[nagdu] fear and correction

Nicole Torcolini ntorcolini at wavecable.com
Fri Jun 13 01:52:38 UTC 2014


LOL, okay, that kind of explains why we have different policies about
sniffing. Luckily, Lexia does not do it much in harness. When she does,
though, both in and out of harness, she goes to whatever it is that she is
smelling and berries  her nose in it. Sometimes, I have to kind of pull her
away from whatever it is. I can generally avoid these situations, though, as
the things that smell the most seem to be located at the bottom of trees or
light poles, so I just keep her away from these places as much as possible.
If she is doing her business and moving around and getting closer and closer
to a tree, I will sometimes move her away from the tree before she gets too
close and the sniffing intensifies. Sometimes, the best way to solve a
problem is to take steps to avoid it in the first place whenever possible.

Nicole and Lexia who likes to read the newspaper

-----Original Message-----
From: Julie J. [mailto:julielj at neb.rr.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 6:30 PM
To: Nicole Torcolini; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] fear and correction

But that's the thing, sniffing and barking are not a problem for me.  I
freely allow both out of harness...unless he goes way overboard.  If that
happens I just redirect him to something else that isn't bothersome.  I
don't correct for sniffing or barking.

Neither behavior, sniffing or barking, is an issue in harness.  Monty has
never barked away from the house in or out of harness.  He will occasionally
sniff, but it isn't a frequent thing or something that distracts him from 
what he's supposed to be doing.   His sniffing is more like breathing deeply

in the general direction of something.  He doesn't deviate from the path and
he doesn't plant his face smack into the middle of whatever it is he wants 
to smell.  I'm quite content with the current arrangement.   It's working 
for us and I see no need to change it.

Julie


-----Original Message-----
From: Nicole Torcolini via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 7:29 PM
To: 'Julie J.' ; 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] fear and correction

Lexia was never a barker anyway, so it is not a problem with which I have
had to deal. There are some behaviors, such as running around and having
fun, that I allow out of harness but not in harness. However, there are
others, such as sniffing and, if it was a problem, barking, that I do not
allow at all.

Nicole and the quiet Lexia

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J. via
nagdu
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 3:58 PM
To: Daryl Marie; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] fear and correction

I don't think I'm probably the best person for advice about unwanted
barking!  LOL  My dogs bark like insane maniacs in the yard.   My philosophy

is that they are dogs and dogs bark and they should embrace their dogness
and bark...in the yard, in daylight hours and stop before my head starts
pounding or the neighbors start complaining!

It is interesting that when I have Monty out with me in the unfenced portion
of the yard, he doesn't bark, like ever.  The only two places he has ever
barked are in the house and in the fenced yard, both places where he's
contained in some way.   Perhaps it's an issue of frustration that he can't
go check out what he's looking/barking at?   I don't let him go check out
random things when he's in harness, but maybe he feels like he's freer to
look at things?  I don't know.  It's interesting to ponder though.

Julie



-----Original Message-----
From: Daryl Marie via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 1:45 PM
To: Julie J.
Cc: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] fear and correction

Julie,

Your Monty sounds a lot like Jenny in behavior.  She has only ever barked 3
times  in harness:
1) When a really drunk REALLY weird guy approached me at a bus stop (I've
had weird/drunk people approach me before, but this one set her off)
2) When someone was tying their shoe in the middle of a sidewalk. She
couldn't go around him (busy street to  my left, 3-foot snowbank on my
right)
3) When a bartender made prolonged uninterrupted eye contact with her.

Usually, though, out of harness, I am almost always with her when she barks.

At home I would be on the computer and she'll just perk up and bark at
something.  Perhaps the redirection is a good one.

This begs another question.  Sometimes Jenny will bark at neighbors if she
sees them when we step outside to relieve.  This only happens at home, never
anywhere else.  Any advice?

Daryl and the vocal Jenny
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie J. via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: Abigail Bolling <violingirl30794 at gmail.com>, NAGDU Mailing List, the
National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thu, 12 Jun 2014 12:01:09 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] fear and correction

At home I call Monty to me and praise him for coming.  If him leaving the
situation and coming to me doesn't seem to enhance his calm I will use
calming petting or tell him to down and stay until the UPS delivery guy is
gone or the neighbors are done with their loud conversation in the street or
whatever.  With Monty, it's an alert behavior.  he wants me to know there's
something going on.  when I acknowledge that, he usually quits.

Admittedly, he's kind of barky at home.  I've just come to accept that he's
always going to let me know there's something happening outside.
Interestingly he does not feel the need to bark when we are out and about.
I'm okay with this arrangement.

Julie


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