Training My Own Guide Dog: Sagan, 6Months Old Birthday Week

Training My Own Guide Dog: Sagan, 6 Months Old Birthday Week

Sagan was 6 months old on September 2nd. The week started out with a pretty dramatic case of diarrhea. I can’t be sure what triggered it because there were quite a few variables, one being I gave him commercial food instead of his usual raw, and the other being that there just happened to be a pint of cherry tomatoes just in reach of his curiosity. I was up all night with him. Fortunately with a bland diet, it passed the next day. He did seem to enjoy the tomatoes. I was not worried because he only ate a few and they are not toxic for dogs. They are actually good for dogs but I suspect he ate one too many.

I had a Lime vaccine scheduled for him on Wednesday but I cancelled it partly because he had been sick and mostly because my gut said, “No.” I do not take vaccines lightly and since Lime is not a core vaccine, I just need to do some more research and sitting with the decision. We do live in an area where Lime is prevalent but lifestyle is also a consideration. I may rethink when we move to Rachel Carson EcoVillage next summer.

The highlight of the week was when Susie, the trainer came. She took him on a long training walk into town where they worked stairs and whatever else presented itself. My husband went along so he can learn the methods. This way he can increase Sagan’s walks per week. We are still refining our command list and getting everything defined so we are all on the same page. I am putting the current list below in case you are interested. It is an evolving list. If you have any ideas or comments on this list, I am open to suggestions.

Here is an updated list of Sagan’s commands -

Sagan’s Commands

IN & OUT OF HARNESS

Sit

Down

Up Sit

Stay

Come

Let’s Go

Heel

Stand

Back

Wait

Free

Get It

Bring It

Leave It

Drop It

Thank you

Ready?

Touch

Get Busy

Go to Bed/Place

Down & Under

Off

Yes

Head In

Forward

Halt

About

Hup Up

Steady

Left

Right

Over Left

Over Right

Find the Curb

Find a Seat

Find a Trash Can

Find the Button

Watch

Find the Way

Straight

Straight to the Curb

Find downstairs

Find upstairs

Find the elevator

Find the counter

Find the door outside

Find the door inside

Explanation OF COMMANDS - review for edits - I will continue to update

Sit

dog’s bum to the floor/ground in heel position or any location

Down

dog’s body to the floor/ground at any location, legs in any position, head up or down

Up Sit

dog’s body moves from down position to sit position, this is mainly an obedience exercise for “puppy push ups”

Stay

dog does not move from last command given until release word or another command given, in Sit, Down or Stand position

Come

dog recalls from any location directly to handler and remains close enough that handler is able to touch dog

Let’s Go

to move forward motion with handler, more casual walking with loose leash

Heel

dog moves to left side of handler, head in line with handler’s left leg, forward motion with a loose leash

Stand

dog stands securely on all four legs

Back

dog backs up a few inches to a few feet, dog can back up and stand, sit or lay

Wait

to stop forward motion, pause, dog can stand, sit or lay, dog should hold position until release word or another command is given

Free

dog’s release word to break out of command

Get It

to move after and pick up a toy during play

Bring It

to bring toy or object back to handler

Leave It

to leave food item or object on floor or ground, no attempt to sniff, explore or pick up

Drop It

to drop food item or object directly to floor or ground

Thank you

to release object into hand

Ready?

indication that handler and dog are ready to begin activity together

Touch

to touch hand or indicated object with nose

Get Busy

to go potty - release bladder and/or bowels

Go to Bed/Place

send to designated bed or any “place” indicated

Down & Under

dog lays and tucks body behind or next to handler

Off

to remove paws off of someone or something

Yes

indication of correct behavior or response, dog will be reward

Head In

to move head into harness

Forward

to move forward with handler

Halt

to stop forward motion, pause, dog can stand, sit or lay, dog should hold position until release word or another command is given

About

to make a 180 degree right turn, turn away from dog, turn opposite direction

Hup Up

to increase speed, speed up

Steady

to decrease speed, slow down

Left

turn left, quarter turn to left

Right

turn right, quarter turn to right

Over Left

to move further left on straight path

Over Right

to mover further right on straight path

Find the Curb

locate and move handler to closest curb

Find a Seat

locate and move handler to closest seat

Find a Trash Can

locate and move handler to closest trash can

Find the Button

locate and move handler to closest button

Watch

be alert and move handler straight avoiding obstacles

follow trusted companion following all normal training rules

Find the Way

find the most logical path to move handler in straight line

Straight

move handler in straight line

Straight to the Curb

move handler in straight line directly to closest curb

Some of these will get phased out as we become more habituated to each other as a working team. It sounds like a lot but dogs like Sagan are super smart. He won’t go into a real working harness for several months yet and several of these commands will wait until we get there. So far, he is doing great. My husband and I are are little more conscious of how far those curious paws can reach. My counters are getting cleaner and cleaner.

The below link is the eco village that we are moving to next year. It is in development. There are a few more units available. I invite you to check it out.

https://rachelcarsonecovillage.org