Training My Own Guide Dog

Life happened so I vanished for a few months. Covid hit me pretty hard and I had to regroup. As a result, I had a drastic drop in my vision, which caused a lack of motivation and confidence on my part. Fear and depression grabbed hold of me and I began second-guessing whether Sagan was going to be a good Guide Dog for me. He is a strong, athletic dog, and I am neither of those things. I sought out guidance from other owner trainers, and I took a good hard look at our situation.

 

The picture above shows a close-up of Sagan looking real cute while resting on the couch

Any person who takes on the task of training their own dog understands the risks involved. There is no way to know for sure how an 8 week old puppy will take to the job. An owner trainer must be willing to face letting go and surrendering to the possibility that the dog they have worked so hard with might not make the cut in the end. Well, I fretted, whined, moaned, and groaned to other trainers for a couple of weeks. The advice I got ranged from “give him more time” to “he is too much dog for you and you need to give up."  I really got myself worked up trying to decide how to proceed. During the weeks while I waded through the agony of indecision, Sagan and I took a break from training. Then last week I got the notion to take him out for a walk. I felt good and he was an angel. Hope returned and so has my motivation. I am certain that if any of the people I called for support are reading this that they are rolling their eyes and thinking that I am making a mistake. This may be true and I will give them the opportunity to say, “I told you so” if it turns out that they are correct.

The picture above shows Sagan with the earth mover at the site of Rachel Carson EcoVillage

My husband and I agreed to set up a session with our support trainer with the purpose of making an honest evaluation of the issues. Together we decided to do some back tracking in order to regain my confidence and to rework some areas in training where I failed to follow through. I have committed to a new training schedule and it feels good. Sagan is cooperating and I am very pleased. I feel like we are going to make it. My father told me often that I was being stubborn. I chose to take it as a compliment. I am not ready to give up. I will keep you posted.

To learn more about The Rachel Carson EcoVillage click here https://rachelcarsonecovillage.org

 

The last time we spoke I started instituting the command “No Easy” to slow Sagan down to a better pace. That has worked very well except when it doesn’t. Sometimes Sagan feels like a thoroughbred horse poised to dash out of the shoot. We all have days when we feel like dancing and others when the bed seems the best choice. Sagan rarely feels like bed is best. I feel sad when he is vibrating in his harness wanting to go faster and I just can’t meet him there.

We have had some beautiful walks over the last weeks and I absolutely love it when we are in a nice rhythm together. I am finding that that happens when I know exactly where I am and exactly what the obstacles are. Unfortunately, real life does not work that way. Stu is allowing us to figure out our way more and more. I am going out alone on routes I know. This is the way it should be but sometimes I just hate feeling that every step could be a catastrophe.  

The picture above is a selfie shot of Mel, Stu and Sagan on the couch.  

This past weekend was the Doylestown Arts Festival and lots of people attend. I thought it would be a good idea for me to harness up the boy to see what happens. Overall, Sagan worked well according to what Stu observed. He took me around obstacles and people just as he is supposed to do. There were some mishaps with overhangs but nobody got hurt. There were a lot of people with dogs which for the most part were not a problem. There was one little dog that was aggressive and Sagan could not focus on his work. I do not blame him for that at all. Those aggressive dogs do not understand the concept of “survival of the friendliest.” My anxiety was ramping up to boiling by then, so all I wanted was to sit down and have a beer. We found our way to a vegan food booth and a beer truck and I gathered myself back to myself, sort of. I know that my anxiety transfers to Sagan so I try to transmute my anxiety to calmness. Well, I understand the concept of transmutation but I am not always great at it. I hope to be an enlightened human being but so far, I am just ordinary. 

Once we had had a bite to eat and a drink, it was time to gird my loins and head home. Sagan was very stimulated by all the strangeness and he was determined to go fast. By then my ability to be calm, cool, and collected was long gone. I lost my ability to think straight and my drama queen was emerging. I am normally very self contained outwardly while my insides are in turmoil. I lost my ability to give solid, clear commands and frustration and anxiety became overpowering. I started giving Sagan commands that he could not understand and I started to cry and say bad words. So, here I am with Stu walking behind, keeping me safe, Sagan was chomping at the bit to get home and slow was not on the menu. Stu was reminding me sweetly that the correct command is “no, easy” at which point my inner sensor has evaporated. I said bad words loudly out in public while confusing my dog. I felt like dirt after that which made everything worse. It did not take long before I captured my equanimity at which point I literally stopped to smell the flowers along the path. We made it home with only our psyches fractured.

