Day 3 – Training with Ike my new guide dog

Jan 13, 2011 | New guide dog Nama 2012-2020, Personal | 4 comments

Smelling like roses

Before we start, you may want to read other posts related to training with Ike. Secondly, you might want to read about the first day with Ike and finally, the third day of training has also been written about.

The day started like every other will for the next two and a half weeks. I got up, fed Ike, let him spend then groomed him. Things were going reasonably well. He still didn’t do a solid spend but he eat again so already this was an improvement on yesterday. I came back to the room, showered and went down for a quick cup of coffee. I had noticed that Ike was still very relaxed but panting just enough to show that he still needed to spend. I knew that if I took him to do it he’d just stand there looking back at me so there was really no point. I decided to go look for a trainer to help me find answers to the questions that were driving me mad last night but while I was waiting I took Ike for a quick walk around the outside paths at the front of the centre. My thinking was that if I let him walk a little and even stop to just give him a chance to have a little sniff he’d be more stimulated to do that solid spend that I knew he needed to do. When I got back in, I had a quick chat to one of the other trainers. He is not the trainer that I have for this class but he would know Ike reasonably well. He can’t really answer my questions in detail because that should really be left to the trainer I have for this class but he was able to give me one more little part of the puzzle. It wasn’t anything he said directly but it was the way he got the dog to react by clapping his hands and the tone of his voice. Simple things that I thought I had been doing but I just wasn’t doing it enough to keep his attention. So, armed with this new tool, I did a little bit of obedience with him by asking him to find the door to this room. We walked up and down the corridor about ten times. Each time I made it into a game and each time he got faster and faster at finding the right door. With this build-up of confidence in the dog, I redirected him to the spending area. At first he just stood there not doing anything but without much prompting he changed his mind, went off for a bit of a ramble and did his first solid spending a corner. This is a big thing. This is the start of the full routine. We another walk scheduled for later this morning so with this part of the routine worked out I was able to be much more relaxed.

The walk was what they call a technical exercise. Plenty of obstacles, some dog distraction, a hell of a lot of crossings and some off curb obstacles as well. If the dog enjoyed it half as much as I did we’re doing well. So far, the trainer has commented that the dog’s body language is very positive and happy so I’m quite hopeful that we’ll continue this way. The cool thing actually is the way he walks. I can’t explain how nice it is not to have to compensate for a dog that pulls left all the time. Avoiding bins and cars is really smooth. Only for I can feel them as we’re passing I wouldn’t really know that he’s walking around them. The main distraction at the moment is the trainer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a necessary distraction, but when standing, the dog almost always looks over to see where he is. It’s completely understandable though but at the same time, I’m looking forward to him focusing on me. I think I said yesterday that some of the commands have changed for working the dog since I was here eight years ago. I’m finding that I’m liking these new commands as things progress. For example. Keep over when walking through a narrow area so that the dog pays more attention to your right side. Who knows, maybe that command was used when I got my last dog but if it was, I never used it.

I’m slowly but surely coming to the realization that things are getting better and the only thing slowing us down is me. I say I have no expectations but I think that’s impossible in my situation. I’m learning as time goes on how Ike likes to be spoken to so I think it will keep getting better from here.

In the early afternoon we did two great exercises with one of the staff from the early training unit. These were great fun and they really let the dog stretch his legs. The first one was simply playing in the garden at the front of the centre’s grounds. This was kind of funny and not what I was use to at all. B t then again, I knew that was going to be the way because from playing with Ike inside I know that he likes to play by pulling the toy off you and he’s not the kind of dog that will bring it back when you throw it. This is kind of strange as I would have assumed a retriever would …… retrieve? Fortunately, I’m not the only one with this misgiving and in fact, most retrievers are the same. It’s really very funny actually. I can see the two of us spending a lot of time out there. It certainly beats being stuck inside the building all day excluding the walks. I think this is where it’s going to start to get interesting. We also did a recall exercise. Because I have a cold and I feel like my throat is going to fall out because it’s so sore, my verbal recall was terrible. In fairness to the dog, I wouldn’t have come back either if someone who sounded like I do was calling me. With the whistle though it was much better.

