[nagdu] Stress Issues

Mon Sep 12 14:26:02 UTC 2011

Laura,

I agree about having your dog checked for some kind of thyroid or vitamin 
deficiency, but for now it would be helpful if you could arrange a stress 
free play period even if it's contrived.  could you close your room mate's 
door and let the dog run up and down the hallway with a ball or Kong?  Is 
there a time of day you can be alone with the dog without your room mate's 
being there?

the best thing I do when advising others of what's safe on the floor is to 
use the toddler analogy.  If you wouldn't let a toddler put it in their 
mouth, then it shouldn't be on the floor when the dog is around. 
Admittedly, this is sometimes easier said than done, but it's a good rule of 
thumb to live by.

I can tell you from experience that giving the dog a few minutes to blow off 
steam can really help reduce stress and improve concentration and general 
enthusiasm for work.  I was a full time college student and part time campus 
employee when I had my first dog, so Hunter and I would often be working for 
12 hours a day which meant we'd walk for miles and he'd have to catch doggie 
naps during classes.  If I had a chance to zoom by my place for lunch or to 
pick up something I forgot I'd unharness Hunter and do a brief game of Kong 
tossing or just get him excited so he'd do NASCAR laps around the apartment 
a few times.  I lived in a 600 square foot apartment with a fairly open 
floor plan, so Hunter could just burn off some energy in a safe place with 
no threats of being reprimanded for picking up unapproved objects.  This 
really did seem to help recharge his batteries for the next long period of 
intense work.

I did a modified version of this when I was going through Trekker Breeze 
training at the Guide Dog Foundation.  I'd Let Katy play with her ring while 
running around my small room during our lunch break.  All she could really 
do was run from the door to the wall and then back again, but even this 
helped her to decompress and prepare for another bout of ignoring other dogs 
and concentrating on new areas.

HTH

Lisa

It seems I have 3 personalities. One that has a plan, one that completely 
screws up the plan, and one that says "what the hell happened to the plan?"
Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at frontier.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lora" <blindhistory at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Stress Issues

