[nagdu] preparing for my first guide dog

Wed Jun 25 00:25:10 UTC 2014

Raven,

	I kind of had to chuckle at your comment about not being too crazy
about dogs before getting your guide dog and now working with them. Animals
tend to have a way of winning our affection. I know several people who were
okay with but not crazy about dogs. After meeting and spending time with
Lexia, they came to like dogs more. However, I should also note that most of
them commented on how well behaved Lexia was, so it was probably that they
did not care for misbehaved dogs rather than not caring for dogs in general.

Did the school that you attended do Juno walks? Before receiving Lexia, I
had worked with a guide dog for a very short walk at a program that I
attended as well as going to the extended evaluation where we worked dogs.
In addition, they did Juno walks both at the home interview and before
receiving our dogs during class. Finally, did you get time in a familiar
area with your dog? Luckily, Lexia and I lived at home for about the first
ten months, so it was easier for me to know if she was misbehaving.

Nicole

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
via nagdu
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2014 5:38 AM
To: Julie McGinnity; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] preparing for my first guide dog

I have 2 years under my belt of working my 1st guide dog, a golden male from
GEB. The Golden guy inspired me to enter the field of dog training, and for
just over a year, I have trained dogs using positive reinforcement. So I
definitely don't have as much experience with guide dogs as others do, but
in a relatively short time , I have gained a great deal of experience
training and caring for dogs of various breeds, temperaments, backgrounds,
and life stages.
The Golden Guy is my first dog ever as well, so I was where you are now when
I applied to get my guide dog. Before I got him, I was not a dog person. I
didn't dislike dogs, but I wasn't ga-ga about them either. And now I work
with them; tell me how that happened!
As someone who considered my cane a body part, you can imagine the
transition from cane to dog was incredibly difficult and stressful for me. I
struggled to recognize and learn my dog's body language. It took so much
time to learn to properly communicate with my dog. I struggled to figure out
alternative ways to receive feedback or tactile information from my
environment.  It took roughly 6 months before I could completely trust my
dog. I blame it on the fact that most guide dog instructors have no
background in orientation and mobility training, or at least most of the
ones I have encountered don't.
 What would have helped me tremendously was a description and/or a
demonstration of what different movements feel like through the harness.
What does it feel like when my dog is pulling left? What does it feel like
when my dog is pushing me to the right? What does obstacle avoidance feel
like? What does it feel like when my dog is distracted? Really basic things
like that would have helped me. There were so many times when I thought my
dog was distracted when he was just doing his job. There were too many times
where I second-guessed him, and didn't have a clue how I could check his
work. I taught my dog a lot of landmarks in the beginning just so I could
check his work and make sure he was staying on route.
When the heavy snow hit here, I was forced to trust the Golden Guy.
And what solidified r working partnership the most was construction season.
There is probably not a more trying circumstance for a team than having to
work through a city under construction on an almost daily basis for an
entire summer. We encountered construction cones, blocked off sidewalks,
missing sidewalks, and streets that were half gone. Nothing solidifies your
trust in your dog like a moment when you're crossing the street, your dog
stops, and you put your foot out in front of you, only to find there's
absolutely nothing there. Time to turn around!
Here are the things I wish I would have known before I got a guide dog.
1. Leash corrections are useless 99% of the time that you want to or are
instructed to use them. Leash corrections only tell a dog that he's done
something wrong, it doesn't tell him what he's supposed to do. Just imagine
you're in a typing class, and you are instructed to put your hands on the
home row. By mistake, you place your fingers on the row just above it, and
as a result, your teacher slaps you across the hands with a yard stick. Now,
don't you think that could be handled better? Don't you think it would be
more productive for the teacher to simply show you which row is the correct
one, and allow you to try again? Apply this thought process when it comes to
dulling out the leash corrections. When your dog does something wrong or
inappropriate, do not default to the leash correction. Instead, show him
what you want him to do, and make it rewarding for him.
2. Question and research everything the so-called professionals say.
It doesn't matter what degrees, certification, or experience a person has,
that does not mean they know everything, or that what they know is right, or
right for you. For the love of everything dog, please do not do what you're
told just because someone of authority advised it.
I did that when I got my dog, and I now deeply regret it. Research
everything you put in and on your animal, and definitely research training
techniques and troubleshooting with dog training. Some people will say this
is overkill or too much work. In my opinion, when you are responsible for
the health and condition of a living being, and you also have a bond to
build with a creature, all the work and research that you put into how to
care for and work with your animal can only help.
Some people believe that the staff at the schools are experts, and that they
will tell you everything you need to know. The former is only true depending
on standard of measurement, and the ladder is impossible. I have had very
lengthy electronic arguments with these so-called experts, primarily those
in veterinary and training departments. There are definitely things I was
taught at school that I have unlearned and no longer believe to be true or
right.
I also feel that there was so much about dogs and dog training that the
school did not teach me. I'm not saying they left stuff out on purpose, they
obviously can't teach you everything, which is why research is imperative.
3. Go to clickertraining.com, and read everything you can. There is not
enough time spent on clicker training in guide dog school, and your clicker
is quite a versatile tool when it comes to teaching and fixing behaviors.
4. Do not ever go to the veterinarian for something as simple as an outer
ear infection; there are a great deal of home remedies. A 50/50 mix of apple
cider vinegar and water, cold-pressed coconut oil, Young Living's lavender
essential oil, and Zymox without hydrocortozone are just a few remedies that
you can use independent of each other. The oils also work on hot spots.

Other than that, you are about to embark on one of the most exciting and
frustrating journeys. Nothing is more exhilarating than smoothly navigating
the world with a guide dog, and nothing is more frustrating than when you're
in a time crunch or in front of a bunch of people, and your dog does
something inappropriate or will not listen to you.
It is easy to fall in love with these creatures, but it can be so hard to
learn to trust them. Give yourself time, and have an abundance of patience
for both your dog and yourself.
I hope this helps you in your transition, and wish you success in training
with your partner.
--
Raven
"if God didn't make it, don't eat it." - John B. Symes, D.V.M.
http://dogtorj.com

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