What I learned from this experience is that I don’t really like street festivals and there is no need to put my dog and myself through it. I also learned that using a cane along with a dog may be a good idea at times. I don’t like the idea of using a cane along with a dog but I have been told that pride goes before a fall. I don’t like falling so I guess I will become humble for the sake of sanity and safety.

Sagan is almost 2 and a half years old which blows my mind! So many experiences and life rearrangements have been required over these last years. I wonder who I might be now if I had not committed to loving and training him. He has literally brought me to my knees and then curled up in the crook of my knees as I cried for my sister. He keeps me getting up in the morning and walking out in the world when I have wanted to stay safe in my bed. His cuteness keeps me playing even though I want to be left alone. I truly believe that committing to nurturing and teaching Sagan to be a good citizen has helped me grow in ways I did not anticipate.

The picture above shows Sagan waiting patiently in his open cage while he waits for a treat.

There has been more inconsistency in training due to my needing to hibernate. Everyone keeps telling me to be gentle on myself because I am grieving, but I am beginning to think being gentle on myself is turning into an excuse to do nothing at all. Some days require me to do nothing and I am okay with that. I have decided now that the time has come to push my edges once again. I have been exercising my own body more so that I can handle Sagan. Traffic training has begun and today we go to the mall, of all places, to work on targeting doors and counters. It is super hot outside so off to the mall we go. I think that is about the only thing malls are good for. I will let you know how we do next post.

The picture above shows Sagan sitting on his outdoor bed on the patio.

One more training note: I decided to call an owner trainer person I respect to get some advice on his pace and pull which is still an issue for us. Sometimes his pace and pull are perfect but I am wanting consistency. I have been using the command “steady” to slow him down and when the terrain is uncertain. My friend said in no uncertain terms that I have been confusing him. I realized immediately that she was correct. We talked about creating a new command for slowing his pace and keeping “steady” for when the terrain is rough. I am now teaching him the command “easy” to demand that he walk slower until I say otherwise. I need to perfect my technique before he will know what I am asking of him. I am not as smart as he is so I will practice a lot before I try it on him. I will keep you posted.  

The picture above shows Mel and Sagan outside on the patio. Sagan is sitting between Mel's legs. The command used here is "close". 

Sagan has become a real guide dog now. His pace and pull are quite good and he is becoming more sensitive to overheads and uneven paths. He can find doors, seats, elevators, and he learns quickly what is needed. He takes his job very seriously. I have still not managed to get him to believe that the harness is fun but once it is on, he does his work well. Traffic training has still not formally been done because of weather etc. I hope to start again next week. Now it is time to train myself.

The three pictures above show Mel walking with Sagan on the sidewalks and crossing the street.  

Some of you have followed BlindAlive/Me for many years back when I wrote blogs every week for my audio fitness programs. It seems like forever ago. A whole lot of life has happened since then and my enthusiasms have changed. Some changes like becoming a plant eater only and becoming passionately devoted to educating people as to the real dangers of using pesticides are changes I feel good about. On the other hand, there are changes that need to be made in order for me to be my best self or at least easier in my own skin. Sagan has made it very clear that it is time to put more energy into training myself so that the two of us can really be a team. I want to be able to confidently go out and about independently again. I have not done that in years. The excuses are endless and I am boring myself with them. It is time to resurrect my BlindAlive programs and actually do them like I used to do when I felt good about my body. I want to feel strong again and unafraid. I want to be as healthy as I possibly can until I die. Just “talking” about getting stronger isn’t working, so training myself has begun, no excuses anymore. If you want to join me, the link to my YouTube channel is below. All the workouts are there. I will start with Cardio One and Sculpting With Weights One. I have also committed to walk with Sagan every day possible.  

