[nagdu] Update, Trouble with Tugging

Mon Oct 13 15:43:02 UTC 2014

Dudley,

Taking the pressure off the harness when the dog is tugging has never 
occurred to me. Now that you've mentioned it, I think it's brilliant! 
I've used versions of the other methods you describe, and those work 
well to get Mitzi to settle down. When she was younger, it could make 
for a lot of frustration getting nowhere slowly, but the long term 
effects were worth it. She would remember that rushing and pulling just 
didn't turn into any fun and straighten out all by herself.

She's a relatively small poodle and can't truly drag me off my feet 
(unless I'm *really* not paying attention and am off balance) or 
anything like that. So I've been a bit blase about such things. Loki is 
going to be enough bigger and stronger that I'm going to have to pay 
attention and have good techniques to deal with rushing or tugging or 
the like. So far, I'm working that into my basic training, teaching him 
an acceptable pull in his walking harness by just stopping him if he 
pulls too hard. But for later training in harness, I will definitely 
remember to let up on the handle pressure to let him unbalance himself 
as a negative reinforcement.

Thanks!

Tami

On 10/12/2014 03:31 PM, Dudley Hanks via nagdu wrote:
> Being "old school," I like to use positive reinforcement without food as
> much as possible, and having worked a number of large GSD Guides, tugging is
> something I've had to deal with a lot.
>
> The method I use is simple:
>
> Whenever my Guide starts to tug, I simply flick my wrist forward so that the
> pressure on the harness disappears almost instantaneously.
>
> If your Guide is tugging hard, the sudden lack of restraining pressure will
> cause your Guide to momentarily lose its balance, so it will have to pause
> briefly.
>
> That's when I say, loudly and cheerfully, "Good boy!"  Or, "Good, Girl!"
>
> This method was shown to me by Brad Hibbard back when I was learning to work
> with my first Guide Dog, Bonner.  Brad is currently the director of GDB's
> training program
>
> It was a little easier to do back then, as the harnesses had some slack
> built into the handle attachment where it joined to the main harness via an
> "S" link, but, with practice, it is possible with the modern positive
> connection harness handles.  You simply have to add a bit of a forward push
> of the forearm.
>
> If my Guide is particularly energetic, I call out "Halt!" every thirty or
> forty feet and follow-up with a sit command.  Then, I simply let my Guide
> sit until he or she is still.  Then I give him or her a good boy or girl, a
> pat or two on the head, and ruffle the fur on his or her neck a bit.  Then I
> say "forward," and we're off again.
>
> Sometimes, it can take a while to get where you want to go using this
> method, but it encourages your Guide to be calm cool and collected, and
> demonstrates that tugging simply ends up taking longer.
>
> It also turns a negative experience into some good bonding time.
>
> The main thing to think about from a handler's point-of-view is not to let
> stress creep into your voice.
>
> If you are calm, cool and collected, and you encourage that behaviour in
> your Guide, the two of you will eventually find that perfect pace.
>
> Good Luck,
> Dudley, with Michener
>
> On 10/11/14, Kristen via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi, all--
>>
>> Last time I posted here, Corvette was unwilling to jump out of
>> cars, becoming one with the car floor and not budging at all. I
>> am delighted to say that, with the suggestions of many list
>> members here (especially Raven), he is getting out of the car
>> perfectly almost every time. It took lots of practice and praise
>> with the clicker at different locations, but our accomplishment
>> feels so rewarding. Clicker training works wonders!
>>
>> However, maybe someone here can think of more solutions than I to
>> a smaller issue we're currently having: This mostly happens when
>> he is unfamiliar with our surroundings or sees any car (it
>> doesn't have to be ours) and wants to jump in. He immediately
>> begins looking for our car among parked cars, even when we're
>> nowhere near it. Corvette will tug forward or to either side if
>> he's in a hurry, making me drop the lead and pull him back by the
>> leash. I make him do puppy situps (sit, down, sit, down...) to
>> refocus his attention on me. Within a few minutes, though, he
>> will revert to pulling me again to bolt to wherever he wants to
>> go (usually, anyplace where he knows he will get to lay down) at
>> the time, often not watching out for whatever is ahead of me.
>> Sometimes, I think it is just that Corvette is skiddish and
>> unsure of where we are. I try using the term "easy," which he
>> knows means to slow down after a few situps, then clicking and
>> rewarding when he goes slower, but that is usually only a few
>> minutes or so until his attention is unfocused on our current
>> task again.
>>
>> I'm looking for a better way to set up this situation during
>> obedience routines to practice. However, he is fine when we pass
>> the car in our driveway, and I say "leave it." He does, and I
>> reward. It's not bad at all at home because he's familiar with
>> the surroundings and knows where we're going and what to expect.
>>
>> Any suggestions to correct this using positive reinforcement? (I
>> would like to mention that he will not take a treat on the lead,
>> which I am happy about after reading recent threads about food
>> refusal problems. I would like to keep it this way with him.) He
>> is a "soft" dog and lives for praise/love, which worked well
>> after clicking to get him out of cars. I've tried a simple leash
>> correction after the refocusing, but it seems not to last long.
>> He does use a halti at all times.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for any advice!
>> --
>> Kristen
>>
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>
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