[nagdu] Dogs finding things here and abroad

The Pawpower Pack pawpower4me at gmail.com
Thu Jun 5 20:21:44 UTC 2014 

I too use find the way.  It started as a kind of bridging cue.  When I'm training my dogs to guide, at first, they are only responsible for stopping at obsticles. Then I use cues like left and right to work with them to get around it.  When they have this down, then I will wait, and just not say anything accept for find the way when we get to an obsticle.  Eventually guiding around obsticles becomes just part of the job so I use find the way for very tricky situations where my dog is not certain and may need to investigate different options.  
Soleil will find a counter, seats, bus benches, bus stop poles, alert me to the bus arriving— I'm deafblind, find home inside, outside and now we're doing trash can.  She will also do steps, elevator and escalator. 


 Rox and the kitchen Bitches: 
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 5, 2014, at 1:53 PM, Gary Steeves via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi  Tracy:
> 
> That was very funny. I never thought of it that way when I'm out of sorts and just tell Bogart to find the way. Didn't realize how spiritual the whole thing could be. :)
> 
> With regards to teaching bogart to find the cross walk buttons, it was one of the first things I worked on when I got home. I under estimated my dogs brightness so just started by teaching him to find the pole that the button was on. However, I realized my mistake when at larger intersections where the audible signal was automatic, bogart would take me to the big light stand pole. Okay, good point, I really don't want you to find the pole but Iwant you to find the b utton. So we modified that. I often give him a treat for finding the button but if he chooses to sniff the base of the pole then I figure that is his treat. I let him sniffor a few seconds and then get him to hop up to the curb.
> 
> My school never taught find the way but i gave it a try once and it worked. It works good when there are barriers or something that Ican't figure out. I tell him to find the way and be patient and most times the result is positive.
> 
> From Gary and  my spiritual leader Bogart
> 
> 
>> On June 5, 2014 10:09:13 AM PDT, Tracy Carcione via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I had heard that Leader and GDF both teach a lot of "find the ...".  Is
>> that 
>> not true anymore?
>> 
>> My very favorite is GDF's "Find the Way", with it's marvellous mystical
>> 
>> connotations, as one who studies the Tao. Who better to find the Way
>> than a 
>> dog?
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Dan Weiner via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> To: "'Craig Heaps'" <craig.heaps at comcast.net>; "'NAGDU Mailing List,the
>> 
>> National Association of Guide Dog Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 12:18 PM
>> Subject: [nagdu] Dogs finding things here and abroad
>> 
>> 
>>> Now here is a question.
>>> Having looked over the archives I see Viviana asks about the
>> differences
>>> between guide dogs here and abroad.
>>> This  queery, , coupled with our thread about finding the light poles
>> or 
>>> the
>>> button etc brings me to a question:.
>>> 
>>> Dog guide handlers, users, whatever you want to say from other
>> countries
>>> tell me about their dogs being trained to find seats, poles, really
>> all
>>> sorts of things and it does seem from talking to them (some of them I
>> do
>>> trust as I've known them for years) it seems that the dogs are
>> successful 
>>> at
>>> doing this and really are good at it right out of training.
>>> In the case of all of my dogs, they have learned but it has taken me 
>>> halling
>>> butt and working really hard at it to get it  to be consistent.
>>> This is not only the case with me but with most or all of my dog
>> guide 
>>> using
>>> friends here.
>>> 
>>> Also the web sites and literature from the guide dog organizations
>> abroad
>>> talk about the dogs being trained to find myriad things, seats, bus
>> stops
>>> mail boxes, doors (the dog putting their nose on the handle),
>> benches, 
>>> many
>>> many things.
>>> So, are the dogs in Europe say taught in a mmore consistent way to
>> dfind
>>> things and then why isn't it that our dogs aren't?
>>> 
>>> Curious to hear points of view on this or maybe say, from our Swedish
>> 
>>> guide
>>> dog user here as to how things aare there and opinionions from
>> everyone on
>>> this subject.
>>> 
>>> Cordially,
>>> 
>>> Dan and the Parker Pup
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Craig
>> Heaps via
>>> nagdu
>>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 12:01 PM
>>> To: Daryl Marie; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
>> Dog
>>> Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Crosswalk light success!
>>> 
>>> Yay!
>>> 
>>> I taught Chase "Find the button".  He likes that game because it
>> means
>>> treats.  But now he finds every button, even when I don't give the 
>>> command.
>>> Better all than none, I suppose.
>>> 
>>> He also sometimes gets locked onto the dog urine odors at the base of
>> the
>>> pole and doesn't look up for his treat.
>>> 
>>> Craig and Chase
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Daryl Marie via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2014 7:10 AM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] Crosswalk light success!
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> Hey!
>>>> Ever since training with Jenny, we have struggled with scrounging
>> (I've
>>>> posted about this).  One of her favorite scrounging/sniffing places
>> is at
>>>> the base of crosswalk light poles (where you push the button to
>> change 
>>>> the
>>> 
>>>> light).  On a whim on Monday night, I got off the bus one stop early
>> to 
>>>> do
>>> 
>>>> some work with her on finding these posts.  It wasn't pretty.
>>>> Me: Jenn, find the post.
>>>> Jenny (misses the post entirely and goes around the corner)
>>>> Me: Not quite, my  girl.  Let's try again.
>>>> We turn around, Jenny goes right past the post while I flail around 
>>>> trying
>>> 
>>>> to find it.
>>>> Rinse, lather, repeat.
>>>> Third time:
>>>> me: Jenny, find the post.
>>>> Jenny finds the post but starts scrounging.
>>>> Me: Good post, nose up.
>>>> We take the corner again, turn around.
>>>> Me: Jenny, find the post.
>>>> Jenny finds the post, her shoulders right below the button, her nose
>> is
>>>> up.
>>>> Me (throwing a fiesta): YAY!  Good girl!
>>>> 
>>>> Now for the past three days, every time I ask for a post, she has
>> found 
>>>> it
>>> 
>>>> perfectly and kept her nose up!  Her tail wags even before I praise
>> her,
>>>> because she knows she's done good!
>>>> 
>>>> SO proud!
>>>> 
>>>> Still need a little work on scrounging in general, but this is SO
>> good!
>>>> 
>>>> Hope this encourages those who are struggling with distractions or
>>>> scrounging that it can be done.
>>>> 
>>>> Daryl
>>>> 
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> 
> -- 
> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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