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSJCXbR__C7IztG4us-8Hjw

Life has kicked my butt the last two months. My sister sat down to have a glass of wine and the next minute she was gone from us. She was on life support for one week which gave our family a chance to gather. My feet got ripped out from under me and two months later, I am trying to reshape myself in this new world. As a result Sagan has had to grow up some himself. He has had to endure two trips to North Carolina with ten hour car rides back and forth. He learned to give up his vigilance long enough to take naps in his car crate. He and I learned to navigate our way through labyrinth rest stop bathrooms; you know the kind where there are more than one entrance and exit. We both got thoroughly confused but a very nice person came to our rescue. I find that people are generally very kind. After our trips to North Carolina, we left home again to visit Rachel Carson EcoVillage where we will be moving next year. On all the trips Sagan did his best to act like a well behaved guide dog. I am proud of his progress.

Now we have settled back down and our training together is at full steam again. My husband hangs further back now when we walk and gives me less and less information about overheads and complex obstacles. Sagan is doing great work. It is me who struggles to trust. That has always been my issue with guide dogs and human guides as well. I have been whacked on the head and fallen in holes even when walking with a perfectly sighted person, so I am a little wary. Everyday now my confidence grows and Sagan and I are becoming a more cohesive team.

Somewhere during our travels, Sagan was bitten by something we think. He began licking his right front leg which has resulted in a small spot which is inflamed. He can’t leave it alone so he has been wearing that awful cone on his head to keep him from licking his leg. Being a poodle,  he is able to defeat the cone when he is committed to the effort. We alternate between wrapping his leg and using the cone when we can be watchful every second. It is almost healed now so my hope is that he will forget about it.

The two pictures above show Sagan in the living room happily wearing his cone.

 

Our intention was to have been finished with basic traffic training by now but with the huge interruption  we got off track. Next week we will start with traffic basics again. I have no doubt that he will pick it up quickly.

I totally forgot Sagan’s birthday. I know it is silly to mark a birthday every month but I am silly so there you have it. Anyway, my mind and heart were preparing for my trip to North Carolina for two memorials for my sister. We took Sagan and once again he endured a 10 hour car trip without complaint. We took breaks and only harnessed him when necessary. He is a master at public bathrooms which really helps a lot. We stayed in four different Air B & B’s. We kept to his feeding schedule as close as we could but the sleeping schedule was all messed up. There was nothing I could do. There were so many people and he has a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out). Sometimes he could barely keep his eyes open but he would not sleep until I went to bed. I need to work on him being able to relax. As long as he is connected to me or Stu, he does very well but that is not always desirable. I am open to suggestions on how to keep a dog calm and quiet while either attached to a piece of furniture or in his crate. All the dogs I have gotten from guide dog schools have been content to be alone even while in a crowd of people. This was one of those situations where I did not anticipate and I was in no position or frame of mind to train him. 

Sagan barked during the memorial service. It was one loud startle bark. The church was very quiet and the microphone made a horrible sound that was kind of like somebody knocking. It startled me too. Also when the choir sang a loud song he softly whined. I covered his ears. I am not sure if in the larger scheme of my life if this is a problem or not. I am rarely in such situations so I need to decide if it something we really need to work on or not. Something that did crop up that definitely needs attention is that he started standing up when people started clapping. I think I can work through this by putting on clapping sounds. 

I was obsessed with fleas. I rubbed him down with Wondercide every other day. I also put a combination of things in his food to deter fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. I have not seen any fleas, so hopefully we dodged that one. We will test for heart worm in a couple of months when we can get an accurate test. I feel fortunate that he has a robust digestive system so there were no issues with being in a strange environment with lots of chances for encounters with dead creatures and plant material.

The best part was watching him interact with the lake. He wanted to go in so much but he couldn’t quite figure out how to go about it. He did finally go in with the help of Stu and my sons. He never actually swam because the lake is shallow enough for his back legs to be on the bottom. He looked pretty silly trying to walk on water. 

The three pictures above show Sagan learning to swim in the lake with his 4 siblings.

Over all he was a very good boy. To my knowledge, he did not eat any frogs or lizards. He did not chase ducks or other water fowl. I feel sure he is happy to be back home now as am I.

