[nagdu] Preparing to bring your Guide dog home

Sheila Leigland sheila.leigland at gmail.com
Tue Jun 16 16:21:35 UTC 2015


that is a great post. Even though Tres has been with me for three years 
now, especially in new situations, such as convention, all of these tips 
can be used and can be very effective.

On 6/16/2015 12:25 AM, Raven Tolliver via nagdu wrote:
> One of the biggest things to consider is dog-proofing your place.
> We must remember that these dogs spend 4 to 6 months in the kennels,
> so their house manners go to the wayside. So until you learn how well
> they behave in-house, you have to set them up for success. Part of
> this is ensuring things are not all over the floor for them to pick
> up, and making toys available for playtime.
>
> Don't wait to see how your dog reacts to people or you having food
> around. Set-up the expectation that when someone has food, doggie
> should go do this thing. For instance, when I lived in my apartment in
> college, my dog knew that when I was eating, or if I was eating with
> my roommate or guests, he was to go lay down on the couch. That was
> just what he and I decided worked best, and it worked well for those
> two and a half years. Now he just lays quietly beside my chair. The
> point is, have a routine so that there is not this big to-do about
> doggie misbehaving in certain situations.
> We can't foretell everything, but if you can pre-plan, what does it hurt?
>
> Being emotionally supportive of your dog is always important, but
> especially important in the beginning. More than ever, they need
> consistency and contact. They are in a new environment with strange
> people. This will make things stressful on the dog, and naturally they
> tend to be somewhat testy in response to getting a feel for what the
> boundaries and expectations are. Also, they need lots of playtime and
> work time to blow off steam, de-stress, and get to know you.
>
> Praise for good behavior. Schools teach us to do this while our dogs
> are working, but I say do it even when your dog is lying quietly.
> Don't make a big deal of it. But just calmly praise them and
> occasionally treat them for just sitting pretty, being quiet, and
> lying calmly. As many dog trainers say: "Catch your dog doing
> something good." It is common to crack down on dogs when they're
> naughty, but we often fail to praise them for everyday good canine
> behavior.
>
> Also, don't be too hard on your dog. I think some people crock too
> many behaviors up to the dog being testy or stubborn, when there is
> always a reason for why dogs do what they do. I promise. You might not
> know what that reason is right away, or ever. But there is one, so try
> to be understanding. This guide dog thing is not just about what we
> want them to do, but also about what they are willing and unwilling to
> do, and we must be respectful of that when possible. Being forceful
> and argumentative with them creates tension, and you want to avoid
> that as much as you can. Try to be motivating, coaxing, and
> reinforcing upfront, and rely on more forceful tactics as a last
> resort. You don't wanna be a push over, but you don't want to be
> extremely pushy either.
> Just my 2 cents.





More information about the NAGDU mailing list