[nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals, especially small ones...

Mon Apr 23 17:39:38 UTC 2012

Hi.  this is just me, but I wouldn't want to use a prong collar or 
halty/gentle leader without some training from a trainer.  They showed us 
how to use them at the GDF, but that was years ago and I couldn't tell you 
how to put a GL on a dog if my life depended on it. <grin>

Plus you need to change how you correct the dog.  It does a fabulous job of 
letting you know where the dog's head is, but because of how they fit on the 
dog you can't give a hard leash correction with them because it could damage 
the dog's spine.

Not saying they don't have their place, but honestly, I'd feel better for 
Hannah and Princess if someone from Pilot actually gave some instruction.

1st Law of Procrastination: that which can be done will be done . . . 
TOMORROW!!
Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at frontier.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 11:48 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals,especially small 
ones...

> Hannah,
> Have you ever used a head collar such as a gental leader or halti with 
> your dog?  The advantage of using a head collar in this kind of situation 
> is that you can use the collar to move the dog's head away from the 
> distraction.
> Best of luck,
>
>
> Rox
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 23, 2012, at 10:19 AM, "Hannah Chadwick" <sparklylicious at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>
>> Julie,
>> Thank you. I do have a few friends who are guide dog users, and I've 
>> spoken
>> with them. However, they haven't had all these things pop up that I've 
>> had.
>> Juanita, it sounds like your dog listens well. I usually have to do some
>> serious corrections or just drag Princess away from the distraction. I 
>> don't
>> like doing this, but it seems that I have to or she won't budge.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Julie J.
>> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 8:08 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals, especially 
>> small
>> ones...
>>
>> Hannah,
>>
>> I think the struggles you are having with Princess stem from a 
>> discrepancy
>> between what you expected and what you got.  It could be that what you
>> expect is absolutely within normal parameters for a guide dog and 
>> Princess
>> isn't trained to that standard.  Or it could be that what you are 
>> expecting
>> is not attainable or not at this point in the partnership.  Either way, 
>> it's
>> clear that you are not happy with her level of guiding.
>>
>> If it helps I think everyone had ideas of what a guide dog would be like
>> before they actually got one;  marvelous, ease of travel, less getting 
>> lost,
>> safer, faster etc.  I'd also bet that most of us had some surprises in 
>> the
>> first year.  I know for me I seriously underestimated how much the dog 
>> would
>> think on his own.  that sounds silly.  It's true though.  I never
>> anticipated all the give and take that would be involved.  I never 
>> thought
>> I'd stand on the corner and have discussions with the dog about which
>> direction we'd be going.  I thought I'd say left and the dog would go 
>> left.
>> While that's generally true, there are a million exceptions to why it 
>> isn't
>> exactly true.
>>
>> Do you have friends with guide dogs in your area?  It might be helpful to
>> visit with some people in person and see how they work with their guides.
>> Email isn't always the best means of communication.  We do tend to talk
>> about the more positive aspects of having a guide, although I have 
>> noticed a
>> trend in the past few years to be a lot more honest about the less 
>> pleasant
>> bits.
>>
>> I guarantee you that each and every guide dog handler has had their share 
>> of
>> struggles, especially in that first year or so.  Monty, bless his heart, 
>> was
>> a distracted horror for the longest time.  In the very beginning when I 
>> was
>> still training him, he used to bounce up and down when he saw another 
>> dog.
>> I mean literally bounce up and down like TTigger. He used to pick up all
>> sorts of crap off the sidewalk, trash, sticks, bugs, a snake once...oh 
>> and
>> the dead bird.  I remember walking round and round at the park with him 
>> so
>> we could come to an understanding about the squirrels.  Now he's pretty 
>> good
>> about the squirrels, rabbits and cats, but if one gets within two or 
>> three
>> feet of
>> us, he will make a lunge for it.   They usually don't get that close, so
>> it's a compromise I'm willing to live with.   He doesn't pick up stuff
>> anymore and he's 99% better about other dogs.  It took work to get there.
>>
>> My experience is different though because I owner train.  I expect 
>> nothing
>> in the beginning.  You were expecting a fully trained and trustworthy 
>> guide
>> and you didn't get that.  I think the question now is, what are you 
>> willing
>> to do? There are lots of options and people have made many suggestions. I
>> hope you find the path that is right for you.
>>
>> all my best,
>> Julie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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>
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