[nagdu] Relieving on concrete

Tue Sep 30 15:35:11 UTC 2014

I strongly advise you to get her used to relieving on concrete before you
come to NYC.  Much less stressful for you to work on it at home than here.
When I get a new dog who's not used to concrete, I take him only on
concrete until he gets the idea.  The street in front of my house is
pretty quiet, so I insist he go off the curb, not going too far out, and
not going on the grass, until he gets the idea.  I do the same at work,
where there isn't any grass anyway.  The safest place is between 2 parked
cars, if you can arrange it, with not enough room for another car to pull
in.
I keep the leash short, so the dog can't go too far.  TSE leashes are nice
and short, doubled over.
Tracy

> This brings up a quesiton.
> As many of you know I will be heading to NYC over the holidays, and am
> wondering on ways to get Jenny to relieve on concrete. She has relieved on
> grass usually, or on snow banks in the winter, but only once or twice on
> concrete when I ahven't paid attention to her signals.
> Any advice on preparing?
>
> Daryl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Noah G. via nagdu Beckman <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: Brandy Pinder <bdpinder at gmail.com>, NAGDU Mailing List, the National
> Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 20:29:24 -0600 (MDT)
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] major relieving issues
>
> Hi Marsha,
> 	I've had similar relieving issues with Mia.  I realized that all her
> accidents stem from the fact that she refuses to relieve on concrete.  If
> she were to not go on the grass in the morning before I leave and I were
> to choose to only let her out on concrete the rest of the day, you could
> rest assured that she would relieve in route.  The scenario outlined in
> the last sentence is not a hypothetical; her  last ill-timed elimination
> occurred minutes after I took her out on concrete and she refused to go.
> At the time, I was hoping that if she had to go badly enough, she would
> give in and go on the pavement.  After that, I decided to simply find
> grass whenever possible.  Mia has been accident free since (knock on
> wood).  I can't determine from your email whether the surface (concrete
> or grass) of your relieving areas at work/school differ from your
> relieving area at home, but my advice would be try taking your dog out on
> grass whenever possible if you are not doing this already.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> -Noah
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brandy Pinder
> via nagdu
> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 10:00 PM
> To: Janice Toothman; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide
> Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] major relieving issues
>
> Hi martia,
> I had this problem with my sweet noel. Some foods she did better than
> others but she would poop before leaving and then about two blocks down. I
> tried waking up taking her poop, feeding then getting ready and poop
> again, no go still had to go on route. This would happen also in the
> afternoon. I tried playing with her before leaving to stimulate the second
> poop, nothing. This, as you know, is extremely frustrating in the city
> where it isn't always safe to take them. Eventually after a while we
> compromised. I wouldn't let her stop where ever but we would have one
> place per common route where I would say it was ok to go. Before that, no.
> When getting my successor I told gdf in no way did I want a dog that had
> relieving issues while walking. However, noel was a fabulous dog in every
> sense of the word and finally I said, hey she doesn't poop inside, she's
> not just stopping in the sidewalk and pooping she is pulling over and hey
> it's better than some issues. Pinta for the most part, unless I change her
> food, doesn't have this issue but goodness I know the anxiety and
> frustration. And she probably just stops walking all together if you don't
> let her go, right? My advice is to maybe pick a spot on the route before
> she gives the sign or even a few feet after if you can that you pick so it
> isn't on her terms but yours. And maybe when she does relieve when and
> where you want at the university give her a treat or lots of praise. Also,
> most importantly I found that when I was trying to get noel to relieve I
> would be anxious because I soooo badly wanted her to go, and she felt
> this. On the other hand if I went out there with the attitude of, I can
> care less if you go or not, sometimes she would. And then you have to make
> it relative. This problem isn't huge compared to a dog who shuts down when
> faced with an obstacle, or chases down every dog she seems, etc...
> Hope this helps!
>
> brandy pinder
> Alumni Council -  second vice Chairman
> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, IncÂ® and America's VetDogsÂ®, The
> Veteran's K-9 Corps IncÂ® Providing "Second uSight"Â® since 1946
>
