[nagdu] How does your dog help you?

Tue Aug 26 23:00:02 UTC 2014

Hello to all.
Well I thought this would be a fun question for the list.
I was talking by Skype with a Russian partially-sighted lady who speaks good
English and she asked me how my dog helped me and why can't I do the same
things with a cane.

I gave her an answer which I don't think convinced her very much, not that I
really want to convince but it made me think that that would be fun to see
how people on the list answer that question.
I told her I would ask on the list and see what people say.
I said that my dog takes me around obstacles, stops at steps and curbs,
finds things for me, helps me keep walking in a straight line and generally
I felt made me safer and more efficient.
I said that when it's working out well with the dog it is the closest
feeling that I can come across to walking as a sighted person since I
remember that a little bit from being akid, though I will say the memories
are fading--lol

I also explained intelligent disobedience.

So if you all have nothing better to do, right answers  to that question and
maybe we will all learn a thing or two about each other and our experience.
I also wrote that since I only hear out of one ear that I veer terribly and
I  walk straighter with a dog who keeps me on the straight and narrow.

I suppose I must like it after all, I've been doing the dog thing as a
friend of mine calls it for twenty years--lol

Yours,
Dan Weiner'

dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amber M via nagdu
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 3:19 PM
To: Valerie Gibson; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: How does your dog help you?

Hi Valerie and all,
I would like to say a few things here, because, like Nicole, I chose not to
give certain information, a to avoid extra information cluttering my
questions, and be because I did not initially think that that information
was relevant.
When I first talked with the breeder, and even now, we are not sure and were
not sure whether or not I was going to actually get to keep her. Right now,
my husband and I are still discussing whether or not he thinks it's feasible
for us to take this on.
Also, in respect to my work schedule and it being compatible with me
training, unfortunately, I do not get to choose my work schedule. And, if I
waited until I had the "right schedule quote, I wouldn't get to train at
all. I normally only work 40 hours. When I did meet with this breeder, I had
no idea whether or not I was going to get to keep a puppy, and even if there
would be the right puppy. I had already signed up for these hours, and I was
not able to back out of them. The policy for overtime states that if you do
offer to work it, you must do that regardless, so I was not in a position to
cancel. Had I known for sure that I was going to get to keep a puppy, even
for a short amount of time, I would not have taken those hours.
Now, I am spending the mornings with her, and taking her for walks, and
playing with her, before working in the afternoon.
In fact, the other evening, after I got off, at midnight, I will add, we
went for a walk that lasted probably about an hour and a half. I did not
even get back and get us back in bed until 130.
So my commitment to this, is not really a question. Working with her the
same kind of hours somebody else, who isn't working, or who is in school,
but isn't in class as many hours as I am actually working my job, is not
feasible. But, working with her in general, and being able to devote my free
time to her, is very feasible.
She is very eager to learn, and so I mentioned a few things that I am
wondering about, or worried about, there are many things that we have worked
on and have been pretty successful with, that I did not mention. So it is
not as though we have not spent any time together or done anything
productive yet.
Amber

Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 26, 2014, at 1:16 PM, Valerie Gibson via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Personally i would have planned my puppy around my schedule, not the other
way around.  Since you'd already signed up for hours, it might have been
best to wait until another litter is born.  Excitement to start training is
understandable, but since you're dealing with a young pup that will be a
service dog one day, socialization and all the puppy requirements from you
will have to be more structured than if it were a family pet.  
> 
> I'm not saying you can't do it now, but only that this seems to have been
rushed into. 
> 
> I had a golden oppertunity to get a puppy from a litter before Zion's.  I
didn't though, because I knew that I couldn't devote the amount of time
needed to him at that time.  When I did get him, it was still a bit of work
to deal with him and school, but I got him at a time where i could schedule
my work around him. If I'd not been able to do that, I wouldn't have gotten
the puppy.
> 
> So, that's my bit on that.
> 
> Anyway, what's done is done. Let's move on.
> 
> As ar as the whining goes. clickers really only work for barking, at least
in my experience.  Understand that your dog is very young still and might be
scared of being taken away from her littermates.  I think the best thing to
do with young puppies is ignore them when they start whining.
> It teaches them that scarey things are going to happen, and they need to
cope with it.  If you're constantly giing her attention, she is, in the end,
getting what she wants.
> 
> Once she realizes that whining is getting no response from you, she will
stop.  This will happen slowly and obviously not over night, but it needs to
be conistant.  In a pack, dogs will ignore a dog that's seeking undeserved
atttention, unless that dog puts the pack in danger.  When the dog quiets
down for 10 to 20 minutes, then go and, very calmly, say hi.  One thing to
remember is your aditude must be the complete opposite as her's in this
case. so if she's excited or scared, you need to dish out equal, or more,
calmness and tranquility.  I hope this make sense, but how you react
nonverbally will send all kinds of messages to your dog, even if its not
message you want to send.  
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Valerie
>> On Aug 26, 2014, at 8:14 AM, Amber M via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Deanna,
>> Yes, she is a poodle puppy. I am trying not to use corrections. And 
>> honestly, the whining is not nearly as bad as it was when we first 
>> started. This morning I was able to make breakfast without much 
>> noise. :-) Thanks, Amber
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Aug 26, 2014, at 9:55 AM, Deanna Lewis <DLewis at clovernook.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hi Amber,
>>> Good to hear from you. Is the puppy a poodle? How old is she?
>>> I think it's a good idea to let her whine a bit while she is in her
crate. Try to ignore her as much as possible.  Pascal used to whine while he
was in his crate. A technique a trainer taught me was to put the leash on
your dog while they are in their crate. If the dog is quiet, praise them.
Then, if the dog does whine, give a small correction.  The biggest downside
is that you have to be right next to the crate. This worked wonders on
Pascal, so hope it can help you too.
>>> Deanna and Pascal
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Amber M 
>>> via nagdu
>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 9:40 AM
>>> To: Cindy Ray; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide 
>>> Dog Users
>>> Cc: Tracy Carcione
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] An update on the owner training situation
>>> 
>>> Hi Cindy,
>>> As I told Tracy, I normally will not be working that many hours. I took
on those hours before I knew I would find a puppy. I had planned to meet
with the breeder, but she had not said whether she planned to bring puppies
with her or whether we were just going to meet and talk. So, then she said
she would bring some, but I had already signed up for those hours. With my
job, we are required to work hours that we sign up for. So I was kind of put
in a impossible situation.
>>> Amber
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Aug 26, 2014, at 8:52 AM, Cindy Ray via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> I think I'd have to agree. How are you actually going to have the time
for this training thing. If I were working 80 hours a week, I would wonder
how you get any rest at all. That's two regular weeks of work in one. YIKES!
I would think letting her whine while you are doing dishes, using the
restroom, etc. would be fine. If you answer her when she whines, then she
knows that will work for her. That's just my common sense talking, not
really based on knowledge.
>>>> 
>>>> Cindy
>>>> 
>>>>> On Aug 26, 2014, at 7:32 AM, Tracy Carcione via nagdu
<nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>> I don't wish to be discouraging, but, if you're working 80 hours a
week, do you have the time required for puppy-training?  I understand it can
be quite time-intensive.  Maybe you would be wise to wait until you're
working a bit less?
>>>>> Tracy
>>>>> 
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Amber M via nagdu" 
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:22 AM
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] An update on the owner training situation
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>> I am sorry I have not written recently, but there has been a lot
going on. I worked 82 hours last week, and since I wrote last, have met with
both a trainer and a breeder. The breeder that I'm met with happened to have
three puppies that she thought might be good for the task. She brought them
and I met with them, and picked one that I really liked. She has allowed me
to keep her for a couple of weeks to see how things go.
>>>>>> I have a few questions.
>>>>>> One-when you are taking a puppy that is only three months old out to
do business, how can you keep them from eating sticks and mulch that might
be bad for them and still let them do what they have to do? I have multiple
times taken her out to do business and found her with a stick in her mouth.
I know that she is going to need to chew on things. I can't keep her away
from it, because these are scattered around the grass where I live. It is
not that I am deliberately taking her near a place where that is easy to get
to.
>>>>>> Two-when I am not able to be with her, I have been putting her in her
crate. I have made it clear that this is not a punishment. I never yell,
never push her roughly, or do anything that I think would make it a bad
experience. She has eaten in there several times, and I am doing this to
reinforce that being in her crate actually equals a good thing. But my
question has to do with her whining. I have tried clicking in treating for
quiet, and then walking a little further away, or staying the same distance
away, but letting the time be a little longer, but ultimately, I do not have
the time to sit there for a long extended period, and she can't stay focused
on the clicker for that amount of time anyway. So I am just wondering if I
am wrong for having to let her wine a little sometimes because I have to go
to the restroom or because I have to cook dinner or because I have to
actually do the dishes etc.?
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>> Amber
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
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>>>>> 
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