Kessler was recently returned to GEB (because his previous owner could not keep him).GEB is working to match him with a new partner. here's the report Nan received on his training.
GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND
TRAINING REPORT – PHASE FOUR
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Dog Name |
Kessler |
Tattoo |
11K306 |
Raiser's Name |
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Report Dates |
Trainer's Name |
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For some dogs, the fourth phase follows directly after a month of training in the third phase. For many dogs, however, the third phase may take many months or the dog may begin to show worry indicating a need to return to more basic lessons or a quieter environment where the dog is comfortable. Each dog learns at its own pace and must demonstrate a reliable work pattern before it can be asked to handle a more difficult environment or more responsibility.
The fourth phase is a time for fine-tuning and also a time for applying learned lessons to new situations. For example, they are taught to handle traffic when crossing the road. You can understand how important it is for the dog to understand curb stops which indicate the road and to make quick straight street crossings in order to find the opposite corner before learning to intelligently disobey a forward command to cross the street if a car is coming or to stop and back up if a car suddenly appears in their path.
By the end of phase four, the dog must demonstrate the initiative to take responsibility in all guiding situations. They must perform reliably and safely each time. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on the dog to be a responsible guide dog. Think of it in terms of driving a car. You might have felt comfortable driving your car on the quiet streets in your town but in New York City where there is so much to watch for, you may feel less comfortable and will likely be a bit stressed. After experience and, hopefully, successful trips driving in the city, you will eventually begin to relax and feel more confident. Some dogs thrive on the excitement and challenge of this type of work, others can handle it but not as a steady diet. How they handle the intense pressure of city work, helps the instructors decide where the dog will be placed.
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Has been healthy |
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Has had a health problem. |
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Physical - This is often called the “pre-class physical.” It does not mean your dog will definitely be selected for class but is the time that the dog receives a thorough re-exam of the eyes, heart and other body systems and a review of the complete medical history to be sure the dog passes our stringent health criteria. |
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Dentistry – Each dog also gets a dental check up and gets his teeth cleaned and polished if necessary |
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Notes on health: |
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General kennel behavior: |
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No problem. |
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Needs some work. |
Your dog continues to enjoy community run twice daily, five days a week and continues the work with the instructor assistant on body handling including nail cutting, grooming, and ear cleaning.
Notes on general kennel behavior:
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Training
This is the most advanced stage of training. All lessons previously taught are solidified and applied to new situations and the dog is also taught new lessons. Your dog will most likely work in some of these places: New York City including Manhattan and the Bronx for city experience and subway work, Peekskill for uneven sidewalks, White Plains for many applications, country roads without sidewalks around Yorktown and in the Training School building and restaurants for good social skills.
(P:Poor F:Fair G:Good F/G:Fair/Good, etc. ) Being worked on.
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G |
Steady pace and pull. |
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G |
Turns, down curbs and street crossings, clearances, platforms, escalators, revolving doors, stairs, Stores and malls. |
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G |
Remedial problems being worked on to build confidence or obtain proper response in situations such as stairs, under-footings, control with distractions, concerns with noises, people or objects, over-friendliness, etc. (See Notes.) |
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G |
Blindfold work – The dogs are tested for their reliability by being worked by a blind-folded instructor. Blindfold work was also done in phase three to identify weak areas that needed to be worked on but there are more blindfold workouts in phase four. |
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Subway and city work – Every Guiding Eyes dog must demonstrate the ability to guide safely in the city and in subways and on all types of transportation before they are ready to graduate. This environment really tests the dog’s self-confidence, composure and ability to guide. Pedestrian traffic poses the extreme in moving obstacles, the traffic is so heavy that a sighted person has a challenge finding a safe time to cross the street. The subway is a noisy and intimidating environment where crowded cars and people rushing on the platforms are commonplace. |
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Traffic – Phase I - The dogs are taught the appropriate response of backing up when a car get too close. The lessons begin on quiet sidewalks with a car pulling in or out of a driveway. When the dog backs up in a straight backwards direction, the handler is also moved backward, away from the oncoming car. Since the dogs work slightly ahead of the handler when in harness, the person remains safe. As with other lessons, the dogs are shown how to back up when a car is driven slowly toward them. Their first tendency is to turn away from the vehicle rather than to back up, but they usually catch on quickly. Traffic training is very stressful to the dog and many dogs worry with other aspects of their guide work after traffic training sessions. Some dogs need a little vacation from training or have the intensity of their training reduced if their worry is severe. |
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Traffic Phase II -- Once the guide dog demonstrates the appropriate response to traffic, the dog is expected to react appropriately on its own when a car comes too close. Vehicles driven by GEB trainers display special signs reading “TRAFFIC TRAINING” to inform the public that the handler is not rudely run down by a crazy driver. The dog is exposed over and over to varied situations where a car comes in close from various directions and different turns such as driveways, roadways, crossings, etc. |
