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

Tue Apr 24 17:02:05 UTC 2012

You know you can always tell the trainer that this solution is unacceptable.
Not cool of him to say "correct and then go back to training"
That's asking an awful lot of anybody who gota dog to make his/her life easier.
Presumably, you have stuff you need and want to do, stuff that you can't or won't be able to do.
I'd push back on this, even threatening to send the dog back if you are prepared to go that route.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Hannah Chadwick
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 4:00 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals, especially small ones...

Lisa,
I did call the school today and got to talk to the head trainer. He seems to
think that corrections is the way to solve all these issues so I guess I'll
just keep doing what I'm doing. He did say I could call back in a few weeks
and if nothing works, then I might have to go back to training...

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Lisa belville
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 10:29 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals, especially small
ones...

Hi, Hannah.

Were you able to get in touch verbally with a Pilot trainer?  It sounds like
some follow up might be helpful.

These aren't necessarily deal breakers, in fact most of us have had some of
these issues with our dogs.  But having a trainer who knows the school's
training techniques goes a long way toward building your confidence as a
team.

Lisa

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

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hannah Chadwick" <sparklylicious at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 10:19 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Wanting to Chase all moving animals,especially small
ones...

> 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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