>I am very concerned if he gets loose outside that he won't come back.
> As far as getting things off the floor i t has been affecting his
> guide work and he dives for things on the floor in harness too. The
> problem is that he eats dangerous things like poisonous plants safety
> pins etc.
>
> On 9/5/11, Dan Weiner <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net> wrote:
>> Well, none of you will like this  but, maybe don't worry so much if your 
>> dog
>> gets things off the floor in your apartment, if your roommate drops
>> something and he eats it, just let it go and say tomorrow's another day.
>> Or just tell him not to do it, put him on leash temporarily and let him 
>> go
>> again.
>> He may just be an exuberant dog who's pretty determined and you might 
>> just
>> have to let things ride a bit.
>> Carter is a great working dog but he can get in to things or try to steal
>> things, it's part of being a dog.
>>
>> Now, what I don't know is whether your roommate has a melt-down every 
>> time
>> that happens--smile.
>>
>> If outside, the main thing that would worry me is if she, or he got loose
>> and you couldn't get the dog back.
>>
>> You're obviously feeling stressed an that's also contributing.
>> I've gone through this and I suspect what is happening could be, every 
>> time
>> you let your pup loose in doors you're on tenterhooks because you think 
>> the
>> pup's getting in to something.
>>
>> Now, having said all of that, I do think the school should feel a little
>> ridiculous saying that it  is "just not an off leash dog".
>>
>> All of my dogs, though, have done mischievous things indoors sooner or 
>> later
>> and I'm afraid that for the most part I didn't put them on a 24 hour 
>> leash
>> or tie-down regimen.  I suspect I'm flying in the face of the party line 
>> but
>> it worked out for me.
>> The only time Carter's on leash at home is if someone new is coming to 
>> the
>> door because he gests too excited and wants to run out the door and take 
>> his
>> time getting back in, and if I think someone left food on the counter.
>> He's on leash at home very rarely...oh, and yes when the cleaning lady 
>> comes
>> because she's afraid he's going to bite even though he won't--lol.
>>
>>
>> So, that's maybe one half of a percent of the time--smile.  That isn't
>> saying that you're doing things wrong, but I think it's the ideal not to
>> have your dog under wraps 24/7.
>>
>>
>> Dan the man, Carter the nut
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Lora
>> Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 12:11 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Stress Issues
>>
>> My dog eats things off the ground even though I try and pick up. He tries 
>> to
>> eat things off the edge of tables. He tries to drink out of my roommates 
>> cup
>> even though he has fresh water in his bowl. Off leash outside he gets 
>> into
>> the garden and eats produce eats grass all the time and anything else he 
>> can
>> find to put in his mouth even though he has a toy outside. If I have the
>> door closed to my room he will lay next to me but that's about it. If my
>> roommate accidentally drops something my dog immediately comes over and 
>> eats
>> it. I'm not trying to be a pesamist just trying to explain.
>>
>> On 9/5/11, Dan Weiner <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net> wrote:
>>> Well, remember, none of us know you and your dog, unfortunately.
>>> But, what exactly are the issues you have off-leash.
>>> My personal inclination, and it sounds like I'm being mean but I'm
>>> really not trying to be, just being blunt, is that maybe the dog's
>>> being stressed because you feel the need or you've had to micromanage
>>> him, keeping him, or her, on leash or tie-down, or the crate.
>>> So, I'm just curious what does he/she do when say you let him off
>>> leash at home, does he get in to things, maybe you can just let him
>>> off leash when you're at home in your dorm room or whatever?
>>>
>>> I realize the way it sounds is as if I were lambasting you, but I'm
>>> not trying to, I'm more trying to be a detective to see what's the 
>>> matter.
>>>
>>> I've known one or two people who's dogs were stressed because it turns
>>> out, they just got no freedom whatsoever, every move they make was
>>> being regulated because the handler was so nervous about what would
>> happen.
>>>
>>> Dan the man, Carter the nut
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Cindy Ray
>>> Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 11:44 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Stress Issues
>>>
>>> Wow! I don't think "I guess this dog just can't be an off leash dog"
>>> is really an acceptable answer. I have had a batch of dogs and several
>>> problems, but I never had one that had to always be tied, leashed, or
>>> crated. Cindy
>>>
>>> On Sep 5, 2011, at 10:39 AM, Lora wrote:
>>>
>>>> My school gave me lots of methods that I tried to get this dog to
>>>> listen of leash and finally the school was like well I guess this dog
>>>> can't be an off leash dog.
>>>>
>>>> On 9/5/11, Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> I can't remember if you have spoken to the school about this. You
>>>>> shouldn't have lots of off leash problems with him at this point. If
>>>>> it was stress though, wouldn't his guiding be affected, too? I don't
>>>>> really know. I had a dog once that the vet said was stress drinking,
>>>>> but she was a good working dog. I hope someone can help you more
>>>>> than I
>>> can apparently help.
>>>>>
>>>>> CL
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sep 5, 2011, at 10:25 AM, Lora wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I've had him for about a year. I know I have a very busy lifestyle.
>>>>>> His guide work is amazing and I like him as a dog. His off leash
>>>>>> issues are about the only issue. I've had previous dogs that have
>>>>>> had lots of problems.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 9/5/11, Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> I can't remember how long you have had this dog. Weren't you
>>>>>>> having trouble with him from the time you got him? I can't
>>>>>>> remember for sure. I can't remember where he came from either,
>>>>>>> though in the end that wouldn't matter.
>>>>>>> Why do you think he has so much stress in his life?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Cindy
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sep 5, 2011, at 10:08 AM, Lora wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hello List:
>>>>>>>> I know we've probably had this discussion before but I would
>>>>>>>> appreciate it if we could have it again. My dog is loosing a lot
>>>>>>>> of hair and I think it is due to stress since he is on a good
>>>>>>>> diet. I can't trust him off leash since he doesn't listen at all.
>>>>>>>> I have tried letting him play on a flexilead but he won't run
>>>>>>>> around. I play with him tug of war and other games like that but
>>>>>>>> I don't think he's getting enough stress out of his life. Do you
>>>>>>>> have
>>> any suggestions?
>>>>>>>> Thank You.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Lora
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Lora
>>>>>>
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>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Lora
>>>>
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>>
>> --
>> Lora
>>
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>
>
> -- 
> Lora
>
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