[NAGDU] Softer Dogs?

Charlene Ota caota4 at gmail.com
Wed Mar 22 19:50:19 UTC 2017


I guess dogs and treats is like everything else in life, all in balance. I know we were encouraged to use a treat a couple of times to show the dog something you wanted him to find regularly but when they got the right idea that wwas the end of the treats. I don't even carry treats in my pockets. I have seen people give their dogs treats for everything under the sun, though.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lisa Belville via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 10:09 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Lisa Belville <missktlab1217 at frontier.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Softer Dogs?

Yes, exactly.  We used treats some at GDA, but if our dog expected a treat 
after a few repetitions, we reverted to just verbal praise.  I don't 
necessarily like treating, but there are advantages.  Giving a dog a treat 
for Every.Single. Behavior is tedious and in the end makes the dog, at least 
mine, focus only on the treat and not the over all task.

Lisa

Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at frontier.com
IF THE HOUSEWORK IS DONE - THEN THE COMPUTER IS Broken!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan via NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Softer Dogs?


>I think the biggest problem is that a lot of people are doing it wrong, and 
>that's what a lot of folks see. So you get these dogs that will absolutely 
>period amen not task unless they know a treat is in the offing, and so we 
>see dogs who are constantly having treats shoved in their faces. A dog that 
>works like that tells me that one of two things is going on. Either 1) as I 
>said, they're doing it wrong, or 2) the dog is not the right dog for the 
>job. As Rox says, it's a tool, like other tools, and can be used correctly 
>or incorrectly. I personally think that yes, use what works, and use a 
>whole combination of things, because different things will work for 
>different dogs and in different situations. Be flexible, be consistent, 
>love your dog.
>
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>
>
>
>
>> On Mar 21, 2017, at 7:11 PM, The Pawpower Pack via NAGDU 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> This is interesting because although I'm a clicker trainer, my current 
>> dog, Soleil the labradore and agent of chaos is NOT a soft dog by any 
>> means.  I live in New Orleans and need a dog who can work Mardi Gras— the 
>> season lasts almost a month— or other high stress situations  with 
>> confidence and not fall apart.  I need a dog who can be comfortable 
>> dealing with my idiotic hard-headedness and out hardhead me when 
>> necessary.  I have a feeling that it would take a very firm correction 
>> to get Soleil's attention.  And yet she does so well with the clicker. 
>> Learns new things quickly and her weird lab food issues aside— which have 
>> always been a thing, is the best guide dog I have ever had.  She is equal 
>> to Bristol who is my best dog and I never thought I'd find another who 
>> was so great.
>> I think that people should do what works.  I know there is an issue with 
>> treats that I don't quite understand. But treats are tools, just like a 
>> correction collar is a tool.  There are tools that I would prefer not to 
>> use and others have tools that I use that they wouldn't.
>> I can't speak to the program end because last day I was at one— like 
>> almost 20 years ago— it was still pretty physical. Meaning many 
>> corrections
>>
>>
>> Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
>> Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
>> Pawpower4me at gmail.com
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On Mar 21, 2017, at 5:03 PM, Bianka Brankovic via NAGDU 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi list,
>>>
>>> my first two dogs were still trained with the training cart which is 
>>> considered to be cruel by some people. Personally, I feel that the dogs 
>>> that are trained with positive reinforcement tend to be more 
>>> cooperative, it’s easier to work through little problems. My handling 
>>> style has evolved a lot during the 15 or so years i have handled guide 
>>> dogs. I am much softer with a dog now than I was in the beginning yet I 
>>> have a much better grasp of my dog’s reactions and know my own limits 
>>> better than I did at the beginning. This has hopefully lead to fewer 
>>> handling mistakes.
>>>
>>> I do believe that if you find the right motivator you can train nearly 
>>> any  dog with positive reinforcement. I feel though that the use of more 
>>> sensitive dogs on the whole may have the down side that guide dogs are 
>>> no longer as stress tolerant  and resilient  as they used to be.
>>>
>>> I feel it’s our responsibility as handlers to give honest feedback to 
>>> the schools  about what works and what doesn’t, after all, schools are 
>>> service providers. ..
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>>
>>> bianka
>>>
>>>
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