[nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience

Mon Feb 8 20:50:13 UTC 2010

Thanks for that. I did relieve Troy the other day on Sunday afternoon before 
taking him to his water dish, making him sit for about ten seconds and then 
letting him have a drink. It worked. So thanks for answering my question 
everybody!

Cheers,

Michelle
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience

> Michelle,
>
> Yes, consistency is crucially important.  I also think it might be helpful
> to shorten the time you expect him to stay until he is reliable at that
> level.  then increase the time a few seconds at a time until he is staying
> the length you need.  My opinion is that if you ask a dog to do something 
> he
> isn't capable of or willing to do and he messes up it will cause 
> frustration
> for everyone involved.  I think over time it also deteriorates the 
> training.
>
> It might also be helpful to practice when he isn't exceptionally thirsty 
> so
> he will be more likely to succeed.  Success builds success.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Michelle" <m-johnson at bigpond.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 11:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Troy can access it regularly, except for occasionally when we close the
>> door while our house is air-conditioned, otherwise yes he does have 
>> access
>> to water.
>>
>> Thanks for the advice there, I'll make sure all people who help me with
>> Troy's water dish put him in a sit stay.
>>
>> Michelle
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Susan Jones" <sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 12:05 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>
>>
>>> Michele,
>>> Do you keep your dog's water container where he can't get to it
>>> regularly?
>>> I always leave a bowl of water down for Rhoda.
>>> When I go to my mom's, the place where I have to feed her is closed off
>>> from
>>> the rest of the house much of the time, and she will not go there to
>>> drink
>>> when thirsty.
>>> So, I started keeping a small bowl of water for her in the bathroom I
>>> use.
>>> That way, she's not shy about going to drink, and I can be sure she will
>>> get
>>> what she needs.
>>> I personally would not make water an obedience issue, though while you
>>> are
>>> refilling her bowl, she must sit and stay, and not get in your way.
>>> JMHO,
>>> Susan
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf
>>> Of Michelle
>>> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 5:09 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>
>>> The vet has found Troy to be in perfect health since last year when I
>>> took
>>> him a few times. A few days ago I took him to the vet just to get a
>>> measuring cup for his shampoo and they say he looks very well.
>>>
>>> To clear up anything that I may have not explained properly, I don't 
>>> mean
>>> that I put washing in the laundry before letting Troy drink and stuff
>>> like
>>> that. If I know Troy needs a drink and the door is closed because of air
>>> conditioning and I open the door to go and check his water dish before
>>> letting him to drink, or if someone has to quickly go into the laundry
>>> and
>>> then walk out, we expect a sit stay for about a minute and then let Troy
>>> go
>>> in for a drink, otherwise there's not enough room for the dog and us.
>>>
>>> I'll encourage him to drink a lot more water during the day, although he
>>> does get very strong-willed about not drinking until later on... Troy is
>>> a
>>> funny dog! He waits until he's very thirsty before he drinks.
>>>
>>> Hope this clears anything up for you all,
>>>
>>> Michelle
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 4:29 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Michelle,
>>>> I'd make Troy wait til the cows came home for the water if he breaks 
>>>> the
>>>> Sit
>>>> command.  In other words, water NEVER appears until he learns to stay.
>>>> Maybe don't keep the water down so then you always know how much water
>>>> is
>>>> in
>>>> the dish before it is put down. Make him sit and stay before you put it
>>>> down.  If he breaks, remove it immediately - before he gets to it. He
>>>> has
>>>> to
>>>> know that he must wait for your OK before going for the water.  This 
>>>> can
>>>> be
>>>> a safety issue as he coould cause the bowl to be upset and water 
>>>> spilled
>>>> all
>>>> over the place.  Some dogs have tried to knock the bowl out of the
>>>> person's
>>>> hand.
>>>>
>>>> Have you had him check for any conditions that would make him very
>>>> thirsty?
>>>> I have found that it is wise to find out if there is a medical problem
>>>> before correcting some behaviors.
>>>>
>>>> HTH!
>>>>
>>>> BTW, welcome and hope you join us in our lively discussions.  I'm Lyn
>>>> and
>>>> I'm working with my eighth dog, Landon. He's a four-year-old red
>>>> Lab/Golden
>>>> cross from The Seeing Eye.
>>>>
>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Michelle" <m-johnson at bigpond.com>
>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 1:48 AM
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog Obedience
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've got a question. I'm a first-time guide dog user, and have had my
>>>>> current guide dog for just over two years. He's good with his 
>>>>> obedience
>>>>> commands most of the time, but when it comes to telling him to sit and
>>>>> stay when I'm checking how much water he has in his container, or if
>>>>> someone else has to go into the laundry for a few minutes for any
>>>>> reason
>>>>> and Troy is thirsty, I, or the other person, will tell him to sit and
>>>>> stay, but then his compulsion to drink right now causes his obedience
>>>>> to
>>>>> go out the window. What do I do about this, so then he won't 
>>>>> generalise
>>>>> this breaking of commands to other parts of his working and social
>>>>> life?
>>>>>
>>>>> Advice much appreciated,
>>>>>
>>>>> Michelle
>>>>>
>>>>> P.S. Even though Troy gets enough water to drink each day and has
>>>>> access
>>>>> to it every day, when he wants water, he is so impatient that he can't
>>>>> seem to sit and stay for as lo g as we need him to when it comes to
>>>>> checking his water container or going into the laundry for other
>>>>> reasons
>>>>> before letting him go for a drink. He breaks his stay before I or
>>>>> others
>>>>> leave the laundry.
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
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>>> et
>>>>
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>
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