[nagdu] Command Warm-ups

[Kristen via nagdu]

Raven--

You have some great ideas for obedience routines and getting 
up/leaving places! (Tami mentioned the "under" command; he knows 
that way too well and sees it as his never-ending break time.) I 
think we will get to that point where it can just be a short 
session to help him refocus. I plan to keep it up every morning 
for now and do short reviews during the day when he becomes 
distracted. Corvette and I will not be on such a set schedule 
after school is out this week, and I don't want him to begin to 
regress. But then again, it's a good thing that we will have more 
time to practice.

Sometimes, instructors don't see what is really happening unless 
they are right there with you, so I'm looking forward to going 
back this summer. He's very good with food refusal -- so much so 
that he won't take a treat when we're working, but he lives for 
scratches/praise.

Thanks for the tips!
--
Kristen


 ----- Original Message -----
From: Raven Tolliver via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 26 May 2014 14:04:30 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Command Warm-ups

Hi,
I only did daily obedience for a few months after I graduated 
with my
dog. I used to also do obedience if the Golden Guy was 
distracted;
this would help him refocus.
In my obedience routine at home, I moved on from the sits, downs,
sit-stays, and down-stays, and practiced finding chairs, garbage 
cans,
counters, food refusal, overhead avoidance, and my favorite: the
off-leash recall.
You could also include the "leave it" cue in your obedience 
routine.
What might help your dog when you're standing or getting ready to
leave is some sort of verbal or sound cue. For instance, I use a
single snap of my finger to let my dog know it's time to get up 
and
go. The cue can be as simple as that or the clap of your hands, 
or a
verbal "time to go," or "let's go," in a somewhat excited voice.
When I first got the Golden Guy, I had a hard time getting him up 
and
from under tables as well. And the instructors were pretty 
useless in
giving me pointers. I know what you're going through. You'll 
figure
out a cue soon, and over time, you'll forget the problem ever 
existed.
Just implement the cue when you're getting ready to leave your 
house,
class, church, whatever. Your dog will generalize, and get the 
hang of
it very quickly when you start in one place and use it in others. 
Oh,
and for the first few times, reward him in some way for obeying 
the
cue whether it's with a treat, scratch on the rump, or a kiss.

On 5/26/14, Kristen via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
 Hi everyone--

 How often do you do obedience with your guide, practicing and
 reviewing commands? Also, how long do you spend on it, and what
 particular commands do you go over?

 When I was in training with Corvette last summer, they had us
 reviewing commands every morning. I've done it sporadically over
 the school year, as I thought he was doing well and had his
 commands down. Now, I began taking him outside every morning for
 the last few days to warm up. I feel there are some commands he
 could be more familiar with (maybe he's forgotten them or just
 being lazy), and this has seemed to let him know that I am in
 control and not to tug in whatever direction he chooses. (For
 example, if I am walking outside and he sees cars, he will
 immediately tug that way, wanting to get in one as fast as he 
can
 to leave. Another thing with Corvette is trying to get him out
 from under things, such as desks, restaurant tables, and out of
 the car. He's become a little stubborn, wanting to stay put when
 I'm ready to leave.)

 If he has forgotten or slacked on a command, any recommendations
 on how to reteach or develop new ones?

 Thanks for any suggestions/input! The school I attended, KSDS,
 has lots of documentation; however, none of which is in Braille
 or an accessible format. I would like to have this, as he is my
 first guide, and we're still getting used to everything. I'm
 going to a retreat there this July to hopefully help us fine 
tune
 a few skills.
 --
 Kristen

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--
Raven

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