[nagdu] Doggie distraction... success?

Julie J. julielj at neb.rr.com
Sun Oct 5 15:49:19 UTC 2014


That's a good question...I could see that he had a lot of potential.  I felt 
the distraction issue was something I could work through with time.  It 
wasn't a deal breaker item for me...like aggression.  He was young  and I 
could see progress, so I kept working on it and working and working ...and 
it paid off in the end.

I knew owner training would be a lot of work when I started in on the 
process.  You can pick a young dog, avoid remedial training, but spend more 
time with the dog or you can pick an older dog and spend time on developed 
issues.   There are older dogs out there that don't have established issues 
to be worked through, but I couldn't fine one.   Owner training is just 
going to boil down to a lot of work, you just have to pick what you can cope 
with and what you can't.  serious dog distraction is on my list of things I 
can cope with.

Julie




-----Original Message----- 
From: Star Gazer via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2014 10:33 AM
To: 'Julie J' ; 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users' ; 'Danielle Sykora'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doggie distraction... success?

Julie,
If I can ask, what made you keep going with Montey's dog distraction?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J via nagdu
Sent: Saturday, October 4, 2014 9:06 AM
To: Danielle Sykora; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide
Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doggie distraction... success?

Raven,

I think it will continue to get better.  Monty was a total nut around other
dogs when he was younger.  I'm talking about horrid whining and warbling,
jumping up and down, pulling like mad.  I used to walk up into the grass in
people's yards to get him off the sidewalk so the other dog could pass.  It
would be all I could do to just hand on to the leash so he didn't break
loose.  Any hope of training went out the window on these ocassions.  I
would work on when I could, but sometimes people walk their dogs and you
can't plan for it.

So fast forward six years and now Monty can walk past loose dogs barking
inches from his face.  Of course I don't go out of my way to test him, that
seems mean, but it is so refreshing to know I'm not going to have to plan
elaborate detours if there's a dog.
This is what keeps me going with Jetta.  Her dog distraction is not near
what Monty's was, but it is still something we work on.  She loads better in
only these first few weeks.

Julie


Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 3, 2014, at 4:23 PM, Danielle Sykora via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
>
>> On 10/3/14, Raven Tolliver via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> The Golden guy has a moderate to strong dog distraction. Compared to
>> 2 years ago, we both have improved tremendously about handling this.
>> Most days, the Golden Guy will pull toward or look back at other dogs.
>> For the looking, I just snap my fingers rhythmically to keep him
>> focused, and it works. When he's pulling, I do restrain him just with
>> the harness and drag him in the right direction.
>> The days are increasing though where we'll pass dogs, some of them
>> being vocal and pulling toward him, and he will walk by them without
>> even speeding up as I have taught him to do to get passed the
>> distraction faster. On those days, I praise the hell out of him. It's
>> just such an improvement. I don't think this distraction will ever go
>> away, but every small success means a lot to me, and I let him know
>> it.
>> Daryl, it's good that even in the presence of the distraction, and
>> even when trying to go for it, Jenny will listen. That is a wonderful
>> thing. I've pretty much lost the Golden Guy when he starts pulling
>> and trying to get at a dog, which is why I have to drag him away. I
>> hate doing it--it just goes against my force-free philosophy. But I
>> haven't found a work around yet.
>>
>>> On 10/2/14, L Gwizdak via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Hi folks,
>>> I've been a longtime guide dog user since 1973.  I have pretty much
>>> seen everything in guide dogs and their handlers.
>>>
>>> When I want to let my dogs do something, I ask myself, "How will
>>> this impact
>>>
>>> my dog's work in harness?"  Sometimes behaviors can spill over into
>>> work in
>>>
>>> harness.  An example would be say, I want to let my dog play with
>>> dogs alot
>>>
>>> and I let my dog do that.  It could be possible that I may find I
>>> have an increased problem in dog distraction while working.  If I
>>> find that my dog cannot handle certain freedoms, well then I'll have
>>> to curtail things either

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40gmail.c
om


_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/julielj%40neb.rr.com


-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.2247 / Virus Database: 4031/7827 - Release Date: 10/05/14 





More information about the NAGDU mailing list