[NAGDU] Treats and dressing well

[Sandra Gayer]

Hello,
I’m giving my opinion, based on reading the GDB’s website. I have come
across dogs, (trained for the television, not assistance dogs),
trained in this way. From what I understand, you use treats or high
value rewards, as they are referred to, on a permanent basis until you
decide to use physical and verbal praise alone, in certain
circumstances. I have read and heard that you do not need to use
treats all the time but only in those situations where the dog needs a
strong source of motivation to behave in the way you want; distracting
situations, environments which need complex thinking, and so on. The
Clicker is used as a training tool, IE, if you’re teaching a new idea,
such as, find chair, you would use the clicker, followed swiftly by a
treat, while the dog was learning what this means, in relation to what
you want the dog to do. Eventually, the dog would know what you wanted
just by you saying the word and the clicker would no longer be
necessary. It would be your decision as to whether certain behaviours
needed treats, although you would need to reduce treats gradually.

I live in the UK and they are introducing the treats idea. As there is
only one big school, the Guide Dog’s Association for the Blind, if I
want a guide dog, I’ll have to get used to the idea, like it or not.
In America, you can afford to have philosophical differences as there
are choices of school.

The dog’s I have met, seem happy enough and they do behave well. I
didn’t spend more than half days with the dogs I’m talking about but
there was no hunting for food. There are food pouches which attach to
a belt clip, I think. You don’t need to ruin your pockets with smelly
dog food.

Treat rewarded dogs seem content. I mean, who wouldn’t be happy to
receive food for good behaviour? I don’t think it’s unreasonable to
give a reward for excellent work. I know that, if a human being guided
me through a busy train station and kept me from falling onto the
tracks, I would want to buy them a cup of tea or something, it would
be the least I could do. It could be argued that, what with giving the
dog bed and board, play time, vet care and all the rest of it, you are
more than paying him/her back for their day-to-day efforts. However,
dogs are here and now creatures and wouldn’t necessarily link the task
they have completed now with the warm bed you provided last night or
the handsome meal you fed him/her this morning. Also, it depends on
how you think of your guide dog. Is he or she your friend? I know I
have given my friends things for helping me. If he/she is a working
partner and you expect a certain standard, given the training he/she
has had from your chosen school, perhaps an opposing view to treats
for certain behaviours is understandable. As for having to travel with
more items, I am reminded of mothers with babies when they go out.
They carry lots of things they need. The difference is that, with a
guide dog, he/she stays a pre-schooler for ever and ever, in terms of
the level of care the guide dog needs.

I know my views won’t be worth too much as I use a cane and haven’t
taken the guide dog path as yet but hopefully it’s food for thought
anyway.
Very best wishes,
Sandra.


On 5/20/19, Miranda via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi,
> When I needed to work with my dog on learning specific parts of our route to
> our internship site this past semester, I clipped the treat pouch to the
> belt loop on my dress slacks and removed it upon entering my internship
> agency. If I needed to work with her on targeting a specific part of the
> agency office, I might stick a couple treats in my pocket if necessary.
> However, as the clicker can be rather loud and disruptive to office
> activities, I did not utilize this method within the agency setting as much
> as I just patterned her to specific areas within the office. I use Charlie
> Bears as a training treat, and these do not have as distinct of a scent as
> kibble. They also have less crumbs to worry about. Finally, they are only
> about 3 calories per treat.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On May 20, 2019, at 1:44 PM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> I have another problem with treats, though someone probably has a
>> solution.
>> How does one dress well and still carry around a bunch of treats?
>> Women's
>> good clothes often don't have pockets.  Even when they do, I don't want
>> my
>> good clothes smelling of kibble.  I have a treat pouch, which is
>> well-made
>> and functional, but I wouldn't call it stylish.  And it tends to pull
>> down
>> the waistband of my skirt or dress slacks.  I guess I could carry my
>> purse
>> all around the office, and put treats in that, but I'm not too keen on
>> that, either.
>> So how does the well-dressed woman carry treats around in a large office,
>> and still look reasonably chic?
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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