I like the brochure that GDB has about how loose dogs can effect negatively the owner's property insurance premium. Smile, is on the website., www.guidedogs.com Shelley L. Rhodes M.A., VRT, CTVI and Guinevere, Golden lady Guide juddysbuddy@xxxxxxxxxxxx Guide Dogs For the Blind Inc. Graduate Alumni Association Board www.guidedogs.com More than Any other time, When i hold a beloved book in my hand, my limitations fall from me, my spirit is free. - Helen Keller ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debi Davis" <scripto@xxxxxxx> To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 11:05 AM Subject: (VICT) Re: Alex- Dog Attack Hi Sandee, I'm so sorry to hear about the small dogs who have not been under their owner's control when you and Alex have been out and about. I think your plan for desentizing Alex to small dogs, fence-barkers, etc., is a good one--and a few set-ups couldn't help. Do you have a sighted friend who could possibly help by handling a small dog at a distance, while you click and treat for focus on you? You can have the team move closer while you continue your work on rewarding her focus. As that proceeds, the other handler and dog could zig zag across the road and out from between parked cars just ahead of you and Alex, so you could continue to C/T for guiding, but not heavy pulling behaviors. I agree with you 100% on owners who allow their animals to roam freely without restraint nor training. It is a nightly occurance for my husband and I, but in our case, we have tiny dogs and it's the big dogs who put us at risk. Not that they are always aggressive--that is rare--but they are large, powerful, often playful, and one leap and smack of a paw could break their backs. As for the approach of taking warning information to the woman with the obnoxious little dogs, and also spreading it through the neighborhood--the idea of education is a very good one! However, I don't know that education via warnings such as this are particularly effective. Not everyone is altruistic by nature, and may not realize that their loosey-goosey handling of their own dogs are un-training your dog, and putting you at risk. My thought is to continue using a clicker philosophy to BRING THEM INTO your world, by educating them in a way that does not cause them to go on the defensive, and become an enemy or resent what what are trying so hard to do: help them understand. There's this thing about people wanting and needing to "keep face" and not be corrected. If pushed into a corner, many humans will react with equal ferver, and feel they have to "defend" their dogs' behaviors, and rhapsodize about what wonderful little dogs they are. Perhaps another way to get the same information across, but in a non-threatening way, would be to enlist them in helping you as an "assistant trainer." It's worked miracles for me, but I am sighted, so I'm nor sure what part that plays in my attempt at using clicker philosophy to diffuse potential problem behaviors. What I do know a little about in my 60 years here on earth, and 20-some using service dogs, is that the majority of people, given a chance to be PART of helping someone--will make that choice in the same manner that any animal with a brain stem will choose to work for a high-value reinforcer. In one case, the fence-barking dogs (poor dears, two of them living outside in 110% heat with nothing to do all day and night except react to whomever and whatever passes their territory. I had no problem desensitizing my dogs and regaining their focus (I have five I walk nightly), but it sure drove me nuts hearing that loud racket constantly, and knowing I had within me the power to keep them quiet and non-reactive, so we could continue our nightly walks (only time it's cool enough to walk the dogs), but always so late it could easily wake other neighbors. So I wrote a note to the owners of the dogs, explained that I have service dogs that I exercise late at night, or use during the day, and that must go past their house several times a day on my route. I explained that though I was disabled, using a service dog, that I was also a dog trainer, and asked if they would mind if I attempted to teach their dogs--outside their fence--to remain quiet when we passed. I explained that I would only be tossing them treats, and not doing anything nasty to them. Since I never heard back from them, but left every possible contact number should they choose to contact me and deny permission (I didn't think they would--their dogs live ouside and eat Old Roy food). It took three days total to complete the mission: At first, I just rolled by and clicked while they were still barking, then tossed a handful of treats over the fence. As they were eating the treats, and quiet--I tossed yet another handful of treats. On and on this went, as I walked back and forth by their fence, tossing treats to now very quiet and attentive dogs. By the end of three days, my dogs and I could walk by the fence, and the two fence-barkers would line up, wagging tails in wait for their treats. As long as they were silent, I'd click and toss those treats, then give one to my dog as well. One click reinforced both the fence-barkers and my own dog for maintaining focus on me. So my thoughts ramble around finding ways to say what you need to say in a letter or brochure, but in a totally NON threatening and non-coercive way. Instead of warning about the penalties for interferring with a guide dog at work, (though you can still include that later on in the "rules/laws" section), you could explain what happens when off-leash dogs approach, barking or/and snapping, and how that forces your dog to focus on those dogs instead of remaining on the job keeping you safe and independent. You could add a short anectdote of how it could (or has) caused you to walk into a pothole, or a curb, or a hanging tree branch. If you give the reader something to imagine--word pictures--it can be an effective way to enlist their help instead of their resentment. Same info, just presented in a different way. Sort of like finding something to click in your dog rather than putting on a prong and giving them a jerk. While both approaches may appear to work equally, we know with emperical evidence that coercion has its fallout, and why chance that when we can use a clickerly approach and actually change behaviors through giving them a non-threatening choice? For the fence barkers--you could leave a note on their door to ask if you can toss treats so they won't bark at you and Alex each time you pass. To the lady with the obnoxious off-leash small dogs, perhaps a more assertive rather than passive bit of help could be requested: would she be willing to keep her dogs on leash in her driveway while you pass by and reinforce your dog for ignoring them? You can even give her a couple handful of treats to give to her dogs while this is happening. In composing any letter or brochure, it can be oh-so-helpful to keep the tone totally positive. Turn around any sentences that start with "don't" to sentences that focus on a positive instead. Something they can *do.* Reinforce owner with verbal thank you's with sincerity, and let her know how grateful you are for her help. In other words, the hole you bite through your tongue will likely pay off long after the tongue heals. It's possible that the woman may be one of the few who would not care to help, but in my experience, with a positive approach, bringing the offender INTO your solution in a positive way--can work wonders most of the time. There is nothing sure-fire, but they payout is far better than putting money into a slot machine. Because I was paired with a 10 pound Papillon service dog for a decade, I learned to extend clicker responding to diffuse confrontations of all kinds. Even the gentlest adolescent Golden or Lab is a threat to my little dogs, no matter how non-threatening their behavior may be to dogs their own size. I've had a friendly German Shepherd do a puppy bow and thrust out a paw in play and flatten my dog to the ground in one fell swoop. The dog meant no harm, it was just engaging in puppy play, nor realizing how the size difference placed my dogs in harm's way. Now that I'm using a larger service dog, we tend to attract lots of little dogs or adolescent larger dogs off leash. We may put in 10 miles of walking/trotting/running per night (I use a very fast power wheelchair). I keep smelly, high-value organic non-wheat, corn or soy-based treats on hand and fling them out by the handful when needed so we can pass by without incident. Just another idea on helping attain attitudinal changes in the people and dogs who have never learned to be responsible or considerate. So many times, just reaching out to them and bringing them into your circle works miracles, while a defensive, law-threatening approach can put them on the defensive and make an enemy instead of a friend. Good luck to you, Sandee! You're one of my heroes and I totally adore you. Debi Davis Service Dog User/Trainer Las Vegas, NV, USA -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.13.1/982 - Release Date: 8/31/2007 5:21 PM