[nagdu] Aberrant Bailey Behavior

Thu Oct 3 04:07:17 UTC 2013

Robert,

I think you are definitely on the right track with the obedience
exercises. I would also recommend lots and lots of praise as well as
food rewards whenever Bailey does not respond to David's presence.
Have you tried using a gentle leader or similar gear to help focus
bailey while he is working? My dog is extremely people oriented, no
matter stranger or friend and I found that just by having the gentle
leader on her, she's a lot more subdued with her greetings.

Minh

On 10/2/13, Shannon Dyer <solsticesinger at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi, Robert.
>
> I think you're on the right track with the obedience and limiting contact
> between Bailey and David. Also, the obedience seems like it could work.
>
> When Bailey does not respond to David's presence, give him some praise and
> calm petting. This might help him get the message that this is the desired
> behavior.
>
> Shannon and the Acelet
> On Oct 2, 2013, at 10:38 PM, "Hooper, Robert M."
> <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu> wrote:
>
>> Hello List:
>>
>> I have an interesting situation with which I would like to deal with the
>> upmost haste and thoroughness. I have a few ideas about how to begin, but
>> I thought I would "open the floor for discussion," as it were.
>> As the subject line indicates, the topic is aberrant Bailey behavior. So,
>> here's the breakdown. There is a good friend of mine-we'll call him David
>> Bonderman. Mr. Bonderman and I "outhang" frequently-we go to gatherings
>> together; he will come over to my apartment to watch OSU play various
>> sports; we will spend time with mutual friends-you get the picture. Well,
>> we also have class with one another this semester. I suppose that you more
>> experienced dog handlers are starting to grasp where I am going with this.
>> Bailey can be people-oriented, particularly if he knows them. If he knows
>> someone, he is horrifyingly lab-like with regards to his expression of
>> affection. As a shepherd, he is prone to vocalizations, and will squeak
>> away madly when encountering David Bonderman. Usually, this is manageable,
>> as we encounter one another outside class, and I can get Bailey under
>> control before we need to be anywhere. However, sometimes one of us will
>> show up to class a bit late and will have entered already. When it is he
>> who is late, there isn't much difficulty. Bailey will alert, and may emit
>> a few squeaks, but settles down rather quickly, with little to no
>> prompting on my part. However, when it is me who is a few minutes late...
>> Let me stop to explain to those of you who have left classrooms-lecture
>> halls in particular-behind. I have a regular seat in the front row that is
>> reliably open. I go there, passing David on my right-this is good. Bailey
>> is on my left, so I am between them. However, he is still pretty focused
>> on David-I can tell this, despite his squeaking. I Then have to sit down,
>> remove my backpack, position the dog, position the backpack, raise the
>> attached mini-tables for my laptop, etc. Bailey insists on a sniff if he
>> can get one, and persists in his squeakage for a few seconds after I get
>> him down. Then he subsides into perfect service animal mode, but commences
>> squeaking as soon as class is dismissed. So, what should I do in delicate
>> situations like these? Correction? I think not, especially in the
>> beginning. He is very vocal during corrections, and the lecture would be
>> underway. I will not disrupt class in such a fashion. Maybe after class,
>> but I'm still a bit hesitant. As much as I would like to dismiss public
>> opinion, there's just something I dislike about the prospect of making a
>> spectacle of myself either coming in or leaving class with a hundred or so
>> people looking on. My initial thought was to address this behavior outside
>> of class, where I wouldn't need to be as concerned with class disruption
>> or leaving negative impressions with those who might decide whether I get
>> into graduate school. So, things I've started to do:
>>
>> 1.       During our casual hang-out sessions-i.e. when David is over at my
>> apartment, I am at his, or we are somewhere else where an out-of-harness
>> Bailey is acceptable-I have highly restricted David's contact with Bailey.
>> Whereas previously he would play with Bailey, I have reduced his
>> interactions to calm petting for seconds at a time.
>>
>> 2.       Something much more recently implemented (so its effectiveness
>> can't yet be gauged): if I feel Bailey is distracted by David's presence,
>> I will stop and run Bailey through some obedience exercises. Sometimes
>> this has the desired effect, at others it seems to excite him further.
>> I should note that David is very good about adhering to my wishes
>> regarding his interaction with Bailey. Here are some things I am
>> considering. However, I thought I would get some opinions first.
>>
>> 1.       Doing some clicker-based distraction work with Bailey. However,
>> this would require dedicated time on the Part of David, as Bailey's people
>> distractions are localized to those he knows-and in particular, David.
>>
>> 2.       I guess there isn't really a "2" yet. As I said, I'm kicking
>> around various ideas, but would like input before proceeding.
>>
>> This is sort of a frustrating issue. As I said, when we are outside, I do
>> correction or obedience-whichever I feel the situation merits at the time.
>> However, this isn't feasible when getting settled into a lecture or
>> meeting. Furthermore, I doubt that this is the last time such an issue
>> will arise during my lifetime of working with dogs. I will attend
>> additional classes with those I know; I will no-doubt attend professional
>> meetings, conferences, research colloquiums, etc. with other friends and
>> colleagues. So, as I'm sure I haven't been the only one with such an
>> issue, I would appreciate your input as much as a Piaget devotee enjoys
>> validation of the conservation problem in preoperational children. Hint:
>> they like that very much, despite it having been shown that Piaget's
>> methodology was sufficiently flawed to discredit much of his work in
>> developmental psychology. So all you Piaget fans out there, it's time to
>> get current with your research!
>>
>> Robert Hooper, Undergraduate Research Assistant, HDFS Early Childhood
>> Development Lab
>> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
>> The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology; Department of
>> Neuroscience
>> 166H Campbell Hall
>> 1787 Neil Avenue
>> Columbus, Ohio 43210
>> Cell: (740) 856-8195
>>
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>
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