[nagdu] [Gdui-chat] Halloween preparations?

Daryl Marie crazymusician at shaw.ca
Sat Oct 25 13:45:53 UTC 2014


Jessie,

Exactly... it's only masks that spook her... but I have only been partnered with her for just over a year.  For all I know she won't care.

She has occasionally barked (out of harness) at something or someone, but no growling except for that one time with the mask.

My coworker is willing to bring in his mask a couple of days early so we can work on it... and he is quite understanding about the whole thing.

Daryl and Jenny
----- Original Message -----
From: Jessie Rayl via Gdui-chat <gdui-chat at acb.org>
To: 'Michael Malver' <mmalver at gmail.com>
Cc: 'GDUI Chat List' <gdui-chat at acb.org>
Sent: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:30:29 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: Re: [Gdui-chat] Halloween preparations?

Hi.  Well, I retired a dog because of hyper-aggression as well.  I have no
doubt he would have growled at people with masks, or any other excuse in his
hyper-aggressive mind, and I simply was not tolerating his hyper-aggression.
That, as far as I'm concerned, should never, ever, have been my problem
because I'm very certain did not start the day he came into my life.  Sorry
trainers but no indeed it does not.  It starts way, way before then-and you
know it.  So why those dogs are being released, God help us, as guide dogs
is beyond me but sadly, some are .and by every school I know.
Now, if the dog only growls at someone with a mask on and never ever at
another person, then sure, I'd work with that .first show them the mask,
then the person without the mask, then the person with the mask.  More
importantly, I'd show them the mask, then me with the mask on, then, etc.
And with a lot of praise for appropriate behavior and strict correction for
inappropriate behavior.
Same with when a dog of mine growled at people with umbrellas: I simply got
different umbrellas, let him sniff them, check them out, then me and several
others held them in different positions and he learned that's all they were
.were not going to hurt or hit him.  Who knows what his early life
experience was, or was not, with one?
Same with, when Radar first saw my mom whom he dearly loved with her hair
all wrapped up in a towel.  He first growled, then lay down and cried.  All
we had to do was show him she was perfectly fine, it was still the same
person and all it was was a towel over her hair .no big deal.

The fact is, a mask, or umbrella, or cast, even wheelchair, etc. does alter
the person's appearance.  However, our dogs must learn that growling (a sign
of fear or aggression) is an inappropriate behavioral display and so will
not be tolerated in most circumstances wherein the person's behavior is
normal.  And, since we should be in control of the dog, they need to
understand that "no growl" or "no bark" means just that.  If not, then there
is a real problem and yes indeed, the dog may well need to be retired
because if it gets by with growling at the masked person, next it will be,
well, on and on and on it goes.

Four of my five dogs were able to understand and gain the trust in me they
needed for us to form a team.  They know that when I tell them "no growl" or
"no bark" it is okay and they need to obey.  The fifth one, quite frankly,
did not care or heed that and was hyper-aggressive.  He was determined he
would control me and everyone around .and he did until someone controlled
him-happily.


Jessie


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