[nagdu] working up to obstacles

Julie McGinnity kaybaycar at gmail.com
Tue Apr 30 22:07:25 UTC 2013


Hi all,

It depends with Brie.  If there is a branch blocking the sidewalk, she
will take me up to it maybe about a foot or two away and then expect
me to decide where to go.  If I make a decision that Brie doesn't
like, then she will refuse until I give her one she agrees with.  For
example, if I told her to go towards the street to get around it, she
wouldn't do that.

The problem we encounter frequently is trying to get around cars that
sit in the cross walk.  Just today I was crossing the street at the
right time, when all of a sudden, Brie was taking me left way out of
the cross walk.  I told her no and tried to get her back in the cross
walk.  Then a couple friends of mine came by and told me there was a
car blocking the entire cross walk.  So Brie was smart, and I was not.
 :)

But I think that if the sidewalk is blocked, so that we would need to
get on the grass, Brie would stop and wait for that direction.  This
is good because I think I would freak out if all of a sudden she was
taking me on the grass randomly.

When we are inside, and there is an obstacle blocking the way
entirely, Brie will wait for someone to move it out of her way.  I am
curious if anyone else's dog does this.  Of course, it can't happen
with every obstacle, but let's say we are walking across a room, and
our way is completely blocked by a desk.  Brie will stop two or three
feet away from the object--just enough that I can't see what it is or
feel if there is room to move around it, and she won't move.  No
matter what she won't budge until someone comes along and moves the
obstacle for her.  We are working on getting me closer to the obstacle
so that I can move it or finding a different path in the first place
so that she can completely avoid it.

I hope that made sense, and sorry for the long post.

On 4/30/13, Christel Sogenbits <christel.chrissu at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello to everybody!
>
> My Roosi  is usually finding the way by her self but still sometimes I  mess
> her up. Trust issues I think. But when we stop infront of some obsticles
> then I just say to her a command to find the road. If it doesnt work for the
> first time i repeat the command  for several times and when she still doesnt
> move then I tell her the right way. For example  to go to right or left or
> back. But usually she finds the right way and is so really happy when she
> gets so many good girls and happy words... Hmm.. I dont know how it is in
> english when you say to your dog that she is really good girl and did good
> with happy voice. Well I hope you understand:)smile:)
> Oh, and please dont think that I dont trust my dog. But sometimes when I
> have better days and i can see a little then I still sometimes want to
> lead:)smile:)
>
>
> Tervitades / With greetings
> Christel Sogenbits
> GSM: +372 58 440 521
> E-mail: christel.chrissu at gmail.com
> Skype: christel.chrissu
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:52 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] working up to obstacles
>
> Ben will go within a few feet of the obstacle, then turn to go around it.
> He only stops if the alternate path is also narrow, like when a car is
> across the sidewalk and a tree is close to the path to go around the car, or
> at the curb, if we have to step into the street.
>
> In class, we worked what the trainer called a trap.  She laid out
> construction tape along the side, then blocked it with more tape at the end.
> The dog is supposed to see that the end is blocked and not go in the trap at
> all.  I kinda messed Ben up though, because, when he went to turn away from
> the trap, I thought he was messing around and made him go in.
> He seems confused about such things to this day.
>
> All my other dogs worked obstacles the same as Ben, go within a few feet,
> then choose a path around.  At GDB, they wanted us to go up to the obstacle
> and then turn, but I dropped that at the first opportunity.
> Tracy
>
>> Julie,
>>
>> Mitzi, too, will figure things out from a distance and find another way.
>> Very confusing, but I've gotten used to it for the most part. Every
>> now and then I will argue her into taking me up to the obstacle, and
>> she is very smug when we finally turn around and backtrack and take
>> the way she told me to in the first place. /lol/
>>
>> I don't know where she got it, either, since I didn't specifically
>> train her for it. I suspect she just noticed that obstacles and having
>> to turn around irritate me, or else she just doesn't like having to
>> turn around because it's boring. Who knows? /lol/
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 04/30/2013 06:59 AM, Julie J. wrote:
>>> I’m wondering how everyone else’s guides work impassable obstacles?
>>> For example, let’s say there’s been a severe thunderstorm and a
>>> largish tree branch has fallen across the sidewalk, entirely blocking
>>> it off.
>>>
>>> How would your guide work that situation?  If you’ve had more than
>>> one guide did they work something like this differently?
>>>
>>> Do they go all the way up to the branch and then stop to wait for
>>> further instruction?
>>> Would they alter course from a distance, so you never get close?
>>> Would they stop a few feet away, at the most obvious turning point to
>>> go around the thing?
>>> Something else?
>>>
>>> Monty has always worked obstacles from a distance, meaning he will
>>> choose a clear path from as much as half a block away.  Of course, I
>>> never taught him this.  I have no idea what obstacles are that far
>>> away so I could offer instruction from that kind of distance.  This
>>> is just how Monty has interpreted his job duties.  Mostly I
>>> appreciate not walking up to the obstacle only then having to double
>>> back and go a different direction.  Sometimes though, it is rather
>>> annoying, not having the slightest idea why he is insistent that we go a
> different
>>> way. He is zealous about safety to the point of insanity.   If he views
>>> something as unsafe, no amount of coaxing, prompting or encouraging
>>> will get him to budge.
>>>
>>> I do appreciate his stubborn insistence on safety, I just wish I
>>> understood better what we were going around.   I also wish I knew how I
>>> managed to give him the impression that he should stop so far away.
>>> *sigh*
>>> It’s not really a problem so much as a curiosity to me.  He’s a
>>> very smart dog.  I wonder what goes on in his fat head.
>>>
>>> Julie
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16




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