[nagdu] how dogs learn

[Sherry Gomes]

I don't know about puppies, but I know for my guides, I try to find time and places to let them just sniff for fun. And it does seem to relax them somehow. 

Sherry



-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2013 8:04 AM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
Subject: [nagdu] how dogs learn

I was talking to Kiddo the other day and the topic of how dogs learn came up.  It is well established that people have a preferred learning method, visual, auditory, kinesthetic, maybe there�s more, but those are the modes that come to mind.  Anyway we were talking about Jetta and how she was most definitely a visual learner.  When she sees something she�s not sure about, she likes to plop her behind into a sit and look at the new thing until it makes sense to her.  Monty learns visually, but I think he�s more a kinesthetic learner.  He�s a moving and doing sort of dog, so it makes sense.   I also think dogs learn a lot by scent.  Generally though sniffing things is discouraged by guide dogs.  So I got to thinking...do you think discouraging sniffing, especially among puppies during the early socialization time, inhibits their ability to learn about the world around them?     Do you think disallowing all sniffing all the time can cause frustration or other problems in an adult guide dog?  Or do you think dogs even have preferred modes of learning like people do?  Could scent be one of these?

Curiously,
Julie
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