Boyden is going to the hospital with me!

[Miztiki]

I go to the hospital Monday to hopefully have this cast removed and a walking boot put on. I sure hope that's the way it works out!

 

Anyway, I called and asked if I could bring Boy with me and explained that he's still in training and not yet a Service Dog. They said that would be fine, see you then!

 

So, I want to work with him out and about as much as possible to polish up his training before we go.

 

He walks too fast, and that's what I want to work on. He pulled me a little too fast down the halls at the Sheraton Hotel the other week. Wheeee! He can't do that at the hospital though.

 

I'd like to have him out in front of me when he pulls so that the weight is evenly distributed. I have a harness for him. Any suggestions on how to work with him on slowing down? I'm thinking maybe have him wear the prong collar with a leash attached, so that I can remind him to slow down? I'd also have a leash attached to his harness. That means both hands would be full though and I wouldn't be able to steer if he veered off.

 

Any better ideas?

 

There's a hotel nearby and many stores we can practice at. Any other suggestions for places we could practice?

 

Another thing I've been teaching him since I broke my ankle is to support me for a short distance. I have him hold still while I lean on his shoulders and hop, then have him take a step or two forward, then wait again while I lean on him and hop again, etc. He's a natural! So much so that I'm not sure if it's a fluke or not because he does it so well.

 

I recall reading on the SD list that your dog should be able to "stay" wherever you tell him for up to 30 minutes I think, while you go into another room for x-rays or whatever. I will need x-rays but Boy won't stay away from me because of his separation anxiety, so he will have to go in the x-ray room with me. If I tied him to something in the other room in a down-stay then he would whine or bark when I left. His SA sure does make my life difficult in so many ways. I'll be so glad when it's not an issue anymore.

 

Anyway, I'd love to hear of any suggestions to slow down his walk. We will go out and practice after hubby gets home tonight!

[Tammy525]

Would he wear a lead coat while in the x-ray room with you? To protect him from the radiation? Is dh going? Will he stay with him while you get your x-ray?

[Howdyjabo]

Change your mindset--

Don't be looking for him to slow down-- make him think about pacing himself to your pace.

 

I am not sure if you can do this being a gimp and all......

 

But heres what I do.I make the dog CHOOSE to walk with me.

I take the leash and hold it behind my back(keeps you from useing it to pull the dog where you want him)

Give him enough slack so that he can walk past you. Ignore anything he does pulling to the side or back(that'll go away all on its own) and just walk.

When he comes past your leg just casually back up till he walks past you again. Then go forward.

Over and over and over...................

Most dogs will figure it out they aren't getting anywhere in a hurry and quit rushing you,

 

Some dogs need a little more incentive to start thinking-hey theres something going on here.

When they walk past your leg take a hat and slap it on your leg-- most will react by jumping back. Then you just start walking again.

Only do that to get a reaction when the dog is being cblivious to the above.

I have had a couple that needed the hat to come down on their head a few times to get their brian in gear.

 

Then you can throw in walk past me-- and I'm just gonna turn around and go the other way.

Or you can kick dirt in front of them when they go past or you can stomp your foot to make them back up....

The goal is to make them choose to walk with you-- going past will only result in them having to give ground-- so anything else just isn't gonna work for them-and you're not gonna fight and make an issue out of it--- so they might as well quit.

 

Also throw in some stops-- the dog should stop before he goes past your leg-- This is where the hat trick comes in handy to put a "finish" on it.

 

You get some that decide that they aren't gonna pass your leg-- but they are gonna weave back and forth behind you-- thats no good they still haven't given over to pacing to you.Keep walking= As they pass behind you just pick your foot up backwards 90 degrees. It'll either pop them one or they'll run into it. Then immediately start walking.

 

Don't get mad- don't react-- just keep doing it.

Pretty much act like you have nothing to do with anything thats going on-- and make sure you keep the flow up the whole time.

 

Down side is that it only works as well as you are consistant and persistant.

Can't let him go ahead just cause you are in a hurry to get somewhere today. plan any walk for awhile taking three times as long.

