FLD Scout. On Assignment Again.

WHO

Intrepid reporter for the Ogemaw County Voice (aka "puppy-raiser patti") on assignment in Rose City, with her sidekick, FLD Scout.

WHAT

1st Annual Fall Wine Festival. Free hayrides between two wineries, wine-tasting, and food.

WHERE

Rose Valley Winery and Valley Mist Vineyards in Rose City, Michigan.

WHEN

Saturday, October 29, 2011. (This was the second Saturday of the event.)

WHY

To get the inside scoop on this inaugural event with the added bonus of self-control exercises for FLD Scout with people, food, and animal distractions. (There's my two-birds-with-one-stone thing again--see my post from July 27, 2011,  "FLD Gus Goes Loony".)

(and sometimes HOW)

It was a misty fall afternoon at the wineries, but FLD Scout didn't seem to mind. Inside the tasting rooms were crowds of engaging people and scraps of food on the floor to keep her me  busy.

Even the sight of "witch" Elaine (proprietress of Valley Mist Vineyards) with her witch's brew had no adverse effect on FLD Scout.

What caught Scout's attention was outside. Horses. The winery was old-hat, but horses...this was a first!

As we approached the staging area for the hayrides, FLD Scout didn't notice the two blanket-clad Percheron teams tied up to the semi-trailer. She had her eyes on Matthew and Nathan, who were waiting for the word to harness up the beasts to the wagons. Puppy-tail-waggle going full-force for the two young men, FLD Scout suddenly saw the horses.

"Rrrrruuuffff," Scout muffled, not so sure what to think. Her waggle paused.

Scout, sit, I commanded, but she needed a finger-tap on her rump to follow through. She peered at the horses, glanced back at me, and went back to studying. I kept her in position until she settled.

FLD Scout catches site of the horses.

Her nose gets busy as we get a bit closer.

Scout, heel, I said and we took a few steps forward. I didn't want to frighten Scout, or the horses! (Matthew assured me that Scout would not spook them.)

FLD Scout walks on a loose leash toward the Percheron teams.

Scout, sit, I said. This time she sat without a tap. Good girl, Scout! I said and slipped her a treat.

We inched our way closer as I observed Scout's demeanor change from a tightly gathered "I'm not so sure" cautiousness to a waggle-returning "hey, what IS that?" curiousity.

You can see the change in her body as she takes an eager interest.

Soon FLD Scout was almost nose-to-nose with one of the horses, which quickly decided that the little black ball of fur wasn't so interesting after all.

Two creatures, almost nose-to-nose.

The big one...no longer interested. FLD Scout sits back as if dejected.

The hayride part? Not a problem. FLD Scout negotiated the metal grated steps into the wagon with just a bit of coaxing, and seemed to enjoy the rock-along pace of the heavy horse team.

Matthew and Nathan prepare to harness the team.

Our driver, Paul, and Nathan guide the team.

FLD Scout would like to climb on my lap during the ride, but soon curls into a ball on the floor when I don't pick her up.

Two wineries and two hayrides later, I had my story.

And a very tired puppy. 

FLD Scout found an open corner in the busy winery to rest.

Oh. And two bottles of wine to take home.

  

A Puppy-Raiser's Achievement

The 5th Assistance Dog Blog Carnival (ABDC) is hosted this quarter by Cindy Otty on her blog, Gentle Wit.

The topic is ACHIEVMENT. This post is my submission.

To learn more about the ABDC and find links to all past Carnivals, check out Sharon Wachsler's post about it on her blog, After Gadget. Sharon got this Carnival rolling over a year ago!

A PUPPY-RAISER'S ACHIEVEMENT

What can I achieve as a volunteer puppy-raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind?

The obvious end-result goal is to raise a puppy that graduates from Leader Dogs and is partnered with a handler. But how can I realistically take credit for that? It is the dog's achievement, not mine.

I did not achieve this with my first puppy, Rosie. Rosie made her way through four phases of progressively challenging training levels. She had a "fast" working pace, and when it came time to be paired with a handler, a suitable person could not be found. Not the first time when Rosie was ready. Not the second. Not the third. By then, Rosie had had it--enough was enough and she made the decision to be career-changed.

Did I fail as a puppy-raiser?

ACHIEVEMENT, according to the dictionary, means succeeding in doing something that takes effort. With effort, I was successful in raising a well-behaved, socialized puppy that went through the Leader Dog training program.

But why did that not feel like an achievement? Rosie did not graduate.

And yet. It is impossible for a puppy-raiser to achieve the goal of raising a puppy that will DEFINITELY become a working guide dog. Too many factors can influence that outcome--the dog's core personality and potential; medical issues; the ability of the dog to handle kennel stress while living through the training; the experience of the training team that works with the dog; and even the person at the end-game, anxious to be paired with the dog.

It is a miracle. Really. That suitable teams end up working in the world, that dogs can be trained to assist blind and visually impaired people gain enhanced mobility and independence.

Perhaps I should reevaluate the goal. Instead of raising a puppy to "become a Leader Dog," what if I set my goal to raise a puppy that is READY TO TAKE ON THE NEXT STEP, training at Leader Dogs for the Blind?

But what does "being ready" really mean?

Leader Dogs for the Blind describes three traits that are important in a working guide dog.

1. Soundness
2. Friendliness
3. Happiness

(To read more about these traits, visit my post from March 11, 2011, or Leader Dogs' on-line puppy-raiser application.)

Raising a puppy that exhibits these traits is an achievable goal.

