[nagdu] Distracted by other dogs

[Julie J.]

I agree with what everyone else has said about distractions while in 
harness, but...I wonder if there's something else going on.

Guide dog puppies spend their first year essentially in a constant meet 
and greet with people, places and new things.  They attend group classes 
where they often interact with the other dogs, if not during the actual 
class then before or after.  It seems fairly common for there to be more 
than one dog in the puppy home.  Puppy playdates are not unheard of.  
then the dog goes off to the program for more training, where they are 
with a bunch of other dogs.

Enter the blind handler and a new home.  Sometimes there are other dogs 
in the home and sometimes playdates are arranged, but mostly it's 
solitary work for the dog.  All the doggie socialization comes to a 
complete stop or is cut down to a trickle.

I like dogs a lot and enjoy spending time with mine, but I also need 
people.  I need to talk and share ideas and do people things.  I wonder 
if dogs feel the same way?  they need some dog time to socialize in the 
dog way.

All that to say I wonder if spending a Saturday morning at a dog day 
care with other dogs or arranging play dates with well behaved neighbor 
dogs could help?  Perhaps the slow increase in dog distraction over the 
past few months while in harness is a symptom of a need to interact with 
other dogs.

I'm not saying that the distracted harness behavior is okay because it's 
not.  I'm just suggesting that meeting her dog needs out of harness 
might help her not to crave that interaction while in harness.  I also 
freely admit that I might be totally off here and increasing dog 
socialization time out of harness will increase her interest while in 
harness too.  I don't know your dog and won't presume to know how she 
might react.  I do know that for my guide, Monty, it has helped a lot.

all my best,
Julie