Service Dog Archives - Page 28 of 34

Working Hard

December 4, 2009

After teaching class last night, I loaded three dogs in the Element and headed for Virginia. Today, Talos and I spent all day in Charlottesville working with the good folks at Service Dogs of Virginia. We worked on typical balance dog skills:

loose leash walking
settling quietly on a mat in public
eye contact
pivoting left and right
backing up
attention/eye contact

We started out in the training center, where distractions are minimal and can be easily controlled.Talos showed off his skills (and the areas that still need more work!) and learned some new ones, too. Then it was off the the Charlottesville mall, filled with holiday shoppers, twinkling lights, larger-than-life window displays, and lots (and lots) of kids.

There were three Great Danes – two in training (Talos and his brother, Gryphon), and a two-year old working Great Dane named Arrow with his person, Valerie.We got the chance to take the dogs into Santa's Circle and the big man himself actually took time to talk to the dogs. Talos was not fazed by the jolly man in red (he was a real Santa – beard and all!).

Three giant dogs make quite a spectacle no matter where they are, but put them in the center of a food court and it gets a little chaotic very quickly!Everyone has a question, everyone wants to pet the dogs. It was a great socialization experience for the dogs. With repeated experiences like this, the dogs quickly learn to settle down and ignore all the hullabaloo. It's really something to see a Dane sleeping soundly in the middle of the mall while a small crowd gathers with cameras, children, and questions.

In the end, though, that's exactly what the dogs need to do. They need to become so accustomed to that scenario that it almost becomes boring to them. Their partner, the person who needs the dog, relies on the Dane for balance and support. The Danes need to focus on their person, the pace, and the requests of their person. The dogs can't do their jobs if they are distracted by squealing children, gasps of passersby, twinkling lights, loud music, or roaming groups of teens.

Tomorrow, Talos has the day off and it's Nemo's turn to work.Despite the forecasted drenching rain/snow and temperatures in the 30's, Nemo and I are headed to a tracking workshop in Richmond, VA. This could get tricky – Nemo's not a fan of the cold. To be fair, he's single-coated. Unlike the Labs, who are triple-coated, Nemo gets cold very quickly. It's like us going out into the weather without a coat – we can't take it very long.

In a pinch, I'll take Tango with me.I'll assess the weather tomorrow morning and make a "game time decision." Tango would very happily trudge through the rain and wouldn't even notice the temperatures. But Nemo's got a nose on him that just won't quit. I think he'd be great at tracking and I really want to give it a go with Nemo.

In any event, the day will be spent learning alongside a dog. It's the coolest way to spend the day.

The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down

November 18, 2009

Karen Pryor wrote a great piece on being a change maker:

Here's a biologist's look at the process of making changes.

What people do when you start to institute a change (in chronological order):

Ignore you
Pretend to agree, but actually do nothing
Resist, delay, obstruct
Openly attack you (the dangerous phase, but also a sign that change is starting)
Absorb
Utilize
Take credit
Proselytize

What people say in the process of accepting the change:

"That might work for your population but not for mine." (absorbing)
"I can use it, but not for anything important." (absorbing and utilizing)
"Some of my people can use it if they feel they need to." (utilizing)
"Oh yes, we've been doing that for years, it's quite good." (utilizing and taking credit)
"We've come up with a really incredible program; you should try it." (taking credit and proselytizing).

A few days ago, I read an email from a very good trainer who said that Labs could learn with the clicker, but it doesn't work so well with big, slow dogs like Danes. It would never work for a Dane, she said.

I'm not sure where to start discussing the inaccuracies of that statement. The clicker isn't a gadget, a fad, or a newfangled method. It's pure, undadulterated behavior science. It operates on the rules of behavior. People who say things like the trainer did in that email simply don't understand the science of behavior.

What does that mean for me (and Talos)? That means I'm considering the gauntlet thrown! I'm always up for a challenge and I always need motivation, so I took that statement as a challenge. Of course I use clicker training. And of course I'm training the Great Dane, Talos exclusively with clicker training.

So over the next few weeks, I'm going to document (with video) just how slow and pokey Talos is (shouldn't come as any surprise to regular readers of this blog!) and then document just how well the click works to speed up behavior. Yes, even in a slow poke Dane.

Should be fun – I love a challenge!

Surgery Scars

November 9, 2009

Ever wonder what a gastropexy incision looks like? Probably not, but here's a picture in case I've piqued your curiosity.

It was a much bigger incision than I expected. He had an additional surgical procedure for his neuter, but we'll spare you the picture of that incision. Besides, Talos is a modest pup, he'd probably be uncomfortable with my putting the picture of his, um, "equipment" (or lack thereof, now) on the Internet for the world to see.

Maybe Talos Really IS A Horse

November 5, 2009

I get asked this question all the time: You got a saddle for that pony? People are, of course, referring to the (always growing) Great Dane, Talos. Ha, ha, very funny, I say. I must hear it once a day (or more).

While Talos and I visited a friend of mine, she said "Hey, I've got a pony saddle I swear would fit Talos."

"Go get it! Let's try it on him" I said.

We just draped it over him (no cinch yet), and he was a-ok with it resting on his back. I'm all for desensitizing him to the saddle, cinching it up, and walking him around with the saddle on. Just for snicks. As long as Talos finds it rewarding (meaning: as long as he gets to eat lots of treats), I'm all for it.

It's great socialization for him – the more things he views as "normal," the more well-adjusted he'll be. The more adjusted he is, the less he'll spook or be scared when he's out working with his person.

Talos Meets the Dremel (Video)

October 21, 2009

This is the third installment on nail trimming. I'm introducing the Dremel to Talos in this video. (The first and second installments are also posted on the blog.)

The Dremel is noisy. My first goal is to desensitize him to the sound. Notice that I'm only working with the noise in this step – I'm not working on his toenails at all. I need to get him comfortable with the noise first – if I don't do that first, I'll never be able to work on his nails with the Dremel.

I have really good treats (chicken salad leftover from lunch).

I keep my sessions short (about three minutes).

Talos is free to leave whenver he'd like.

Note how far away Talos is from me in this video – you can't even see him in the beginning! The noise is a bit much for him. And my graceful knocking over of the fireplace tools did nothing to help the situation.

I'll work with him for several short sessions each day, always using high value treats. Once he's used to the noise, I'll move on to the next step. Stay tuned!

Couch Silliness

October 16, 2009

On such a nasty, cold, rainy day (at least it's that way here is Maryland), I thought I'd post another silly Talos video. More grumbling on the couch. Whoever gets this boy as their service dog needs to be able to find such silliness funny. If they don't they won't have fun with this dog!

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