[nagdu] Follow the yellow-brick dog

[Dan Weiner]

Hi guys.

Well, unlike some of you, it seems, I find the follow command to be an
invaluable tool.
I went through college learning routes and then following people to other
places and learning them that way.  It can be a good way to pattern your dog
to a route, too.
It's a way of maintaining your autonomy while keeping up with the person and
being in a group.
My late last guide dog, Evan, was a champion at following. This, though,
like any other skill, required me to work at it to make it consistent and
slick.
Leader trains for "follow" and find, etc. but as I've said, I find that
really practicing it a lot and even setting up situations where the dog can
learn and get positive feedback is the key to making it something that the
dog will do snappily when you use the command.

If I didn't want to follow someone, I could just gently redirect my hound.

Now, Carter...well, he follows sometimes and sometimes wants literally to be
a "leader dog"--smile.
Of course, in fairness to him, I'm not as active with him as I was the first
years with Evan so maybe he's just developing  his skill.

Warm regards,

Dan W.