[NAGDU] Corrections

[d m gina]

say  do obedience if you don't feel a leash correction is what you should do.
Or ask the dog to sit.
I am doing this with my dog, then I say with a positive voice, lets 
start again.

Original message:
> Hello, Everyone:

> As many of you know, I am still a fairly new guide dog user and have 
> had my dog for almost four months, including our time at The Seeing 
> Eye. I feel like our partnership has solidified in so many ways since 
> bringing her home. Having said this, I have noticed that Demi has 
> become more easily distracted while in harness just within the last two 
> weeks. Up until about two weeks ago, Demi was extremely solid while in 
> harness, but I feel like she has slowly become more and more 
> distractable in a short amount of time.

> I have had a couple of conversations with instructors at TSE about this 
> and have done what they told me, but after a particularly frustrating 
> experience last night, I realized a pattern in my handling that may be 
> contributing to this problem.

> I think that my greatest weakness as a guide dog handler is giving 
> corrections. I have no problem doing verbal corrections, but it took me 
> awhile while at TSE to feel comfortable giving Demi a leash correction. 
> I have gotten  over this reticence for the most part; if we are walking 
> down the street and Demi gets distracted, I have no problem stopping 
> and giving her a leash correction. Without thinking about it, though, I 
> have realized that I shy away from giving anything beyond a verbal 
> correction when I know that there are people watching. I know that this 
> is ridiculous and that people could be watching at any time without my 
> knowledge, but if I know that there are people around me and I feel 
> Demi's head dip down to sniff, I give her a verbal and a sort of wimpy 
> jerk on her leash to get her head up, and just drive her on with a 
> hup-up. I think that the reason I do this is a fear of people thinking 
> that I am abusing my dog, which is also silly because no one has yet 
> accused me of such
>   a thing.

> Now that I have become aware of this pattern in my handling, I am 
> thinking that it may be at least partially responsible for Demi's 
> increasing lack of focus. and am determined to change it before it is 
> too late. I made sure I did obedience with her right befor we walked 
> out the door this morning, and I left home early so that we would have 
> plenty of time to stop, correct, and rework if necessary. Overall, 
> things have been going quite well today...

> So here is my question: Have any of you actually had someone accuse you 
> of abusing your dog? If so, what have you said to convince the accuser 
> otherwise?

> Thank you for your support.

> Rachel
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--Dar
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every saint has a past
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