Lazy bones.

• Firstly, you should read this so you know what these posts are all about.
• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.
• Day 7 of training.
• Day 8 of training.
• Day 9 of training.
• Day 10 of training.
• Day 11 of training.

It really speaks volumes that the main issue I have with Ike at the moment is his spending routine. I’m very luck in this regard even though the issue is particularly frustrating as it impacts almost everything else for the day. That said, it seems to be working it’s self out slowly. It is a common saying by kennel staff and trainers that with retrievers, you need to count to three every time you give a command. It is said with humour and it is meant to explain their stubborn tendencies and their relaxed and even sluggish attitude to life. Their actually not far wrong either. I say this because a moment ago I was moving to a different room so I could write this update. I spoke to Ike for a moment to ensure he was awake etc. Seriously, it’s needed! He tends to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. I said before on the blog, he’s an old man trapped in a pup’s body. Anyway, I eventually told him to get up. He didn’t budge! I tried again. Still no movement. This time I said it louder and put his name in front of it. “IKE UP!” This time, he stretched, groaned a bit but returned to his comfortable lying position. It was only when I bent down and gave him a light nudge that he decided to take me seriously. I know it’s not disobedience. It’s just that he’s comfortable and he doesn’t really care what I say. He’s happy to stay lying there. That’s all well and good but I have no intention of returning to that room tonight so he really couldn’t stay there. I find that this is a common thing with Ike and if I am to be completely honest, it’s something that I am finding very hard to get used to. I hate to make comparisons but with Freddie, all I had to do is move an inch and he was up beside me. He was just so incredibly alert! I’m not sure if this is something Ike will develop in Time. I don’t think it is. His personality is just so different. I don’t get as much feedback from him when he’s not working. It’s very disconcerting, even frustrating and a little sad at times. I can’t work him out for most of the day. Is he board, depressed, chilled out, comfortable, and not interested or just simply a sleep. I am finding it very hard to no when he’s actually happy as well as unlike Freddie who gave a lot of body language; Ike seems to give very little. I wish I could work him out! Don’t’ get me wrong. I think the bond between us is building and getting stronger every day. It would just really help if his body language was a small bit easier to read. There is one thing I know for sure. If he’s that comfortable after a half an hour, I’m going to need a supply of rockets to move his behind off the floor in the mornings!

The first walk this morning was to a train station. This was perfect as I will be using this form of public transport very regularly. We were lucky as well as a train pulled in just as we were at the platform. The trainer gave me some advice to ensure the loud noises don’t startle Ike and it was kind of interesting to see what I have probably doing wrong for so many years. For example. When the train is coming in, I should have been dropping the handle so that the dog had space to move away if it was feeling threatened. I don’t think this made any difference to Freddie as that kind of thing never fazed him but it’s still good to be aware of. I’m delighted to say that it doesn’t seem to faze Ike either. Obviously, he hasn’t been around all that many trains so the noise caught his attention but it wasn’t a negative experience for him. I was also delighted that he had no problem finding the door for me. This is something I had to teach Freddie to do so it’s nice that Ike has had this experience already. It would actually seem that over all, Ike has been introduced to more of the environments that I will need to work in. This is really nice because they will all be new places, he will have some frame of reference to work from. I also got some interesting reminders as well while trying to get the dog to find the ticket counter. When walking through a station and you begin to try to get the dog to find something like this, it is best to stop the dog first then give the command and the estimated direction. This gives them a well-defined goal that they can recognise as resulting in praise afterword when they’ve found it. It also helps to refocus the dog’s attention on the new objective. I’m not sure if this is something I originally learned when training with Freddie but it was really helpful for today.

The afternoon walk was completely uneventful. That’s really all I can say about it. It was on a straight road with three or maybe four crossings. There were a lot of obstacles for the dog to work around and as always his right shoulder work was absolutely fantastic. See one of my earlier posts for explanations of right shoulder work if this concept makes no sense.

Now, it’s the weekend. Tomorrow we have no walks and the excellent trainer takes a well-deserved break for the day. My aim is to go into Cork city tomorrow to play some music and more importantly get out of here for a few hours. I mean absolutely no disrespect to this centre or no negativity however I am sick of sitting inside. I am not use to it so it is driving me completely crazy. The staff have made it bearable and I’d just like to take this opportunity to say how brilliant they all are. They consistently go well above what’s expected of them.

I know the posts are getting shorter and shorter at the moment. This is because each walk is becoming a little more uneventful and the activities in each day are unchanging therefore it would be repetitive to explain everything. On the up side, if a post is short it means that issues that I experienced last week are not experienced this week so things are getting better!

On that note, I was much happier with Ikes straight line work. He stopped with great definition and confidence at crossings and his ability to take directions is really improving a lot. I also introduced some corrections into the work today. They weren’t given at every distraction but they were very effective. I found that when a small correction was given he acknowledged it right away and didn’t attempt to do it again. In relation to corrections I find that I need to relax my control over Ike. With Freddie, if I didn’t keep him in line he’d start pushing his luck. It really was a case of give an inch take a mile. With Ike, I need to remember not to be so strict. When he looks around he’s being aware of his environment. This is a good thing from the perspective of the trainer and now that I am relaxing with him more I am beginning to agree. It is taking some time to get use to this approach though and sometimes I need to second guess my self. Is he distracted or is he just having a look. Will this escalate to him doing something he’s not supposed to or is he just curious? As the trainer puts it, once he doesn’t interact with the distraction it’s not too bad. It will take a lot more time to assess the degree as to what I can permit but so far his curiosity is only shown when he’s waiting at crossings and he’s not guiding me so it’s not a problem. I write this kind of thing to show you that although the dog has a lot of work to do during these three weeks of training, I as the handler have a lot of work as well.

I wonder. Is it easier to train with your third dog than training with your second? I don’t think I could do this kind of thing again.

Steady as she goes!

• Firstly, you should read this so you know what these posts are all about.
• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.
• Day 7 of training.
• Day 8 of training.
• Day 9 of training.
• Day 10 of training.

Today continued to be a very good and positive day. It posed major challenges for both Ike and I but we both tackled them head on and the results were very promising.

I have yet to satisfactorily resolve the issue that I have written about for the past week in relation to the dogs spending at lunch time and this is something that I am quite nervous about for the long term. It still requires work but I have a few ideas that may help over the next day or so.

Because of the confidence issues that Ike experiences I have to be particularly careful about correcting him when he’s distracted or when he makes work errors. These issues are always manageable and have never put me in harm’s way so I am not particularly worried about them however his distraction has increased quite a bit in the past day, The trainer is quite satisfied though as he is of the belief that this demonstrates an improvement in the dogs comfort and confidence. He also has suggested that I can begin to firm up on the corrections that I need to give in a few days to rain back the dog’s attention so it’s focused on me more and not on the hundreds of distractions that can potentially grab his focus. As I say, I’m very aware of Ike’s tendency to lose confidence so although the distraction level can sometimes be frustrating I’m quite happy to give him whatever time and space he needs at the start to help him get past this. I also understand that this may be required when I begin after care when I return home with the dog and it may even happen from time to time in the future when situations cause the dog’s confidence to temporarily drop or waver. There is always one issue with a dog that is as technical and as hard working as a dog such as Ike. I’m just fortunate it’s something that is actually reasonably easy to diagnose and resolve.

