If you passed someone with a guide dog puppy...

would you grab at it mid walk ???? :cnfs: or whistle at him to destract him?? :cnfs:
try to give it food or send your kids to stroke him?!?! :cnfs:


it amazes me!! I have to take our guide dog puppy into city centres and shops etc, which is great fun we see many smiles and hear many "awww's"

when we stop and people will ask if they can stroke him, or even when we dont stop they still ask which is fine... well the first 50 times anyway!! :lollol:

but i get really quite annoyed, but of course smile on the outside when people just lean in and stroke him mid walk!! or bend down and force us to stop!! how rude!!
i even had people shout across roads for me to stop!! yes he is gorgeoussss and yes I can see the attraction but do people not "get" that im trying to train him?!?!?!

i just never would approach a puppy in training, yes id probably stop and look ( like the majority of people) am i wrong to get a bit miffed off by this?? :cnfs:

 

I see a regular trainer in our village and admire the dedication of the human and the dog. I have not witnessed and behavour you mentioned.
I reckon it is giving the dog a very wrong impression of duties and must make your task more difficult. Maybe its time for that large sign.. "Dog training do not disturb" to be fix on the harness in large print..

 

Sorry L plate, but if I see a cute puppy I can't help myself. I have never approached anyone without their permission though. Anyone who just grabs at a dog is just begging to get bitten. I just like dogs. You can always politely say no, he/she is in training.


Being able to ignore distractions I assume is part of the training-I don't know, I haven't ever done it.

 

capney i have thought of that!! perhaps when he gets his jacket fitted it will make a difference, he is too little at the moment and only has the flash on his lead..

Lollipop it really doesnt bother me when people ask, I have never said no and yes they need to avoid destractions, but he is 14 weeks old and training, and when someone kneels down in his path and strokes him its hard to avoid!! lol he doesnt even look at people, animals, pushchairs, trolleys etc otherwise he is brilliant really!!

 

What an interesting thread this is LPG, I assume you have a special harness or something to say he's in training, if so, yes its wrong for people to distract him, Then I thought, What happens when he is with his new owner and working, surely there will be people, Children included wanting to stroke him, there's always someone wanting to stroke my dog when im walking her, Sorry im talking as a sighted person here and have no idea how it works, but thats the majority of the public i suppose, now you have pointed this out, i wont ever try and distract a working dog.. Dee..
ps, the puppy is Gorgeous it would take all my strength not to stroke him hehe..

 

Me too I'm known down the park as the dog lady lol

 

no problem with..
people approaching me and asking to say hello
when im on bus - people talking to him
stopped in doorways etc in town watching world go by
sat on benches in centres or town
stopped in shops looking at things etc
free runs and excercise walks around village

annoying..
people not asking and just diving in!!
people grabbing at him as we walk past ( they really do just grab him!! )


yes he does come into many many situations where he has to avoid destraction, walking down narrow ailse's in supermarkets for instance he is practically touching people, trollesys, children, pushchairs, mobility scooters etc and of course leaving all the food!! lol and does very well and ignore them all

and once he is trained i guess it wont be a problem, its just getting him trained is difficult when people throwing themselves in his way and forcing themselves apon him!!! :lol:

people whistle and and make the "tut tut" noise to get his attention..

maybe im seeing it wrong and should welcome this as it gives me a training oppertunuty!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! every 2 minutes LOL

 

If I were to see a assist puppy out and about in training, I would just smile and walk by knowing that he has enough distractions to deal with as it is. However, one day when he is given up to a blind person, who is out and about, he will again be exposed to the same senseless humans. Yes it is a dilemma, I think you have to use this as a training opportunity. Work on anticipating the strangers behavior and command the little one to "watch me" just before. Sounds like he is doing great with those distractions you mentioned, and for so young. I am thinking that, he will think, he is allowed to brake command and get a pet from a stranger. But you want a social dog too. It is a problem. Don't you have a person you can call at the Guide Dog place to help you with this issue? I've always thought dogs are black and white in training, that there are no gray areas with them. Good Luck, you have a great soul to do this.

 

yes redstar this is the problem! i have found he is starting to think everyone will talk to him and find him looking for attention at times!!

yes i have a supervisor that visits every 2 weeks, she advises that I politely ask people not to stroke him once he is in command, but really even she says there is not alot you can do if they have already done it!!

 

I NEVER distract any Guide-Dog in training. I might comment as they pass, but NEVER will I distract one for whatever reason. Until 18 months ago, I had a GOOD Mate who was blind, had been since the age of two and waiting for a guide dog, but died at 50+ years of age, before he could get one.

 

It's only natural for people to want to make a fuss of such an adorable pup ,you need a notice on your jacket saying it's a guide dog in training then maybe you will not get as much attention also you maybe your annoyance factor will be lessend.

 

The puppy walkers here have vests for the dogs and in some cases for themselves.
Which say something like.
Please do not distract me I'm a working dog in training.
Or
We are in training please do not disturb us.
It must be a bit of a pain when it happens over and over again, but on the other hand it's got to be better that people are kind and caring than cruel towards dogs.

 

Your doing an amazing job training him and i applaud you for your hard work

I guess untill he's in his Jacket it's going to be a bit harder to control people grabbing and fussing the little cutie but I'd see the possative side of it, unfortunately people seem to think it's ok to just go up to a working dog and fuss them you can use this to your advantage so that he's used to it and learns to ignore it as much as a puppy can.

I've never gone up to a working dog and disturbed the vital job it's doing and think it's more about educating people. I saw the pic of the little darling and noticed his lead saying he's in training.

I do see why people want a fuss but you wouldn't walk into a parked ambulance where the paramedics are working on someone and start messing about with the equiptment would you???

 

Sorry this is such a problem for you, over here in Canada or in Ontario anyway, if the Dog is a service dog, they all have a certain color of leash, and its commom knowledge that when a dog or pup is wearing this color, which happens to be neon orange, then its a service dog and please dont touch him.
Hope it works out for you.