[nagdu] The Follow Command

Sun Sep 8 05:33:03 UTC 2013

Hi all,
I am wanting to improve Gypsy's following, as I will be using an airport soon, and am a bit worried she might not follow. She isn't all that fantastic at following a person. She will follow for a while and often misses the person when they make turns etc and they don't tell me. She also tends to walk beside the person and not actually follow behind them. I'd made things work with a combination of talking to the person and directing the dog. Often she will follow the directions that the person i'm following gives with out me having to tell her. 
Anyway, it can be a great comand. I'd used it to go places i don't know.
Steph

----- Original Message -----
From: Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sunday, September 8, 2013 3:07 pm
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Follow Command

>
>
> Interesting. Mitzi likes to get out and go and lead the way, so she will 
> do follow but reluctantly. I prefer to let her pick the way to where the 
> person is going -- say in the grocery store -- instead of following 
> exactly, since folks don't always choose routes we can clear. She is 
> funny. She does a better follow if I get the person's name and can tell 
> her to follow them by name. But she definitely wants to do it her way! I 
> also try to remember to ask the person to keep talking so I can know 
> where they are. I keep trying to get my husband to jingle his keys or 
> something, since he had throat surgery and can't raise his voice much, 
> but, well... The dog is more trainable. /lol/
> 
> I guess it never occurred to me that some dogs might follow by default 
> when you don't really want them to. I can see where that would be odd.
> 
> Tami
> 
> 
> 
> On 09/07/2013 08:06 PM, Shannon L. Dillon wrote:
> > Hi Darla,
> > I'm not really sure. I think maybe she's gotten distracted in the airport
> > and either started following the wrong person, or maybe she just wandered
> > the other way toward the distraction. Usually the person I'm following
> > notices or I feel like something is off and call out the person's name to
> > make sure I know where they are. I think the airport is somewhere I know
> > this can happen, but I wouldn't say it happens all the time. I just know
> > that it has happened so I make an effort to be aware of the location of the
> > person I'm following. And it happens quickly, and is discovered quickly.
> > It's not like I've ended up clear off in another wing or something. But
> > other than the airport, I don't think I've run into it being an issue. I
> > certainly haven't found Yalie randomly following people.
> > She doesn't do it if she isn't given the command.
> > -Shannon
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla Rogers
> > Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 7:31 PM
> > To: 'Nagdu Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Follow Command
> >
> > Dear Shannon,
> > makes a lot of sense; you have never had problems of your dog
> > following when it wasn't wanted?
> > Darla & hardworking Huck
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shannon L. Dillon
> > Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 8:01 PM
> > To: 'Nagdu Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Follow Command
> >
> > I find it helpful in a lot of places. For example, when walking with a group
> > of friends from work to lunch, Yalie like to be at the front of the pack.
> > I'd rather walk in the group with my friends and talk. And I don't always
> > know where we are going. I use it then.  I have also used it following
> > people through airport. Certainly they can give me directions, or if we're
> > talking, I can keep issuing commands as we follow the person who is talking.
> > But I love that I can put Yalie on the automatic follow command and she will
> > just follow whoever I've pointed to. I still try to keep conversation up
> > because, like any dog, she can get distracted and there are a lot of people
> > in an airport. Another place I used follow a lot was when I worked for
> > Department of Corrections and we went through lots of prisons for various
> > work related reasons.  Prisons are large places and we are escorted through
> > by guards. It's just easier to tell Yalie to follow the guard, and if for
> > some reason no one is talking or we take a break from talking, she knows she
> > is supposed to be following. If you spend 4 or 6 or 8 hours walking through
> > lots of unfamiliar places, it is really a blessing to have the dog just
> > follow. Especially when I'm lugging files and I'm tired from talking to
> > people all day, and all the BS conversation with the guard is done, because
> > we're all tired, yep, that follow command is great. I've also used it
> > following a clerk through the grocery store when my hands were full and I
> > couldn't hold onto him or her. I would really miss the follow command.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Darla Rogers
> > Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 5:52 PM
> > To: 'Nagdu Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: [nagdu] The Follow Command
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> >
> >
> >                  GDA ran out of time, so they didn't talk much about a
> > "follow" command, and I'd really rather not do that, as Roxy seemed to
> > become too dependent because of it; wouldn't I just ask the leader to give
> > me directions, so I can direct Huck?
> >
> >
> >
> > Darla & hardworking Huck
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Darla J. Rogers
> >
> >
> >
> > djrogers0628 at gmail.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > m
> >
> >
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> >
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> > m
> >
> >
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> 
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