The walk this morning was in Cork city again. I had asked to work through some really wide paths to ensure I was able to rely on the dog to guide me around areas where I had no land marks and to ensure I was able to give the dog the instruction that he required to determine the route he needed to take. As I said yesterday, this kind of environment is already quite disconcerting to me but yesterday it was ten times worse! The pats were very slippy so it was very hard to walk on them and confidently give commands to Ike. It was great though. Ike didn’t mind slowing right down. I had a few added issues with distractions but this is expected as I know that when their walking at such a slow speed it’s very hard for them not to get put off by more sights and smells as simply, they have more time to look! Once we got onto the busier paths of Patrick’s street though we were able to walk at a much more comfortable pace. I really let Ike speed up even when we were weaving around people and what were plenty of stationary objects. If there were plenty of them, I hadn’t a clue. It was lovely to walk through that kind of environment again while feeling the dog move left and right to avoided whatever it was that was in the way. Even after two weeks, I couldn’t have walked through that kind of environment so fast or so effectively using the Cain. It just isn’t possible. I won’t walk around areas like that so fast all the time depending on the volume of people and how well Ike and I know the place but this morning it was a very relaxing walk. We went over one crossing here though that I wasn’t particularly happy with but to be fair, it was a very flat crossing and it was probably very hard for Ike to recognise it. I’ll explain why in a moment. It wasn’t so bad though. It was just a very quiet pedestrian alley way anyway so it’s not vitally important. The next time we walk down Patrick’s street I’ll slow the dog right down and ensure he recognises it. As I’ve said before though, it’s a balancing act with Ike at the moment. Firstly and most importantly it’s vital that he enjoys his work so if something is just a technical mistake that doesn’t really cause any danger to me or Ike then I’ll do more harm than good reinforcing it at the moment. Secondly, if it is something that requires an immediate correction then it’s important that it’s followed with encouragement and praise for even the most mundane successes.

I’d like to pause for a second to explain why it’s so hard for a dog to assess road crossings on a road like Patrick’s street in Cork. Firstly, the dog is trained at a basic level to walk from A to B in a straight line with the exception of avoiding obstacles. A is the start of the straight line and B is the end. I.E. A is the start of a block or a road and B is the next down curb or the end of the block or road. This is what the dog tries to do in Patrick’s street. It stops at all the crossings to give me the handler time to ensure there is no traffic. The dog will not progress past this point until I issue the command to instruct him to keep going. In a street like this, there is no down curb and instead the crossing is denoted by a tactile marking the problem is the dog should not stop at every tactile marking as some denote crossing points to my right or left depending on what side the road is. For the dog to efficiently do this, it needs to have done this route quite a few times and should have stopped these defined crossing points. As the dog becomes more experienced it becomes a lot easier to determine these points even on roads they have not walked on before but at the start it’s really not very easy. In areas that I know it won’t be as difficult as in O’Connell Street in Dublin for example; I will be able to forewarn the dog on the approach to these crossing points therefore he knows that he should start looking out for them.

Ok. Back to the first walk. After Patrick’s street we cut through a reasonably large shop. It was great for Ike because he got to walk through a reasonably busy area and his mind needed to be much focused to weave in and out while following the shape of the isle. After this the walk was very uneventful. I should have probably slowed down a little more when walking through the side streets on the way back because the dog missed a few other very minor crossings. Again, they were crossings with just a tactile marker and no down curb but I think it was more that he was in a hurry to get back and he wasn’t concentrating as much as he could have been.

The afternoon walk was in a much quieter residential area. The objective of the walk was to avoided obstacles that required us to actually go onto the road to pass them. These are called off curb obstacles. When you walk up to one with the dog, it will stop so that you can prompt it to find the way. At this stage, it will bring you up to the edge of the curb. With some encouragement and a few specific commands you can then instruct the dog to navigate around this obstacle while allowing it to guide you onto the road for the minimum time it takes to pass the obstruction. These are very hard for the dog and again require practise however he did a great job. It didn’t help that the obstructions placed there held a lot of scents from other dogs so Ike was particularly interested in stopping for a bit of a sniff but again, this is something I will be able to prevent to a large extent over time when his confidence remains at a reasonable level. I felt sorry for poor Ike. He had an offal lot of work to do and the obstacles were regularly placed in strange configurations or in difficult areas to walk around. Still, he seemed to be ok with it. I walked into a branch of a tree that didn’t seem to have any leaves on it which was actually quite painful because that kind of branch seems to always be at just the right level to give you a good smack in the face In fairness to Ike, it’s not something Freddie could often avoided either. I think these trees that are on face level that don’t have leaves must be difficult for them to see so although we made the dog do it again, I wasn’t particularly bothered. It’s this type of thing I can forgive. I understand that the dog has a hard enough job to do and these branches that hang on face level are just a little too hard for them to see as they are just above their field of vision from what I’ve been told by various trainers. The one thing that I found on this walk was that Freddie required very little encouragement for finding the best way around these off curb obstacles. I fell back into my old habits of giving very unambiguous directions and commands. This is just something I have to constantly keep in mind. After eight years of doing it one way, I often find it hard to remember to revert to the really obvious hand signals and commands when working Ike. I know that Ike will pick up the subtle commands over time. It’s no reflection on him. I just need to remember that Ike doesn’t know me well enough just yet to know that when I move my hand a little I mean he should go straight on. Give me time. I am aware of it and it’s something I actively correct myself about so it will get better.

Unfortunately, that’s pretty much it for Friday.

Stopping on a hair pin.

• Firstly, you should read this so you know what these posts are all about.
• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.
• Day 7 of training.
• Day 8 of training.
• Day 9 of training.

Ok. I don’t need to boar you with the details of the morning. The dog got up, had a bit of a rub, eat got groomed and had a nice poo. In fact, come to think of it, his owner had a very similar morning actually…………… hahahaha. No, I won’t go into that.

I’m still not happy with his solid spend at lunch. It was half two before I got him to go today. He really should have gone at 2PM when I took him first. Even when I tried again at half two he didn’t really want to go. I took him for a bit of a walk around by kennels, down by the sand runs and back up again. I could tell that he had wanted to go even at around half one. He was clingier and although he wanted to play, it was only for short periods at a time. He also stood at the door more often. He only really does that now when I put my coat on or he knows it’s time to go out. He’s really getting use to the routine at this stage. I have decided that I will no longer use the grass run while training. It’s not a good thing for him to get in to. I know that he was just holding it because he hoped I would give in and bring him to the grass like I did yesterday. I’ve decided though that even if it results in missing an afternoon walk, it is important to get this spending thing done right. The trainer disagrees with my approach He thinks that if I’m bringing Ike to grass in the afternoon while at work anyway it makes no difference if I do it here as well during lunch. I’d agree with this if the routine was set in stone and the dog was doing it perfectly but I know that the natural tendency for dogs is to go on grass. His major spend of the day is during lunch. I don’t think it is a good idea for this to be on grass for the first while. I think it would decrease his flexibility when it comes to spending. Of course, I understand the trainer is much more experienced when it comes to this and he knows what he’s talking about but I think for this I need to try it my way now. I let him go on grass yesterday but I don’t think it’s a good idea in the long term.

