College Living

We have been home for a week now, so I thought that it was a good time for an update.  Bethany is adjusting well.  She loves the campus, my office, my place, and my favorite coffee shop.  Perhaps I am  projecting about the coffee shop, but the point is that she is adjusting well.  I also love  my coffee place enough for the both of us…J

We returned home last Friday,  hung around and did nothing on Saturday, went out on a few walks on Sunday, and Gary, the field instructor arrived on Monday.  We traversed the campus and some of my  favorite locations Monday through Wednesday and hit Pet Smart and the Kenwood mall on Thursday. She still did well with Escalators and the steps in the mall.  Very very good…  We have of course had a few bumps in the road.  This is to be expected and Graham has given me some good ideas to try to get her to the height of perfection. J 

On that note, I have never seen a dog, or a person for that matter, who was at the height of perfection.  , hmmm, maybe someday!! J 

This weekend we went to a movie with friends and to some meetings, lunches, and dinners.  You know, back to life as normal.  Tomorrow I am going to refocus on the clicker and generally enjoy the last week of class before the students have finals.  I will right on this blog when the mood strikes me, but I do not think that I will be a major writer.  I’m more apt to update facebook. I think that I will blog as much as I tweet, but you never know, this prediction may change. 

Later people -- V

Thanksgiving, saying goodbye, and coming back to Oxford

Thanksgiving was a joyful occasion.  In the morning the class did clicker training and country walks while we did booties, the dogs get little shoes to where in the really hot or the really cold.  They are also good for keeping salt off of their paws in the winter months.  In addition search and rescue dogs often use the boots as they are running into burning buildings or up mountains.  Anyway, while it was clear that she would rather not have them on, she did not make a fuss about them.  I swear, nothing fazes this dog.  The haulty was another story. She was trying to glue her little head to her front legs. It was not at all to her  liking.  A haulty is a head collar that does not restrict a dog’s mouth.  They are to replace the Gentle Leader, and before that they were called a  muzzle.  After all of that we did a trip to Wal-Mart. Not the most fun thing ever, but we did buy Jonah and Bethany toys.  Jonah tried to pick out his own toys…  Pretty funny actually.  The two of them did a wonderful job making their way around the store.  It was crazy in there and these guys were impressive. 

We did a big Thanksgiving dinner upon our return.  The food was of course amazing and Larry gave a nice toast.  During dinner Graham and I had a long talk about our families and about differing personalities and styles of all of the trainers. .  We even had some red wine.  It was a Cabernet, Shana would have been pleased. 

After lunch  we did a little country walk of our own.  It was not a good demonstration of good guide work, but I hear that a lot of the dogs behave  horridly on this walk.  I was however, ready to chock it up to my karma.  Megan and Chrissie were sitting outside the door that we exited smoking and I may have been a bit  dramatic when I walked out.  Just a bit though, you all know how  subtle I typically am… :)

After we returned with the dogs we took them to play in their little playground.  There was much more of the same running, competing, etc…  Very cute and they did not even let the flurries faze them.  Graham left before dinner that night. He pretty much left in a hurry because he does not like goodbyes. Then that night was the last lecture of our time there.  Chrissie said that Lucie and I did not need to attend, but it felt like a good conclusion to be there and you never know, she could have said something  illuminating.  Chrissy is really good at explaining the lectures and has a real gift with answering every question, and treating every question with intent  consideration and skill.  It is no wonder that she only spent six months working the kennels.  In the evening I packed up my stuff, hung out with everyone for a bit and went to bed. 

