[nagdu] Distractibility

Tracy Carcione carcione at access.net
Fri Jan 13 19:32:55 UTC 2012


Oh ya Margo, I've been writing that letter to TSE in my mind for years! 
:.)  And you have a good point about making sure we agree on definitions. 
My trainer told me that Ben was a sensitive guy.  I still haven't figured
out what she meant by that.  She also said that if I praised him to
enthusiastically in the street that it distracted him, so maybe that's
what she meant by "sensitive."  Beats me.

They did do a good job on many fronts.  I wanted a dog with a
faster-than-stroll pace, who could work in the City 2 or 3 days a week,
but still be happy on the days we didn't go in.  I didn't want a dog who
would be bouncing off the walls when he wasn't working.  I didn't want a
dog who would bug Echo to play a lot, because Echo doesn't enjoy other
dogs.  And Ben is all those things.  So I'll just have to add that I want
a dog who's a bit easier to correct, and less interested in goofing off,
and I'll have an A #1 dog!
Huh, it's probably just as well Ben can't write to the list.  No doubt he
has complaints of his own.
Tracy

> when it's time to get another dog, which I hope is way far in the future,
> talk to the staff at Tse or wherever you go to get your next dog and give
> just the concerns and contrasts you gave in this email.  have the school
> define to you or work out a mutual definition of a city dog.  what is a
> city
> dog?
>
> buffalo is fast-paced in soem places and slow-paced in other places.  I
> ask
> for a dog with lots of flexibility; a dog that does not require routine; a
> dog that enjoys being stimulated by solving problems; a dog that I hardly
> or
> never have to steady; a dog that strolls; a dog that requires mostly
> gentle
> verbal corrections and occasional leash corrections.  Ben is probably a
> harder dog than Arrow.  I also like a dog that takes things in stride
> during
> his work and arrow does that.  if he can be with me, wherever I go, it's
> okay and we'll figure it out in some kind of way.
>
> If we go to a place he hasn't been for a while and this is mainly outdoors
> or a new place outdoors, he will foget his manners and start to sniff.  if
> the places are more routein, he won't sniff.
>
> Margo and Arrow
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 11:34 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] Distractibility
>
>
>> Hi Margo.
>> I guess I just worry that, since I work in the City, I will always get a
>> tough-minded city dog.  Ben doesn't bat an eyelash at New York
>> craziness.
>> He doesn't usually bat an eyelash at my corrections, either.  It's a
>> trade-off, I guess.  But Buffalo is supposed to be a fast-paced town,
>> and
>> Arrow doesn't sound too tough, so you give me some hope.
>> Echo was very easy to correct, but she's a soft GDB gal, while Benny is
>> a
>> Jersey boy through and through.  Yo!
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>> Arrow doesn't distract by other dogs and he does sniff sometimes but a
>>> gentle hup-hup does the trick.  I never have to steady him.  We just
>>> stroll
>>> along at a gentle pace--very relaxed.
>>>
>>> Margo and Arrow
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:18 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] My new dog
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Buddy.
>>>> That's encouraging.  At least there are some dogs out there who are
>>>> not
>>>> easily distracted.  Ben's weakness is sniffing, and my corrections
>>>> don't
>>>> make much of an impression.  I want my next dog to not always be
>>>> looking
>>>> for a chance to cop a sniff.
>>>> But, other than that, Ben is very easy to live with, very tranquil and
>>>> without any bad habits besides sniffing and emptying on route. Well,
>>>> and
>>>> acting like "Are you talking to me?"  Little wise guy.
>>>>
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Tracy,
>>>>>
>>>>> My experience mostly agrees with your experience, but Leno must be a
>>>>> mutant or something, because, approaching a year and a half later and
>>>>> he's
>>>>> *still* really quiet. There was a brief time when he'd get a little
>>>>> distracted by other dogs, but that settled down very quickly, and
>>>>> even
>>>>> that wasn't bad at all. Nothing like Chet's distractibility, and
>>>>> nothing
>>>>> that was at all hard to get control over. Still, I do think Leno's
>>>>> pretty
>>>>> unusual in that respect; it was pretty much what I saw was what I
>>>>> got,
>>>>> no
>>>>> surprises.
>>>>> --
>>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jan 12, 2012, at 7:46 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Mark!  I've been wondering how it was going for you.  Glad to
>>>>>> hear
>>>>>> it's
>>>>>> going well.  And he sounds like a fine fellow.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In my experience, dogs may start out quiet, but, once they start
>>>>>> feeling
>>>>>> comfortable, they start coming out of their shell and testing you to
>>>>>> see
>>>>>> what rules will stay and which will go.  In class, it takes a week
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> two
>>>>>> to start.  Not sure if it's the same at home, but I'd think it would
>>>>>> be.
>>>>>> Hope all continues to go well.
>>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My new dog is doing well. I got him on Tuesday the 3, and yesterday
>>>>>>> we
>>>>>>> were doing subway work.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> He is an almost 80lb male shepherd. His coloration was called
>>>>>>> "sable."
>>>>>>> The tip of his tale is black, almost like he dipped it in a bucket
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> paint. He is extremely well behaved, and whenever I stop to talk to
>>>>>>> someone, he lays down on my left side. Whenever I am at a counter,
>>>>>>> he
>>>>>>> automatically lays down between my feet and the counter. He never
>>>>>>> barks,
>>>>>>> or chews anything in the house. Unless there is some sort of super
>>>>>>> compelling distraction like pidgins, he listens to me almost 100%
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> time.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My only complaint is sniffing distractions, and bird distractions.
>>>>>>> However, the bird distraction is more amusing than dangerous.
>>>>>>> Whenever,
>>>>>>> he
>>>>>>> sees a bird on the sidewalk in front of him, he stairs at it, while
>>>>>>> walking strait at it. When the bird gets scared and flies off, he
>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>> so
>>>>>>> happy, bouncing and wagging his tale.  I don't get on his case
>>>>>>> about
>>>>>>> bird
>>>>>>> distractions so long as he doesn't go after birds that are not in
>>>>>>> our
>>>>>>> path
>>>>>>> anyway, and as he is approaching the bird, he can't mess up his
>>>>>>> guide
>>>>>>> work.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have a red rubber stick that my dog loves. This is like doggy
>>>>>>> crack.
>>>>>>> He
>>>>>>> wants this rubber stick, more than he wants beef jerky or other
>>>>>>> high
>>>>>>> value
>>>>>>> food treats.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Let's call the dog Jon. That's not his name, however, that's the
>>>>>>> alias
>>>>>>> we
>>>>>>> are going with to he decides he doesn't want to run over and make
>>>>>>> friends
>>>>>>> with everyone that says his name.
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>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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