The trainer warned me about the first walk this morning. He told me that there were a lot of hills and in fact on one hill there would be a lot of steps as well. This didn’t sound particularly bad. I’m not someone who is particularly bothered by steps so I set off with a reasonable amount of confidence. What he didn’t tell me was the surface of the path was very rough. We had to slow our pace down a lot to allow me to walk over this but Ike didn’t mind. I wasn’t particularly bothered either. The main thing that annoys me about paths that are uneven and broken is it slows me down so that I can ensure I don’t trip over cracks etc. but that’s about it. When we got to the hill with the steps I had no idea where I was going as always. I knew they were coming up because the trainer reminded me but I had no idea they were so soon! This was perfect because although I was having a nice fast walk Ike was watching out for me. We were walking at a very nice speed when Ike suddenly and very sharply stopped. I’m use to this emergency stop from my days with Freddie as ordinarily he didn’t believe in slowing down when coming to the edge of a path he’d just stop dead in his tracks. I actually liked this about Freddie and I can see Ike getting into the same kind of thing. Anyway, to make it a little easier on the dog I slowed the pace again while going down the steps. Like he’s trained to do, he stopped at the top of each set of two or three steps and he waited for me to give him some praise before moving forward again. This was very successful I must say. Not as confident as I would have been use to in the past but technically it was done very well. I have great admiration for Ike. I am very certain that the way I worked him in this area was different to how the trainer worked him but he handled the transition very well. The next part of the walk was on a street that was much busier. There were small steps every so often to allow vans or something to access loading bays or something like that. The trainer told me after the first one when Ike stopped that there was no need to stop at these but the dog seemed more comfortable stopping at them so I didn’t encourage him to do any differently. Although I’ll probably continue going over similar points when I get home, it helped break this long road into smaller chunks for the dog to deal with therefore he got more praise.
The next part of the walk wasn’t as good but don’t get me wrong. It was far from bad either. Ike’s confidence simply dipped a lot and he required more encouragement and more praise for doing what he needed to do. At one stage I stopped to let him take his mind off his work because I thought he was starting to get over confident but one of the others on class commented that their dog did a lot of weaving on this road so I may have actually misread the signs that the dog was giving and misunderstood it as an increased sensitivity or a lack of confidence. It didn’t do any harm though. I’m still not sure he was weaving so it could have actually been a problem with his confidence or he may have been avoiding something. I’m not sure why. The movements didn’t really feel like obstacle avoidance but I could definitely be wrong. This led to the last part of the walk. Steps up the hill. This went very well actually. Ike continually reminded me of Freddie coming up here because he kept moving more to my right when we approached a step up. Sorry. I don’t mean to equate Ike to Freddie or draw comparisons. It just made me laugh today. At the bottom of the hill I had to correct Ike for a bit of distraction. This caused a dip in confidence that was very obvious to detect. Because of this he failed to wait at the first set of steps going up. However, although ordinarily my first instinct would be to correct the dog and make him do it again, I understood the reasons for it and let him away with it. I was still able to follow along even though he didn’t stop and at the next set he stopped perfectly and got the praise he’d expect for doing it the right way. I think I’m starting to understand how to deal with the confidence issues that Ike experiences. I’m not particularly happy with them but I think they will dissipate over time. I’m glad that I’m experiencing them at the moment as with the fantastic guidance of the trainer I am learning a lot about how to fix the underlying cause instead of just fixing the immediate problem. This will really help in the long run.

Unfortunately we missed the walk this afternoon because of the spending issue I wrote about at the start of this post so there’s not much more I can tell you about in this post. We have spent the rest of the day just sitting around. I’ve made sure to give the dog a few walks around the grounds of the centre and he’s been playing loads but overall, I think he’s getting as board as I am at this stage.

I’ve decided, I’m going for a pint or two tonight. I said it to the others on training with me and we’ve decided to go to a small pub near here called Hitler Kealy’s. I simply can’t handle any more time cooped up here. Even if it’s just going out for a quick drink or finding some way of going out for a walk somewhere, I really have to find a way of getting out of here from time to time. I am finding it very difficult to be stuck in the same area for so long.

I have to finish by saying I’m still very happy with our progress. We’re getting to know each other very well as time progresses. There are still a few small things to work out but we’re well on the way to getting there. I explained those things in yesterday’s post.

Faster than light no left no right.

• Firstly, you should read this so you know what these posts are all about.
• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.
• Day 7 of training.
• Day 8 of training.

Wow all these days are starting to feel like one. It’s becoming hard to remember where one ends and the other begins. It’s far too easy to fall into a routine. I’m even finding it easier to fill up my evenings. Considering its six hours of doing very little, this is very disturbing. I could get use to this relaxed environment but long term; it wouldn’t suit me at all. I am happier though tonight than I was this night last week. I have accepted the situation I’m in in terms of the lack of work to do in the evenings and I’ve really got to know Ike, this loveable bundle of hair that licks everything he can. When he’s out for a nice fast walk he reminds me of something I heard ages ago in a book. Going faster than light no left no right. I.E, light is straight or something stupid like that. When he does turn left or right it’s like the universe has temporarily shifted alignment so that we’re still walking straight. Well, that’s how it feels in my head. I was use to this very quick turn when using Freddie but I’ve had seven months now of plodding along nice and slowly poking walls and people with the big stick with the dodgy shaped mushroom on the end so going at four times the speed is really more fantastic than I can explain at the moment but at the same time, It’s taking some readjustment. My poor head takes about ten seconds when we’ve turned around corners to figure out that we haven’t been turned upside down, we’re still walking on the path, and it’s just that we’ve changed direction. I love it though.

Ok. Let me go back to the subject I seem to talk about on every post. Unfortunately, it’s a serious subject and it’s one that seems to be a little more difficult to get right this time than it was with Freddie. We’re talking about poo again I’m sorry to say. He seems to be relieving himself in the morning and I was delighted that this morning he didn’t show signs of needing to go on the first walk. The problem is that at lunch, when I knew he had to go, he didn’t do it in the concrete run. He peed but there was no solid spend. Because I was very certain that he would need to go on the walk, I took him to the grass run. He relieved himself almost straight away there. Granted, he took a little longer than usual to do it and it was most likely the added stimulus of the grass that let him do it but I’d like you to help me with something. Is this the start of a problem? Don’t worry, I’m asking the trainer the same question but your perspective wouldn’t hurt either. Am I worrying over nothing? I would like him to get use to going on the concrete run all the time until he gets his routine established. When in work he will be able to do it on grass in Stephen’s green in Dublin but I know how easy it is for some dogs to revert to only wanting to use a grass run so I really wouldn’t like this to happen. Again, I may be worrying over nothing but if there is something here that I need to be cautious of I’d rather be aware of it right from the start.

Getting back to the more interesting parts of the day, the first walk this morning was similar to yesterday morning’s walk. It was back in Cork city based out of the regency hotel. Again, we briefly walked part of Patricks street but most of the walk was in and around narrow streets running around and parallel to the main street. I was actually concerned that the dog might be distracted but the dog was simply guessing where I wanted to go as he had walked these routes a lot during training. There’s nothing much else I can say about this walk. His confidence is really getting better and better. He is avoiding people and stationary objects really well and his right shoulder work is just outstanding. If you need an explanation of what right shoulder work is read my post from two days ago. I think I remember explaining what it was all about then. Ok. Just to make it easier on you. Right shoulder work is where the dog becomes aware of the handlers right side. It becomes able to judge the distance that it needs to give when passing an object on the right to ensure the handler does not hit off or brush against the object that the dog is avoiding. This is particularly hard for the dog but they get better and better as time goes on. Of course, there are situations where the user or handler may be brushed off something but on average, guide dogs handle obstacles very well. In fact, from my limited understanding of the training that these dogs under go, this forms one of the basic principles that they are taught. The other basic idea or principle is the straight line. This means that going right back to basics, one of the main things a guide dog is taught to do is walk from the up kerb of a foot path to the down curb in a straight line with the object of simply walking straight with the exception of avoiding any obstacles that are encountered on the route. I’m not the best person to explain these things. I only know what I need to in order to effectively work the dog. I leave all the training stuff up to the fantastic staff in this organization.