The next morning I was ready to go...  I ate breakfast with Susan, Stacy, Lucie,, and Megan.  Tom, the IA,  wanted to leave for the airport by eight so I said a few quick good buys, got a few hugs and grabbed my stuff.  I was determined to get out of there without a tear.  I was doing so well, but then a teary Megan came down the hall to say  goodbye.  You have to understand a few things, Megan was the instructor  who trained Bethany.  She has worked with her since June. In that time they have had good days and not so good days.  Now Bethany is leaving with me to help me as I travel and generally live my life.  To Bethany, Megan is like that teacher that impacts your life and from having known  her you  are never the same.  Another way to think of it is through the lens of what I do.  I meet students when they are learning who they are and deciding who they want to be.  It is always bitter sweet to see my favorites graduate.  I am excited about their further lives and accomplishments, but no new student will ever fully take their place. On a personal note, I liked Megan from the moment I met her. She was funny, had a good sense of humor, she forgot to show me the blinds in my room, and she complemented my boots.  I am so easy to win over, but for real, she gave off a good vibe.  It always surprises me just how quickly you can connect to another person.  My biologist friends would say that a chemical reaction of some kind had occurred and I believe that this is true.  We are not talking about a romantic connection here folks, but rather a brain connection.  I have found that with some people you connect right away, or in the case of my best friend and I, you know each other for two years before you become friends. 

Anyway, although it was tough to leave, we got to the airport, Tom got Lucie to the check-in and then Tom and I hung out for three hours before my flight.  He is a great guy and will be a trainer sooner than later, I am sure.  He amused me by telling stories of all of the staff and he hung out with me at the gate until I needed to go.  The airport was really busy with a lot of people and luggage.  Bethany worked through all of it like a pro and then when we were on the jet she laid down nicely and curled into a ball to sleep in between my feet.  It was a little bumpy, going across Pennsylvania, but things did settle as we flew west.  JS met me in baggage, and we made a run through a Chick-fill-A drive through on our way back to Oxford.  We have spent the day around here today and tomorrow may do a few runs around the blocks close to here. We are going to take things slow in this new place.  She does not know the area or any of these people, so we are going to ease her into life away from Guiding Eyes.  She will do well, but I just want to make the next month a calm one as she adjusts to her new life.

A Good Good Day

Gosh, I just read that last blog and wow, it did not sound like me at all.  It was very we did this, then we did that…  Not my normal flow.  Today we finally targeted with the clickers.  So awesome!  So, let me explain.  Graham gave me and Lucie clickers, these little metal boxes attached to a wrist coil.  The dogs have been conditioned to enact desirable behaviors like, touching their noses to your fist.  So, we would present our fist and then say touch.  The dogs would then touch their noses to our fist. We would click to reinforce that behavioral cue and then the dog would get a treat. It is important to treat the dog each and every time you click the clicker because you always want the clicker to = a pay off.  So, why does it matter that Bethany can touch my fist with her nose, besides it being a fun party trick, you know like tying a stem into a knot with your tongue or shuffling  a deck of cards with one hand? It is important because when I say touch and click she can learn things like “Bethany , touch chair,” click, or Bethany, “touch, mail box,” click.  She can then learn to target important objects, or locations for me.  Awesome, right? So Miami people, you may see me around next week working with her on this.  It is pretty fantastic.

Oh and speaking of pretty fantastic, let’s talk about the mall.  So, we went there to work on escalators.  Bethany is so chill and calm. She heals on, she stays a step behind me and she walks off with no concern in the world.  She does not: 
A. Jump up and down celebrating like a crazy creature, um Andi.  I still remember Mel and I doing escalators and saying to me in her I am not all that amused voice, put your dog into a sit.  (Mel is another class supervisor, the equivalent to Dell.)
B:  Bethany also did not Michael Jordan leap off the escalator.  Many of you may remember this was the Randall approach.  She did it perfectly.  I told Megan earlier how great of a job  she did with her.  Well then we also went shopping for a shirt for Lucy’s daughter. It was funny watching  she and Graham work together to pick it out.  During the course of this shopping expedition  we came to the collective agreement that We do not understand the purpose of see-through clothing.  If anyone has further incite on why they buy it or when they find it a good idea, please feel free to share.   

