[nagdu] Aberrant Bailey Behavior

[Shannon Dyer]

Hi, Robert.

I think you're on the right track with the obedience and limiting contact between Bailey and David. Also, the obedience seems like it could work.

When Bailey does not respond to David's presence, give him some praise and calm petting. This might help him get the message that this is the desired behavior.

Shannon and the Acelet
On Oct 2, 2013, at 10:38 PM, "Hooper, Robert M." <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu> wrote:

> Hello List:
> 
> I have an interesting situation with which I would like to deal with the upmost haste and thoroughness. I have a few ideas about how to begin, but I thought I would "open the floor for discussion," as it were.
> As the subject line indicates, the topic is aberrant Bailey behavior. So, here's the breakdown. There is a good friend of mine-we'll call him David Bonderman. Mr. Bonderman and I "outhang" frequently-we go to gatherings together; he will come over to my apartment to watch OSU play various sports; we will spend time with mutual friends-you get the picture. Well, we also have class with one another this semester. I suppose that you more experienced dog handlers are starting to grasp where I am going with this. Bailey can be people-oriented, particularly if he knows them. If he knows someone, he is horrifyingly lab-like with regards to his expression of affection. As a shepherd, he is prone to vocalizations, and will squeak away madly when encountering David Bonderman. Usually, this is manageable, as we encounter one another outside class, and I can get Bailey under control before we need to be anywhere. However, sometimes one of us will show up to class a bit late and will have entered already. When it is he who is late, there isn't much difficulty. Bailey will alert, and may emit a few squeaks, but settles down rather quickly, with little to no prompting on my part. However, when it is me who is a few minutes late...
> Let me stop to explain to those of you who have left classrooms-lecture halls in particular-behind. I have a regular seat in the front row that is reliably open. I go there, passing David on my right-this is good. Bailey is on my left, so I am between them. However, he is still pretty focused on David-I can tell this, despite his squeaking. I Then have to sit down, remove my backpack, position the dog, position the backpack, raise the attached mini-tables for my laptop, etc. Bailey insists on a sniff if he can get one, and persists in his squeakage for a few seconds after I get him down. Then he subsides into perfect service animal mode, but commences squeaking as soon as class is dismissed. So, what should I do in delicate situations like these? Correction? I think not, especially in the beginning. He is very vocal during corrections, and the lecture would be underway. I will not disrupt class in such a fashion. Maybe after class, but I'm still a bit hesitant. As much as I would like to dismiss public opinion, there's just something I dislike about the prospect of making a spectacle of myself either coming in or leaving class with a hundred or so people looking on. My initial thought was to address this behavior outside of class, where I wouldn't need to be as concerned with class disruption or leaving negative impressions with those who might decide whether I get into graduate school. So, things I've started to do:
> 
> 1.       During our casual hang-out sessions-i.e. when David is over at my apartment, I am at his, or we are somewhere else where an out-of-harness Bailey is acceptable-I have highly restricted David's contact with Bailey. Whereas previously he would play with Bailey, I have reduced his interactions to calm petting for seconds at a time.
> 
> 2.       Something much more recently implemented (so its effectiveness can't yet be gauged): if I feel Bailey is distracted by David's presence, I will stop and run Bailey through some obedience exercises. Sometimes this has the desired effect, at others it seems to excite him further.
> I should note that David is very good about adhering to my wishes regarding his interaction with Bailey. Here are some things I am considering. However, I thought I would get some opinions first.
> 
> 1.       Doing some clicker-based distraction work with Bailey. However, this would require dedicated time on the Part of David, as Bailey's people distractions are localized to those he knows-and in particular, David.
> 
> 2.       I guess there isn't really a "2" yet. As I said, I'm kicking around various ideas, but would like input before proceeding.
> 
> This is sort of a frustrating issue. As I said, when we are outside, I do correction or obedience-whichever I feel the situation merits at the time. However, this isn't feasible when getting settled into a lecture or meeting. Furthermore, I doubt that this is the last time such an issue will arise during my lifetime of working with dogs. I will attend additional classes with those I know; I will no-doubt attend professional meetings, conferences, research colloquiums, etc. with other friends and colleagues. So, as I'm sure I haven't been the only one with such an issue, I would appreciate your input as much as a Piaget devotee enjoys validation of the conservation problem in preoperational children. Hint: they like that very much, despite it having been shown that Piaget's methodology was sufficiently flawed to discredit much of his work in developmental psychology. So all you Piaget fans out there, it's time to get current with your research!
> 
> Robert Hooper, Undergraduate Research Assistant, HDFS Early Childhood Development Lab
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
> The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology; Department of Neuroscience
> 166H Campbell Hall
> 1787 Neil Avenue
> Columbus, Ohio 43210
> Cell: (740) 856-8195
> 
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