The second walk was much more straight forward. It was around a quieter area but it was much longer than any other we have done before. There were a lot of straight paths a lot of hills and a lot of road crossings. It was exactly the kind of walk both Ike and I really wanted today. We got to walk at a very nice pace. He got loads of praise for avoiding the many obstacles in the way and stopping very nicely at all the crossings. It was hard work for us both because for me walking at that pace in areas where there are very deep slopes at drive ways is very unnerving and I’m sure the dog could sense my apprehension but even with this, we both enjoyed the walk a lot. When I am apprehensive about what’s in front of me I tend to move a little more behind the dog. This is something I shouldn’t do because the dog will take this as a sign that it should go right or step in front of me. I’m aware of it and it’s something I’m really trying to work on but when you’re nervous with a new dog and an area that you’re not use to it is bound to be difficult to get out of these bad habits. I wrote about this kind of looming challenge in my post titled T minus two weeks and counting. I think and hope I’m getting better at correcting myself but as I get to trust Ike more I think it’s getting better naturally. I hate very wide spaces as well so we also had a moment today where my lack of confidence could have potentially caused Ike to have a problem with his confidence but when I discussed it with the trainer when we finished the walk I found that Ike was actually fine. He was just trying to figure out what way I wanted him to go because he had gone different directions during different walks at that point over the past few weeks. Again, it’s something that I didn’t really experience with Freddie or should I say more accurately, it’s something I hadn’t experienced with Freddie for a good few years because I trusted his ability to safely navigate me around the most difficult environments that we encountered.

Lastly today we did a night walk. This is the same as any other walk for me and I can confidently say that it’s not all that different for Ike either. It’s simply an opportunity to ensure that the dog is comfortable working at night. It doesn’t get too distracted by the different sights and smells and he’s not put off by the passing lights of traffic. That’s what I understood from the trainer’s explanation anyway.

Again, the night walk went very well. Ike is really starting to break left and right with a lot of comfort. He’s very happy now to break away from me when turning left and he’s finding rounded kerbs with much more ease. I am also recognising when he’s a little more uncertain so I can very quickly come in with the reassurance he needs to keep him positive and confident.

Ok. That’s the walks out of the way. I’m really happy with his work at the moment. I know that if we can keep up this standard we’ll be doing better than I ever could have anticipated.

I have some very distressing news though. This is actually almost a deal breaker for me. I was unaware that an animal could do this and I’m not happy about it at all. In fact, I will be raising it with as many members of staff that will listen tomorrow to ensure that the severity of the problem is made known and is recognised for its importance. This issue is so dangerous, it strikes panic into me when I think of the long term ramifications it will almost certainly have. Solving this will almost certainly require additional extensive retraining and on-going monitoring to ensure it remains resolved however with time I may be able to get past it once the dog never never never never even considers doing it again!

The issue is……………………… IKE IS A CHEATER!

Yes people you heard me right. He’s a dirty rotten sneaky cheater.

I don’t like that. We’re not even on speaking terms at the moment.

Today while playing we were having a great time. I’d pull it off him, he’d fight back and occasionally, he’d win… Ah, I had to let him. It’s only fair!

This little bright spark got an ingenious idea though. Instead of just using his mouth to pull the ragger off me he now uses a paw as well. This is totally unexpected and totally unfair and goes against all the rules and conventions of playing with a ragger. I am utterly unhappy with this. Twice he has beaten me now. We’re playing nicely when suddenly a paw comes up and holds my hand while he pulls out of the ragger. This all started last weekend. We were playing when he suddenly lay down while still pulling. I assumed at the time that this was just to give himself more traction so that he could pull back without the fear of slipping on the floor. As time progressed however, the paws became more utilized. First one paw would hold the ragger while he pulled then the other paw began holding my hand down. This complete lack of the observation of rules pertaining to the correct and recognised ragger related procedures is particularly concerning.

You know what is more concerning?
The fact that I’ve just written about it. Let me out of here! I think I’m losing it!

Again, thanks to Emma for the great pictures.

Dog tired.

• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.
• Day 7 of training.

Today went really well. I’d love to quote something that was said to me today but for various reasons, I shouldn’t just yet. I’ll simply saying that we’re working very well together, the bond is getting better and better every day and I really think that my fears last Friday have now been dismissed. In my opinion they were justified at that time because of the sensitivity of the dog and the simplicity of the walk that caused the problems. Now, I see how the dog can behave when he’s comfortable.

Right, let’s get to the problems first to get them out of the way. I’m not happy with when the dog is relieving himself. Ideally as I said yesterday he should relieve himself once in the morning and once at around lunch time. Unfortunately today he relieved himself in the morning but when I checked again on a grass run he needed to relieve himself before we started the first walk of the day. The problem is here that if we had started the walk he would need to go a short way in to it. This would stress the dog out and it would mean that the walk would need to be cut short. Obviously we wouldn’t like this. This evening we have made changes so that a smaller amount of food is given at night time and a larger amount is given in the morning. It is hoped that this will get him into the right routine. So, although this continues to be a bit of a problem, we have a lot of ways of resolving it.

The other problem that we’re having is one that will get better with time and it connects back into the confidence thing that I’ve written about before. I’ve found that he’s stopping too soon at most crossings. He’s generally about a foot before the edge of the foot path. This isn’t a major problem. It happens with dogs during training and is usually solved with more walks and a build-up of confidence. We’ve also missed one or two crossings over the past few days. In other words, he should stop at all crossings but he has over shot a few. Again, this happens during training and can even happen sometimes after training if the dog is having a hard day, it’s lacking in confidence or it’s simply distracted by something. Again, it’s something that will work it’s self out with time.

So, let’s get to the good stuff. The first walk we did this morning was in Cork city. There were loads of people, dozens of obstacles on my right and left, about ten crossings, wide streets, narrow streets, traffic, shops, places that Ike knew from training and some really straight crossings with no dib signifying to the dog that the path ended making it very difficult for him to know when to stop. Through all this he did incredibly well. I was so impressed I actually smiled for a good portion of it. I just couldn’t help myself. He actually reminded me of Freddie a few times when he dodged left and right and even passed two men who were walking slower than we were. Some of his right turns while dodging things are so sharp it’s more of a side step than a right turn. I like this because it’s quick and a little dirty…. Hahahaha. Me all over!

We worked parts of Patricks street and over towards the regency hotel. Through a few side streets. We had to pass by the English market a few times so the smells coming from there were particularly attractive to him. He had also been walked through there quite a few times so the temptation to go back through was strong. He was very easy to handle though and by simply issuing the command “not today” he was very happy to keep trotting on. I say trot because it feels like he’s trotting more than he’s walking. He has quite a short stride for such a large dog from what I can feel through the harness and from what I can hear.

There was one crossing that he over shot but in fairness, I could have been a little more help. I was enjoying the walk too much and I wasn’t paying enough attention when he was slowing down. It wasn’t particularly important though because that crossing was very quiet and led onto a very small side street on an already very narrow road so the likelihood of there being any traffic was very small. Still, I need to remind myself to stay more alert.
Do you understand this heal command? I have had it explained to me but either I just don’t get it or Ike refuses to listen to me when I issue it. Ike, Heal…… stand and look at Drag? No. this is not Heal. Ike, Heal! Move a little and stand looking at Drag some more….. No Ike, we’ve discussed this, if Darragh says heal Ike moves himself so that he is standing beside Darragh on the left in a reasonably straight line. Ike continues standing and looking up at Darragh. I wish I could see his face at times. I am convinced he has a look of sympathy crossed with amusement at me when I tell him to do things that he has absolutely no intention of doing. He does not like sitting. He prefers to stand. This is just him. He’ll sit for a minute but that’s it. He’s done. He’ll stand again and that’s just it. If he’s feeling particularly helpful he’ll sit the next time you tell him but as soon as you take your attention off him for even a micro second he’s up again. I’ve given in now. I’m going to win some but I’ll lose even more so there’s just no point. The trainer has constantly told me that I need to choose my battles. Getting into a battle of wills is not worth the hassle. All it will really do in the end is make the dog sensitive or even at worse, intimidated by me and I’d really hate that to happen. I still don’t understand this softly softly approach of making the dog think that he came up with the idea. I think that’s just a completely different way of thinking about it. Hopefully I’ll figure it out at some stage but for the moment, I’m going to have to struggle on with my limited thinking. That limited thinking has come to the agreement with Ike that when I mean it, he has to do what I say but when it doesn’t impact his work or his behaviour in social situations I’ll give him a little more leeway.

