[nagdu] Picking up things from the ground

[Tracy Carcione]

Don't you want to say leave it before the dog picks up whatever?  How do
you know he's thinking about picking up whatever until he does?  I don't
have sighted assistance.  Which I guess is why I'm working more on drop it
than leave it.
Tracy

> hi, Lisa,
> Oh, how I can sympathize!  Jenny has also been a scavenger, though
> admittedly it has gotten so much better, particularly in the last six
> months.
>
> A few things here:
> 1) this might never EVER go away completely, but the rules in my house are
> these:
> a. if we're on a long leash (which for me is still short enough to pull
> her back) or at an off-leash park, she is to obey the "Leave it!" command.
> If she does drop whatever she has gotten, she is permitted to run and
> frolic and generally be a happy dog until it's time to go home.  If she
> does not obey the leave it command, or continues to scavenge, the leash
> goes back on, and fun is OVER, period.
> b. If she is doing this in harness, it gets taken away from her, she gets
> a scolding, and if we're in a place I know well, I drop the harness handle
> and double up the leash so short that she can't dip her head down.  If
> that's not possible, then I have something in my purse...
>
> 2. I keep a Halti in my purse.  I don't know if Germany sells these, but
> they are basically small head collars.  The Halti clips behind Jenn's
> ears. There's a ring that goes over her nose with straps that go over her
> cheeks.  Her leash is clipped to a small ring about 2 inches under her
> chin, and another clip attaches to her collar.  When I first got this, I
> used it constantly, then gradually reduced its use, until now it just
> stays in my purse for either really REALLY bad days or a day where she's
> in a high-stimulating environment such as a vet's office or pet store
> where she is likely to dip her head and sniff EVERYTHING.  It took a lot
> of work to get here, but we're making it :)
>
> 3. Play the "Leave It" game at home.  You mentioned when your big boy
> first arrived that he would take stuff and chew it, so use this to your
> advantage to continue to reinforce that taking things is NOT OK.  I have
> done more redirection than corrections, just because of who Jenny is...
> for us, using treats as a reward for leaving whatever it is on the ground
> has been counterproductive, so praise has gone a LONG way to showing her
> that leaving the apple or popcorn (her weaknesses) on the ground is going
> to make me happy.
>
> The scavenging is a tough one, because it often reinforces itself: doggie
> picks up something, it tastes good! Even if doggie gets sick an hour later
> they don't always associate it with that pulled pork sandwich they picked
> up an hour ago.  Work hard, you can do it, it WILL get better... but you
> are right; you do have to deal with this, and quickly.
>
> Feel free to write me offlist if you'd like to ask any question.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Daryl
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Lisa via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 04:18:59 -0700 (MST)
> Subject: [nagdu] Picking up things from the ground
>
> Hello everyone!
>
> Taylor does great guidework and we enjoy every day we spend with this
> playful and energetic dog. But there's a big problem that bothers me.
> Taylor picks up things from the ground, mostly during our walks but
> sometimes also in harness, when it is something very "delicious". Of
> course
> I try to be very quick, correct him and/or take it out of his mouth but
> especially during walks, when he is on the long leash, that's not
> possible.
> So he gets the chance to swallow things like leftovers from a sandwich
> including its packaging, napkins or any other stuff that's attractive to
> him.
> The consequence of this behaviour is that he throws up aproximately once a
> week. Then, together with his food and water, a piece of plastic or paper
> or
> any other not-digestable thing comes out again. Well, I'm glad that it
> does
> come out. But it's stressful anyway. For him, too, of course, no one likes
> being sick.
> We saw the vet, so I am sure Taylor has no serious problems in his
> stomach.
> The only reason for throwing up seem to be the things that he picks up. I
> really do my best to monitor him but when he's sniffing around on a meadow
> and suddenly grabs and swallows something, what can I do?
>
> I would be really interested in how you manage this problem--labradors are
> greedy creatures, so probably I'm not the only one who deals with it.
>
> What kind of training could I do to avoid this?
> Any ideas are greatly appreciated!
>
> thanks and greetings from Germany
> Lisa
>
>
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