Country work is defined as “outdoor work without sidewalks”, so naturally this presented a logistical problem. "No one asked TSE!" Shannon complained facetiously as she directed Bryan down a few more blocks to an 'undefiled' starting point.
Prada behaved wonderfully, just like this morning, completely foregoing her usual over-the-shoulder glances at Shannon. My corrections are improving, as is her response to them, and we're finally starting to develop a personalized rhythm (key word being ‘developing’. Rhythms mature and change and grow throughout the life of a partnership). I am so excited! Just in the past five days of training we've come such a long way towards becoming a safe and fluid team!
Ok, so I mentioned that park time was the subject I got the most questions about in person. The second most asked-about topic is 'what happens if another dog attacks your dog guide?' This is a very real threat to working dog guide teams, and also the subject of tonight's lecture. This is a rather emotional subject for many retrains because of the trauma involved with having their dog attacked and either injured, traumatized, or killed. The first thing we talked about tonight was prevention.
During the dog's initial training they are socialized with other dogs to increase their lack of aggressive behaviors towards other dogs. They are also given 'dog distraction' training. A trainer walks a dog along their route where another trainer and another dog are waiting. The dog in training is told to 'leave it" as they approach the other dog. The first few times they just walk past and the other dog does nothing. If the dog in training turns to investigate the other dog (for confusions' sake we'll call that one Fluffy and the dog in training is, of course, Juno) the trainer corrects Juno with a two-handed correction and a firm "pfui." Dog distraction is ABSOLUTELY NOT permitted and must be curbed strongly and immediately. This is repeated until Juno ignores Fluffy completely. The next round of training involves Fluffy's handler getting up and following Juno and Juno's trainer to help Juno understand that it is imperative to ignore Fluffy, despite Fluffy's actions.
Training is all well and good, but how should “real life” Juno and handler (graduated student) respond to a n unplanned Fluffy encounter?' KEEP YOUR DOG GUIDE MOVING! I cannot stress this point enough. If a dog guide is kept moving it cannot make the first step towards an aggressive exchange: eye contact. "Leave it, hup-up!" and a gentle right-handed tug forward on the leash to insist taht the dog ignore Fluffy. If Juno decides to ignore that, we use the two-handed correction and a loud and firm "pfui!"
WORST CASE SCENARIO: you are not able to keep Fluffy from attacking Juno by making Juno ignore Fluffy and leave Fluffy's territory quickly. DROP THE HANDLE AND LEASH. You MUST allow Juno to defend itself and prevent yourself from becoming tangled in the mass of bodies and teeth and claws. Drop the handle and leash, yell/scream for help (an eye witness is crucial for reparations), CALL 911. "I need help, I'm blind and I and my dog guide are being attacked." They will come for you, do not leave out the part about yourself. Do NOT just say your dog guide because some dispatchers won't send for you. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SEPARATE THE DOGS ONCE THEY ARE ENGAGED. This goes for observers as well. And don't try to mace or stun either of the dogs. When dogs fight they become tangled and indistinguishable of one another. The odds of the wrong dog getting hit, or even yourself, are just too great.
Between 1998 and 2002 28 Seeing Eye teams were attacked. This is a moderate number if you look at only Seeing Eye graduates, but even that number is too high if you are the team that is attacked. Imagine yourself in a car wreck in which your car is damaged and a loved one is injured and/or traumatized. You lose time at work, money for repairs, time in appointments, time and money for your own injuries plus those of your loved one, time with insurance and settlements, plus the loss of confidence in driving, something both parties lose. Now escalate this to where you have a human-like emotional attachment to the car. This is a fraction of the hassle we deal with if we are attacked. Retraining may or may not be possible for a traumatized guide dog and if it is not, the owner must rebond to a new dog and the old dog adopted out and must bond to a new family—these dogs retired after attacks rarely live more than a few months afterwards. The consequences of a dog attack are unmeasurable.
How can you help?
·
Keep your pets under control
·
If you see an attack in progress, call 911 and
say a blind person and dog guide are being attacked
o
Take pictures—use that smartphone!
o
Assist the lbind person clear of the fight and
away from any nearby streets or other obstacles
·
Ask your neighbors to keep their pets under
control
·
Socialize your dogs to reduce territorial
instincts
·
Don't allow someone to walk your dog if they
cannot or do not control the dog
·
Make sure your pets’ shots are up to date
·
Alert a dog guide team of your animal's presence
('Hi there, Fluffy and I are coming up behind you—enjoying your walk?” is very
helpful and a great way to make new friends J)
A Problematic Situation: Often owners of aggressive dogs will take them to humane societies rather than deal with the problem directly. Then, the humane society might euphamize the dog's character on the kennel card to adopt the dog out. These dogs are extremely risky to dog guide teams. While this practice is extremely dangerous and irresponsible, it does allow the dog guide team's human component to track the offending dog and gain reparations for damage done or have the dog impounded.
And on that grim but absolutely essential public awareness announcement I’ve got to go. I promise happier readings in future, though! Please contact me or any local dog guide school to find out how you can help keep your neighborhood safe for working teams.
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