[nagdu] traffic work at GDF

[Marsha Drenth]

Jenine, 

Awww darn! *smile* humph! LOL 
Well I actually wasn't going to ask, just wanted you to sweat. *smile* 

Now I am curious, if a say a student can't hear the car, how would the traffic training be different? 

Holy Cow, only 2 weeks until I am in class. Wow!

Marsha drenthSent from my iPhone

On Sep 8, 2012, at 4:49 PM, "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com> wrote:

> Hi All, 
> 
> Let me clear up the question about traffic training at GDF. 
> 
> Terrie is correct that at one time we did use, for some teams, a strategy by
> which the person could administer self traffic checks. 
> 
> Please capitalize, bold and italicize this for yourselves. We are no longer
> teaching individuals how to traffic check their dogs as a means of regular
> maintenance of traffic training. 
> 
> In the past this was easier to do because we could hear almost all of the
> cars passing us. We understood most traffic patterns and could easily judge
> when to give a command. That is just not the case any longer and with the
> increases in distracted drivers, GDF does not feel this practice is safe.
> 
> This is similar to our stance on leash guiding while crossing streets. It's
> just not safe anymore. 
> 
> I won't even describe the practice of self traffic checking save to say that
> it was used for teams with very good orientation skills who worked
> unpredictable traffic such as heavy city traffic or complex parking lots a
> great deal.  I rarely used it for my dogs but it was interesting to know
> about.  
> 
> Again, we do not use this practice now and are not likely to ever use it. 
> 
> Our traffic training is very similar to that of other schools in that we use
> a specific car or cars from the school and at some point during class,
> usually twice, we will drive the car at teams in the standard method of
> traffic checking. I believe that for some teams, the traffic checks are
> announced and explained first, if there's any history of accidents or other
> anxiety in the handler over traffic. We want the process to go as naturally
> as possible. 
> 
> The next time though the checks just happen. 
> 
> We also train in Queens and it never fails, the natural traffic checks we
> get there can't be beat, though I wish they could sometimes. <grin> 
> 
> We teach you to ask the dog to go "" when a car is blocking your path, not
> command it to do so. The dog waits until the car passes and it's safe to
> move. This questioning command of "Hop-up, forward" is very different from
> the command "Hop-up, find the way" which is used on sidewalks to give the
> dog the decision power around obstacles. 
> 
> Hope that explains things. As always, off list questions are welcome, but
> no, I'm not going to explain our self traffic checking. <grin>
> 
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
> 
> 
> 
> 
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