[nagdu] Owner training

[Julie J.]

Sharonda,

To the best of my knowledge there is no single resource that explains 
how to train a guide dog start to finish.  Over the years I have read 
dozens, maybe into the hundreds, of dog training books and books about 
guide dogs.  There are bits of training info scattered throughout them.  
For me it's been a process of getting what info I could from books, 
other guide dog handlers, blogs, lists like this one and the rare guide 
dog trainer who has been willing to talk to me and putting the pieces 
together into a training plan.

I am still working on my book. *sigh*  I think it's been two years now, 
but I haven't given up yet.  I promise one of these days I will get it 
done! *smile* I don't intend for it to be any sort of manual on how to 
train your own guide dog.  It's more just my experience and what worked 
for me.

Julie




On 1/19/2012 3:38 PM, Sharonda Greenlaw wrote:
> Thank you all for sharing your owner-training experiences. I have
> thought about doing a little bit of this. Where can I find out more
> about training for specific tasks?
>
> Sharonda
>
> On 1/19/12, Tracy Carcione<carcione at access.net>  wrote:
>> Hi Robert.
>> The first owner-trainer I ever met, back in the 1980's, was Paul Gabias, a
>> psychology professor now living in British Columbia.  When I asked him
>> about owner training one evening over a beer, he said he decided early on
>> that dog training was not rocket science, and that he certainly knew
>> enough about operant conditioning to do the job, without having to turn
>> any control over to any kind of agency serving the blind, as he saw the
>> guide dog schools.  His preferred breed was goldens, so he found a breeder
>> whose dogs he liked and got a puppy.  I don't know if he did this, but
>> some breeders offer a contract allowing the dog to be returned if it's not
>> working out in its new home.
>> I think Paul started taking the pup-in-training around with him as much as
>> possible, as soon as it was reliably housebroken.  I know he also did
>> considerable work on specific situations, for example, making sure he dog
>> was careful around the lake dock.
>>
>> Owner-training seems to appeal to you psych guys.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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>