Here are the products I gave for flea control in case you are interested.

https://www.wondercide.com

https://earthanimal.com/product/natures-protection-flea-tick-daily-herbal-drops/

https://earthanimal.com/product/natures-protection-flea-tick-daily-herbal-internal-powder-yeast-free/

 

Sagan has had some major training opportunities these last weeks. My closest sister in age collapsed suddenly at age 74 which required quick planning so the family could gather in North Carolina. Sagan had to be in his crate for a 10 hour drive. He was so good. He went to rest stops, restaurants, strange houses, and hotels. He even stayed with me all day in a hospital while we waited with friends and family for decisions to be made about life support for my sister. Sagan caused no problems at all. He also helped us divert our minds from our deep sadness. Maybe he can be a therapy dog too someday.

At the end of this month, we will again make the trip to North Carolina to two services for my sister. Once again his manners will be tested. We thought about flying but I am not quite ready to go through all the paperwork required to fly with guide dogs yet. I just had a rabies titer done and we will not get the results for maybe a couple of weeks. I may need to get the rabies vaccine for him before we fly and I am not prepared to go through the possibility of him having a severe reaction like he did with the last vaccines. I realize I am rambling but that is all my mind can do these days with the grief weighing heavy.

We started a “recall” class with Sagan last week. We have been slack about getting that basic command really solid. We think the structure of a class might help us focus. So far, our focus has not been so great. Teaching a good solid recall for a smart dog is challenging because they think for themselves and they think they have a choice in the matter which they actually do. I don’t even try to call him back if he is playing with another dog. My hope is that he will get better as we keep working with him.

The picture above shows Sagan and Quinn playing in the yard. Quinn has a frisbee in her mouth.

Once we returned from North Carolina, we traveled to Rochester, New York for eclipse watching and a poodle party with a friend who has a poodle from the same breeder as Sagan. The two dogs were crazy happy to be together. They could not rest for more than a few minutes before the fun had to start all over again. Now that we are back home, Sagan seems exhausted. We all need time to recover. These trips have been good because I am noticing holes in his training which we will need to work on in the future. Sagan is a very strong dog and strong willed. My hope is that he will mellow as he gets older.

The first picture shows Sagan and Quinn waiting attentively for treats and the second picture shows them taking a nap together on the rug after a long day of play.

The next weeks will be filled with more traveling. Sagan will get to experience a lake for the first time. I think he will love it. We will be traveling to the land of vicious fleas and ticks so I need to figure out my strategy to keep them off my boy. I will let you know if what I try with him works or not. I do not want to subject him to flea and tick pills so we will see what happens.

Sagan had his 2nd birthday on March 2nd. His coat is still clarifying so his coloring is patchy. The grey is coming out more and more but I would not say he is blue like he will be as he gets older. He is extremely handsome though.

I am happy to say that he has calmed down quite a bit. He still gets into trouble when his brain is not otherwise engaged. My husband’s ball point pens are still his favorite thing to run off with but he is less likely to crunch them to bits. He still loves to tear paper and boxes that do not belong to him. We have not yet mastered the “trade” game. That is one of the downsides of having a gifted and talented dog. He is very well aware that what he has stolen is way more exciting than whatever I am offering him for trade. I trust that this too will pass.

The picture above shows Mel and Sagan at a local park. Sagan "finds the door" of the bathroom.

The big news is that we started traffic training this week. We started with cars coming out of driveways slowly. Once he figured out what was going on, we made the encounter a little more dramatic. I challenged him to go forward while the car was still moving and once I showed him that he needed to plant his feet or back up, he understood very quickly. I was extremely pleased with our first session. I think the car drivers were a little nervous but all went well. I have not decided yet how intensive I will get with traffic training. I am thinking now that I will take naturally occurring opportunities to train him. This is a work in progress so we will take it one day at a time.

The two pictures above show Mel walking with Sagan during traffic training. Susie, the trainer is instructing the driver when to drive out of the driveway as Mel and Sagan approach. 

His pace and pull are improving. I am easing off the Gentle Leader. My goal now is to be able to have control most of the time with his leash in my left hand along with the harness handle. His level of distraction has diminished greatly so this feels reasonable now. Over all, I am very pleased with his level of skill. I confess that I have had some moments when I thought my ambitious idea to train a dog myself was a mistake. Stu and Susie kept reassuring me and encouraging me to take a breath and keep going. It feels so good to be almost ready to declare him a graduate of guide dog training. Of course, training never ends because there is always room for improvement and new tricks and skills to learn. Now if I can keep loose and aggressive dogs away from him, we will truly be a working team.