(VICT) Re: Off-leash?
- From: Sheila Styron <sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:34:02 -0500
Kitty, At this point in my life, if I had an opportunistic dog, I would
have to work a lot harder than I do with Gretch and may not choose to
ever try anything off leash. It's not so hard to do with a dog like
Gretch who is sort of a good girl right out of the box. I would start on
leash in a closed in area, increasing the length of leash/light line and
distraction levels as appropriate, like when they take you to Union
Square at GDB. Of course it's probably illegal to let a dog run loose
there, but don't the pigeons make for good distractions? When Gretch is
off leash, I maintain close voice contact with her and would never
ignore her for more than a minute unless I knew she was sleeping. Gretch
is the kind of dog that prefers to stay with me than go for a treat
offered by my husband, and she is a yellow lab. Another thing I have
taken in to consideration is that my past three guides were raised in
rural environments where they had opportunities to learn to behave
appropriately off leash which is another reason I feel safer than some
without the leash in my hand. I also practice leaving Gretch on down
stays in familiar environments like the gym where I don't necessarily
remain right by her side. I have also practiced having my dogs leave
examining rooms in medical facilities when I have x-rays and lie quietly
in a hall outside where they may or may not be able to see me and aren't
necessarily tethered or sometimes lie far away across a room from me.
Where I get my hair done, I will situate the dog for the duration and
expect her to stay put even if other customers greet her. I guess it's
all somewhat tied in to common sense and obedience, and some dogs are
much easier to work with in this area than others. There is something
about the opposite and related nature of come and stay. When I first
bring home a new guide, I like to play a game where I put the dog at
stay and hide from the dog in the house , inside a closet or behind a
door maybe, and then call her to find me. The dog is so thrilled when
they locate you that this makes the come game really fun, and of course,
Gretchy got a C&T along with masses of praise. BTW, Gretch has been
doing much more confident and focused work down at the infamous
intersection, even with me heeling our Australian shepherd home from the
vet this morning. I have GDB follow up on Wednesday, so I think we're
out of the woods for now. She's even doing better with doors, but we
haven't had a lot of wind recently. I haven't tried the fan exercise
Sandy suggested yet.
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, September 09, 2007 4:01 PM
To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: (VICT) Re: Off-leash?
sheila, when you are doing off leash obedience in an open area, what do
you
do to make sure your dog doesn't escape? My dog could definitely
benefit
from that kind of work, but I don't do it cuz I know that she is an
opportunist and would be gone in a heartbeat.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheila Styron" <sheilastyron@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 8:14 AM
Subject: (VICT) Re: Off-leash?
Sandy, I do off leash work with my guides and love to let them run free
when I have the opportunity. I let Gretch come out in the front yard
when I garden off leash, and I take off her harness out front when I
exit a vehicle with a lot of packages and let her follow me in to the
back yard porch area on her own. I live on a very quiet street with
hardly any traffic to speak of. I have camped with her and let her swim
without a leash. I can honestly say that my first two guides were not
too dependable off leash, and my last three, the softies, have all been
fairly dependable when given the opportunity to enjoy a little freedom.
I do have to say that last summer in New Jersey, Gretch's recall wasn't
the best around some goose s--t she found irresistible, but she didn't
stray far. I occasionally do obedience exercises off leash both in
confined and unfenced areas to work on this skill. I have always enjoyed
the image of a Lassie dog who is always there with you when it could
just as easily run off and amuse itself.
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
Infinitepaws@xxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2007 8:13 AM
To: vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: (VICT) Off-leash?
Hi all, I wondered if any off you routinely let your guides off leash to
play. I was scolded by a client (!) because the only time Alex is off
leash is at home and twice at a off leash dog area to swim with my
sisters dog. I would like to hear about your experiences both good and
bad.
Sandy Foushee
Infinite Paws-Abilities Training and Service Dogs
Teamed with Alexandra Guide/Service Dog
Colorado Service/Assistance Dog Club - Trainer.-
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