[nagdu] Distractibility

Margo and Arrow margo.downey at verizon.net
Fri Jan 13 21:33:15 UTC 2012 

Tracy, also remember that the things a trainer finds in a dog may not always 
be the same things you find.  The trainer is the trainer; you are you. 
that's why matching is an art nd a science.  (smile).  That's why it's 
subjective and objective at the same time and it sounds as if I'm talking 
out of both sides of my mouth about this.  (smile).

Next time, have the trainer define things.  Sensitive means so many 
things--what you interpret that it means and what it means to the trainer 
sound very different perhaps.

and, then, you know, we can only have close to perfect dogs anyway. 
(smile).

Believe me, I have honed my dog criteria every time I have gotten a new one.


And I 'm sure you have, too, so hone away.

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: Friday, January 13, 2012 2:32 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Distractibility


> 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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>>>>>
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>>>>>
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>
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