[nagdu] Owner training questions

Julie J. julielj at neb.rr.com
Fri Aug 1 11:19:34 UTC 2014


Barb,

It depends on how you define “train”.  I work on skills with the dog every waking moment.  In the house that’s manners, refining housebreaking, playing nicely, keeping reasonably quiet and other necessities of peaceful living.  It’s not a formal training session, but I am actively monitoring and redirecting or correcting as needed.  

I’m not a huge fan of the formal obedience practice sessions.  In the very beginning when the dog is learning sit and down etc.  I will set aside specific time to work on those things.  When the dog shows some level of understanding I pretty much stop doing specific obedience sessions.  I sprinkle obedience throughout the day, incorporating it into our regular activities.  The dog learns to behave all the time and that sit means sit, in the yard, at the park, in the laundry room, when there is food, when someone is at the door, when the neighbor’s dog is coming for a visit etc..

Out of the house loose leash walking or harness training, varies quite a bit.  In the beginning I try to do more trips that are shorter.  Later we’ll do less outings, but each will be for longer.  I pay attention to what the dog can handle and how much exercise they need.  I do have a fenced yard and they run out there quite a bit.   When Jetta was here when she was a baby puppy, I’d take her out probably 3 or 4 times a day, just for a walk around the block or the two blocks to the park or the like.  Those were probably only 5 or 10 minute walks, but it was all she could handle at the time.  She’d sit in the middle of the sidewalk when she was done and she would not move.  

Gradually as the dog matures and it physically and mentally able to go for longer stretches, I increase the duration and difficulty.  A slow day for harness training for Monty was 20 minutes.  Most days we’d go for more like an hour.  Remember too that I live in a very small town.  I can walk to the city limits in any direction in less than an hour.   Towards the end of harness training I was increasing what he was doing until it reached the same level as I would need from a fully trained dog.   

My philosophy is that if the dog is awake, you are training him.  You can teach him what you want or you can ignore him and he’ll choose what to learn, which may or may not be what you had in mind.

Julie


From: Barb breuer via nagdu 
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2014 10:34 PM
To: Amber Meloy ; the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List 
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Owner training questions

I was wondering  how many hours aday do you people who train your dog train?

Barb

Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App


------ Original Message ------

From: Amber Meloy via nagdu
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
Sent: July 31, 2014 at 4:43 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Owner training questions

Hi all,

There has been a large amount of discussion recently about owner training on the list and since I have decided to get a new guide dog, I have made a number of decisions, and I am now considering another one.

The first decision that I made was that I wanted a poodle because I would not have as much problem with hair.  I searched and searched but the only school that I could find that issued poodles to anyone who did not have allergies or someone in their family with allergies, was Pilot Dogs.

I applied and continued to research various topics about poodles, about training methods, about how I felt about training etc etc.  As I searched, and the more questions I asked myself, the more I started thinking that maybe I wanted to owner train.

There are a lot of things that I am very unsure how to handle, and I am writing here in the hopes of finding some advice.  I understand that having a grasp of the training methods you choose to use is essential, and I have every intention of practicing alone and in my head and reading before actually attempting to teach a dog anything.  But before I get to the point where I teach a dog anything, there are a few things I have to take care of…such as acquiring the dog…

And so this brings me to a few of my first questions:

What strategies have you, as an owner trainer, used to find the right dog?  I have read a lot about a test that is done to test temperament, but I do not recall this test’s name at the moment, nor do I know for sure that this is what is used.  I understand that no one can be absolutely guaranteed to have made the right choice; that dogs wash out; that this is a fact I may have to face.  But there has to be something that you did in the beginning to say, yes, I think I’ll give this dog a try.  You didn’t pick him or her because s/he was cute.  Or cuddly.  Or energetic.  Or did you?

Another big question I have is about costs.  Before anyone comments that of course there will be costs, don’t.  I understand that.  But what I am looking for is a general idea of some of the things you bought/paid for/services needed, and maybe an average of how much that thing/service/experience costed you.  For example, if I choose to get various vaccines, I can look those up anywhere.  Any vet’s office will let me know those things.  If I want to know about the cost of a crate, I could look online or go to a pet store.  If I want to know the cost of foods I will feed, I can find that information.  But what I’m looking for information on is acquisition of your dog; acquisition of puppy vest for still in training; acquisition of harness; any assistance for sighted assistance in training, whether that was for training traffic checks or for observation only or for a trainer’s professional opinion etc.  Expenses that aren’t readily available for me to just look up.

Finally, if anyone is willing to talk with me off list, I would be very grateful.  If there is such a thing as a list for owner trainers so that I am not cluttering this list with my questions, I would also love to know about that as well.  I joined the clicker solutions list and am hoping that when I come across a problem with particular behaviors I am trying to shape that this will be a viable resource.  

Thank you all for your input, however much or little it is.

Amber M
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