[nagdu] Distractibility

Thu Jan 12 16:34:15 UTC 2012

Hi Margo.
I guess I just worry that, since I work in the City, I will always get a
tough-minded city dog.  Ben doesn't bat an eyelash at New York craziness. 
He doesn't usually bat an eyelash at my corrections, either.  It's a
trade-off, I guess.  But Buffalo is supposed to be a fast-paced town, and
Arrow doesn't sound too tough, so you give me some hope.
Echo was very easy to correct, but she's a soft GDB gal, while Benny is a
Jersey boy through and through.  Yo!
Tracy

> Arrow doesn't distract by other dogs and he does sniff sometimes but a
> gentle hup-hup does the trick.  I never have to steady him.  We just
> stroll
> along at a gentle pace--very relaxed.
>
> Margo and Arrow
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:18 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] My new dog
>
>
>> Hi Buddy.
>> That's encouraging.  At least there are some dogs out there who are not
>> easily distracted.  Ben's weakness is sniffing, and my corrections don't
>> make much of an impression.  I want my next dog to not always be looking
>> for a chance to cop a sniff.
>> But, other than that, Ben is very easy to live with, very tranquil and
>> without any bad habits besides sniffing and emptying on route. Well, and
>> acting like "Are you talking to me?"  Little wise guy.
>>
>> Tracy
>>
>>> Hi Tracy,
>>>
>>> My experience mostly agrees with your experience, but Leno must be a
>>> mutant or something, because, approaching a year and a half later and
>>> he's
>>> *still* really quiet. There was a brief time when he'd get a little
>>> distracted by other dogs, but that settled down very quickly, and even
>>> that wasn't bad at all. Nothing like Chet's distractibility, and
>>> nothing
>>> that was at all hard to get control over. Still, I do think Leno's
>>> pretty
>>> unusual in that respect; it was pretty much what I saw was what I got,
>>> no
>>> surprises.
>>> --
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 12, 2012, at 7:46 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Mark!  I've been wondering how it was going for you.  Glad to hear
>>>> it's
>>>> going well.  And he sounds like a fine fellow.
>>>>
>>>> In my experience, dogs may start out quiet, but, once they start
>>>> feeling
>>>> comfortable, they start coming out of their shell and testing you to
>>>> see
>>>> what rules will stay and which will go.  In class, it takes a week or
>>>> two
>>>> to start.  Not sure if it's the same at home, but I'd think it would
>>>> be.
>>>> Hope all continues to go well.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> My new dog is doing well. I got him on Tuesday the 3, and yesterday
>>>>> we
>>>>> were doing subway work.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> He is an almost 80lb male shepherd. His coloration was called
>>>>> "sable."
>>>>> The tip of his tale is black, almost like he dipped it in a bucket of
>>>>> paint. He is extremely well behaved, and whenever I stop to talk to
>>>>> someone, he lays down on my left side. Whenever I am at a counter, he
>>>>> automatically lays down between my feet and the counter. He never
>>>>> barks,
>>>>> or chews anything in the house. Unless there is some sort of super
>>>>> compelling distraction like pidgins, he listens to me almost 100% of
>>>>> the
>>>>> time.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> My only complaint is sniffing distractions, and bird distractions.
>>>>> However, the bird distraction is more amusing than dangerous.
>>>>> Whenever,
>>>>> he
>>>>> sees a bird on the sidewalk in front of him, he stairs at it, while
>>>>> walking strait at it. When the bird gets scared and flies off, he is
>>>>> so
>>>>> happy, bouncing and wagging his tale.  I don't get on his case about
>>>>> bird
>>>>> distractions so long as he doesn't go after birds that are not in our
>>>>> path
>>>>> anyway, and as he is approaching the bird, he can't mess up his guide
>>>>> work.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a red rubber stick that my dog loves. This is like doggy
>>>>> crack.
>>>>> He
>>>>> wants this rubber stick, more than he wants beef jerky or other high
>>>>> value
>>>>> food treats.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Let's call the dog Jon. That's not his name, however, that's the
>>>>> alias
>>>>> we
>>>>> are going with to he decides he doesn't want to run over and make
>>>>> friends
>>>>> with everyone that says his name.
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>
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