[nagdu] GDF training

[Jenine Stanley]

Thank you all for your interest in how GDF's training is slightly different
from that at other schools. As always the disclaimer applies that everyone's
mileage may vary on this but these have been my experiences as a graduate
since 1990 and staff member since 2008. 

Back in 1990 when I first went to GDF, I knew a bit about having a guide
dog. I'd had 2 already from another school. I also knew that dogs could do
more than what that school told me they could but I had no idea how to get a
dog to the point of being able to do all those extra things. 

Needless to say, I was amazed when taught at GDF that I was indeed a dog
handler and had the knowledge and power to teach my dog additional things.
This was back before clickers and food rewards. 

Nothing wrong at all with using those training techniques but I was taught,
and GDf still does teach people, how to teach my dog to find things for me
without using a clicker or food. It was my job to retain the training
techniques. 

My first instructor told me that my dog would do as much or as little as I
expected of her as long as she understood those expectations. 

At that time during our training, we learned how to show the dogs the
difference between a flight of stairs going up or down. I could then say to
my GDF dog, "Find steps up." In a staircase and he or she would choose the
correct flight of stairs. Same with escalators. 

This has been dropped from most classes now as people just weren't using it,
but it's something I work with each of my dogs during class to master. 

The greatest difference I saw back in the '90's with my GDF dogs that
continues to this day is the use of the "find command". More schools are
indeed using this command in many ways but it's been at GDF for much longer
than I've been associated with them. 

During class at the Smithtown facility, you are expected to have your dog
find your seat in the dining room each day, an empty seat in the lecture
rooms, your own room, doors, the training vans, the trash cans at the relief
area and anything else you want him or her to find for you. I teach my dogs
to find the Coke machine right away. <grin> 

All of this is done without clickers or food or other external devices. The
dogs work for praise. 

Yes, we do use clickers in some phases of training but not during formal
class and wean the dogs off them quickly. We do use food and suggest its use
in problem solving but we don't expect you to carry around a treat pouch to
get your dog to work. 

Some of the things people from other schools find challenging about class,
and I'm speaking here of class in our facility, include the footwork. We
have you step off with your right foot, using your left leg as a fulcrum to
steady yourself. 

I had to work to overcome my original training of investigating the curb
with my right foot then stepping off with the left. This often found me
losing my balance and stumbling off the curb onto my dog. I've never done
that starting with the right foot. 

Some people will note that their dogs don't care which foot they start off
on and the dog adjusts. Some dogs do. Others struggle with it. I'm told
often by grads and observers that our dogs watch the handler's feet for
position and any uncertainty and correct their guiding accordingly. 

We also do some of the turns a bit differently. I'm struggling here to
recall what was done in my last class regarding left turns as I do them the
original way I was taught at GDF. This involves coming to a corner and
before giving the "left" command, turning my body 90 degrees to face left,
trying not to twist the handle of course. My knees are against my dog's
side. Then I give the "left" turn command and my dog has space to back up
around any obstacles like shrubbery or poles at the corner. 

The right turn command also is a tad different from what I was used to
before. It involves taking a step back with the right foot then putting your
weight on that foot and moving the left one back as well to give the dog
space to make the turn. 

In my early days at GDF we used a lot of hand signals. Those were dropped by
Mike Sergeant but are being reinstituted. Some people choose to use them and
some do not. I can't live without them. The thought is that using hand
signals does alert your dog to focus more on your body movements for
direction. 

The final thing that is different about GDF that is probably the toughest
thing to learn is leash guiding. Yes we teach it and yes we teach it in a
very specific way to stay safe. 

Do many dogs guide on leash? Sure they do but can they do so in Manhattan?
Our dogs have. 

That said, we have drastically revised our leash guiding instructions due to
the increasing traffic threat out there. Distracted drivers don't give dogs
enough time to react when leash guiding so we no longer recommend using
leash guiding for street work. It can be used indoors, in familiar areas
outside without traffic but isn't recommended for street crossing any
longer. 

The distance between the dog's head and shoulders and your body is
significantly shorter when leash guiding, giving less reaction time. Your
hand should be in a specific position on the leash with a specific length of
leash between you and the dog. It's not as easy as it sounds. 

I can imagine some of you saying "that's not really very different from my
school." 

It may not be now as many schools have picked up on some of our methods.
Some instructors still get into friendly but heated discussions with me
about why the "Find" command is impossible and often misused. My response is
to ask if those misusing the command are from schools who teach it during
class thoroughly such as Southeastern and GDF. The answer, a sheepish no. 

When teaching your dog to find something, you're also paying attention to
the dog's signals when it's not there. You also are a partner in helping to
find it, not just giving a command and hanging on. 

I'll end this message with a situation that always gets me. I've even caught
our grads doing it. Them I can chide, in a friendly way of course. 

We're in a room, say at a convention, and someone comes up and asks how to
get out of the room. 

My thought, "Tell your dog to 'find outside'. Or whatever the command is you
use to find a doorway. Your dog can do these things. It's up to you to
practice and keep him sharp. It's also up to you to use your knowledge of
orientation to give him clues. That's what GDF taught me. Hope this helps.  

Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com
http://www.twitter.com/jeninems