(VICT) Re: Dream Breed

  • From: Sheila Styron <sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 09:44:26 -0500

Brenda, my fourth guide, Dorian, was a real teacher's pet and magical
creature to myself and others. I am now with dog five, Gretch, who is
becoming a fine guide in her own right. I thought I had seriously peaked
with Dorian, but the Gretchy is now seriously holding her own. So don't
give up hope. As to your other question about retirement, unless they
have died, I have kept all my retired guides without any serious
difficulties. I have been fortunate to never have had to give any of
them up, but I have also gone to great lengths a time or two to make
sure it could work out this way.  

Sheila Styron, President
Guide Dog Users, Inc.
816-363-3172
sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: vi-clicker-trainers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:vi-clicker-trainers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Brenda-Ann Gillis
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:40 AM
To: Blind Clicker
Subject: (VICT) Dream Breed


Thanks to all who provided more info about what they have on duty out
there.

Yes, I did get the "dream dog" and what I described is my Ivy girl. 
Although she is a lab, she has never scavanged or taken food from anyone
but 
me while working.  In fact, this dog can lay on the floor at McDonalds
with 
a french fry at her nose and not touch it.  Ivy is a terrific Frisbee
player 
and loves the game so much it is difficult to convince her that she is 
getting tired.  I have done a lot of advocacy work and we have traveled
the 
Nation safely and efficiently.  At speaking engagements with small
children, 
I demonstrate her abilities and she is extremely focused on the task at 
hand.  After the flawless demonstration, I take her out of harness and
she 
dives into the group of children wagging and kissing.  She even seems to

know if a child is fearful of dogs and has been known to approach that
child 
ever so slowly on her belly in a crawl -- gentle and coaxing -- this is 
usually the kid who falls madly in love with my dog.  Ivy also can't be 
bothered with my praise while working either, but when we get home she
grabs 
a Frisbee and clearly communicates that its her time now.  A week ago my

Grandmother fell while the family was outside and Ivy laid in her lap so
she 
couldn't get up until someone was there to assist her.  Now you all know
why 
I just want to clone this dog!

Unfortunately, Ivy is now eleven.  She is still safe in the field, but I
am 
beginning to notice more sniffing, a slower pace, signs of nervousness
on 
busy streets and a greater degree of "socializing" during coffee hour at

church.

In preparing for Ivy's retirement, I have been working with our
puppy-raiser 
who Ivy adores and is well-versed in clicker training.  We started by 
teaching Ivy to file her own nails -- scratching on a piece of plywood 
covered with non-skid sand paper stuff.  It was extremely slow going at 
first as she was never asked to offer a behavior before.  We hit a 
tremendous block in the beginning with Ivy frustrated because I would
not 
tell her what I wanted her to do.  In time she began offering everything
she 
did know, but scratching the board or any proximity thereof was not in
the 
bag of tricks.  We stuck with it and I was so excited I could burst when
she 
finally got it.  Now we are starting to shape other behaviors and having
a 
great deal of fun.  It is my hope that by giving Ivy a new role in my
life 
that the process of retiring will be easier for her.  In fact, if this
works 
for us I have to wonder if it isn't something schools should consider 
teaching those ggrads that are beginning to consider re-tredding.  I
have to 
ask how many blind people would be able to keep their guides after 
retirement as pets if a method could be developed that made life with
the 
new guide more tolerable for the retiree.

Thanks again for listening to me brag.  It is scary for me to imagine my

life without Ivy in the harness.  I also know I need to begin thinking
about 
it now so that when Ivy tells me its time, I'll have a plan in place.
In my 
heart I know that my next dog won't be Ivy and she will just have to
hold 
that special corner of my soul -- the one and only  one that blesses you

completely.  Who knows though maybe I will get lucky twice -- God does
look 
after fools, drunks and blind people. VBG

Respectfully,
Brenda



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