I learned one very important lesson over the past eight years. That is that consistency is the key to a well behaved dog. To have a dog that you can rely on I find that I need to have set preconceptions then ensure that those preconceptions are made a reality as much as possible. Of course, as I’m learning with Ike, sometimes things need to be relaxed a little but the end aim is the same. I will start as I mean to go on. This means there is no standing around when I’m talking to someone. I will not tolerate sniffing when I’m waiting somewhere. When I’m on a train, bus, dart, lousis or any other form of transport the dog will lie down and remain quiet. If I am at work I will of course give the dog regular attention however it will not demand attention or attract attention to him. When working the dog will stay to the high standard it is at when it is trained. I have been accused of being too rigid or strict in the past but I disagree. When a dog knows what is expected of it it will perform better. If I let the dog stand up tomorrow in work and walk around it would wonder why it was not allowed do the same next week. This would be a lot worse in the long run. I am also very aware that at the end of the day, Ike is a dog and not a machine. Certain situations require leeway and at times the dog will need to deviate from my rules. I am also very aware that certain things are done better when the dog sees them as a big game. Although I have written my expectations in a very strict way, I implement them in a way that the dog will enjoy. For example, when in the room here, I get the dog excited while playing. I’ll then ask him to sit and I’ll hide around the corner. I’ll then hide the toy and get him to find it. This reinforces two things. One, sit and stay is sometimes fun and two when I give a command such as this it’s not always associated with something negative.

So. Back to today. After the city walk in the morning, we did some public transport in the afternoon. This involved a very simple route to the bus station. There were a few crossings that I wouldn’t have been surprised if Ike missed but he got them all perfectly. The bus was a standard city bus similar to those found in Dublin. The instruction for working dogs on and off public transport here is that the dog waits until you get on before following. For a number of reasons, this really does not suit me. I work the dog onto the bus or train etc. and I continue working him until I find a seat. I do not suggest you do the same unless you have spoken to your guide dog instructor however for me it works particularly well. I understand why the alternative method is used. If a dog rushes off a bus before the handler for example, they could pull the person off along with them. I know from experience that if this happens I’m more than able to pull the dog back. Freddie did it to me once while getting off a bus in Drogheda. While getting off he spotted something that he found very interesting and he rushed off. The first time it caught me off guard but the other once or twice that it happened I was ready for it. I’m sure Ike will attempt to do the same when we get back but he’ll learn very quickly that it’s not a good idea. The journey was very uneventful. I deliberately found the most difficult seat to get into on the bus and ensured that I put the dog right under the seat like I will when he’s on public transport when we’re traveling to and from work every day in a few weeks. This is as bad as it gets and although it was a risky move as it had the potential of damaging his confidence a bit it paid off. He was great! He settled on the floor without any problems at all. Once he got a little sensitive but I expected this as he is a little restless on the mini bus that we use a few times a day for traveling to different areas for training. This sensitivity will get better with time as the dog figures out what the best way for him to lye is.

Finally we decided that as Ike missed the free run on Saturday due to his spending issues we would take him today. He had done all the solid spends that he needed to do so there was no fear of this free run knocking his routine out too much. If anything it will do him a lot of good. This was a great time for him. We went to a local park and he bounded around like a crazy thing. I’m impressed by his independents. Freddie wouldn’t have gone off like that. Freddie required constant interaction. It was impossible to get him to go for a run on his own. Not that Ike went too far away. He stayed reasonably close and when we turned back he wasn’t far behind. His recall was actually excellent. In fact, it was almost too good. When we stopped and I was about to take out the whistle he was already over beside me before I could get it out of my pocket. I’m looking forward to taking him to townly hall just outside Drogheda. I think he’ll really love that area.

When I got back to the training centre, the other three people training with guide dogs were discussing bringing their dogs to a large enclosed run. This is ordinarily used for pups that are in kennels while being trained. The pups get to spend a certain amount of time in these runs to burn off some steam and play with the other dogs. I don’t know a lot about what goes on down there but if you’d like to know I’ll find out for you. What I could do actually is ask to talk to one of the kennel staff and assuming they give their consent I could post a recording up here to the blog that way you would be able to hear it all first hand. Let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in. Anyway, although Ike had just returned from a free run, I decided to bring him down to this run as well. Considering all four dogs are so quiet together but yet they’ve been together for over thirteen weeks I was very sureIke would enjoy a bit of freedom with them. And wow did he enjoy it! I don’t know where he found the energy because he was almost a sleep on the way back from the free run but he definitely found it somewhere. They bounded around the place playing with each other. The barks and growls would have been very concerning if I didn’t know that it was all just Ike being his usual vocal self while playing. I must post a recording of him growling at me when he’s playing. It’s very funny. He gets very enthusiastic. When the others left I remained for a little longer to play with Ike myself. It didn’t take him very boisterous for a change. Usually it is impossible to get him to let go of his quiet personality but I got a glimpse of his wild side today. I wouldn’t push it too often but when playing this dog seems to enjoy a bit of roughness. Now, please don’t get me wrong, I’m not over board. A simple push or pulling him toward me in the right context is what I’m talking about. He got really playful outside in the run. He gets a bit nippy when he’s really wound up but it’s not half as hard as Freddie use to nip. And sorry, I shouldn’t say nip, it’s more holding than nipping and he rarely grabs my hand he usually grabs my arm. Even though I’m no longer afraid of dogs, I still have a few limits when it comes to Ike. These will of course decrease as time goes on but just like he is learning to trust me, I’m learning to trust him too. That’s why I wanted him to relax and feel free to play with me today without using a toy. I think it’s because I’m not inherently a dog person. This kind of rough play doesn’t come naturally to me straight away; I need to work at it a little more. I found Ike is the same as Freddie when it comes to judging my limits. When he pushes it a little it’s almost like he senses it and jumps back. I almost have to reassure him that it’s fine. I feel sorry for Ike actually for not being as confident as I should be when it comes to playing with him without a toy. I’m sure the dog lovers among you will find this a completely silly way of thinking. Either way, what are your thoughts on this?

After all this working and playing, Ike has been exhausted all night. Even when I was going to dinner this evening at 6PM I had to really work hard at coaxing his lazy behind off the ground! I’m only messing. It’s not lazy, just sluggish when he’s tired…. Hahahahaha. I pressed him a little though because like it or not there are going to be days when he’s tired and it won’t do him any harm to push his limits just a little bit more. Don’t worry, I made up for it. He’s been sleeping on and off all evening so I’ve been talking to him a lot and just sitting beside him having a bit of a chat and an ear rub when he’s in the mood for some interaction.

So, that’s day 8 over. Can I go home now? I can’t wait to get back to life, its trials and its rewards. I’m going back with a dog! No more listening for the opening at the Kilkenny shop there on Nassau Street to know when to turn left. No more avoiding the person who sits on the path at the gate of trinity in the evenings! No more trying to find the sandwich board to orientate myself when trying to find the coffee shop in the mornings! Oh, I really can’t wait.

Happy days are here again.

