[NAGDU] New equipment! YEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!!!!

[S L Johnson]

Dar:

I don't think a different harness will help with your current problem. 
Remember what the Pilot trainers had you do on class.  To have better 
control put the leash into your right hand.  This allows you to feel what 
she is doing and gives you much better control when she is sniffing or 
trying to grab stuff off the ground.  You will want to hold the  leash as 
short, about the middle of the length of the Pilot Dog leashes.   The reason 
is to have it short enough so it is a bit taught, just enough so your dog 
knows you are ready and willing to correct her if she puts her head down.  I 
purchased a shorter leash because I do not like the Pilot Dog leashes they 
give us on class.  Eva does not sniff or scavenge but I use the leash in my 
right hand to control her tendency to be over friendly and wanting to play 
with anyone who comes close to her.  As for waiting until the dog is three, 
Eva is almost four and still wants to play with everyone she sees. 
Sometimes we just have to deal with a behavior as long as we can keep it 
under good control and that you are safe.  Penney's distractions causing you 
to fall off a curb is definitely not safe.  I hope your ankle was not 
injured too severely.  Good luck to you with your very stubborn girl.

Sandra and Eva

-----Original Message----- 
From: d m gina via NAGDU
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2016 5:31 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: d m gina
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] New equipment! YEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!!!!

Why is it called a sports harness, do you like it better than the regular 
one.
My dog gets to a place and nose goes on the ground or carpet in a building.
I try to stop her but that is out of the question until she thinks she
is done to see if there is anything for her to pick up first.
I had a person walk away because they didn't like the way I was
training the dog.
Using anything over the nose just doesn't work, I am not strong enough
to fight her.
She knows this.
She also doesn't listen to the the prong collar, she feels when she is
good and ready to listen she does.
We do everything that is sugested.
My husband feels this lady here in town is to expensive.
The other day I twisted my ankle falling off a curb because we wanted
to visit with the uber driver.
I screamed was worried my face would hit the car, glad it didn't.
She got truly corrected.
When wwalking and someone comes by on the left side sniffing is what you do.
I even take my knee and bump her on the side to get her back to working
mode again.
I was told to get a smaller collar as I did, but all that does is when
correcting she gets it that she needs to stop doing what she was told to 
stop.
Where I will stop when I am ready.
She gets lots of loving playing when we can play outside, quite cold now.
We also play in the house to get rid of energy.
I am told give her to three she will grow up really?
What happens when she turns four loll.
on a one to one she is good, she wants to do what ever I request.
So I love reading this stuff to see if there is just one more thing
that I could buy that would help me out.
Now I know one shouldn't call the dog a bad name, trust me, when I
landed on the ankel I echoed all the way down the block.
A couple came by thinking that the driver pushed me down, where he didn't.
I am afraid of curbs and steps for this reason.
Ok my rant is over, I am sure I will be blamed for all of it and that is 
fine.
Until the shoes I wear are walked in, the blame can't be all of me, and
I don't give up I will keep trying.

Original message:
> Buddy:
> thanks for sharing  this, and i need to check out that harness:)
> hoping your well, and keep the wonderful work up!

>> On Nov 19, 2016, at 6:37 AM, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>> wrote:

>> Posted to Hilde's blog yesterday. Feel free to share. I'm happy to too 
>> Julie's horn for her :-) (since she sort of can't on this list...) No 
>> financial interest and all that jazz.

>> New Equipment! YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!!!

>> November 18, 2016
>> We interrupt this streak of not posting anything with a post.

>> Oohâ?¦a post? Really? Maybe Iâ?Tll post about our trip to the NFBP 
>> convention next, but this isnâ?Tt that post.

>> Over the past few weeks, Iâ?Tve gotten some gear from Julie Johnson, 
>> whose site can be found at http://guide-and-service-dogs.com/. Besides 
>> useful information, Julie manufactures a line of some dead useful things 
>> at really good prices. You can also buy from Amazon if you like, as she 
>> sells there. Iâ?Tve gotten a few of them that Iâ?Td like to talk about.

>> Iâ?Tll briefly mention the first aid kit, which doesnâ?Tt appear to be on 
>> her site. Itâ?Ts a handy zippered bag full of, surprisingly, first aid 
>> supplies. There are bandages, ointment, vet wrap, and an emergency 
>> blanket. Itâ?Ts a handy size to stash either in your home or in your 
>> luggage for travel.

