[nagdu] Owner trainers

Tue Aug 20 08:23:02 UTC 2013

Julie,
	You really need to stop making so many suggestions for Harness Up!
Articles! (grin) This is a very fascinating subject!

Marion

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2013 3:54 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Owner trainers

I just picked out a puppy that is being privately trained for me. 
Coincidentally the private trainer is also blind. I wrote about it recently
on the list...maybe a month ago or so.

In short I was looking for a puppy who was friendly, interested in what was
going on around her, bold, and confident.  I relied quite a bit on the Puppy
Aptitude Test, somewhat on the breeders suggestion and my own instincts. 
There is a significant correlation between the retrieve puppy test and
successful guide dogs.

I think the most difficult part of owner training is finding a puppy or dog
that has the temperament to make a good guide.  I've been thinking about
what I want in my next dog since I finished training Monty four years ago. 
I started looking for a breeder last fall and finally things came together
this summer.

The second most difficult part is raising the puppy.  Monty and Belle were
older puppies when I got them.  They were a handful, but Miss Jetta at 8
weeks old required more work than three of Monty.  Baby puppies know
nothing...what to chew on, when to sleep, where to sleep, how to be on their
own, where to pee...It's like having a newborn baby, except a puppy can
walk, run, jump, has teeth and gets into everything.  They are cute though! 
*smile*

The actual guide training is the easy part.  By this point, you should have 
a well socialized dog with nice manners who knows how to learn.   It's like 
dog college.  College students want to be there.  they are dedicated
learners.  Compare that with a preschool or kindergarten.  I suppose a
really good early childhood teacher could keep a neat, clean, quiet and
orderly room, but mostly there's a lot of finger-paint on the walls, snot
running from noses, many trips to the bathroom, lots of running and shouting
and general mayhem.  See what I mean?  Seriously, the guide part is a
breeze!

So there are some options when training a new dog...you can use your cane to
find obstacles and curbs so you can teach the dog what you want when you
encounter them.  Or you can use a familiar environment, like your front yard
with maybe some set up cues to help you, like a radio on the front porch or
a rug at the top of the steps or things like that.  another method is to
work your current guide and have the trainee tag along.  The younger dog
will pick up a lot from the older more experienced dog.  Of course that only
works if you have a current working dog.

Each method has advantages and disadvantages.  Probably a mix of approaches
is what ends up working.  I mostly introduce things in a familiar
environment, then supplement with the use of a cane.  I also worked Monty
only in areas where I was reasonably certain of my safety given his current
level of training.  So if he didn't know to stop at stairs, I didn't take
him to places with stairs without a back up plan, until he mastered that
skill.  This meant that I would prescout places to train with him.

No, you don't have to go through any training to owner train a guide dog.  I
had a lot of experience training dogs in other capacities before I trained
my first guide, but zero experience training a guide dog.  I have never had
a guide from a program.  I've trained three guides and my next guide is ten
weeks old and living with her trainer.  I just didn't have the energy to
owner train again.  It's an incredible amount of time and energy.

To teach a dog to stop at curbs is really easy.  I approach the curb with
the dog, I stop at the curb where I want the dog to stop.  I prefer just a
bit back from the edge, instead of having my toes hang over.  The dog should
stop with you because they have already been taught to walk nicely on leash.

When the dog stops, click and treat or tell him good boy and give pets or
whatever method you use.  Rinse and repeat.  The dog will learn extremely
quickly that he should stop at the curb to receive his accolades.  Then with
the dog in harness or on leash but a bit ahead, pay special attention to any
indication that the dog is slowing or stopping before you do.  Click and
treat the moment he shows that he is stopping or hesitating at the curb. 
rinse and repeat until the dog takes the initiative to stop before you stop.

Now take the show on the road and practice with other curbs.  Once that is
mastered, add in blended curbs.  Teaching to stop at stairs is the next
level of this training.  Just keep layering skills onto the basic building
blocks the dog already knows.  It's like Legos!

There is no book about training your own guide dog currently available.  I
am working on one.  I had hoped to have it out about two years ago now. 
*sigh*   It is in the final revision phase.  I need to fix some punctuation 
problems.  I've also been asked to include more about the actual how to
parts of owner training.  I haven't decided if I want to do that or not. 
Anyway when I do finally get the book done, I will be self publishing it as
an eBook.  I'll let everyone know when that happens.  We'll have to have a
party or something.  I've been working on this project for forever!

Julie 

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