• The first day with Ike
• Day 2 of training.
• Day 3 of training.
• Day 4 of training.
• Day 5 and 6 of training.

So, this morning started like the usual morning. I won’t go into it in much detail. Fortunately we got both a solid and a liquid spend from the dog. Basically, he both pee’d and poo’d. The first walk was around a shopping centre. We worked around a busy super market, up and down elevators or lifts depending on what part of the world you are reading this in and we also did some normal work on a few quiet streets. It went very well until a short time after we left the shopping centre. When unfortunately, we had a problem. He decided that he needed to spend again. By making him sit every few minutes we made him back to the bus and let him spend right away when we returned to the training centre. He of course had a different idea. When we got back he had a liquid spend but it was two hours later when he decided to let out the solid one. It worked out quite well though because this may actually work out to be his spending routine every day. One solid and liquid spend in the morning, another solid and liquid spend at lunch and then for the rest of the day he should just have liquid spends. That would make things very manageable when we get home and return to work as at 1PM I will bring him to a local park where he can relieve himself before returning for the afternoon. I know I’ve mention the schedule that the dog will hopefully adopt to relieve him self on three posts now so I think I should explain. If the dogs spending rutine is not regular and reasonably stable then there could be a possibility that the dog would need to spend while working. As you can probably understand, this would be less than desireable.

For the time between walks I gave him plenty of attention and ensured he was very relaxed. We did a lot of playing and because he likes giving me a toy when someone comes to the door or when I get him worked up I put the Kong away and left the ragger out. I’ve been very careful with him for the past week to ensure he doesn’t chew the material out of the ragger but he seems to be very happy sitting with it after a play session. I have had two people verify this for me just in case. Now, I still think I will leave the Kong with him when he’s on his own instead of the ragger simply because if he gets stressed due to being on his own, he may decide to take it out on the ragger. Having the Kong to chew would be safer because it’s more durable. You may ask why use the ragger instead of the Kong for playing? It’s just personal preference. I prefer it because I find it easier to find when it’s in the dogs mouth and it’s easier to pull off them when their playing and Ike loves it because he really enjoys a good vicious game of tug of war.

On the second walk, he had to navigate me around a lot of obstacles. We were in an area heavily populated by students. It was also right after lunch time so in a small area there were some remains of food and or wrappers. It was also bin day so He had a lot of work to do to ensure I didn’t walk into anything. In fairness to him, he did a fantastic job. We brushed against a few bins but he knew they were there and he was very cautious while approaching them and even stopped before I confirmed that he could continue on so his work here was really very good. I find that he judges right shoulder work very well. To explain, right shoulder work is where the dog needs to assess where your right shoulder is and how much space he requires to comfortably clear the object or objects ahead.

Most important during this walk was the change in Ike’s attitude. This was definitely a fantastic change for me because I think it will solve a lot of issues that we’ve had up to now. Instead of looking to the trainer for praise or reassurance when his confidence dipped he started looking over at me. It didn’t happen right away on the walk but it wasn’t even five minutes in before he started. I’m sure we’ll regress into the dog looking for Simon tomorrow or even for a few walks during the week but at least the process has started.

A funny thing that I had to handle today is something Emma knows all too well. When standing at a crossing, I really hate it when people stand in front of me. Every time a car comes our direction I cringe. If I am at the edge of the path surely there on the road? Or, even if their shoulder is just sticking out, this is enough to cause a serious injury. I have been saying this to Emma for years now and to be fair, she no longer stands in front of me when we’re talking while waiting for the lights to change to allow us to cross. Today, I had to ask the trainer to do the same. I’m sorry to anyone who does it when I’m around but it’s something I can’t help. I really just hate it. When you’re with me, just stand normally when you’re talking to me while waiting to cross a road. Please Please Please don’t stand in front of me. Thanks….

Since the walk today, we haven’t been up to much. I now have instruments down here so I’m spending my time playing with Ike, giving him plenty of walks and obedience reminders and of course, I’m writing this post. The evenings here are very quiet so the explanation of the activities has already been written in previous posts.

Just to recap, I’m happy with Ike’s progress now. We’re improving a lot slower than I’d like but we’re improving and that’s something that I’m really glad about. I can certainly see a day where we’re relaxed while walking to the train station in Dublin ready to go home for the night and I’m looking forward to it.

Do any of you have any questions or comments? Please feel free to contact me.

We’re not there yet but we’re getting there.

• The first day with Ike
• the third day of training with Ike.
• The third day of training.
• Day 4 of training.

So. Day Five and six have been quite similar actually. Sorry for not writing yesterday. There was very little to say.
On Saturday the day started well. I had the negativity of the previous day on my mind and the possible outcomes that could result in however it was in my mind to simply put things into perspective and to keep me focused on solving the problems that I had and still have in front of me. We did a walk within the grounds of the centre that simulated obstacles on both the left and right. This walk was great for building up the dog’s confidence and actually gave me quite a good idea of his capabilities as well. It was very short though so a second walk was scheduled.

The second walk eventually happened around 11AM. It was around a shopping centre. Unfortunately, before we even got into it, it became very obvious that the dog needed to spend. We rushed back to the training centre but the dog wouldn’t spend in the run. It was 9PM last night before he eventually did it for me. This is a common issue with this breed of dog with a change in handler and even environment so it’s nothing particularly serious but it’s still frustrating. Because the dog needed to spend but didn’t do it until yesterday evening, the walks were cancelled and so was the free run. It’s a real pity that this had to happen because I think the more activity this dog gets the easier he is to get on with. So, my day yesterday involved sitting around from around 12PM until Emma got here just before 6PM yesterday.

Let me stop to take a minute to thank Emma. This training thing is really much more difficult than I anticipated. It is not helped by the breed of dog I have been matched with this time and it is certainly not helped by the fact that I keep losing my voice with this persistent cold. Emma’s fresh perspective on things and her stress free attitude was exactly what I needed. It gave me a new outlook on the issues that I had and am still having and it also reminded me that I need to chill out a lot more. Ike’s reactions to me have also improved. He is a lot more responsive. This is of course due to the fact that he has now not seen his trainer and the figure he currently sees as the Alfa in the pack in over twenty four hours therefore he has diverted to me to fulfil that role. Anyway, to Emma, I have to say huge thanks. I needed her visit.

Today has been very quiet. Sunday is a day where no training is scheduled. For me it was a day where I got to leave the centre for three hours. Emma and I just walked for a long time. I showed her a few of the routes that we had done and I explained some of the things that the dogs are thought during their training and we also looked at routes that I am likely to do in the next week or two so that I know everything that’s going on. Once I know what’s happening in the environment that I’m walking around, I will be much more confidents when giving commands to the dog. The dog will in turn pick up on this and he will hopefully be more confidents too.

Seriously, that’s about all I’ve done. Since I got back I’ve been playing and listening to music and I’ve been talking to the dog.

I’m trying to keep the dog relaxed and happy to be around me. It is important that he doesn’t just see me as a horrible person who keeps making him work. He needs to see me as a friend. In fairness, I have to see him as a friend too. But I’m working on it.

Sorry that this is a short post. The weekends are very quiet here but this one has done me the world of good. I’m ready to take on tomorrow with a new ferocity.

Thanks to Emma, we also have a few pictures.

Run forest run!

• The first day with Ike
• the third day of training with Ike.
• The third day of training.

I won’t bore you with the details of this morning. Basically, we got up, fed the dog, let him relieve himself, groomed him, had a shower ….. Me. Not him had a bit of a play to get him in a good mood then we started the interesting part of the day. I should actually take a step back just to say that last night he still didn’t sleep in his bed but I’m starting to just except that he simply doesn’t want to. He’s happier on the floor beside me. He also didn’t disturb me at all last night. When I got up he was near the door but I think he moved there when he heard others moving around.

