[NAGDU] Finding Dropped Items

Sun May 28 00:28:56 UTC 2017

*Hello Cindy,
I didn't teach the retrieve with Harley D, and I regret it. However, I 
could, if I wanted to, teach it to him. Harley D not learning to 
retrieve, however, isn't his fault, it's mine, as his trainer. While not 
part of actual guiding, per se, it is handy and more than a neat trick. 
To my way of thinking anyway. Since it is something that I desire my 
next Guide to do, an I will be the one drawing up his syllabus for his 
own personal Guide Dog University, retrieving will be in that syllabus.  
I suspect that Harley's successor will (pardon the pun) pick it up 
quickly....
That, you see is the beauty of living in a free country. We are all free 
to decide what is, and isn't important to each of us on an individual 
basis.

Your Mileage May Vary...

Wayne And Harley D

k9dad at k9di.org

*n 5/27/2017 2:29 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU wrote:
> 		When I say this, it is not meant as a criticism of what
> people do. I had a black lab, my second dog, who was just a masterful
> fetcher, and she would pick things up and drop them in my hand. Once she
> even took a cookie off a tray and I put my hand under her chin and said
> "out", and the cookie dropped into my hand. She was the only dog I had who
> would do this. I was disappointed that more of my dogs didn't fetch or find
> things. And oh yes, if she was playing with a toy and it went where she
> couldn't quite find it, she would go as close as she could and put her nose
> in the vicinity and whine. I think that was her anyway, though it could have
> been Spencer. Anyway, thing is, the dog is a guide. That is its primary
> purpose. I personally decided that having it do the fetching and finding
> things was nice but full unnecessary. Please remember that I appreciate why
> people want it, and I would be proud if I had a dog that did it, but it
> isn't important to me. The one thing that would be just too cool about it
> would be that I could say I trained the dog to do it.
>
> Cindy Lou Ray, Moderator
> cindyray at gmail.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rachel Grider via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2017 1:53 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Rachel Grider <rachel.grider at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Finding Dropped Items
>
> Thank you for this information! I started this a couple days ago using sort
> of a mixture between the two methods described. Demi picked it up very
> quickly. She has mastered putting her paw on a dropped item both in and out
> of harness. when working in harness, I would drop an object like my phone or
> credit card, then would drop the harness and say "find it," and Demi would
> put her paw on the item. We have only done this for practice at home so far.
>
> I am wondering, though, for those of you who actually have your dogs pick up
> items, how one would train a dog to pick something up on command? Demi will
> fetch, but that is only with her toys, and it seems like using clicker to
> teach a dog to pick up an object would be counterproductive because the dog
> expects a treat at the sound of the clicker. Does anyone have insight on
> this? I don't know if I even want to train Demi to pick up items; I
> definitely wouldn't want her doing it in harness, but it could be a useful
> skill to have for certain situations when off leash at home or in a hotel
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> On 5/23/17, Julie Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> I taught this a bit different, basically just shaping natural
>> tendencies.   I noticed that my dog would immediately go to something
>> out of place or new that he hadn't noticed before.  I paired this
>> natural behavior with a phrase.  I use, "find it".  Then give praise
>> when he went to it. My dog does a nose target, which I found to work
>> just fine and so I continue to use that.  He does not pick up random
>> objects, so that was not a worry for me.
>>
>> Later I set up situations with objects that I had placed in a known
>> location and then called him to find it.  I used a lot of verbal
>> encouragement and praise.  When he found the thing he got more praise,
>> pats and acknowledgement.  I don't remember using clicker and treats
>> to teach this, but I may have at some point. I did try to teach a
>> retrieve at some point, but gave up because he absolutely refused to
>> pick up anything that he didn't recognize as his.  We had a lot of
>> problems when he was a puppy with chewing up stuff, so I spent a lot
>> of time teaching him to only chew on his things.  I guess he took that
>> to heart.  Of course every dog is different and it is quite possible
>> that with more time I could have taught him a retrieve.  Finding
>> things on the floor was really what I needed so I stopped with just
> locating objects.
>> I think  Danielle's method would work also.           is a lot more
>> methodical  and systematic.  I do try to have training plans and teach
>> things step by step, but then life happens and we end up using the fly
>> by the seat of your pants method.
>>
>> Oh, I should add the find it is something that I only use at home or
>> in a hotel room, out of harness and off leash.  Monty will not find
>> objects on the floor when working in harness.
>>
>> Good luck!
>> Julie
>> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 5/22/2017 7:38 PM, Danielle Sykora via NAGDU wrote:
>>> I taught my dog how to find dropped items, by putting his paw on or
>>> near the object. Here's the outline of how I taught this, using the
>>> clicker.
>>>
>>> 1: Start with one object (I think I used an index card or some kind
>>> of paper/cardboard). Hold it in your hand, show it to the dog, and
>>> click and treat when the dog paws it. My dog tried nosing the object,
>>> mouthing it, and barking in frustration before he finally got it.
>>> 2: Once your dog paws the object reliably, put the command to it, (I
>>> used "get it"). Make sure the dog reliably paws the object when you
>>> give the command.
>>> 3: Drop the object right in front of the dog from just a few inches
>>> off the ground. Tell the dog "get it", and click and treat for pawing
>>> the object.
>>> 4: Drop the object from higher off the ground, but still in front of
>>> the dog.
>>> 5: start dropping the object progressively further away from the dog.
>>> 6: Temporarily pair the "get it" and "stay" commands. This way, the
>>> dog will paw the object and then stay there until you come over to
>>> pick it up. Release the dog from the stay only after you pick up the
>>> object. Eventually, you can drop "stay" and just say "get it".
>>> 7: Start practicing  with a variety of different items.
>>>
>>> **In the initial stages, make sure to use something that is easy to
>>> hear when your dog's paw makes contact with it.
>>>
>>> Danielle and Thai
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/22/17, Rachel Grider via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> Hello, All:
>>>>
>>>> Awhile ago, there was a discussion about teaching dogs to fetch, and
>>>> someone  on this list (I don't remember who) talked about teaching a
>>>> guide dog how to find dropped items--not necessarily how to pick
>>>> them up, but just to find them by touching the item. I would like to
>>>> learn more about training my guide dog to do that. Does anyone have
>>>> information about this?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you!
>>>>
>>>> Rachel
>>>>
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>>
>>
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