(VICT) Re: stairs and curbs
- From: "Julie J." <jlcrane@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:21:27 -0500
Thanks Ann!
Right now I'm leaning toward the two feet up and stop procedure. I think it
will be fairly easy to transition to a pause later if I want to.
I absolutely love that Panda taps the step with her hoof! That's one thing
that I really love about clicker is that our animals aren't afraid to try
new things or add in their $.o2 to the team.
I had never thought about different indications for different amounts of
steps. that's interesting. I'll have to ponder that some more. I'm not
sure the dog would get enough practice to keep the skill clear and fresh.
Same thing with elevators and escalators. Ahhh, the joys of small town
life! *smile*
I have filled out all the application materials, been accepted and have paid
for the dog. so now it's just waiting until the right dog comes along.
they are looking at a third dog this week. The first two hopefuls didn't
fit exactly what I was looking for. September or October was what we were
shooting for, so I'm still hopeful that the time frame will work out. My
goal is to have the dog acquainted with the basics of guide work before it
snows.
In the meantime I am making a list of everything I want to teach the new
dog, ironing out how exactly I want to work specific situations, like the
stairs and curbs and my major project of writing a training plan for all of
this. I may end up writing up some in advance and then working on it a week
in advance as we progress through training. We'll have to see how ambitious
I get. *smile*
Thanks for your ideas about the stairs and curbs.
Julie
http://www.livingblind.com/eml
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and
those who matter don't mind.
Dr. Seuss
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Edie" <annedie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 3:13 PM
Subject: (VICT) Re: stairs and curbs
> Hi, Julie,
>
> Most of our curbs around here are ramped, blended, or completely flat.
> But
> I still want to know where the border is between the street and the
> sidewalk/shoulder. So I have Panda stop before the "downcurb"--(and c/t).
> But I don't want to stop or pause in the street before the "upcurb", so I
> have her go up onto the sidewalk with all four feet before stopping, so
> that
> both of us are out of the street, in case a car comes around the corner
> fast
> either entering or exiting the street we have just crossed. Using C/t, it
> is easy to train the dog to stop just after exiting the street, even
> though
> there is no "landmark" there to tell the dog exactly where to stop.
>
> In the unlikely event that there is actually a curb step there instead of
> a
> ramp or flat transition, Panda will pause briefly before stepping up.
> Since
> I am walking at her hip, I am about a step and a half behind her front
> feet,
> so I can feel the height of the step she takes up, and match my step to
> hers.
>
> For a single up step, not associated with street crossings, Panda stops
> before putting her feet on the step and taps the step with her hoof--which
> was her own "invention", but which I think is a great piece of auditory
> information to have. When I give her the cue, she then goes forward up
> the
> step and continues walking. If it is a flight of steps or several steps,
> rather than just one step, then she will put her two feet up on the first
> step and wait for the cue to go forward up the rest of the steps. For one
> step down, Panda will stop before the step and wait for the cue to go
> forward. For several steps down, she will stop before the first step,
> wait
> for the forward cue, then put both front feet on the first step down and
> stop again and wait for the cue to go down the rest of the steps.
>
> I have found this latter procedure, which distinguishes between a single
> step and a group or flight of steps, very useful, especially where stairs
> are found in unexpected places, such as along pathways on college
> campuses,
> or inside buildings along corridors or in open lobbies, where there could
> be
> just one step or any number of steps. I like to know ahead of time, so
> that
> I can prepare myself for the different balance and position they each
> require. I have adopted this variation which I first encountered with my
> two Fidelco-trained dogs.
>
> I guess I don't worry about the extra second or two that it might take to
> stop or pause at the steps, other than where we are in the street, because
> we move along briskly on the flat and make up any time we may lose pausing
> for curbs or steps or for c/t's.
>
> Do you have your new dog yet, Julie? Or have you received any information
> about the possible dog matches that you might be getting?
>
> Best,
> Ann
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Julie J." <jlcrane@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 11:39 AM
> Subject: (VICT) stairs and curbs
>
>
>>I am working on a training plan for my new dog and trying to iron out some
>>details of exactly how I want to work this dog. So here's my question...
>> How do you prefer to approach stairs and upcurbs?
>>
>> the options that I have come up with
>> *complete stop before step, find with foot, continue
>> *complete stop with dog's front feet on step, find faster with foot,
>> continue
>> *pause before step, expect step, step up without finding with foot
>>
>> If you have used more than one of these methods or something completely
>> different, I would love to hear about it.
>>
>> I originally taught a complete stop, but then found it too time consuming
>> so I then taught the pause method. That's faster, but isn't as accurate.
>>
>> Ideas? Thoughts?
>> Julie
>> http://www.livingblind.com/eml
>> Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter
>> and those who matter don't mind.
>>
>> Dr. Seuss
>>
>>
>
>
>
Other related posts:
