[nagdu] Doggie's fear WAS Saying my goodbyes to Motley

[Daryl Marie via nagdu]

BC/AB guide dogs does domiciliary (in-home) training. During our training, it was discovered that Jenny hated (and I mean HATED) our LRT (commuter train) system.  To be fair, in spots it sounds like there's  large metal pieces rubbing against each other, and in others it sounds and feels like the trains are falling apart, but the trainer was very concerned that Jenny was afraid of this - so much so that Jenn might have washed out of training if both of us weren't determined to try and have her overcome this and make it work.  Thankfully we had a happy resolution.

We did an entire training day with spurts on the train (even just 1-2 stops in places) to get her used to the train. It took most of that day to get her used to it, and now she is a fantastic LRT rider- timing our movements with the train to be right with a door.  The finding an empty seat on the train is a challenge sometimes, but she sits quietly, finds the train doors while the train is moving, and then sits and waits patiently for us to get off the train (that one took about a month).

Daryl and Jenny (who says "why do you keep telling people I was afraid of trains? I do well on them now!")
----- Original Message -----
From: Nicole Torcolini via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wed, 21 May 2014 22:33:34 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Saying my goodbyes to Motley

I don't remember if Lexia has been around Mylar balloons, but she thinks
that the regular ones are toys. If you move one around in front of her when
she is out of harness, she will pounce on it and pop it.

Nicole and Lexia who likes to pop balloons

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mardi Hadfield
via nagdu
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2014 9:08 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Saying my goodbyes to Motley

Chantel, I am sorry to here about Motley's fear issues.I had the same
problem when I was training Nala many years ago.We encountered the balloons
in a grocery store as it was near Valentines Day.I wasn't pulled down as I
work my dogs from a wheelchair,but Nala bolted when seeing them. I bought
one and deflated it. Brought it home and let her get used to seeing it in
the house and then I put it in her crate and let her sleep on it for several
days. Then I re-inflated it and tied it to her crate. She had to walk by it
if she wanted to go out side.When she got used to walking by it in the
house, I moved it out side but, by that time she pretty much ignored it and
life went on.Did the trainer try this method or a similar one?I guess that
some dogs get afraid of certain things and some times they can over come
that fear and some times they can't for whatever reason. I hope you get
another Poodle soon. Maybe you should introduce the  Mylar Balloon to the
dog while you are in training to make sure that every thing goes well. Good
luck, my prayers are with you.  Mardi and Shaman and Neechee.

--
http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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