He still hadn’t done a solid spend by 9AM this morning so I decided to try to stimulate him a little. We went for a quick walk around the grounds and he had a great sniff. Sniffing and walking are two of the best ways of stimulating a dog to relieve him or herself. It worked perfectly. As soon as I let him into the spending area he did it straight away. I know this will probably be a temporary work around until he falls into a routine that suits him.

I knew I could improve on yesterday’s walk around the town so I asked if I could do it again. I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon but I was delighted when we did it again this morning. The problems I had with yesterday’s walk were very minor. Simply the dog was a tad stressed walking at close to my normal speed and at one stage; I didn’t give him enough time or space to comfortably navigate around an obstacle. This morning, we slowed the walking pace and I continued giving him loads of praise. I remembered the part of the walk that we had problems with yesterday so I slowed him even further. Interestingly, I noticed that he was really happy around that area and actually tried to go faster but when he came down to the right sped to allow him to work around whatever obstacle it was that he had problems with yesterday it was easy to feel through his body language that he was delighted with himself. Over all, I was much happier with the walk this morning. That’s not to say I wasn’t happy with yesterdays, I was delighted that he worked so well going through a very busy street but I was relieved really today that his confidence levels are actually improving from day to day.

This walk is also a perfect example of why I am training down here for three weeks. Firstly, the dog’s confidence needs to be built up with me as its handler, and secondly, I need to become aware of what the dog needs in terms of feedback, praise, motivation and even direction. Yesterday’s walk demonstrated both of these. Today’s walk demonstrated that with very little time and a lot of attention to detail we are on the way.

We did a second walk this morning that was much shorter than the first. It was to simulate St. Stephens green in Dublin. I will walk Ike through this park during lunches. I was a little nervous at first because even though I’ve seen Ike breeze past other dogs I’m still very afraid of dog distraction because Freddie was quite jumpy around other dogs while in harness. We passed a number of dogs and even a dog that he knows very well that was in training nearby. He had a look but he stayed working and walking reasonably straight. This continues to amaze me. I can’t wait to start working him in Drogheda. The walk from and to the train station has been really difficult since I retired Freddie and I had to go back to using the Cain. It’s going to be such a relief to be able to relax during a walk again.

We had an obedience session with one of the trainers from the early training unit today but I had already done the exercises with Ike before during the past few days so after only talking five minutes we had done the exercises that she was to cover. I asked if we could go for a walk around the grounds with her because I hate being stuck inside. I’ve been walking around the grounds but only around the areas that I know about. I have a limited map of how the place is played out but the trainer was able to show me a few alternative ways of getting around. This should help when I just want to bring the dog out to do something different.

I’ll write about the last walk of the day shortly but at the moment I feel so annoyed about it that I shouldn’t write yet.

Ok. I’m calmer now. This afternoon’s walk did not go well. It started very badly which didn’t help. Within the first five minutes we came across one dog behind a gate that at first made us both jump. We were walking past his gate when he started so we weren’t expecting it. The second was loose in a house that wasn’t very far after this. After that, we had a right turn that he didn’t take properly at all and with these extra stresses things just kept going downhill. Going through the town’s main street we had major problems all stemming from this major lack of confidence. Missing curbs, not finding defined crossing points, not avoiding people and even his simple straight line was quite off. This alone would not particularly bother me but what is really getting to me at this stage is if he is losing confidence while walking through straight forward environment then he has the potential to be a nervous wreck going through Dublin at rush hour if things do not improve. Please don’t get me wrong. It is obvious that his confidence will not be at its highest point at this stage of our working relationship however I am concerned that his lack of confidence Is actually plainly visible to me throughout the day and if it is not manageable going forward it will without doubt result in issues that branch into his work and his ability to handle much busier situations such as those he will need to navigate through in Dublin on a day to day basis.

I have spoken to the trainer about my concerns at length. In all fairness to him, he is very dedicated and he really knows what he’s doing. I am certain of one thing at the moment. If anyone can show me the tools that I can use to boost the dogs confidence when he needs it it’s him. This alone gives me some hope for the next two weeks of class. I have been very honest about my attitudes when it comes to Ike as a working dog. These do not match with the thoughts of most other guide dog users and in fact, it does not match with the recommended attitude suggested by this organization however, right or wrong, it will continue to be my attitude. I see a guide dog as a practical mobility aid. A tool that requires certain allowances and compromises in order to get the optimal working standard from the animal. I am very clinical in my thinking and this defines my actions toward the dog. I understand that in order for the dog to work correctly, it has to have a bond with its handler therefore I work at this. It might take a little more time for me to attain this bond compared to other people who are inherent dog lovers. I like dogs. Their lovely animals. I would have much more time for them than cats for example. Now, of course, as I found out with Freddie, the bond we had was very strong and I think that dog is just the best thing in the world. The same kind of bond will develop with Ike but as with Freddie, I will always have that distinction between pet and working animal. The trainer’s opinion is that if I can find a way of seeing him as a dog that has emotional needs first and a working dog second then the standard of work and the confidence he brings will increase hugely. This would be a complete change in my thinking though and I don’t think it suits me. Obviously, what I am doing now isn’t helping with building the confidence in Ike so we’re going to have to come up with a compromise. I know that a decent bond is already forming. He’s a sleep on my feet at the moment. He just wouldn’t have done that even two days ago. He’s also playing with me much more randomly. He could be under the table and he’ll try to catch my sleeve when I’m rubbing him. Anything can be turned into a game with these dogs! Anyway, as I was saying, I have had a great conversation with the trainer. We have both recognised that Ike is currently the best dog for me but if we do not work through his confidence issues he will not be able to handle the busy environments of Dublin city. I will be very honest here. If Ike cannot handle the strains of walking from Pierce street station as far as Kildare Street in rush hour crowds then simply, he’s of no use to me. I would love to see him with the confidence to do this because if you are a guide dog owner, you would love to feel what I can feel through the handle when walking with this dog. I have never had so much feedback. It’s simply amazing. He has a really lovely walk. He goes along the perfect part of the foot path for me and he turns really nicely. If I could see I think I would walk like this. I think that’s really high praise for a dog that I only started to get to know four days ago. Please understand again, bad walks happen. I am not negative toward this walk, I am very worried that if a small town knocks his confidence so dramatically then how will he be in a built up city area with loads of noise, movement and people. I really hope that the trainer shows me how to improve this situation.

As a result of the conversation I have had with the trainer we have agreed to alter the training schedule for the next week. Depending on the availability of resources within the organization, another trainer or instructor as they are called may be asked to do a few walks with myself and Ike. One problem that we are having is that when Ike loses confidence he very quickly looks over toward our trainer. This is because a bond that is stronger than the one he and I have at the moment has been developed with Ike and the trainer so it’s inevitable that he will look to him for reassurance for the first while. This always happens with guide dogs on class. It is nothing to be concerned about but if I am to have complete control over building up the dogs confidence then I need to have plenty of practise before launching us both back into a busy work situation. By taking the trainer out of the picture for a walks, the dog will look to me only for his reassurance and praise so the bond should be reinforced.

I should really take a quick opportunity to make something very clear. For people who see guide dogs as a pet or a dog first then a working animal or even mobility aid second, I admire you and I hugely respect your choice. You have probably made a better choice than me. By writing my thought’s here I am not condoning them or saying their right or even saying their right for me. I am simply explaining my thinking right now. I think I needed to clarify this because I understand that people can be quite protective over their relationship with their dogs and rightly so. I would never even think of belittling that. My apologies if it may have come across in any kind of negative tone.

