[nagdu] Intelligent disobedience

[Tami Jarvis]

Tracy,

That's something I've wondered about off and on about guide dogs in 
general. They're all trained in intelligent disobedience... But how 
stubborn is the average guide dog about applying that training?

Mitzi is stubborn and has developed a number of ways of letting me know 
-- correction: trying to let me know -- that I am being a complete dumb 
head and would get myself hurt or done in if she didn't go to 
extraordinary lengths to protect me from myself. /lol/ She is also very 
good at saying, "I told you so," once I figure it out.

So now I'm really spoiled, of course. But as Mitzi moves toward the 
7-year mark, I do find myself wondering about that trait of hers. I 
think the major reason I want to do some basic guide dog training with 
DD's pup Zay is because she is naturally a more obedient type of dog, in 
the classical concept of obedience. Very eager to please, etc., etc. So 
I want to find out, using very safe places, if she can take the basic 
skills and develop some general responsibility, then bump it up to the 
next level and refuse to let me walk into the street or something. Hm...

My secret fear for the future is that I will inadvertently end up with a 
guide dog that does what I tell it to, just because I tell it to... 
Probably because of all the people who take it upon themselves to 
question Mitzi's fitness (or even ask smart questions in a sensible way) 
as a guide, since they thought guide dogs are supposed to be totally 
obedient. /lol/ I used to get really annoyed by that sort of thing, but 
now I just stare at whoever might bring it up these days in horror, then 
burst out laughing. OMG! I would be soooo doomed! /lol/

Tami

On 01/30/2013 10:02 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> Sometimes I get mixed up about exactly where I am, and tell Ben to do
> something dumb, like turn to cross the street before we get to the
> crosswalk.  He says No, and I insist, and he insists back, and, after 2
> or 3 times, I finally get it through my fat head that this time he is
> right and I am wrong, and I tell him how great he is.
> I know all guide dogs do intelligent disobedience, but do they all
> insist when their silly user persists in wrong-headedness?  Or is this a
> special feature I need to remember to mention, when it comes time for
> New Dog? Actually, I did just tell Seeing Eye to put it in my record
> that I need a dog who insists, but I wonder if it really goes without
> saying.  But then, some things I think go without saying apparently don't.
> So, do all guide dogs insist in disobedience, even in small things like
> the right place to cross the street?
> Tracy
>
>
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