Goal setting, however, is a tricky-thing--achieving one goal often leads to setting another, higher goal. Istn't it just as important (and no small achievement), to raise a puppy that is housebroken, socialized, and able to perform basic obedience commands?

Where does it end?

Fortunately, Leader Dogs for the Blind is establishing "in-for-training" standards to define what "being ready" really means. A work-in-progress, these standards attempt to pinpoint self-control behaviors, obedience skills, and behavioral traits that, if achieved, will prepare a puppy to succeed at the next level.

These standards, then, will be the goal I will shoot for with my puppy. Attaining these standards will be my achievement.

After that, it's up to the puppy.

Hear that, Scout? (FLD Scout, peaking around my leg at a hockey game at Lake Superior State Univserity.)

Energizer Puppy

You know a friendship is special when someone with severe dog allergies comes to visit our house. It is not too difficult to keep the old dog away. Gypy's next-to-favorite thing lately is taking a nap.

But a puppy? That is a whole different thing. Last weekend presented opportunities for FLD Scout to work on self-control and people distractions. My secret strategy was simple. A tired puppy is a good puppy.

In the morning, I told our guests, Come on, let us show you our woods. (The puppy went too.)

In the afternoon, I said, Have you ever seen the Au Sable River? (The puppy went too.)

The Au Sable River from the lookout at Iargo Springs.

If you've never seen the magnificent Au Sable River in northeastern Michigan, it is worth a trip. High bank overlooks present a panoramic view; hundreds of wooden steps lead the strong of heart to water's edge.

Iargo Springs.

Here, at Iargo Springs, FLD Scout got her first taste of the open stairs down to the river. Multiple landings meant we stopped to SIT frequently as we re-gathered attention to the task at hand. By the time we were two-thirds of the way BACK UP, Scout was stepping like a well-seasoned trooper.
 

FLD Scout, still full of energy, at river-level at Iargo Springs.

Andy and our friends, Pete and Nancy, tackle the stairs UP from Iargo Springs.

I smiled to myself later when our non-dog-person guest remarked, "Boy, puppies have SO much energy!"

FLD Scout, looking a little bit "pooped out" after climbing all the stairs.

Tuesday's Training TIP: Whoa, What is THAT?

A recent Monday morning at the Bicegos. Sleepy girls zip their backpacks and munch on toasted bagels before school. 

Nat in the am.

I take FLD Scout out to "park" and decide to help by taking the trash to the curb. Anne has these nice cans that roll, so it's easier than dragging. I grab the trashcan handle and tip it onto its wheels.

FLD Scout balks. As I turn to look at her, the trashcan rumbles forward a few inches. Scout is now writhing at the end of her leash, trying to get away from that GREAT-BIG-SCARY-BEIGE-MONSTER.

Ah-ha! My perfect little puppy is afraid of something. The five-minute job of taking out the trash turns into a 20-minute training session.

What did I do?  I took advantage of the situation. Here's how.

THINGS I DID NOT DO

• I did NOT try to console Scout by saying things in a baby-voice like, "It's ok puppy! I won't let that big bad garbage can hurt you."

• I did NOT let Scout run away.

• I did NOT pick her up and coddle her.

THINGS I DID TO HELP SCOUT GET OVER HER FEAR OF THE ROLLING TRASHCAN

• I stayed calm and confident.  I tipped the trashcan back into place and squatted next to it.

• I re-directed Scout's attention.  I used name recognition to get Scout to look at me. I praised her when she did. I told her to SIT and because I always have puppy food in my pocket, I rewarded her after she sat.

• I gradually re-introduced her to what frightened her.  I touched the trashcan and encouraged Scout to come closer. When she did, I rewarded her with another treat. I touched the trashcan again to get Scout to sniff it. When she did, she got alot of praise and more treats. I stood up and praised Scout when she stayed where she was near the trashcan. I gently tipped the trashcan and moved it slightly. When Scout then backed away, I set the can back and repeated everything. Again. Eventually, Scout stayed close when I tipped the trashcan. I re-directed her again by telling her to SIT. Then I rolled the can back and forth. If she got up, I set the can down and put her back into a SIT. When Scout finally stayed in her SIT when I gently rolled the trashcan, I had a party and she got more treats!

• I rewarded the behavior that I wanted.  Every step of the way, if Scout acted curious, I treated her. If she acted confident, I treated her. If she sat when I commanded her, I treated her.

OKAY! Now you should have the idea. I took BABY STEPS to get Scout used to the trashcan, to learn that it would not hurt her. I GRADUALLY re-introduced her to the can and PRAISED and REWARDED the behavior I wanted. I stayed CALM and CONFIDENT.

YOUR reaction is key! I like to compare this to when a child falls and skins a knee and the startled youngster looks to his or her parent. If the parent freaks out and rushes over, no doubt the child will erupt into tears. If the parent takes a more matter-of-fact approach, or even jokingly yells something like "Safe!" the child might brush him or her self off and not be a drama-star. It is the same thing with your puppy--she will look to you for guidance in how to react. Make it a "no-big-deal" and that is what it will be!

HINTS for taking advantage of a training session.

1. Have puppy-food morsels in your pocket at all times!
2. Learn to recognize a training opportunity. This means paying attention to your puppy and your own reactions.
3. Be calm, patient, and consistent.

Eventually, FLD Scout walked at my side as I rolled the not-so-scary-anymore trashcan down the driveway and out to the curb. In fact, she happily accepted two more rolling trashcans!

Cc'd Rosie next to a tired-out-from-learning FLD Scout.