Anyway, the conclusion is as I said above. We’ll modify the walks and training slightly. I have to stop worrying so much about what is going to happen when we get home and I have to let the dog just relax and enjoy being around me. These might sound like simple things but for me their harder than you might think. I’m simply not use to doing nothing. Even when I’m at home just relaxing after work I’m thinking of a job I need to do or I’m waiting for something to install or download or I’m waiting for a phone call for some job that needs to be done somewhere. I do not just sit and switch off. My brain is constantly racing. Sitting in this centre from 5PM to 11PM at night drives me crazy. Yes, I have the laptop but I am trying to focus my attention on the laptop so I don’t use it all that much.

To end the post on a positive note. I’m glad we have had this wake up call. It’s a reminder of the work we have to do. It’s going to be a hard few weeks but I am ready to take on the challenge. Again, the only thing I am not willing to do is let the dog negatively impact my mobility for any extended period of time when we return from class. With the correct positive stimulus and the right suggestions from the trainer to help increase the dog’s confidence I am reasonably confident that we’ll continue to do well.

Am I worried? Yes. I’m terrified. Will it get better. I think so.

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.

What a difference a day makes.

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.

Isn’t that the truth? This time yesterday I had a dog in my room. Now, I have a big hairy mutt that I’m convinced must be actually crossed with a horse! He’s huge! Oh. Sorry, have I not said what breed he is? He’s a… Oh. Hold on, there’s someone at the door.

Now, where was I? Ah yes, he’s a horse. This is great though because when playing with him I don’t need to be all that careful. I’m quite a strong person so I’m often afraid of hurting dogs by playing too rough. This fella insists on it though. Of course, I need to be careful but wow he really gets into it! At every opportunity we’ve been playing, doing short obedience walks or simply sitting on the ground having a bit of a chat. Granted, it’s a little one sided but we can’t have everything. As I was saying, yesterday he was just a dog that I had to get to know because it served a purpose. Today, he’s an intelligent guide dog who has some really interesting quirks and who loves getting his back scratched! I’m learning little things about him all the time which is really boosting my confidence with him and in turn, he hasn’t stood at the door pining since I got up this morning!

It hasn’t all been good though. Let me start from when I got up. I’m not feeling the very best at the moment. I have a dodgy cold and it’s kind of kicking the crap out of me. I was awake and thinking of getting up when I heard Ike getting sick. This actually doesn’t bother me at all. When you get past the thing of oh I’m cleaning up dog sick it’s really very easy. The only thing I’d say is that I personally like to be very independent. I know that they want to make things as easy as possible while people are training here and actually, I think this is actually necessary because it’s easier to remain as positive as necessary when the only thing you have to think of is the dog. Still, I’d really hate to greet someone first thing in the morning by asking them to clean up dog sick. I’d much rather know where to find the cleaning stuff so I could do it myself. So, I cleaned it up and attempted to feed him. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a standard thing to do because if the dog isn’t feeling well the last thing you want to do is make him feel worse by giving him food. I knew though that him getting sick was just caused by his pining over moving from trainer to me as his new handler. I tried to feed him an hour after I got up but he didn’t eat again. I don’t mind a dog not eating once. Like us, they can just decide not to eat for different reasons. When he didn’t eat for the second time I decided to enlist the help of the trainer. He was great. He began to give me a glimpse into the behaviour of Ike and told me a few things that the dog needs to simply make him feel better. These nuggets of priceless suggestions were given randomly throughout the day as and when they were needed. I have to acknowledge that the trainer I have is very blunt and straight. He doesn’t mess around and I love that. I couldn’t ask for a more suitable trainer for me. He gives suggestions when I need it and he changes the way he gives me information when I ask for it differently depending on the type of route we’re doing. There are a lot of things that I need to re-learn and even more things that I’ve picked up in the past eight years that I need to forget to effectively pick them up all over again in a way that suits Ike. I am loving this process. It’s hard without a doubt but I think it’s a skill that won’t just serve me well for guide dogs it will probably help in other areas too. Adjusting to change is difficult, this isn’t change, this a complete wipe of the slate to start with a completely new set of protocols and procedures.

So, after the successful feeding with the assistance of the trainer, I took him out to spend. I find that with Ike, he relieves himself really quickly if or when he needs to go. That will be really useful when we return to work.

I made sure to play with him before our first walk to put some of the trainers suggestions into action. We didn’t always use a toy. Sometimes I just had to sit there with him letting him try to catch my hand`. At this early stage, it’s really hard to know what he likes most in terms of attention, petting, playing and even correction and positive reinforcement. To be honest, it’s really frustrating not knowing.

Things from this morning really started to look up. The first and second walks were fantastic and it was through these two simple routes that the early stages of a bond started to show. The dog reacts really quickly to commands and he is really easy to follow. We got quite wet both times so he needed to be towel dried after each one. He really loves this. Especially when it’s done in a playful way. This is really how most things need to be done with him. Through play or really positive encouragement.

For the time between the morning walks and the afternoon one we took it easy. I did a few more play sessions and a few more walks around the inside of the centre but it was very uneventful. One thing I really noticed though was he was much more attentive. I no longer had to say his name to get his attention all the time.

The afternoon walk was a little bit more difficult. Not for the dog but for me. I don’t really understand why but I needed a little bit more concentration while walking through some of the obstacles. Because things like off curb obstacles were such second nature to Freddie, I fell into bad habits by simply using hand signals or by letting him use his own initiative when navigating around them. Again, this is to be expected and it goes back to what I said earlier about re-learning a lot of things. It’s this kind of thing that I’m finding quite easy though. It’s the interaction while not working the dog that I am finding most challenging. And at the risk of sounding a little negative, by challenging I mean I’m almost ready to go absolutely crazy. I simply can’t get over this fella’s stubbornness. I know that I will just need to learn how to and I quote: Make what I want him to do something that he thinks is a good idea and that he wants to do on his own. This is easier said than done because although I’ve heard more than one person suggest this, I have no idea how to implement it. I’ll give you a really quick example. We finish in the run and he’s just spent. He trots in happily by me. Firstly, this is something really different because I’m use to the dog standing and basically demanding praise and attention for this most difficult of tasks… No, Ike just keeps walking in by me straight over to the other corner. I know he’s just having a sniff. This is understandable but calling him doesn’t seem to have any effect. I have to do a quick jig and slap my legs like someone who has a crazy itch that they can’t scratch to get his attention so that he knows I mean business when I tell him he has to come over. I’ve also been told that I need to be careful to not make this a battle of wills as again, when he does something he has to think that it was his idea and he has to want to do it. I just wish I knew what this means and how it’s done. Again, I don’t want that to seem negative. Sure, it’s written in that kind of way but that’s simply where I am at the moment. This will improve with time and when someone explains what the hell I’m meant to do.

Since the final walk today we’ve done very little. I don’t want to overdo it. We’ve played a lot and I’ve sat on the floor with him to give him some attention. I’m delighted to report that he’s now eating for me so I’m hoping this will really help with his interaction with me in the next few days. I’m a little concerned that the only time he’s done a solid spend is when the trainer took him to some grass earlier today but I’m very hopeful that this is a temporary thing and with a second regular feed in the morning he’ll be glad to relieve himself.

So, that’s day two in a nutshell. I’m looking forward to day three and asking the trainer loads of question. I seriously need to figure out what they mean by making the dog think that the task or command was his idea. If I’m to be completely honest, I’m finding his stubbornness very frustrating. I’m trying to stay positive but at the moment, it’s very difficult. But hay! Isn’t that what this is all about? With any luck, in a weeks’ time all this will be behind me and things will be going much better. Well, that’s what I’m telling myself anyway.