>> Next, the collar bells are a pretty good idea for keeping track of your 
>> dog around the house, so that s/he will (theoretically) stay out of 
>> trouble. Julie sent me a set in trade for an honest review, and then 
>> Amazon changed their review rules. Still, Iâ?Tll happily give an honest 
>> review for them anyway. These are just your standard jingle bells on a 
>> nylon strap with side release buckle. The set comes with three sizes: one 
>> set with two very small bells, a medium sized bell, and a larger bell, 
>> each on its own strap. These would be great for a fairly quiet indoor 
>> environment. The bells arenâ?Tt very loud, so they wouldnâ?Tt be 
>> appropriate for outdoor use. The strap is only a couple inches long, with 
>> the plastic side release buckle closure, sort of like the buckles that 
>> snap your backpack together. Be aware, however, that these buckles are 
>> very small, so if you have dexterity issues, you may have trouble with 
>> them. The set I have is not adjustable, but Julie is thinking about 
>> making some that can be shortened if necessary. These would be most 
>> appropriate on a flat collar; just put the strap around the width of the 
>> collar and close, letting them hang down. I donâ?Tt think these would 
>> work very well with a slip collar, though they might with a martingale 
>> collar. I can usually hear these, when Fiona isnâ?Tt barking loudly, or 
>> if Hilde is not in stealth mode, so theyâ?Tre pretty handy. Iâ?Td 
>> probably get louder bells, just because we have some loud household 
>> members, but it wouldnâ?Tt matter a lot, because this dog can move 
>> unbelievably quietly.

>> There are two things that a guide dog user must have. OK, three. One is a 
>> collar of some kind. Hilde wears both a flat collar, for tags, and a 
>> training collar, either a toggle collar or a prong collar, depending. 
>> Julie has flat collars and martingale collars, but I donâ?Tt have either 
>> one of those. I do have a collar with Hildeâ?Ts name and my phone number 
>> on it, in case she gets lost. This collar also has reflective stuff on 
>> it. I have a link somewhere if anyoneâ?Ts interested.

>> But the other two things that a guide dog handler really has to have are 
>> a leash and a harness. Julie makes both out of quality nylon webbing. 
>> Weâ?Tre most of us used to leather, and leather is really nice. I have a 
>> leather harness as well, and itâ?Ts great. Durable, classy, practical, 
>> fairly easy to maintain. Nylon, however, also has advantages. Itâ?Ts 
>> light weight and even easier to clean, and donâ?Tt forget, itâ?Ts also 
>> inexpensive. Iâ?Tve used a nylon harness over the past six or seven years 
>> on and off. I like them especially for these Erie winters with all the 
>> dirt and grit and road salt and heavens only know what. So really, 
>> donâ?Tt discount the nylon.

>> First, the leash. You can get any length you like. I prefer shorter 
>> leashes, such as the Seeing Eye uses, about four feet long when in its 
>> extended long leash length. However, you can get one thatâ?Ts 5 or 6 feet 
>> if you prefer.

>> Julie does something kind of neat, for which I will take at least partial 
>> credit. I say partial because I think thereâ?Ts a school that does the 
>> same thing, but I canâ?Tt remember which one.

>> Iâ?Tm lazy. So last year, when Hilde was a pup, I called Handcraft 
>> Collars to ask if they could make me some guide dog leashes out of 
>> tubular nylon. I had to describe what I wanted. So, instead of the usual 
>> arrangement where you can hook to one ring for a short leash, towards the 
>> bottom snap, and another ring near the top, for a long leash, I just had 
>> Debbie put in one ring at the bottom, to make a short leash, while 
>> leaving a standard handle with the bolt snap strung on the end of the 
>> handle. That way, all you have to do to get a long leash is disconnect 
>> from the bottom ring. Several months later, I told Julie about that, she 
>> said, â?oHey, why didnâ?Tt I think of that?â?, and thus, the Quick 
>> Convert Service Dog Leash was born.

