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Handling Dogs 101
Jul. 21st, 2009 12:00 amA good handler can control their dog no matter what the circumstances are.
I was tested in that area of expertise today.
I've come to realize that another dog's behavior influences Jim in such a way that I cannot predict what he's going to do next. Today was a rather frustrating example. Not to mention, it was embarrassing. Fortunately for me, no one who was involved knew that Jim was a guide dog except my friend. Although, her dog was the reason Jim behaved the way he did.
When Jim is out of harness, he is very distracted by many things around him. However, a simple voice correction is all it takes for him to be attentive toward me and what I want him to do.
Today's events completely caught me off guard. I'm rather angry that it happened.
Scene:
Sitting on a park bench engulfed in a conversation. Me, my friend, Jim (laying quietly at my feet) and Trixie (friend's dog resting on her lap)
Two people and their dog approach. Their dog sounds exasperated and we can hear it's labored breathing as it tugs toward us. Trixie (friend's dog) starts barking. Friend does nothing to quiet her dog. Jim barks and immediately bounds toward the other dog. (Jim was not in harness and was on leash with a gentle leader on. The leash was resting on my knee because I was in a deep conversation with my friend. He's never given me a reason to tie him down.) Trixie follows Jim. I command Jim to come. There is no response. There is a tangle of dogs. I make a grab for Jim's leash while saying, "don't worry he's friendly!" and put him in a sit. Apologies fly out of my mouth and the couple continues onward, their dog breathing heavily as they fade into the trail.
I know this would've never happened if Jim was in harness. However, today was supposed to be a fun day for him. He needed to chill after a long weekend of working and being a guide. I thought a park would be the perfect place for him to unwind. Distractions or no distractions, it was still an open space that looked like a lot of fun to be in. (Before anyone bitches me out, I'd like to say, I have a right to do what I believe is necessary. I've had dogs for over 10 years and I know what good handling entails.) I figured since my friend had her dog for a while, she would have taught it some basic commands like "quiet". As much as I disagree with using the gentle leader, he wore one because I wanted better control and an idea of where his head was since I was not using the harness. I did not bring the harness with me because I felt like it would stress him out. He's been a little stressed while working lately. I wanted to let him know that today would be a harness free day. My friend immediately accused me of using a muzzle on him when she saw the gentle leader. This made me realize how uneducated she was. An explanation was given. It also kind of made me angry. I almost wanted to blurt that she should have a muzzle for her dog.
I've been keeping up with obedience training since I've left class last year. I've practiced with Jim in and out of harness. How many can say that? Although, this might change as the years go by. Responsibility that comes with owning a dog is a no brainer. A slip of the leash has rarely happened to me. Although today was a horrible wake up call.
I care enough to work on this issue. There were other dogs that crossed our path. Jim was well behaved after the first dog. I also had a firm hold on his leash. Trixie on the other hand, continued to bark and lunge at the other dogs. She's only 5 pounds and already a nuisance. I'm disappointed that my friend bought this dog and doesn't do obedience training with her.
While at convention a couple weeks ago, I've noticed a lot of questionable dog handling. I know the various behaviors have different contributing factors to its overall outcome. It could depend on the dog and if there are health concerns and so on. I understand enough. Although I was surprised to see how many handlers reacted to their dogs. I'm sure not everyone there was a brand new handler. I've witnessed accidents happening on the floor of the hotel lobby, barking, and excessive sniffing. How can these things go unnoticed? A simple voice correction and constant obedience can fix these problems. It is so disappointing to see so many people shaft their responsibilities. Was I the only one to notice this? The majority of the mistakes I saw were common sense! When an individual graduates with a dog guide, they are promising to take good care of their dog and give it the best life while it is working. Just because they are not on class anymore does not give them an excuse to bypass bad behavior. If anyone disagrees, please let me know.
On the other hand, there were handlers that were impressive. Maybe I'm biased, but I recognized what I wanted to become when the time came for me to be known as an experienced handler. Those handlers make me realize that I've made the right decision when I paired with a dog guide.
My overall decision from now on is to not take Jim along on excursions with Trixie. She is a bad influence on him. I cannot blame her though. She is a mere puppy that was born in February. Emily, however, could've done a better job at training the dog while she's had her. Sometimes I feel that some people should not have dogs as pets unless they learn how to properly train them. The world would be a nicer place. Perhaps I'm being a hypocrite, but that's my take on it.