We also did some walking in FDR Park where we saw a few different dogs.  She did great working past them, but was intrigued when she was just sitting as they walked by.   After that Lucie and I had a rather amusing lunch with Kathy, the Director of Training, Graham, Mel, and Mel’s niece.  They are all rather fun people. Being here is nice, but I will be happy to be back sleeping in my own bed, seeing my people, and not getting up at six am.  See all of you sooner than later!

Chilaxin take two

Today we are spending the day at the school and not the Lounge.  Lucy’s puppy raisers are actually driving down from Maine to visit with her and Jonah today.  Yesterday she had a dog change, which is just that, the instructors sometimes notice elements in the dog’s work that they do not like.  They will then switch a dog for someone.  It is a tough call, but they are thinking long range and it happens.  It is just better if it happens here instead of at home. 

We had our photos taken today, I wore red, hopefully that can counteract the early hour effect.  :)  I am now starting to think about going home.  We have been so dog focused up until right now that I had not really thought about Oxford in a while.  My agenda for the rest of the morning goes as such, ordering vet supplies, play time, potty break for the pup, and lunch.  Lots of fun. Later! V

More to say about today

So, there are some things that I have forgotten…  Yesterday morning Bethany was so  thoughtful and deliberate with her work.  It was trash day and she was not at all interested, she had her little attention focused on getting me safely to those down curbs.  It was very good.  She was moving like miss daisy  at times, but she got it together in the afternoon. 

Today was also the trip to the vet.  She weighs 54 lbs and her target weight is 58…  A good place to be…  This is why her food intake is going to remain three cups.  She and Jonah also played together in a smaller Astroturf dog run.  Bethany is a big brat and kept steeling his toys.  It was fun to see them run though.  They are cute.  We are going to have to ask their trainers who in our little group lived together and who played together.  It is interesting to see little friendships develop between animals.  They are so people like that way.  Today has been a good one. It is hard to believe that I am flying home in three days time.  It should be good to get back home. Crazy that it  has been two weeks away.  I have not been as productive as I had wanted to be, but did get through several of the new articles for the class that I am teaching next semester.  I will do a lot of reading over the weekend. 

Tomorrow we have another fun filled day with Graham.  I have no clue what he has planned, but it is my second to last full day.  I will miss the staff, oh and being cooked for every day. :)

The Team

Another day bights the dust.  It was a lot of fun today with Miss Bethany.  We did rework a few things, but, she is very smart and really does get the reworks and wants to do the right thing so much.  She is super sweet, and I know that when I return to campus and really crack the whip with people, aka, hands off when you see her harness, that a lot of people are going to be tempted.  What the public needs to understand is that she is helping to keep me safe and when you distract her you are potentially harming me in the future.   I do not want a guide dog that walks up to strangers or one who scrounges for food.  Those are just not good traits. 

I will talk with my girl Megan later and see if we can get a photo up on this blog.  Just so that you all can get a sneak peak.  I am love love loving the Action program, such a good choice.  It would have been okay to be here for the full three weeks, but I just feel like I am getting a lot from working with Graham.  Megan and Chrissy are good too, for sure, but, Graham is really amazing.  I would never tell him this to his face but, somehow putting it out there for the world to read sounds like a fine proposition…  Go figure.  

Today I also chatted it up with my girl Woody and  came to the conclusion that I am still fine renting for another couple of years…  Woody just bought her first house. I also saw another fantastic person of the past.  Miranda Beckmann is still here, still training dogs, still loving life, and still supervising classes. 

So, each class has two lead instructors, in our case these people are Megan and Chrissie.  The classes each have one class supervisor, this person for us is Dell.  His job is to make sure that the class stays on track and that the trainers are following procedure to the Guiding Eyes specifications…  In classes with Action Students, there is an Action instructor and in classes with special needs students there is a special needs instructor.   This team of folks is joined by an IA or instructors’ assistant.  The IA has the rather thankless job of making sure that all of the dogs drink, pee, and poop.  Sounds magical, right?  Well this is the way to work your way up to trainer status.    If someone wants to train guide dogs they have to start out working the kennels and assisting the instructors.  Our IA is Laura.  She is young and cute.  She was actually a puppy raiser and after college, and what sounded like a great trip out west, she moved down here and started to work.  A side note is that she went to school in Ithaca, so we have been talking food and wine.  So fun…  Susan is the special needs instructor.  She is so so good at what she does.  Clearly, I just really like these people.  Definitely not in a creeper stocker way, I just respect them and what they do. 