>> I now have one of those, too. Itâ?Ts a little heavier than the ones from 
>> Handcraft. Still, the stitching is quality, as is the hardware. Rather 
>> than a standard ring, Julie uses a D-ring. The bolt snaps are heavy duty 
>> ones, thicker than the ones on my Handcraft leashes. She uses nylon 
>> webbing, which is a bit grippier than the very slippery tubular nylon is, 
>> as well as a bit wider. Actually, the 3/4 inch width is as close to 
>> perfect as it gets. Itâ?Ts good stuff, and I highly recommend these, and 
>> not just because it was sort of my lazy idea. Sort of. I stole it from 
>> somewhere else. Southeastern maybe?

>> Finally, the harness. Iâ?Tm a budding guide dog equipment nerd. I love 
>> guide dog equipment. Iâ?Td love to see all sorts of different harness 
>> designs. Even so, I have very definite opinions on what makes a good 
>> harness. Of course, it has to be as comfortable as possible for the dog. 
>> Ease of putting on and taking off is desirable. A removable handle is a 
>> definite plus, and, while I wouldnâ?Tt say Iâ?Td never have a harness 
>> without a removable handle, Iâ?Tll always take a removable handle over a 
>> fixed handle. One thing thatâ?Ts an absolute deal breaker, however, is 
>> the martingale strap. Ever since I got my first Seeing Eye dog, I have 
>> gotten very spoiled by this seemingly simple extra strap that runs 
>> between the dogâ?Ts front legs, from the belly strap to the chest strap 
>> in whatever configuration. Besides giving the dog more to pull into, the 
>> extra strap stabilizes the harnessâ?Ts movement from side to side (so it 
>> doesnâ?Tt move so much), and makes it harder for your dog to accidentally 
>> back out of the harness.

>> The Sports Style Guide Harness meets all of these requirements. This is 
>> the second harness of this design that Iâ?Tve owned, and Julie has made 
>> some improvements. Itâ?Ts made with wide 2-inch nylon straps and comes in 
>> several different colors. For Hilde, I got it in blue. The harness straps 
>> are padded to make it more comfortable for the dog to wear. Youâ?Tll 
>> notice right away that the design of the harness is different from most 
>> guide dog schools. Instead of one strap that goes around the chest from 
>> one side of the dog to the other, the harness is made with two straps 
>> that run from the back strap, over the dogâ?Ts shoulders, and meeting in 
>> the center of the dogâ?Ts chest at the breastbone. The martingale strap 
>> then runs back from this juncture, such that the three straps form 
>> something like a print letter Y. Youâ?Tll also notice the absence of 
>> handle stabilizing loops, or â?obunny earsâ? that are present on most 
>> American harnesses. This isnâ?Tt nearly as scary as you might suppose. 
>> While it does afford the opportunity for more freedom of movement for the 
>> dog, the new handle has a much more rigid connection with the harness, so 
>> the handle really isnâ?Tt in a lot of danger of flipping up too high as 
>> it could with the previous PVC handle. Anyway, since there are no loops, 
>> thereâ?Ts less bulk, and less bulk for your dog to have to lie on, which 
>> sounds a lot more comfortable. The belly strap is adjustable with a 
>> sliding buckle, and closes at the right side with a plastic side release 
>> buckle of the sort that youâ?Td use to close a backpack. This buckle is 
>> quite large and sturdy.

>> The handle, as I said, is an improvement over the previous generation. 
>> The new handles are made of a flat metal stock wrapped in nylon. It is 
>> removable, attaching to the harness with plastic side release buckles. 
>> Donâ?Tt let that put you off, however; Iâ?Tve used a harness with similar 
>> handle attachments for a while with no problems. The buckles are sturdy 
>> and Iâ?Tve never had one disconnect during travel. Julie has also put a 
>> comfortable rubber handgrip on the handle, with finger grooves in the 
>> front. Itâ?Ts a very comfortable grip, even for a dog with quite a bit of 
>> pull. I'd maybe prefer a bit more of a rounded grip, maybe a little 
>> padding under the grip, but even with that, I like it. Youâ?Tll have 
>> absolutely no trouble following your dog due to â?osloppyâ? handle 
>> connections, because the connections are definitely not sloppy and 
>> donâ?Tt have excessive play in them at all. Highly recommended, 
>> especially for the price.

>> Anyway, if youâ?Tre owner training, or if you just need or want 
>> alternative equipment, give these a look. You wonâ?Tt be sorry.

>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: 814-860-3194
>> Mobile: 814-431-0962
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name







>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: 814-860-3194
>> Mobile: 814-431-0962
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name





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-- 
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
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every saint has a past
every sinner has a future
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