker .... I need to learn how to you one of those. I have one lying 
around the house somewhere.

Also maybe be more firm with Franklin too.

Heck I remember when I was in training I thought I wouldn't finish for so 
many reasons.

The Grad Service Manager, Heidi I thnks I worry too much.


Maybe she's right.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2011 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] leaving your dog alone


> Oh, goodie! We can go around talking our dogs' heads off. /lol/
> Apparently, a surprising number of guide dog users do that without
> realizing it until somebody points it out to them. Those who have
> admitted to such silliness don't appear to know why they're doing it,
> either. Living alone does make it really easy to fall into the havit of
> just talking to your dog like you do people, though. Then again, now
> that I live with two other humans and another dog and a chincilla, we
> all just talk to all the animals like they're people, and they just act
> like this is normal and that they have come to expect it. We sspell
> words in front of the dogs before we realize that this is not fooling
> them a tall.  /lol/
>
> So I've been considering why I talk so much to Mitzi about what we're
> doing and where we're going and so forth. When we're at the dog park,
> people seem to be a little confused by my asking her where things are,
> like the trash for a full doggie bag, until she just walks over and
> shows me while I follow her jingle. Or I will ask her where her ball is,
> aand they won't realize I'm talking to her. /lol/ She's trained to "show
> me" but "where is...?" works just as well. Funny critter.
>
> Anyway, I've also been noticing that my dog is trained and doesn't need
> a whole lot of cheerleading from me anymore, but I always end up with my
> clicker in hand, using it to click randomly without realizing it in a
> way that I can't possibly pass of even to myself as reinforcing behavior
> more complex than putting one foot in front of the other. So one day I
> left Mitzi at the groomer, grabbed my cane and clicker and off I went,
> clicking that cane every time it hesitated to allow me to figure out
> where I was in order to find something...  I would catch myself asking
> myself where's the door... Um...
>
> So I finally clued in to what I'm actually doing there. I'm using
> echolocation to figure out my surroundings. /lol/ I go around yakking
> annoyingly -- even to myself -- sometimes whn I'm feeling a bit lost
> literally just to hear the sound of my own voice. So now I'm working on
> finding ways to use echolocation without alla the random
> chatter. /smmile/ The clicker really does make a difference, and Mitzi
> is apparently used to my random clicking  beyond reinforcing the
> occasional good move just for kicks... Huh. Some trainer I am. /lol/  I
> can't use the ffinger snap technique of echolocation, because that's
> what I use with her to let her know I'm serious and she can now stop
> testing me and remember her manners.  Don't have to do that often, but
> it's a quick way to end an argument when she's beeing snotty. The
> tongue-click doesn't always work for me, but I'm kinda trying it, too. I
> feel very stupid just at the thought of using it in public, but if it
> works...
>
> I will still keep talking to Mitzi like she's people, of course, and she
> will still nod and grin and show me where things are just because I
> happen to be wondering.  /grin/
>
> Tami
>
> On Thu, 2011-07-14 at 18:31 -0400, Sean Moore wrote:
>> One of these days I need to meet you Tami. You also seem to talk to Mitzi 
>> as
>> much as I do Franklin. Maybe because I live alone and that i'm only my 
>> early
>> 20s.
>>
>> No idea.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2011 5:41 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] leaving your dog alone
>>
>>
>> > Gary,
>> >
>> > Ah, the poodle howl. I find Mitzi's quite lovely, but one can't always
>> > vouch for the neighbors sharing one's taste in howling dogs. /lol/ 
>> > Mitzi
>> > has an absolute talent for the little whine and a variety of piteous,
>> > broken-hearted yips to send after me just to make sure I understand how
>> > terribly I have caused her such pain as to step outside the
>> > door... /lol/ I had to work up to leaving her for any time at all by
>> > herself before she was socialized enough to go with  me to more and 
>> > more
>> > places. Actually, I would use grounding as negative reinforcement, and
>> > that actually worked. Who knew? /lol/
>> >
>> > She does much better if I tell her to stay and make sure to let her 
>> > know
>> > where I'm going and why she needs to stay behind, etc., etc. Just 
>> > taking
>> > off without her is a serious infraction of the rules and is not 
>> > allowed!
>> > It had better be a good reason, too, or I am not off the hook! Funny
>> > dog, my poodle. I don't leave her alone at home with no humans present,
>> > because we just can't be that sure of Daisy. We're just not willing to
>> > take the risk that something might happen to set off her anxiety and
>> > cause her to redline, so Mitzi just doesn't stay home with her without
>> > supervision. Just in case. I'm glad to feel perfectly comfortable
>> > leaving her with DD, whom she adores, but... He assures me that if I
>> > want to go off and leave her for so long as 15 minutes to half an hour
>> > that she will drive him nuts. Huh. The couple of times I've done that,
>> > she has apparently paced and sighed and whined , which is all very
>> > heart-rending to him, so then he gets her quited down and tries to 
>> > relax
>> > and watch TV, so she starts all over again.  /smile/ Ah, well. I so
>> > rarely have a reason even to consider leaving her with him that it'snot
