[nagdu] Yoga Mountain vs parking meter

[Julie J.]

Tracy,

I'm not Tami, but I'm answering anyway. *smile*

I call this technique, "being a tree".  I do use it with young dogs who 
are just learning self control and walking nicely on leash.  I wouldn't 
say it's really a training technique.  I'd call it a management 
technique.  It's more management of the situation and the trainers 
frustration level, more than dog management.  With a young boisterous 
dog who desperately wants to go visit another dog, I might stop and use 
the tree technique just so the other person can pass unmolested and I 
can continue to save the scrap of dignity I have left after my dog has 
embarrassed me so badly.  *smile*

I don't think it's appropriate to use with a fully trained dog and 
especially in a public situation.  There are more effective methods for 
dealing with the problem of over excitement.  However I'd hope that by 
the time a dog is at the level where it's working in public as a fully 
trained guide dog that these instances would be few and far between.  I 
expect this sort of behavior from a puppy or adolescent, but an adult 
should have learned self control.

I use the tree technique when the situation at hand is greater than the 
training level of the dog.  So if I am working with a dog to walk on a 
loose leash with no distractions and the neighbors decide to let their 
dog out to free run, that is going to be more than my dog is ready 
for.   It's pretty hopeless to expect my dog to act appropriately in a 
situation he has never been trained for and that is much beyond his 
current learning level.

HTH
Julie






On 2/22/2013 7:41 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> Hi Tami.
> I was reading your description of being a yoga mountain while the 
> puppy dances madly at the end of the leash, and wondering, and hoping, 
> that that's different from what a GDB instructor aptly calls "parking 
> meter", where the handler just holds on to the end of the leash while 
> the guide dog does whatever it likes.  Parking Meter really bugs me, 
> when I go somewhere where there are other guide dogs, and someone's 
> dog is spinning around happily at the end of its leash, while its 
> person stands there apparently oblivious. Tell me this is not a 
> positive-training technique to be used in public!
> One of the TSE trainers felt strongly about what she calls the 
> 5-second rule.  (I forget if it's 5 seconds, but that's pretty 
> close.)  The 5-second rule is, if you're going to be standing 
> somewhere for more than 5 seconds, have the dog sit, so it's under 
> control.  It's not a bad rule.  Not that I always follow it, but I 
> must follow it enough, because Ben often sits automatically if I'm 
> just standing around waiting for something or gossipping.
> Tracy
>
>
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