Alright, so, back to it…  We are taking some photos tomorrow at 8 am, really and truly, 8 am. I am sure that my photo is going to  rival a mug shot for its beauty.  So that's great, but then we are spending the day around the school doing the for mentioned country work, some targeting and whatever Graham has in store.  For now I need to do some obedience with the pup.  Then we need to play.  She has a lot of energy.  Catch you later.

Guiding Eyes, Instructers, Instruction, and the like...

I was not neglecting my blog updates… the past several days have been good with Bethany.  She stops at curbs well, me, sometimes not so much.  She seems to have a bit of a heightened interest in birds, but did well working past a pack of little rat dogs.  She has been really great at working past food, clearly a big deal!

Since I was here last, the school has really turned to operant conditioning, which is great.  So, what this means is that the dogs are learning behaviors through their receiving of positive reinforcements in the form of food.  The instructors more commonly refer to this training tool as positive reward, or food reward but, I, as a former student of Dr. Clark will never use the word reward in the description of behaviorism. :) 

Yesterday, Graham took us on a couple of longer and more challenging trips, while the rest of the class did a trip with lots of left hand turns.  The day before , we did less difficult trips.  The dogs are gaining confidence and new skills needed for us to travel  well with them  and vice versa.   They are truly great and the dog trainers/people instructors are fantastic! 

So, a little training description goes as such.  Each trainer is given a new string of dogs about twice every year.  Too reach that point the dogs must pass an In For Training test.  This test consists  of strangers approaching them, them not jumping back when an umbrella is opened in their faces and other distractions that they must remain calm through.  So, after that hurtle has been cleared the dogs are assigned to their trainers.  The dogs then begin formal training.  The trainers begin slowly, making them sit at changes of elevation and making sure that they heal well.  They then learn country work, walking along the left side of a  street without sidewalks. This is when they learn to pull out against a harness.  It is very cool how they teach it.  It involves a lot of  sweet talking with your voice and today most likely food.  I say that because the training of guide work used to involve much more stick an less carrot.  (speaking figuratively of course… These dogs are treated like kings and queens.)  Today, it is all about the positive reinforcement, along with the physical contact and voice inflections, which remain a crucial element of training.  The training picks up a lot from there, but I will talk about that later. 

Bethany is doing great and I  am very impressed.  Her trainer Megan is a sweetie too...  She has a degree in animal behavior and new about Guiding Eyes through her best friend in college, who is from York Town.  Crazy…  Our other class instructor is Chrissie, who had a  high paying position in the city, but was not in love with corporate America.  So now she trains dogs, trains people, and picks up poop.  Basically she lives the dream.  They are both wonderful and have endless  patients and the sarcastic  sides to their personalities, which I enjoy.  I also saw ,my two favorites, Krissy and Woody... I have known them both for almost ten years...  The school is really like an extended family.  You can develop quite a strong relationship when you spend a month with  some people.  Since I’ve been here I have seen a lot of old instructors.  They are all good people and make this place feel like home. 

The class is a lot of fun.  My new friend Meka cracks me up, the Spanish guys are great, and their interpreter and dog trainer from Spain is very cool.  The older guys Joe and Larry are fun and really this group of people is all around good.  I may go watch the Colts game later with this woman named Stacey.  I got some Corona too, so, the afternoon should be good.  Sundays are a day of play and rest for the dogs, so I am doing laundry and such.

More to come in the future.  See many of you  in a week.  – Later  -- V