>> > a huge trial to me. Also, frankly, I like having my dog with me enough
>> > that there are an extremely limited number of conditions that cause me
>> > to think about it ever. Mostly heat-related in the summer because of 
>> > her
>> > black coat and because of the dearth of sidewalks around here which
>> > means too much walking directly on blacktop. Booties do help with
>> > protecting her paws there, but they seem to increase the effects of 
>> > heat
>> > for her by cutting off one source of air and cooling.  Her coat is just
>> > so super thick that it doesn't let the heat go once it's collected it.
>> > Or am I just too tender-hearted. /lol/
>> >
>> > Anyway, I'm glad to know your poodle does better when you take the time
>> > to explain things to him, whatever it is our mysterious curly ones
>> > perceive or understand of the words we're saying. Frankly, based on my
>> > observations of Mitzi poodle, I would not be at all surpried to learn
>> > science had discovered that what she hears and understands when I talk
>> > is only slightly more advanced than what a human does. I really do
>> > wonder what goes on in that brain of hers. Daisy shows a great deal of
>> > understanding of what we say, as well, and to respond to it, especially
>> > ifit  involves  the word "go." /lol/ Even before we make moves to enact
>> > the plan we concoctedover morning coffee, she knows the game is afoot!
>> > Mitz, however, has responded to specifically to random conversation 
>> > with
>> > strangers for me to discount the possibility that she's getting
>> > something close to a word by word comprehension. You know, I'll be
>> > talking to someone, say at the mall,  and mention that I plan to go
>> > upstairs and hope i remember where the escalator is. THen I'll chat
>> > about other stuff, maybe mention I'm off to Starbuck's first... So then
>> > Mitzi and I part from  whomever it is I was talking to and just kinda 
>> > go
>> > off to Starbuck's , then I pause to wrack my brain again for the
>> > location of that dratted escalator, then notice I haven't said a word
>> > but am being guided straight from Starbuck's to the escalator since 
>> > that
>> > is the next step on the itineraray.  I've actually had arguments with 
>> > my
>> > silly dog over a sudden change in itinerary. Nop! We're going to Plaid
>> > Pantry, then to Meat, then to Wild Oat... Circle K was not on the
>> > itinerary you presented to me, so we're not going there just brecause
>> > you suddenly remembered something you need from them the Plad Pantry
>> > doesn't have. /lol/ She did that a couple of times or more before
>> > finally relenting and agreeing that it wouldn't kill her to allow me to
>> > change my mind every now and then.  I don't get that, really I don't,
>> > but her behavior does indicate that something like that is what is 
>> > going
>> > on. Very strange.
>> >
>> > Tami
>> >
>> > On Tue, 2011-07-12 at 15:34 -0700, GARY STEEVES wrote:
>> >> Hi:
>> >>
>> >> I've learned that Bogart is pretty good at staying alone. Last summer 
>> >> I'd
>> >> had him for about 2 months when my girlfriend went away for 2 weeks. I
>> >> had left him alone for short periods with no issues so he seemed fine 
>> >> for
>> >> the about 5 hours I was out to see some bands.
>> >>
>> >> The only time he had a problem was once when Susan and I went out to 
>> >> look
>> >> at an apartment and thought it best to not introduce the dog issue 
>> >> before
>> >> we even decided if we were interested. We got out side and could hear 
>> >> him
>> >> howling from the back alley. I went back up and sort of got in his 
>> >> face
>> >> and said enough. I got him to his bed and told him to stay. Of course, 
>> >> he
>> >> didn't stay as I was leaving but he got that he wasn't forgotten.
>> >> Saturdays we often take him out to the dog park or for long walks at
>> >> least so he wasn't happy about being left behind. The other time was 
>> >> when
>> >> I was in Germany and left him with Susan. For the one weekday I was 
>> >> away,
>> >> she came home from work to take him out. I didn't think that was
>> >> necessary and when she brought him back and then had to  leave again 
>> >> he
>> >> did the howling thing again. She went back did the same thing as 
>> >> before
>> >> and he was fine. In that case I think he would have been better just 
>> >> to
>> >> have been left alone for longer rather than her coming home and he 
>> >> being
>> >> disappointed with her leaving yet one more time.
>> >>
>> >> I've learned that it is important that I tell him as we are getting 
>> >> ready
>> >> that he is gong to stay home or stay with susan if I have to go out
>> >> without him. He seems to understand in some way what we are saying so 
>> >> is
>> >> less upset.
>> >>
>> >> Yesterday I went out for a bike ride and came home. We played a bit 
>> >> but
>> >> then I had to head out to a jazz jam and it broke my little heart as 
>> >> he
>> >> gave a little whine as he realized what was happening. Our little guys
>> >> certainly have a direct route to our hearts don't they?
>> >>
>> >> Anyway, I think it is important to be able to leave your dog at home
>> >> alone for a good amount of time just so you have the option. I Also 
>> >> agree
>> >> to start in stages. I left him alone while I went and got the mail, or
>> >> went to the storage room, getting the laundry. Once I was sure that 
>> >> was
>> >> fine then it was running to the store or out to get a bottle of wine. 
>> >> :)
>> >> Once that was good it was going out for supper close by and then it 
>> >> ended
>> >> up with me going out to see some bands last summer when Susan was 
>> >> away.
>> >>
>> >> He seems pretty good and we haven't heard him howling or had any 
>> >> negative
>> >> reports from the neighbours so I think my way has worked for Bogart.
