[nagdu] Fear of a crossing and the area around it.

Fri Jan 3 05:37:57 UTC 2014

Hi dena, 
With you on this one. There is a crossing by work that is a triangle with three streets going across. It's hard to judge because the cross walk is set up weird and the traffic is at an angle. It is the end of a bus line and buses pull up to the edge and gun it and turn right in front of us and then the elevated train is above us. I get very nervous and when I had my previous dog who lacked confidence I would get nervous he would get nervous I would get more nervous and he would stop. Pinta picks up on it a little. Not too bad. What I have found works is not focusing on the dog but yourself. Tell yourself it will be fine, make sure your hand is lose on the handle. Keep breathing. Sometimes I just talk to myself slash pinta saying, here we go again. We are a great team though and we will make it. At one point of the crossing we have had some close calls so she would cross it super slowly, which also isn't a good thing because it's a wide intersection. So I make sure I keep talking to her, but not in a forced nervous way just in a calm way and then when we get to the other side throw a party! Eventually, it isn't the crossing I was scared of but whether or not my previous dog would freeze in the middle or not. And of course when this worried me with pinta she would freeze. So I would breathe, tape a step back and give the command again. With pinta this works. Ricky not so much. Keep us posted. I know the feeling. We feed off their confidence sometimes and when it's lacking we get nervous. Well, I do. 

brandy pinder
Alumni Council -  second vice Chairman
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc® 
and America's VetDogs®, The Veteran's K-9 Corps Inc® 
Providing "Second uSight"® since 1946

371 E. Jericho Turnpike smith town ny 11766
Cso: 866-282-8047
Email: brandydp at verizon.net
Cell: 304-685-4499

> On Jan 1, 2014, at 10:51 AM, barbandzoe at comcast.net wrote:
> 
> Hay Deanna,  
> I know that people feel they should be able to go were they want, but if I really didn't feel safe,  I would walk on the other side of the street.   I know sighted people who don't walk places because they don't feel safe.   You need to make sure you and your dog don't get hurt.  
> Give your team a break and walk on the other side of the street.  Maybe not going there for a couple of months, Pascal will calm down a bit, and you guys can go back to the driveway and work  on the problem. 
>   
> Avoiding an area isn't a sign that you are not a good team, you have to be safe.  Getting fit isn't something you want to do.    I would bet a mom and kids don't walk there, and older people who walk slow, also don't walk on that driveway.  People don't pay attention when they drive, so you have to be the one to make sure you are safe.  Getting the police involved to look at that area is a good idea, but you don't need to get hurt to prove a point. 
> Barb 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> 
> From: "Darla Rogers" <djrogers0628 at gmail.com> 
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
> Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 11:49:29 PM 
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fear of a crossing and the area around it. 
> 
> '/do you have a friend not a o&m specialist who might do the same thing and 
> sweet Pascal would not be so bothered; it is possible he is seeing something 
> beyond your hearing; what we need to know is what the sound is, and does id 
> pose a dangers to the team. 
>         By all means call GDB; this is a matter of safety for the team, and 
> you have already done what you have been taught to do. 
>         Do keep us posted, Deanna; let's  hope a little work with the right 
> people will help you and Pascal be the treat team I already know you to be. 
> Darla & Sleepy Huck 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Deanna Lewis 
> Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 2:55 PM 
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fear of a crossing and the area around it. 
> 
> Thanks Aleeha, 
> I've had my O & M instructor get a video from the distance, but it wasn't a 
> good one and GDB couldn't see much. If they can come out for a follow up, I 
> will ask that they watch from a distance and hope he doesn't know they are 
> around. 
> Deanna and Pascal 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aleeha Dudley 
> Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 3:33 PM 
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Fear of a crossing and the area around it. 
> 
> Hey Deanna, 
> I'm wondering, if all else fails, if you could possibly have someone follow 
> along, far enough back for Pascal not to know, and video what he does. Then 
> send that video to GDB. Dallas behaves perfectly with a trainer around, too, 
> so this is what I've almost had to resort to at points. 
> HTH, 
> Aleeha 
> 
>> On 12/31/13, Deanna Lewis <DLewis at clovernook.org> wrote: 
>> 
>> 
>> Hello, 
>> Here is some info about a situation that I am having difficulty with 
>> and would like suggestions and help on how to work past this... 
>> I live in a suburb that is very walkable. I can walk to work, a 
>> grocery store, pharmacy, bank, and a few restaurants. I love to get 
>> out and walk, but this one area is causing a big problem for us. I've 
>> been walking in this area for almost a year, but have only lived here for 
> about 8 months. 
>> At this one intersection, which is pretty busy there is a McDonalds 
>> attached to a gas station. The intersection itself is not bad, there 
>> is an audible pedestrian signal, which helps a lot. But, just past the 
>> intersection is the entrance to McDonalds. There are several cars that 
>> turn in and out of that driveway. I treat it as a street crossing, 
>> having Pascal stop when we reach the driveway, then we listen and make 
>> sure it's ok to cross. Even though I have very good mobility skills 
>> and pay close attention, we have had some traffic checks and close 
>> calls at that entrance, due to drivers not paying attention. I try to 
>> stay calm and cool when doing this crossing, but it's really affected 
> Pascal. 
>> When we head in that direction and approach the main crossing, he will 
>> start to balk up. He will walk super slow and pretty much refuse to 
>> walk. I've tried Hopp up, praise, leash gestures forward, food 
>> rewards, and much more but it doesn't seem to help. Sometimes, the 
>> only way to get him to go is to drag him. I've even tried to use my 
>> cane and heel him past this area. We haven't had any close calls 
>> lately, but the problem appears to be getting worse. 
>> I've called GDB and worked with my field rep and an O & M instructor 
>> on this a few months ago. Of course, when someone is with us, he is on 
>> his best behavior and works perfectly. I really would like someone 
>> from GDB to come back out and work on this with us, but I don't think 
>> they will consider it very important. They wouldn't send anyone a few 
> months ago. 
>> If I could, I would avoid this McDonalds entrance at all costs, but I 
>> need to pass by it in order to go to several places. And now Pascal is 
>> slowing down and refusing to move several hundred feet from the area, 
>> so I don't think I can walk on the opposite side of the road to avoid 
>> it, he still seems to fear that general area. I'm at a loss. It really 
>> restricts my mobility as I would like to take him with me, but with 
>> his reluctance of this area, I am tempted to leave him at home while I 
>> do my shopping. A lot of times we go this way after work, so I can't 
>> just leave him at work either and use my cane. 
>> Any ideas on how we can get him past his fear? Or things I can try? 
>> Thank you all so much! And Happy New Year! 
>> Deanna and Pascal 
>> 
>> 
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> 
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