I'm such a cynic.... Time to drug myself to sleep.
I was tested in that area of expertise today.
I've come to realize that another dog's behavior influences Jim in such a way that I cannot predict what he's going to do next. Today was a rather frustrating example. Not to mention, it was embarrassing. Fortunately for me, no one who was involved knew that Jim was a guide dog except my friend. Although, her dog was the reason Jim behaved the way he did.
When Jim is out of harness, he is very distracted by many things around him. However, a simple voice correction is all it takes for him to be attentive toward me and what I want him to do.
Today's events completely caught me off guard. I'm rather angry that it happened.
Scene:
Sitting on a park bench engulfed in a conversation. Me, my friend, Jim (laying quietly at my feet) and Trixie (friend's dog resting on her lap)
Two people and their dog approach. Their dog sounds exasperated and we can hear it's labored breathing as it tugs toward us. Trixie (friend's dog) starts barking. Friend does nothing to quiet her dog. Jim barks and immediately bounds toward the other dog. (Jim was not in harness and was on leash with a gentle leader on. The leash was resting on my knee because I was in a deep conversation with my friend. He's never given me a reason to tie him down.) Trixie follows Jim. I command Jim to come. There is no response. There is a tangle of dogs. I make a grab for Jim's leash while saying, "don't worry he's friendly!" and put him in a sit. Apologies fly out of my mouth and the couple continues onward, their dog breathing heavily as they fade into the trail.
I know this would've never happened if Jim was in harness. However, today was supposed to be a fun day for him. He needed to chill after a long weekend of working and being a guide. I thought a park would be the perfect place for him to unwind. Distractions or no distractions, it was still an open space that looked like a lot of fun to be in. (Before anyone bitches me out, I'd like to say, I have a right to do what I believe is necessary. I've had dogs for over 10 years and I know what good handling entails.) I figured since my friend had her dog for a while, she would have taught it some basic commands like "quiet". As much as I disagree with using the gentle leader, he wore one because I wanted better control and an idea of where his head was since I was not using the harness. I did not bring the harness with me because I felt like it would stress him out. He's been a little stressed while working lately. I wanted to let him know that today would be a harness free day. My friend immediately accused me of using a muzzle on him when she saw the gentle leader. This made me realize how uneducated she was. An explanation was given. It also kind of made me angry. I almost wanted to blurt that she should have a muzzle for her dog.
I've been keeping up with obedience training since I've left class last year. I've practiced with Jim in and out of harness. How many can say that? Although, this might change as the years go by. Responsibility that comes with owning a dog is a no brainer. A slip of the leash has rarely happened to me. Although today was a horrible wake up call.
I care enough to work on this issue. There were other dogs that crossed our path. Jim was well behaved after the first dog. I also had a firm hold on his leash. Trixie on the other hand, continued to bark and lunge at the other dogs. She's only 5 pounds and already a nuisance. I'm disappointed that my friend bought this dog and doesn't do obedience training with her.
While at convention a couple weeks ago, I've noticed a lot of questionable dog handling. I know the various behaviors have different contributing factors to its overall outcome. It could depend on the dog and if there are health concerns and so on. I understand enough. Although I was surprised to see how many handlers reacted to their dogs. I'm sure not everyone there was a brand new handler. I've witnessed accidents happening on the floor of the hotel lobby, barking, and excessive sniffing. How can these things go unnoticed? A simple voice correction and constant obedience can fix these problems. It is so disappointing to see so many people shaft their responsibilities. Was I the only one to notice this? The majority of the mistakes I saw were common sense! When an individual graduates with a dog guide, they are promising to take good care of their dog and give it the best life while it is working. Just because they are not on class anymore does not give them an excuse to bypass bad behavior. If anyone disagrees, please let me know.
On the other hand, there were handlers that were impressive. Maybe I'm biased, but I recognized what I wanted to become when the time came for me to be known as an experienced handler. Those handlers make me realize that I've made the right decision when I paired with a dog guide.
My overall decision from now on is to not take Jim along on excursions with Trixie. She is a bad influence on him. I cannot blame her though. She is a mere puppy that was born in February. Emily, however, could've done a better job at training the dog while she's had her. Sometimes I feel that some people should not have dogs as pets unless they learn how to properly train them. The world would be a nicer place. Perhaps I'm being a hypocrite, but that's my take on it.
I'm such a cynic.... Time to drug myself to sleep.
