Re: starting guide dog training.
I hope things work out Dan. Ill admit things werent easy with Reever for the first while, basically because she just plane did not want! to be with me, and spent a long time just wanting her trainer, she literally lay by the door for the first three weeks if I went to stroke her shed turn around and walk off. Ironically the thing that started to fix that was doing something the guide dog trainers definitely wouldnt! approve of getting reever to lie on the settee with me while I played core exiles sinse just being close let her know I wsnt so bad. Its one of these things that the association arent fans of, though now Reevers got a code of shes allowed on furniture when asked. Reevers standing off completely changed over time and now its the other way around, she literally wont be without me, but it wasnt an easy process at first. The guiding end didnt worry me as much as get
ting on with a dog, sinse its all just muscles. What made the major difference for me was the factor of effort involved. Its not that I didnt! go places previously, indeed I was a long cane user from the age of eleven to 28, I just found that with a dog, the amount of shear concentration I needed to expend dropped exponentially. For example, if I get off a train and need to find the stairs up, with a cane Id end up wandering around looking for them, with Reever I can just say Find the steps Similarly with obstacles, crowds? posts? no problem, I no longer need to be awre of things are and can concentrate on routes etc. My main tip is be aware that it wont start working flawlessly for a good six months, so you need patience, when something goes wrong, calmly turn around and try it again dont get pissed off, but dont ignore it either, I use watch! in a fairly stern tone if reever makes a mistake
such as letting my shoulder hit a door or trying to get around a post where there isnt space, I say watch! back then do it again, although that happens very rarely. Also dont be afraid to try teaching the dog other things, reevers learnt to find doors, seats, steps, post boxes, bus stops, lifts, even people! A very experienced trainer once told my mum there are only two reasons a dog will do soemthing as unnatural as guiding, either because its petrified (which isnt good), or because it wants to.@Gene, I didnt worry myself about taking care of a dog having had a bull terrier pup when I was 13, but I was concerned a dog would have enough exercise etc with me. The interesting thing however is because the guide dogs association are so careful about matching dogs to people they managed to find something that worked. Reever is this weerd combination of being very! very! lazy, but also so relaxed she doesnt mind crow
ded and very busy places. Thus, even though when Im inside working on my research shell get a 40 minute walk each day, (plus a run around the field at the back of my flat block or a none guiding walk up a small lane near me), there are occasions when I am literally running up and down the country, going to vocal studdies courses or performing or whatever, indeed I just yesterday did a charity singing thing for guide dogs association (and you can imagine how many dogs there were around there), reever just takes everything in her stride and is highly relaxed. With a more active dog with more energy it probably wouldnt work, sinse my commitments are too intermitant, so it depends upon dog vs life style.The only slight issue is that I always have to get up at 7-30, no matter what Ive been doing the previous night or where Ive been, because reever needs to go out and needs food, which can be a bit of a pest sometimes, but its somethi
ng Im used to.In fairness a guide dog isnt for everybody, but there is just nothing mobility wise that works half as well so Id recommend everyone at least consider it even though its not the perfect thing for everyone, plus of course, dogs are just good company, Ive got a plaque on my wall that says the more people I meet, the more I like my dog .
URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=224825#p224825
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