When the leash comes off-- they'll still be pacing to you.

[Miztiki]

Gimp? You're gonna be an even bigger gimp pretty soon!

 

He's trained to "heel" and I can get him to walk beside my wheelchair, but it's a loooong carpeted hallway to the doc's office and very difficult for me to wheel myself all the way down, even with several rest stops to give my arms a break.

 

The hotel halls were mostly carpeted too, so that's why I had him pull me. It's just that he pulled too fast and wanted to break into a trot.

 

So I need him to pace himself while in front of me and pulling. I could have him walk beside me at the same pace as I'm going, but then I'd have to do all the work myself and my arms would fall off.

 

Tammy, I'll be alone at the doc's. Hubby just started his new job so can't take time off so soon.

 

I will attempt to put Boy in a down-stay in the other room and explain to the staff that he's in training, and that it probably won't work.

 

If it doesn't work then he can either go in the safe room with the x-ray tech, or I can put him in a down-stay in the farthest corner. If the tech thinks it would be best to put a vest on him then sure, he can do that. I doubt he would mind that.

 

I'm nervous! I don't want him to do anything that would give SD's a bad name. I take this sort of thing seriously. He did so well at the hotel and every other place I've taken him, but a hospital is big stuff and I want him to be on his very best behavior.

[juliepoudrier]

Miz,

Don't feed him anything beforehand that might make him gassy!

 

J.

[Carson Crazies]

Don't feed him anything beforehand that might make him gassy!

Or you could do that, and then tie him behind you for jet propulsion.

[Maralynn]

I saw a service dog once that wore a harness with a handle on it. The dog walked next to the wheelchair, and the person in the wheelchair just held on to the handle to be pulled along by the dog.

 

Is there anyplace where you can go to practice? Maybe a community college? or airport?

[Carson Crazies]

You know, I was just sitting here thinking. Back in the day I was working with a pretty powerful and mischievous horse -- that had a tendency to be a bit high strung at times. One of the exercises I used to do with him was loose rein trotting. I would basically hold the reigns lightly, and if he started going to fast I would just gently close my fingers, and say "ah-ahhht". As soon as he slowed his pace I would open my fingers again. Eventually he got to where once I gave him enough leg to get him going at a pace I liked he stayed there. If he upped it, I just made the noise and he'd modulate himself.

 

I wonder if something like that would work with Boy? I realize you won't have a bit in his mouth, but how sensitive is he to pressure of the leash?

[Howdyjabo]

Sorry-- I was picturing you walking on crutches

Can't be too gimpy in a wheelchair

 

 

If I were there I would show you how to make a lift hobble. Its an old trick with buggy horses that like to go too fast. You rig a line thru a belly rope pulley- to a front ankel ring.They didn't slow down on command you pulled their leg out from under them They'd get real careful real fast.

 

Don't know if this helps-- but with horses that take the bit-- instead of trying to slow them down I would just circle them till they relaxed- then we would go straight again. Trick was to do it the second they picked up speed- not after they were committed.

 

Can you lock a wheel SAFELY and make him go in circles every time he thinks about speeding up?

[Miztiki]

Y'all are funny! Thanks for the laugh!

 

Maralynn, yes, there are plenty of places that I will be taking him for practice until our big day Monday. Tonight will either be the hotel down the road, or something like Wal-Mart or Home Depot, or all three even.

 

I will eventually get a proper pulling harness, but not until I have access to a wheelchair so I can train him properly. Right now I'm renting this one with insurance covering most of it, but that won't be the case soon.

 

Laura, he's very sensitive to the prong collar, which is why I thought of using it. He loves his prong and comes running when he hears it jingle. He'll lower his head so I can put it on, and he always gets neck scritches and loving when I take it off (he loves neck and butt scratches).

 

Anyway, similar to reins on a horse, I just apply pressure with my forefinger and he responds very well to that, but on a regular collar he doesn't.

 

That's what I had in mind. Hold the harness leash with my left hand, and hold the prong leash with my right. Then I could remind him to walk normally as needed.