> 371 E. Jericho Turnpike smith town ny 11766
> Cso: 866-282-8047
> Email: brandydp at verizon.net
> Cell: 304-685-4499
>
>> On Sep 29, 2014, at 9:35 PM, Janice Toothman via nagdu
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Marsha,
>> I do not have any suggestions but I know what you are talking about.
>> Destiny and I will sometimes be out for 45 minutes to and hour.  I know
>> that she has to poop because she has not all day and she has not peed in
>> a long while but she will not do either.  She will have me walking up
>> and down streets.
>>
>> I feel your pain and frustration.  I wanted  you to reassure you that
>> your dog is not the only one that would do this.  Even if Destiny is
>> retired I am still caring for her until I receive my new guide.
>> I know it is hard to have an pup with an unpredictable  relieving
>> schedule when your schedule is so busy.  Remember that you and your
>> guide are succeeding in going to your internship and managing your
>> classes and that is awesome!  Recognize your hard work and try not to
>> micromanage your guides feeding.
>>
>> Your dog is sensitive to your needs and feelings; therefore, she might
>> pick up on your "energy" level/tension in your movements that might
>> affect her.  When she relieves on the way home it might feel to her that
>> "expectation" of familiar surroundings and relieving area.
>>
>> Marsha that is speculation and you can take it or leave it.  I may not
>> have been too clear so if you need be to explain, then ask. However, you
>> know your dog the best.
>>
>> I just know that if I am in a hurry and want Destiny to relieve quickly;
>> then that is not what she will do.  I end up frustrated and Destiny
>> end's up sitting in fronting as if asking what she is supposed to do.
>> Janice
>>
>>
>>> On 9/29/2014 8:49 PM, Marsha Drenth via nagdu wrote:
>>> Hi List,
>>> I know, I know, I know that this topic has been discussed ad nausium.
>>> My current pup from GDF and I have been working for almost two years.
>>> Of course because I am back to school, this issue has come up again.
>>> When I was in classes at my university this was always an issue too. I
>>> feed pup, Natures Domain, 2 cups a day. So she will relieve in the
>>> morning, with plenty of time to go. Then around lunch time, as late as
>>> two o'clock I will then relieve her again, this time its on my
>>> university campus, or at my internship. If I am in classes, like I said
>>> its at 2pm, the earliest I can relieve her. If I am at my internship, I
>>> take her out around lunch. At either location, I can spend my entire
>>> lunch break, an hour, 30 minutes, whatever, and she will not go. I can
>>> walk her around the block, down the block. She will not relieve. I have
>>> taken off the harness, left it on, she will not relieve. I head home
>>> around either 4 or 5pm, but almost every single day, she will relieve
>>> on the sidewalk, in  the middle of our route. I have tried to reduce
>>> her food, only giving her a half cup of food, tried giving her all two
>>> cups at once, tried leaving out that meal all together. The reducing
>>> the meal to a half a cup, will delay the relieving to a morning poop.
>>> Like I said I thought it might have been the walk that stimulates her
>>> to go, so thus why I have walked her, but she will not go. Its always
>>> on the way to the train. I honestly do not know what to do from here,
>>> either I can just live with it or something has to happen. Please do
>>> not give the feeding nature talk, its not for me. My dog has no other
>>> health issues other this. I myself am nw having anxiety about her
>>> pooping on our route. I have had 3 guides, none of them have done this.
>>> Please give suggestions? I am in classes two days a week, internship
>>> three days a week, my schedule is busy, and she loves all the work. So
>>> like I said, here is the schedule. I wake up, feed pup, take her out,
>>> depending on the day depends on when she  eats and relieves, its
>>> usually between 5am and 7am. Like I said above either at lunch time,
>>> 12:30pm or 2pm, relieve again. 4 or 5pm, head for home and the train,
>>> when she will poop on route. Its at least 4 out of the 5days she poops
>>> on route. Then when I get home around 6 or 7pm, fed and relieved. Again
>>> at bed time, relieved at the last time. I never ever ever know when she
>>> is going to poop, its been two years and we are still not on a
>>> schedule. Thought I would ask here, as some of you all have worked many
>>> many dogs. Like I said, she is an absolutely great worker. Like I said
>>> I need suggestions, not criticism.
>>> Thank you,
>>>
>>> Marsha drenth
>>> email: marsha.drenth at gmail.com
>>> Sent with my IPhone
>>> Please note that this email communication has been sent using my
>>> iPhone. As such, I may have used dictation and had made attempts to
>>> mitigate errors. Please do not be hesitant to ask for clarification as
>>> necessary.
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>>
>>
>>
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