I’m finding that the interaction between Ike and I is becoming more seamless. For example, while typing, I stop after every few lines just to think about what I’m writing. I have a bad habit of tapping the side of the laptop with my little finger. He’s becoming interested in this now and he nudges me to take the opportunity to get a quick rub. Even when he walks around the room. He stops when he’s near me to get a back scratch or if he’s really board and I’ve been sitting here too long, his nose will be just right next to my arm. In saying that, as you might have figured out yourself, I don’t write these posts last thing at night. I write little bits throughout the day so that I don’t spend too much time distracted from him. What is so seamless about this is now that he’s doing it, I automatically respond. Without thinking about it I’ve been reassuring him and even when I’m just standing talking to someone my hand drops to give him a light pat.

I should have mentioned earlier, he didn’t sleep properly again last night. He decided that sleeping right beside my bed was more comfortable than his own. The trainer came in this morning and just to see what the problem was he removed the dog’s plastic bed and just left the mat down. Now he’s much happier. It’s great for me as well because he prefers sitting on the mat so I don’t have to be quite so careful while walking around because he’s less likely to be sprawled out in the middle of the floor. See? Slowly but surely we’re getting through these little things I was worried about. Notice, I’m no longer calling them problems, I’m starting to realise that I need to relax into this more. I’m trying to do a little too much too quickly. Even with that, I’m enjoying it a lot.

The last walk of the day was through Ballincollig, a small town very near the training centre. I was delighted we were doing it so soon because the environment we’d be walking through would be quieter but very similar to what I will be asking the dog to work through every day of the week. The walk was very nice. At one stage we were stuck behind a few people walking in the same direction as us but at a slower pace and this caused a little bit of stress for Ike but after we got past that we flew along. I need to be careful to reduce my speed in built up areas because Ike can’t be expected to work through people at the same pace as I worked Freddie. Well, not yet at least. I’m very confident that Ike will get up to the same level and possibly even better with the help of the trainer. I’ve said it before but it’s worth mentioning that I am completely besotted with the way Ike moves while guiding. I know besotted is a strange word to use but saying that I love it isn’t enough. This dog is just so easy to follow! I can often tell what he’s going to do well in advance of him doing it. This is because he walks so close beside me and he’s completely straight. No matter what problems we have in the next three weeks I’ll ensure to remember this.

We’re back in now for the night. This is the part of the day that I hate with a passion. What am I supposed to do until ten PM? It’s now only after five! The dog has had a very hard day of work and it’s not like I can just go for a stroll somewhere. I am finding it very difficult being confined to one area. It’s completely unnatural to me and I am afraid that this frustration might be sensed by the dog even though I’m really trying to stay positive about the entire thing. I have offered to do some work later to help someone out before he gets in tomorrow morning but that still means that I’m stuck inside. You wouldn’t believe how much I’d love to just go for a walk. I understand why they don’t allow this. It’s very important to spend the time with the dog while on training. Distractions aren’t really advisable. Until qualifying with the dog after the conclusion of the three week class the dog is also not allowed outside the grounds of the centre without the supervision of the trainer. This is also completely understandable. It’s something that a lot of people in my situation experience so I’ll just have to get on with it.

4 Comments

  1. Jen

    Oh how lovely it would be to have a dog that walks in a straight line and doesn’t constantly pull to the left!
    Use the time in the evening to relax. You’ll wish you had it when you get back to work and normal life.
    or go groom some dogs in the kennels. That’s prob what I would do, being the geek that I am!
    How many people are training with you? What are they like?

    Reply
  2. torie

    You have done so much already! We didn’t do off kerbs until like the 6th day! We just built up gradually to it.

    And solid spends are great! I loooved when Ushi did her first, I wanted to shout from the rooftops!

    Ushi doesn’t really “retrieve” either lol.

    At nights in the hotel I just blogged, chilled, and chatted to the other clients. By the start of the second week you’ll be glad of any break you can get!

    Your days sound so much more packed than what we did.

    Take care, and i’m so glad that things are evining out. I can remember having one really really tough day, and that was me reading too much into something! Chin up, and hope tomorrow goes as well as today. Xxx.

    Reply
  3. Cat

    I’m finding these posts really interesting, never having been through a similar experience.
    But there’s one thing I have to say/sing: Johhny don’t go to Ballincollig! (it had to be done)

    Reply
  4. abby

    well darragh I am finding yours and anotehr friends posts very similar and very different at the same time. you all are getting your second dogs each a continant away at the exact same time. I am reading both blogs as I know that alice will get to that point soon.
    keep your chin up, and I am glad you all are adjusting. i am sure I will call on you for support when I get to this point.

    Reply

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