 

He is not trained to go right or left or stop or anything. This was all thrust upon him before I had planned. Some day he will be trained properly but for now if I can just get him to walk in front of me at a nice pace and pull (which is not hard for him since he's so big and I'm so small) then I will be very grateful.

 

The only other way I could even think of was to have some sort of cane/stick/whatever to tap him with as a reminder to watch his pace, but that would be a pain in the butt to carry around unless it folded up like a blind person's cane, and it might not look right for people watching.

 

Hey, I suppose I could have a piece of meat dangling in front of him and do it that way!

[BigD]

Miz - is your desire to take Boy with you everywhere just making his SA more difficult to beat?

 

Maybe just leaving him at home and working on him getting used to you being gone is a better way to deal with it?

 

Sort of like putting a puppy in a crate - the more you keep them out of it and with you, the harder it will be to leave???

 

I'm sure you've thought of this, so I just wonder why you want to bring him with you if his SA is so bad?

 

D

[Guest JoeysMom]

Well, I'm no help. I'm still working on Joey's leash-pulling problems. That said, I think there are several posts here worthy of one of your "FAQ" threads, Miz, perhaps regarding leash walking/pulling. Thanks for the tips! I'm always looking for ways to improve.

 

And YAY! about you getting your cast off...what's going to happen next with your ankle? Edit: I more carefully read what you wrote above, and now know that you will be getting a walking cast. Congrats!

[Carson Crazies]

The only other way I could even think of was to have some sort of cane/stick/whatever to tap him with as a reminder to watch his pace, but that would be a pain in the butt to carry around unless it folded up like a blind person's cane, and it might not look right for people watching.

You *could* always get yourself a buggy whip or a dressage crop - but if you're going to tap him with it you'd best be sure he's not going to BOLT if you do it. If you're going to carry something to tap him with it's going to have to be LIGHT and weighted at the handle, otherwise it might just throw YOU out of the chair.

 

Theoretically I could describe for you how to hold a leash in each hand, plus a stick in one of said hands, if you'd like. But, I'm afraid of you finding yourself on "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" if you do it. Thank God you don't have to deal with a double bridle too.

 

Edit to add: all of the above being said, I have seen some staggering train wrecks with people being pulled by horses. I *do* worry about you getting tossed accidently out of the chair. Hey, if Zippy's bed can throw him in the floor, that chair can throw you!

[MaggieDog]

I'd prob favor the prong/2 lead combo if it were me so that you have absolute control no matter what. Keep the prong loose until he starts going too fast, correct, release pressure when he's at a good pace again; rinse, repeat.

[Miztiki]

Didn't see your post Karen, but Boy's prong would compare to a bit for a horse, and slight pressure would compare to the same on reigns. He's not so bad that he'd need circling, unless he had his regular collar on. That will change too once he's trained. I only use the prong for a short time to teach what I want.

 

I've circled horses and know what you're saying, but he's not that bad with the prong. Hopefully by Monday, if I can get enough practice in, he'll be responsive enough and know what's expected so that the prong isn't needed.

 

At the hotel he didn't know that I wanted him to pull me. I said "mush, mush!" and "giddy-up" and encouraged him to go forward and he finally did. I just need to add a "Whoa!" command!

[Miztiki]

Denise, I can't leave him at home yet. He is to a point now where I can walk out the door with him in his crate and he's ok while I check the mail. (I videotaped him.) There is no way I can leave him alone yet though.

 

Keep in mind that his SA was severe from day one. I couldn't even go in another room for a few minutes without him chewing the bars of his crate in his panic to get out. I couldn't even leave the house with hubby here with him. We had to build up to that. I couldn't even leave him at the vet for his HW treatment. I dropped him off with instructions to pick him up in three days. They called 20 minutes later and said to come get him. They said he was mostly ok if someone was there to distract him, but they can't have someone doing that the entire three days.

 

His SA is pretty bad, but it is getting better. Slowly. Way too slowly.

