[nagdu] Preventing escapes

Wed May 27 19:51:15 UTC 2009

I have to definitely work with Beignet on recall. I have a wonderful trainer 
from Fidelco though, so he'll help me. I don't think she'll ever be an 
off-leash dog (and she's my guide). If she sees a cat she'll bolt (out of 
harness only, of course). Scarey. I lost her once and just about had a heart 
attack.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 2:07 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Preventing escapes


> Good point, and very true!  Stay calm and use strategic bribery, followed 
> by
> ridiculous amounts of praise and reward!
>
> Our coonhound Daisy scares us to death on those rare occasions when she 
> gets
> through the gate and makes a break for freedom.  When the guys had her, 
> they
> would chase after her when she got loose, yelling aggressively and waving
> their arms, so she would keep running away from them at top speed and end 
> up
> heading out towards the road.  Way to go, guys!  The poor dog had already
> been thoroughly mangled once by traffic and patched back together minus a
> front leg.  Also, her breed is meant to run for long distances, tree
> something, then wait for the humans to catch up and shoot the thing in the
> tree.  She plays "fetch" that way, too.  /lol/  Barking loudly, so I can
> follow the sound on my way to shoot the ball.  Even if we're indoors and 
> the
> ball is five feet away from me.  Yikes!
>
> Anyway, Daisy's dad has worked with her so that she will "stay" when it's
> time for him to catch up with her and put on the leash, and she's gotten
> pretty reliable at that, especially for him.  Also, she doesn't get so
> excited and anxious and aggressive when she gets out now that she goes 
> nuts.
> Whew!  Still.  If he's not around and she gets out, I have a major 
> coronary
> these days, but she seems to go on peaceful sniffs and is quite happy when
> Mitzi and I catch up (Mitzi knows "find Daisy," of course).  The next door
> neighbors, especially the girls, will walk along with me calling her, too,
> since they can spot her at a distance.  Last time, she let one of them go 
> up
> to her and take her by the collar and lead her back to me.  Daisy didn't
> even get excited enough to try to get herself in trouble.
>
> When Mitzi makes an unauthorized escape, she goes over to the next door
> neighbors' to gather up their pug and bring it home to play.  Too funny.
> She's finally to the point where she will come back when I call her. 
> Daisy
> actually slipped past Wayne out the front door a couple of times the other
> day, since we seemed to be playing Grand Central Station.  Not only did 
> she
> not try to eat the visitor, but she just came back in when he called.
>
> There is no way we will ever let Daisy be an off-leash dog except in 
> tightly
> controlled circumstances where she is safely fenced in and where there are
> no other dogs.  But I'm glad she's mellowed out enough that we can contain
> her when she does make a great escape, since she does seem to have a 
> talent
> for it.
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Zena Atchison
> Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 11:55 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Preventing escapes
>
> my gide dog went out the open gate three times in the nine years i had him
> i went back in the house and got a dog bone and stood by the open gate 
> and
>
> whistled and called him i was squatted down with my palm showing the 
> bisquit
> he went about three blocks as fast as he could go the one time and came 
> back
>
> and got the bisquit and came in the yard and layed down tucckered out
> one time he chased the neighbors cat around the house two times and came
> back to the bisquit
> the third time he ran a short distance and returned by the time i was back
> with the bone
> i never scolded are yelled at him i just said good boy for coming back i 
> was
>
> so scared especially the first time
> but one of the dog magazines said the dog would always come back better if
> you let them know how glad they were there
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, May 23, 2009 7:21 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] Preventing escapes
>
>
>> The unfortunate situation in Indianapolis got me thinking and so I'll ask
>> folks here this question.
>>
>> What steps do you take to prevent your dog from escaping out an open 
>> door?
>>
>> If the dog has gotten out, what did you do to get him/her back?
>>
>> I really do try to enforce the policy that the dog only goes through a
>> door
>> outside when I give it the command to do so, in or out of harness. If a
>> dog
>> starts barging through doorways, even ones inside buildings, I'll go back
>> to
>> the class method and have the dog sit once it's stopped for the doorway,
>> or
>> bring it back to heel and then sit.
>>
>> This doesn't always make the dog door-proof, but it does help.
>>
>> After shutting one of my dogs outside because I'd removed his leash and
>> harness on the porch while I opened the door, and obviously didn't give
>> him
>> enough time to get in, I keep them leashed until they get inside.
>>
>> Of course, most instructors will tell you that daily obedience is 
>> critical
>> for just these situations. Do we do it though? No comment. <grin>
>>
>> Jenine Stanley
>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>
>>
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