[nagdu] [nagdu' new dog, sniffing, and scavenging

[Daryl Marie]

Danielle,
I feel your pain!  Jenny is a scavenger... HUGE scavenger!
What I have found that works are several things:

1) Invest in a Halti. This is different from a Gentle Leader in one very important way. It has straps that go over the dog's cheeks. I found this was a very useful tool because it physically makes scrounging nearly impossible.  I have used it with Jenny over the past six months off and on and it has caused her to be much more focused in general.  I use it in our new favorite pet store and the vet's office simply because it's a very high-stimulus environment.  I have used it less and less frequently during every-day guide work; if she gets really scroungy, I put it on her for ten minutes and it reminds her "oh yeah; I can't be a scroungy head!"
2) I have started with positive reinforcement methods with her only recently, so the "Leave it" is good, but give Thai something else to do instead. Something like, "Leave it. Forward."  That way it tells him the scrounging is not ok, but do something else instead.

I wish I could give you exercises; Jenny won't take the bait!

If you would like to talk offlist, my email is crazymusician at shaw.ca or my twitter is @blindbeader

Daryl and Jenny (who had a blast being a big suck-up at the party last night)b
----- Original Message -----
From: Danielle Sykora via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 10:51:03 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: [nagdu] [nagdu' new dog, sniffing, and scavenging

Hi all,

I returned home from GDF on Friday with my new dog, a male lab/golden
cross named Thai. Since we have gotten home, I have begun to avoid
using corrections, especially leash corrections. He tends to be quite
sniffy, especially in places with a lot of food. A firm "leave it"
usually is sufficient but it can be difficult to quickly get his
attention. Also, he will scavenge for food and pick up dropped items
which he really should not be eating. This behavior mostly occurs out
of harness, but it is still undesirable. Any thoughts on decreasing
sniffing and strengthening food refusal skills using positive methods?

Danielle

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