>> >>
>> >> Gary
>> >>
>> >> ----- Original Message -----
>> >> From: Wayne Merritt <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
>> >> Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 11:29 am
>> >> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog Schools
>> >> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>> >> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> >>
>> >> > At The Seeing Eye, they recommend slowly introducing the dog to 
>> >> > being
>> >> > left alone, such as leaving for a few minutes, then for an hour, 
>> >> > then
>> >> > for several hours, and so forth. They definitely don't recommend to
>> >> > walk out and leave them in a strange house the first time you leave
>> >> > the dog alone. As you say though, each dog/team is different. The
>> >> > first time I left my current guide at my parent's house, I had
>> >> > forgotten about this gradual leaving the dog home thing. I went to
>> >> > dinner with a friend and was gone for several hours. The next
>> >> > day, I
>> >> > asked my folks how my doggy did, and was told that the dog had some
>> >> > anxiety about being left at home. They did say that when they
>> >> > put her
>> >> > leash on her that she was better, but when I heard about her 
>> >> > anxiety,
>> >> > I also made a mental note not to leave her alone for several
>> >> > hours the
>> >> > first time she was in a new place. That was operator error on my 
>> >> > part
>> >> > and not her fault. Funny, that last statement brings to mind a 
>> >> > phrase
>> >> > I had heard some time ago from a service dog trainer which can be
>> >> > applied to our guides. It went something like, "If something happens
>> >> > an the dog misbehaves, more than likely it's your fault."
>> >> >
>> >> > Wayne
>> >> >
>> >> > On 7/12/11, PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC)
>> >> > <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:
>> >> > > I don't know the duration schools say for leaving a dog
>> >> > shortly after coming
>> >> > > home, but I left my dog for an evening to go to an Indigo
>> >> > Girls concert. The
>> >> > > dog was fine.
>> >> > > I say this because you don't want to sell yourself short of
>> >> > fun stuff to do,
>> >> > > and because our dogs will be fine. I was gone for a night.
>> >> > > Also, it was one of those things where me not going would have
>> >> > been more
>> >> > > upsetting then staying home with my dog.
>> >> > > Also, if you do have to travel, your dog will adjust. That's
>> >> > what they do.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > -----Original Message-----
>> >> > > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-
>> >> > bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> >> > > Of Julie McGinnity
>> >> > > Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 3:21 PM
>> >> > > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
>> >> > > Users
>> >> > > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog Schools
>> >> > >
>> >> > > Hi Brianna.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > I went for my first dog when I was still in high school, so I was
>> >> > > thinking about the same things you seem to be now.  I
>> >> > went to
>> >> > > GEB(Guiding Eyes for the blind).  I had a great
>> >> > experience.  I worked
>> >> > > well with the trainers, even though I was young and worried about
>> >> > > everything.  Even if you would like a shorter program, I
>> >> > just would
>> >> > > like to remind you that all schools recommend that you don't 
>> >> > > travel
>> >> > > with your dog or leave your dog alone to take a trip for the
>> >> > first few
>> >> > > months.  Also, a lot of your first Summer with that dog
>> >> > will be full
>> >> > > of that dog.  You and your dog will be forming a bond,
>> >> > which is quite
>> >> > > magical, but it does take time and energy.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > If you have any questions about Guide dogs, dog schools, or 
>> >> > > Guiding
>> >> > > Eyes, feel free to email me off list.
>> >> > >
>> >> > > Now I have to get my own little dog out from under a
>> >> > bed!  :)
>> >> > >
>> >> > > On 7/11/11, Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> > >> Which school of those do you think you would like?
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >>
>> >> > >> _______________________________________________
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>> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/kaybaycar%40gmail.com>>
>> >> > >
>> >> > >
>> >> > > --
>> >> > > Julie McG
>> >> > >  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating
>> >> > member in Opera
>> >> > > Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of 
>> >> > > Guiding
>> >> > > Eyes for the Blind
>> >> > >
>> >> > > "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>> >> > > everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>> >> > > life."
>> >> > > John 3:16
>> >> > >
>> >> > > _______________________________________________
>> >> > > nagdu mailing list
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>> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%40tasc.com>
>> >> > > _______________________________________________
>> >> > > nagdu mailing list
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>> >> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail.com>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > -- 
>> >> > Follow me on Twitter at:
>> >> > www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
>> >> > My websites:
>> >> > www.wayneism.com
>> >> > www.whitecaneday.org
>> >> >
>> >> > _______________________________________________
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>> >>
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