i wish i could make thie s funny story-- it is nearly one... but.......... re: mommy dogs and puppy dpgs...
As mommy dogs age and get less interested in nursing a bunch of children---- they're inclined to wander around and these puppies ----now being more active--- have a way of running in front of mother so they can run around the front legs and get a hold of a faucet. and get something to drink---- it's a very very common practice among puppies---- the problem is that instinct does stay with them through their juvenile years and can be a problem in situations like running next to a bicycle or car or golf cart... it is very annoying ---there's not a thing you can do about it.. except be careful and watch for it.
in the process of training these service dogs we do a lot of walking around in general public with these dogs and I know because it's happened to me that on occasion one will make a swift turn and get right in front of me. just like it used to with mommy and the next 30 seconds or so becomes a confusion of four legs two legs leashes and arms flailing... --- as you try and maintain your balance and not step on or fall down at all ... been there done that many times.....
Yesterday which would have been Monday--- I got a phone call from someone who had seen one of our trainers with one of our dogs and she said she thought the dog was being shoved with the trainer's knees.. and the dog was very confused. ---- well I certainly am glad to have people call me if something like this does happen ----we certainly don't want any abusive training procedures and I'm sure we don't have any..... I know this trainer. and she I'm sure would not do anything like that in an evil way -------however if that dog turned in front of her I can just see it now arms flailing ----dog confused ---knees – feet. all over the place trying not to step on the dog I've been there done that and it certainly does look strange but things like that do happen. What is so unfortunate is that to the uninitiated general public anything unusual is presumed to be abusive ------when in fact in her case it could simply be a case of trying to stay on her own two feet. it certainly is confusing to the dog and sometimes takes quite a few minutes for the dog to settle down again.. although we don't plan on tripping and falling, we actually do plan on tripping and falling because most of these dogs are going to be with people who on occasion fall --- so the dog has to first learn not to be shocked and then learn to usually lie down and help the person up.. and then eventually as the person and dog worked together for a long time the dog can begin to anticipate some. of these falls.. so being confused at the moment.. is not a terrible thing. and it. does work into our training program without any great hoopla.
one thing we spend a lot of time on are stairs... I personally prefer to train in the City Hall in Georgetown MA it has a situation of maybe 6 stairs at the platform and turned around and six stares at a platform and turn around and I have trained many dogs in that building------ now the trainer seemed to prefer the hotel in Danvers which. has carpeted staircases whereas the City Hall in Georgetown has wooden. you have only to watch some of our dogs ease a partner down a flight of stairs one step at a time to realize it's time well spent working on stairs..
to watch George. is video on my machine --- amazing bella down the stairs at the Museum of Fine Arts or wherever it was. 1 one step at a time and when she hesitates with one foot in the air so does George. and he doesn't move until she lowers the foot to the next step
we have a lot of stories pretty much exactly like that including the latest one bout an older woman whose name I won't mention because she wouldn't like the older part I'm sure she's younger than me -----started down a flight of stairs and began to pitch forward and lose her balance that dog jumped in front of her and stopped her fall 100% probably saving a lot of the rest of her life----- it happens---- it happens so often that we've stopped writing it down----- these dogs are big and they do amazing things none of which could be taught -----they have to be by by their general instinct and the fact that they're really in tune with their partners.
that still doesn't stop me from being a nervous wreck every time I see one of them coming down a flight of stairs where there is no handrail and just the dog------I say just the dog but so far so good. I'm sure at some point accidents will happen but so far so good
I have to add. add -----accidents will happen because they will.......I'm amazed at how lately the news will be exploited.... to their own benefit for new excitement--- if it if it bleeds it leads-- and if they can distort anything to make it slightly juicier then so be it.. it's the nature of the news since 1900--------- it's just worse now because of the Internet and the fact we have no editor to check and make sure the truth of any story
