[NAGDU] Good follow-up

[Cindy Ray]

Tracy, don't let it frustrate you too juch that it has taken this long. Just
be glad that you are finally on the right path with him. It is rather
fascinating some of the things that they come up with for reasons for
behaviors, and often they seem to be true. I wouldn't have thought of that
head down thing. When I was there they said that I shouldn't try to steer
the dog straight because sometimes I would be making a mistake because I was
aligned a little off and the dog would, say, see the diagonal sidewalk first
and go for that. I am not big on stopping in the street either. 
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
via NAGDU
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2017 8:39 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] Good follow-up

A couple weeks ago, Krokus's trainer came out again to help me get the big K
back on the straight and narrow, and things are much better now.

She brought all the lengths of offset harness handle, and we quickly settle
on the shortest.  The offset gives Krokus more room to maneuver, and the
shortness gives me a more definite pull, so we're both more comfortable.
She worked with me on my body language a bit.  I was putting my head down a
bit when I said Forward.  I think I started doing it, thinking it would help
Krokus hear me in a noisy environment, but he thought I was looking at him,
and would stand there looking up at me and not moving.  So I have to keep my
head up and look straight ahead when I say Forward, and most of the time he
does it right away.

And, if I feel he's not going straight in the street, I'm to stop and say
Straight, at which point he re-orients himself.  It's nerve-wracking to stop
in the street, but it's working better than the leash cues I was trying to
use.

She also worked with me on giving leash flicks forward when he doesn't
maintain the pace I want.  

We took a long walk in a quiet neighborhood to work on all these things,
and, by the end, we were doing a lot better.  We've regressed a bit, but
we're definitely improving.  I think we're finally on the right path.  It's
frustrating it's taken 2 and a half years to get here, but at least it seems
to be happening at last.

Tracy

 

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