[Dixie_Girl]

Miztiki, you need not worry! Boy will come through for you with flying colors! Look how many times when you REALLY needed to count on him and there he was! He will be fine! I got faith.

[BigD]

Man oh man...it's worse than having a 2 year old! Good luck with it...sounds like you will need a lot of it!

 

D

[juliepoudrier]

Laura,

A double bridle isn't hard once you get used to it! Then add a whip in one hand and there's a lot of coordination that needs to be happening! Then try it all sidesaddle....

 

J.

[nancy]

Oh dear. Just read the bit about gas. In cycling, we refer to that as turbo-charging.

 

Man, I can see you in a wheelchair with a real bridle and Boy out in front pulling you down the halls! Take pictures!

 

And when the heck are we having out NC picnic? Can we get AK Dog Doc down here? I have a spare bedroom and bathroom in Durham. No sheep. Unless I can finally bring 2 Swaledale lambs home and convince the authorities they are Yorkshire Wool Dogs - that's why they're growing horns.

[Miztiki]

Ok, that's not going to work.

 

The problem is with the harness. It's the kind people use to take their dog on a walk with. It slides around from one side of his back to the other, instead of staying put. I just got back from a school parking lot and found that holding onto the harness with my left hand was easiest for both of us, but it's just not made for pulling.

 

There were two teenaged guys there skateboarding. I think I was having more fun than them! Once Boy and I got the hang of what we were doing, I had hubby run in front of us and we followed. Wheee!

 

The prong/leash thing worked really well, so I'll keep that idea, but the leash on the harness just won't work. If worse comes to worst then he'll just have to walk beside me while I do all the work. I'll think of something.

 

It's a shame y'all couldn't watch us. I think you might have had a chuckle or two while we worked out the bugs.

[MaggieDog]

Is there any way you could pick up a Sensation or Easy Walk harness before your appointment? Rather than using it to stop pulling, the design is quite similar to many carting harnesses (w/ the two rings on the sides), so you could probably hook a double ended traffic lead (or a dog coupler?) to the rings for a handle and then he could pull straight w/o slippage; I'd still get a real pulling harness, but this would be a good temporary solution I bet.

 

I'll see if I can set up a pic w/ Maggie that shows what I mean.

 

The pic below is of a 'real' carting harness from leather-creations.com

 

[Kit]

Miztiki, I have a feeling Boyden will do just fine in the hospital. ( Just watch out for the slippery floors) You don't want another 6 weeks in a cast...or have Boyden in one for that matter! He will sense how he needs to behave. Too bad humans don't have the same sense Make sure he wears a lead apron. Good luck on your x ray! I wish you a speedy recovery! By the way, you realize that now that you have had such an injury you will be able to predict the weather, you will feel it! ( Well thats what patients tell me anyway!)

[MaggieDog]

Here's Maggie w/ her front lead harness turned pulling harness w/ handle:

 

 

 

This is the handle. It's actually a nylon dog coupler, but it's just the right size and weight and if you wanted to, you could hook a leash to the middle instead of holding the coupler as a handle - whatever works best for all involved.

 

 

Hope this helps you visualize what I described in my other post.

[Pearse]

I don't want to be a wet blanket here, but are you sure you aren't setting the dog up to fail here?

 

Many smarter people than me told me when I was training my dog that testing his limits was important for him to progress but that it ought to be done in an envionment where you had an "out" if everything went to hell.

 

You are saying that that the dog has some issues that you have been working on and making progress towards eliminating, working in areas like malls and hotels etc. But, in those areas, you have the option of backing out or repeating something if the circumstances warrant it.

 

In the hospital, you're taking the dog into an area that is not a training environment. The people around you will have not time for a dog that will not do exactly what they think he ought to (ie wait outside the X-Ray suite for 30 mins). In addition, it's a bit of a stressful environment for you. So, is it fair to the dog to ask of him that he perform up the level of a trained service dog when he isn't there yet, and what effect will it have on his progress towards that goal if things turn out badly.

 

I think it's a laudable goal to work towards and because it is, I wouldn't rush it.

 

Best of luck.

 

Pearse