[nagdu] new guide dog user with questions

[Chantel Cuddemi]

Hi,

I am also a first-timer from Pilot Dogs. The TSE and Pilot both teach us
leash corrections, which is what you were trained to do. 

You're not abusing your dog in any way by giving him leash corrections so
your friend needs to mind her own business and stop interfering with you and
your dog. 

As long as you don't make his paws go off the ground, you should be fine. 

As for your son walking with you, perhaps someone else can help you with
that one. 

Chantel and Pilot Dog Motley

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ramona Davidson
Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 9:00 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] new guide dog user with questions

Hello, I'm new to the list and new to being a guide dog user. I have
some questions that may seem stupid, but remember, I'm new at this.

First off let me start by introducing myself.
I'm Mona, I have a 4 year old son, and a yellow lab named Ismael who I
received on July 4th from the seeing eye. We have only been a team for
about 6 weeks.

Here are my questions, sorry this will be kind of long.

Is it normal in the beginning, to want to check for the curb when
walking down a side walk, to make sure the dog did not veer in to a
driveway, parking lot, or out in the street? I often find myself
stopping, asking him to turn toward the street, and tapping my foot
out to find the curb, when I do find it I tell him good boy and ask
him to go back in the direction we were going. Will this type of
behavior ruin him?? I'm fairly sure after I grow to trust him I won't
continue this behavior but for now I need it for my since of mind. Am
I just confusing him? Should I quit doing this?

How do you all deal with negative responses regarding corrections from
outsiders? I was at pet smart with a friend recently, and had to
correct Ismael for bad behavior. He was distracted with other dogs,
treats, people, and toys. He was running me in to objects left and
right, lunging this way and that and sniffing everyone and everything.
I had given him a few verbal corrections and that didn't work so I
went to a one handed leash correction. My friend who was with me
flipped out and started saying that if only I could have saw his face
when I did that and how I was over reacting and that I was mean. I
told her I wasn't going to argue about it in the store but when we got
in to the car I would be glad to explain a few things to her. Her mood
was less than pleasurable from then on out. As soon as we got in to
the car I explained to her that his behavior was unacceptable, she
tried making excuses, it was crazy in there and you can't really
expect him to not act like a dog she said. I told her, well that would
be true but we were in this very same situation not more than two
weeks ago during training and he made it in and out of the store
without one single verbal or leash correction.  And there were as many
distractions if not more. He knows how to act and he's testing me.
Obviously she didn't care to hear it. I also explained to her that he
cannot decipher between when it's safe to have distractions and when
it's not and even though it wasn't like I was crossing a street, he
was running me in to shelves people and other animals, and had I let
him get away with it next time it could be during a more dangerous
moment like crossing a street. She said she understood but she hasn't
been the same towards me since, I also told her that if she couldn't
handle me correcting him that I would have to back off from her for a
while because I couldn't have anyone interrupting me and what I have
been taught. Did I handle this situation right? Was I over the top? I
pushed her away, and I'm sad about that but maybe it's for the best? I
even showed her the video we got from the school but honestly, it
leaves much to be desired.\

I also have a 4 year old son, I'm working hard at not letting them
bond right off because we are so new, but he's already attached to
him, sometimes when he's sitting beside me he just stares off at my
son like he'd rather be with him, I don't know what to do. It doesn't
affect our partnership or his work unless my son is walking with us.
But when I'm walking just him and I without my son his guide work is
flawless. I'm still trying to figure out if when we are walking my son
makes him nervous, or if he'd rather take commands from my son. This
stuff is so confusing. And it's not that he just doesn't want to work
for me when my son is with us, he does, but I can tell a noticeable
difference in his guide work.

I'm sorry this has already been so long; I have so many questions and
hate to bombard everyone with them in rapid fire succession

Thanks in advance, Mona.

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