[NAGDU] finding things

Wed Nov 1 20:23:47 UTC 2017

Has anyone ever noticed that their dog will find a seat better in a waiting room full of people watahcing him than he does when you're all by yourself?  (smile!) I know that's happened to me at times but my dog has been pretty good about finding a seat or elevators or making his way back outside when we're at a store or a restaurant. 

Charlene

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Janell via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 1:25 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Janell <nellie at culodge.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] finding things

Sully does a fantastic job finding me a chair or a bench, but he does not always find one that is empty... any suggestions?

Janell and Sully

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dan Weiner via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, November 1, 2017 11:55 AM
To: Jean Menzies via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Dan Weiner <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] finding things

just a point of discussion, I really think these skills finding chairs, elevators, buttons all of those are something my dogs have learned

  but to get them to be consistent I've had o really hall butt and practice even if they were exposed to it at guide dog school, what have other people found?

Warmest regards,

Dan and Parker the chair-finder--smileOn 11/1/2017 12:16 PM, Jean Menzies via NAGDU wrote:
> Andy, thanks for your detailed response. It really helps in comparing 
> how the dogs might work, not taking into account personality of 
> course. In 34 years of having guide dogs, I have gone through 3 
> different programs. I change based on what taught skills I think will 
> best suit my lifestyle at a given point. All the programs have been 
> excellent, and my choice to change is not based on anything except 
> examining the skills the dogs are taught and thinking about what I 
> need. Thanks for sharing.
>
> Jean and Bode
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Andy Borka via NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 7:12 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Andy Borka
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] choosing a school
>
> Hi Jean,
>
> I recently graduated from Seeing Eye. In fact, Alec and I came home in 
> August of this year. We will attempt to answer your questions as much 
> as possible.
>
> Food rewards used or not used
> During training, food rewards are usually forbidden. The dogs are 
> taught to drive from your love and praises after each successful task.
> Only when you get home might a trainer recommend food rewards along 
> with clicker training. This is done after arriving home because your 
> dog will not have any concept of where he/she is at the time. After 
> building their confidence with a route, phase out the treats, then the 
> clicker Skill sets –Is Find the ... taught? If so, what objects or 
> items are the dogs taught to find initially?
> They are taught inside/outside and doors. Aside from this, your dog is 
> taught to generalize. An example is a table. If you normally sit at a 
> table in a lounge, then ask your dog to find a table, he might take 
> you to the one you would normally sit at, but he will take you to a 
> table. After sitting in a specific spot for a few days, he will start 
> taking you directly to that spot. Seeing Eye dogs are heavily 
> patterned for your specific needs. Therefore, most of the patterning 
> and generalization is done during class. Right now, Alec can find 
> inside, outside, the door, home, park, the bus, the wall (at a 
> specific street corner), the service desk at Walmart, the checkout 
> register at Walgreens, the down ramp at certain street corners (offset 
> crossings), things I drop on the ground (my keys on one occasion), 
> steps (both up and down), cars I normally ride in, specific people he 
> knows fairly well, and return points during a route. Most of these he 
> learned during class or after getting home.
> Traffic work – exposure to quiet cars
> Seeing Eye has a quiet car they use during traning and traffic checks. 
> During class, staff members will drive around in different types of 
> vehicles. When students attempt to cross the street, they will give 
> you and your dog a traffic check. A traffic check is a situation where 
> the driver poses a potential danger to you or your dog. An example is 
> pulling out directly in front of you during a crossing. One of these 
> cars is a quiet car. Often, they request the general public give you 
> traffic checks at random. I remember a time where we ended up boxed in 
> between four cars during a crossing. The unfortunate complexity of 
> this situation is the cars that boxed us in were still moving. Alec 
> expertly guided me out of the problem and across the street. Traffic 
> is an important topic. Roughly 4 hours of lectures are dedicated to 
> handling traffic.
>
> Application process: Number of references, home video The application 
> process is not complicated. Go to seeingeye.org, click admissions, 
> then apply, then apply online. You create a username/password. When 
> you arrive at the application, you have to fill out sections related 
> to contact info, vision, general health, mobility, references, class 
> date preferences, etc. You have to provide three references. The cost 
> for a dog is $150 paid to the school whenever you can afford to do so. 
> When the initial application is approved, they send you medical forms 
> to have your doctor fill out and send back. They will send a trainer 
> out to evaluate your current mobility skills. Since you have a dog, I 
> don’t know how they would evaluate mobility skills. In the same visit, 
> the trainer would give you a juno walk. If everything is good to go, 
> you will receive a class date. At that time, they would walk you 
> through the legal paperwork and travel arrangements.
>
> These questions have been answered based on my own experience, and 
> what trainers have told me during class.
>
> Sent from Mail for Windows 10
>
> From: Jean Menzies via NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 2:10 PM
> To: NAGDU
> Cc: Jean Menzies
> Subject: [NAGDU] choosing a school
>
> Hello all,
>
>
>
> Without going into the details now, I am looking at dog retirement, 
> and getting applications started for dog  number 7. Even if I end up 
> delaying exceptance, the paperwork will be good for two years, and 
> there are reasons to get going on it now.
>
>
>
> My current dog is from Leader. He is wonderful, and I really like the 
> skill sets that LD puts on their dogs. But in deciding if I stay or 
> change schools, I want some information on the Seing Eye as well.
>
>
>
> For anyone who has been to either school recently, or for those who 
> have been to both, I would like your thoughts on the following points:
>
>
>
> Food rewards used or not used
>
>
>
> If food rewards are used, are they phased out or maintained
>
>
>
> Skill sets –
>
> Is Find the ... taught? If so, what objects or items are the dogs 
> taught to find initially? E.g., empty chairs/benches, stairs up/down, 
> pushbutton poles, doors, inside/outside, etc.?
>
>
>
> Traffic work – exposure to quiet cars
>
>
>
> Application process: Number of references, home video
>
>
>
> I'm interested in comparing the skill sets and working styles of the 
> dogs, so please, no info on meals, rooms, etc. That's not important to 
> me. Any info anyone can provide on current training from the two 
> programs would be appreciated.
>
>
>
> Jean
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