GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND
TRAINING REPORT - PHASE ONE
Dog Name
Franklin
Tattoo
7F08
Raiser's Name
Report Dates
8-22-09 - 9-18-09
Trainer's Name
Jamie Viezbicke
Your puppy is still working on or has just completed phase one 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.
Notes on health:
(P:Poor F:Fair G:Good P/F: Poor/Fair, etc.)
Social activities
G/F
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.
G
Body handling: Dogs receive regular grooming time, nail cutting and general handling from the assigned instructor assistant.
G
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.
Training:
You dog's instructor is:
Jamie Viezbicke
The focus of the first phase of training is to establish the foundation of guide dog work. Each dog must remain in phase one until the dog understands these concepts thoroughly. This usually takes one month but for some dogs it can take longer.
The first phase of training takes place on the grounds of the Training School and on the quiet streets of the surrounding neighborhood.
( P:Poor F:Fair G:Good F/G:Fair/Good, etc.) Being worked on
G
Obedience: Dogs are taught to sit, down, stay, come and heel. Although obedience is similar to what puppy raisers do, the expectations are higher. The dogs must reliably respond to the obedience command on the first command and are expected to be primarily voice controlled. Much of the obedience training is done on the grounds of the Yorktown Heights Training Center where there are cats, other dogs, people and many other distractions.
F/G
Introduction to harness - The weight of the harness handle on his back is new to the dog. Most dogs accept it well.
F
Forward Command - When the trainer picks up the harness handle and says "forward,"the pup learns to move ahead in the direction he is facing.
F
Hup-up command -- This is a frequently used command that means to keep going in the same direction.
G
Wait command -- When the handler tells the dog to wait, the dog learns to stop and listen for another command.
G/F
Straight line concept -- This means walking in a straight line from point A to point B and
not deviating to sniff or visit something of interest. The trainer directs the dog a bit but he is allowed to guide the trainer. If the dog starts veering off from the straight line, the trainer picks up the leash, in addition to the harness handle, and redirects the dog onto the chosen path. Since dogs do not know where we want to go, they are taught to continue in a straight line in the direction in which they were started. They go in this direction until they reach an intersection, curb or the end of the path. The dog is taught to stop at that point and wait until the person decides which direction to go next.
Notes on training and reaction to the environment including specific areas worked on such as distraction, scavenging, concerns, etc. :Franklin is a sweet and gentle big boy who is very willing to please. He is starting to learn the basic skills that will lead to becoming a guide dog. Franklin is doing very nicely with his curb work in town. Right now we are working on building his confidence as he tends to look for help a lot. He has made a lot of improvement and we will continue to work on this through out the rest of his training. Franklin loves to play out in the community run and can usually be found wrestling with the other boys. Franklin is a pleasure to work with and I look forward to seeing how he progresses as we move on to the next stage of training.
Puppy Evaluator Date
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