[nagdu] Distracted by other dogs

[Shannon Dyer]

I don't think you're being unrealistic at all. A certain amount of distraction is kind of normal, but, if it becomes excessive, it can become annoying and even, in some situations, dangerous.

I'm not sure where you got your dog, but you might contact your school about this issue. Often, the schools have suggestions that can help nip such behaviors in the bud. Hopefully, this will turn out to be one of those cases.

Shannon and Ace
Shannon Dyer
Alumni Council Member,
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc
®  and
America's VetDogs®,  The Veteran's K-9 Corps Inc ®
Providing "Second Sight" ® since 1946
371 E. Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, NY 11787
Office: 631-930-9000, Toll-free: 866-282-8047
solsticesinger at gmail.com
To make a donation that can change a life...contact the Guide Dog Foundation at
www.guidedog.org 
or America's VetDogs the Veterans K-9 Corps at
www.vetdogs.org
Visit us on facebook at: 
www.facebook.com/GuideDogFoundation or www.facebook.com/AmericasVetDogs

On Sep 18, 2012, at 3:49 PM, Sheri Anderson <sheri.k.anderson at gmail.com> wrote:

> Good afternoon guide dog users,
> 
> Having been a guide dog user for eight months, I thought I was finally
> over the bumps in the road. However, in the past month or so, I have
> begun to see a slight change in my guide dogs distractions with other
> dogs. During training in January she ignored other dogs completely.
> During Washington Seminar in February, she was only slightly
> interested in other dogs but her interest didn't stop our work in the
> hotel. In March, during our state convention she did fabulous, but
> there were no dogs around. In May during my transition to a new job,
> she was only mildly distracted by other guide dogs or pets near her.
> 
> She is a fabulous guide, never misses a curb or a beat in high traffic
> areas or crowds, and is obedient to a fault. It has just been in the
> past few weeks that she has begun to get excited when seeing other
> dogs and with several guide dog users in the vicinity of my office,
> this is becoming a little unsettling to me. She will whine and pull
> toward the other dog until I get forceful.
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions as to how to stop this behavior before
> it becomes an issue, I would greatly appreciate them. My guide dog is
> a 3-year-old lab and is as gentle as a lamb. She seems to want to run
> and play, and suddenly forgets all that she is supposed to be doing.
> As soon as I redirect her, she completely obeys, but I want the
> behavior to stop completely. Am I being unrealistic?
> 
> Warmly,
> Sheri Anderson
> 
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