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Traffic Phase III – The final phase of traffic training involves natural traffic and real situations. The handler waits at a crossing until the perpendicular traffic has stopped and the parallel traffic begins moving. When the handler does not hear any oncoming parallel traffic, the dog is given the forward command. If a car is coming, the dog is reminded not to go. Eventually, the dog learns to disobey a forward command when a car is coming. The response of backing up when natural traffic gets too closed is also reinforced during phase III traffic training. |
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Shorelining on a country road -- Blind people and guide dogs living in the country where there are no sidewalks. They find it difficult to stay close to the edge of the road and much move off the road when cars are coming since they are actually traveling on the side of the road. Shorelining teaches the dog to move tightly to the edge of the road and to stop when a car is coming. |
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NA |
Practice Dog for a student -- When your dog is in the fourth phase of training, he is not too far away from being “class-ready” or, in other words, deemed to be a reliable guide and ready for matching with a blind person. Students entering class are given an opportunity to work with guide dogs that are in the fourth phase of training but not yet class ready. Your dog may be selected as a practice dog. Practice dogs give the blind person a chance to learn the basics of handling a guide dog without the risk of straining the relationship with the dog that they are going to be matched to. It also gives the instructors a chance to evaluate the student with a dog and make a more informed match. For the dog, it gives the instructors, who are preparing the fourth phase dogs for an upcoming class a chance to see how the dog reacts to the real situation of a blind handler. |
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Restaurants and social settings – Similar to puppy raising, guide dogs must lie down quietly in restaurants and public places. The work you did is evident in all aspects of training and especially here. The instructors greatly appreciate the good manners you have instilled. |
Notes on training and reaction to the environment:
Posted at 05:19 PM in Training reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 05:15 PM in Pictures, Training reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Here are some pictures of Franklin in harness at GEB U, and his latest report:
And Franklin's first report...
GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND
Dog Name
Franklin
Tattoo
7F08
Raiser's Name
Report Dates
8-14-09 - 8-21-09
Instructor:
Jamie Viezbicke
Your puppy is just beginning the earliest phase of training. This initial time period is a time of adjustment, a time when the trainer and dog bond and a time for laying the foundation for all the work that is still to come. Please remember that each dog is treated as an individual and will be introduced to new skills and concepts at a pace best suited to his or her needs and abilities.
Medical evaluation - Done ( X )
Hip and elbow x-rays: Our staff veterinarian radiographs the hip and elbow joints to verify the absence of hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and other joint diseases which are hereditary malformations that can result in lameness later in life.
Spay or Neuter: Once the breeding director indicates that your dog is not under consideration for becoming a member of the breeding colony, our staff veterinarian either spays (removes the uterus and ovaries) or neuters (removes the testicles) the dog. Recovery time can be up to 10 days or so during which no training would occur.
Eye exam: The eyes are examined with an opthalmoscope to verify the absence of cataracts or other eye diseases that could effect vision. The eyes will be examined again later in training as some problems only appear when the dog is a little older.
General physical exam: The heart, ears, skin, mouth, neurological function and general health are carefully examined. The past medical history is reviewed. Sometimes minor abnormalities are found that are not reason for release but are monitored carefully for recurrence or increase in severity.
Social activities
Community run: After being neutered and getting acquainted with their trainer, dogs have social and play time in the community run with about 20 other dogs. Community run is supervised by the instructors to maintain positive interactions and stop undesirable behaviors such as rough play, mounting, stool eating, etc.
Kennel behavior: Each dog has one or two roommates. Other than feeding time when they are separated to ensure that each dog gets his or her full meal, the dogs are together. The kennel runs are quite large and have automatic watering devices called Lixits. The dogs play and run around in the kennel at times when they are not engaged in training or work with their instructor assistant. Regular training periods take place in the kennel to teach dogs to be quiet and not to bark excessively. The dogs are expected to sit and stay for their food just as you taught them at home. Dogs are fed once a day at 11:00 a.m. unless the volume of food or the dog's weight necessitate twice daily feedings. The food is weighed to ensure that proper amounts are fed. Dogs are weighed weekly and food portions are adjusted accordingly. The instructor may want specific dogs to carry a little extra weight in anticipation of stressful training periods, so do not be alarmed if your dog is a little heavier than during puppy hood.
Body handling: Dogs receive regular grooming time, nail cutting and general handling from the assigned instructor assistant
Comments: Franklin has just begun his first phase of training. He is doing well with his obedience and responsiveness. We have just begun his instruction with the clicker and targeting commands. Franklin lives with Reggie and the two of them love to wrestle around in their run. Franklin was just neutered so he has not been able to run in community run yet with the others but will start next week.
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Posted at 05:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 10:11 AM in New pups, Pictures | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Zola has been retired from breeding due to medical issues with her last pregnancies. She will be living with her foster in NY.
The last Zuppies -- the "A" litter -- are starting to go out to their homes. Two of the boys, Anthony & Augie, have gone to Maryland.
And here's Miss Zola...
Her foster is entering her in the ice cream photo contest. .. flavor "White Chocolate Blizzard" (Not a photo from this fall .. yet!)
Posted at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
(P:Poor F:Fair G:Good P/F: Poor/Fair, etc.)
Social activities
G/FPosted at 10:34 PM in Training reports | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)