(VICT) Re: escallator travel

Actually, I have no trouble on escalators myself physically. However, I
don't know just how  I as a total could observe my dog planning and
executing the jump and clicking at the precise moments that might be
most helpful to my dog. My current guide seems to hesitate more at the
beginning and anticipate the jump off at the end with much enthusiasm. I
do not let her get out in front of me near the end of the ride until I
know it's just beginning to level off. Then she instantaneously is
allowed lots of leash to jump off as quickly and out as far ahead of me
as she thinks she needs to. I let her be in charge of her own paws
during this process.   

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 Donna
Waring
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 2:23 PM
To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: (VICT) Re: escallator travel


Sheila, I normally wait till I can just start to feel the escalator
flatten. 
Then I allow the dog to jump.  But I agree, it's a pretty visual thing
and 
it's hard to judge if you have no sight at all like myself.

Donna
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sheila Styron" <sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 23, 2007 4:15 PM
Subject: (VICT) Re: escallator travel


> Kitty, your explanation makes perfect sense, and it is difficult to 
> imagine what happened to Sunstar's paw if she jumped in time. I am so 
> used to doing escalators now that your experience serves as a good 
> reminder of why schools didn't train this task for so many years. I 
> once vacuumed my cat's tail with the beater bar of my machine, because

> I guess she was playing chicken with me and didn't move. I of course 
> didn't know she was there, and when she screamed, I thought I was 
> going to die. The tail hung limply, and as I got us to the vet, I 
> didn't know quite how I would be able to live normally if Kitty Romba 
> didn't recover from my unintended assault. Fortunately, the tail 
> recovered except for a small lump to remind me of the horrible 
> experience. To make this post clicker related, I was thinking about 
> how someone blind could use the clicker to help with good timing on 
> escalators for a guide dog, and my initial reaction is that it is a 
> pretty visual process. It has always been my instinct to let the dog 
> who was trained to perform this task have as much freedom as she wants

> in deciding when to make her moves, and I don't know how I would click

> any of the steps in the process. Both my dogs who have done escalators

> have been a bit over eager about jumping  off at the end of the ride, 
> and I have had to make certain they don't leap too soon or 
> energetically, without impeding their ability to make enough of a move

> to get off safely. Once off, both have acted as if they have hit a 
> home run or something and have enjoyed wagging their own tails for a 
> job well done.
>
> 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 kitty 
> hevener
> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 4:07 PM
> To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: (VICT) Re: escallator travel
>
>
> Hi Sheila, She jumps and I walk.  The first person who trained us 
> wanted me to get off earlier than I do  but I could not do it for 
> balance reasons.
>
> The person who worked with us later watched me do escallators without 
> the dog, retrained her, and then had us both do it.  I tend to keep my

> right
>
> foot on the next step, (when going up) and kind of let the thing push 
> me
>
> off.   With her, I extend my right arm forward on the railing so that
I
> can
> get an earlier warning of the leveling off process.  When it starts to

> level, I give longer leash and tell her to jump.  Hope that xplanation

> makes sense, smile!!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sheila Styron" <sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 12:00 PM
> Subject: (VICT) Re: escallator travel
>
>
> Kitty,
> This is disturbing news, and I can certainly see how such a negative 
> experience would  be more than unnerving? I have a couple of questions

> for you if you don't mind. Does Sunstar jump on and off the escalator 
> or just walk, and did her injury take place right at the end or 
> someplace before. I hope you don't mind my asking. I have ridden 
> escalators with both my last two dogs, and there is a little 
> hesitation and jump to get on board and a fairly pronounced jump to 
> get off which I have to make sure everyone is prepared for. Gretch may

> be over exaggerating this process, but so far, both my dogs have been 
> safe. I am so sorry Sunstar was injured.
>
> 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 kitty 
> hevener
> Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 11:41 AM
> To: visually impaired clicker trainers
> Subject: (VICT) escallator travel
>
>
> Hi Everyone,   I am wondering if you take your guide or service dog on
> escallators.  If so, have you ever had your dog get injured?  A few 
> years ago, at an acb convention, I had an instructor from my school 
> teach me and my dog how to do escallator travel.  I decided to do that

> after having to wait forever for an elevator.  All went well, and we 
> traveled by escallator for the past 3-4 years.  Unfortunately, on jul 
> 13, 3 hours in to my short stay in toronto, something went very very 
> wrong!!  As we were getting off the up escallator, my girl started 
> yelping very loudly.  I immediately started yelling for someone to 
> stop the escallator.  I was loosing my balance as well.  The end 
> result was that she had to have stitches in her back paw.  The vet 
> said that he could see the tissue, but he did not see any damage to 
> her ligaments muscles, or tendons.  I honostly do not know how the 
> accident happened. And, I really feel horrible as the last thing I 
> would ever want is to cause her any pain.  Friends have asked if we 
> will continue escallator travel.  At this point, I am not sure I will 
> ever be able to do it again.  Yet, at times, there doesn't seem to be 
> any other alternative.
>
> Any thought as to how such an accident could have occurred?  Btw, her 
> nails did not get caught at all.  My vet said her injury is healing 
> nicely.  I
>
> have an appointment on tuesday and am hoping they will remove the 
> stitches, if there are any left.  A friend who is a physician's 
> assistant changed her bandage yesterday, and, shortly after he left, I

> discovered that she had
>
> pulled it off and was licking the paw.  Got another bandage on and she

> managed to take it and a boot that have had on her when she goes 
> outside, off and was again licking the area.  A neighbor who is a 
> nurse helped me
>
> bandage it again.  She couldn't tell if sunstar had done any damage. 
> Until yesterday, I had been able to give her bully sticks and other 
> things to distract her from trying to get the bandage off.  I am 
> wondering if her instincts are telling her that it is time to remove 
> the stitches and that is what she is attempting to do.  Any thoughts?
>
>
>
>
>
>
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