Guide Dog Puppy Training Blog

Stetson Took The Canine Good Citizen Test And He…

Feb 6, 2008 By Colby 3 Comments

Not too long ago I mentioned that Stetson was going to start training towards his Canine Good Citizens test. If you haven’t read my article that goes over all 10 tests in the AKC’s Canine Good Citizens Program then click on the CGC link. Here’s a short breakdown of the 10 tests and how Stetson did on each one. The cost of the CGC Test is normally $11, but we got to take the test for $5 because our evaluator didn’t have the CGC tags for our dogs.

AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Program – as completed by Stetson

Test 1 – Accepting a friendly stranger
- He did great during this part of the test.
Test 2 – Sitting politely for petting
- He seemed a bit distracted when our evaluator was petting him. He usually gets at least mildy excited when getting petted, but did great during the test and just sat in position.
Test 3 – Appearance and grooming
- Stetson’s always been pretty good during grooming. We brought his brush and she brushed a couple strokes, looked in his ears, then checked both his paws. Stetson was in a sit position most of the time and then popped up when she picked up his second paw, but kept position.
Test 4 – Out for a walk (walking on a loose lead)
- During the walk you have to make a left and right turn, at least two stops, and an about face. This is where I was almost sure we would fail because Stetson saw a moth slowly fly by his face and was tracking it while we walked. I was almost positive he was going to pull towards the bug. I told him to “leave it” a couple times and eventually he lost track of it. Besides the bug he did great!
Test 5 – Walking through a crowd
- This one was pretty easy we just navigated through a three or four people walking around. Stetson barely noticed.
Test 6 – Sit and down on command and Staying in place
- Stetson did his sit and down perfectly…much better than he often does in class. He’s always been pretty good with stay and remained in place while I walked out 20 feet and then returned to him.
Test 7 – Coming when called
- When we were training for the test a couple times Stetson came then sprinted right past me. I made sure I caught him when he came at me. Sometimes he seems like he doesn’t know where his head is and plows it straight into your knees.
Test 8 – Reacting to another dog
- This was the one thing we worked on the most. We worked on this part with 4 other dogs (thanks Charlie, Benny, Dustin, and Linus) leading up to the test. I’m happy to say all Stetson did was stick his nose out towards the other dog (Clover a Chocolate Lab) then retracted when I said “leave it”
Test 9 – Reaction to distraction
- Our evaluator had a bag full of dog training equipment and through it on the ground several feet from Stetson and also dragged her roller cabinet nearby Stetson. He wasn’t scared just mildy interested in the things going on around him.
Test 10 – Supervised Separation
- Another puppy raiser watched Stetson and said he was just fine for 4 1/2 minutes. He only had to stay in place for 3 minutes.

Where Did I Think He Went Wrong

The only areas I thought he might have had problems was when he was sniffing at Clover and when he was walking and tracking the moth with his eyes. The leash may have tightened a tiny bit during his walk, but I was pretty confident he was doing fine.

The Results Are In

STETSON PASSED HIS TEST!

We need to send in his paperwork along with $5 and the AKC will send us his certificate of completion.

Congratulations to Dustin!

DUSTIN ALSO PASSED HIS CGC TEST!

Great job Dustin! I’m sure you’ll do great when you move on to your formal training in Sylmar on February 16th 2008. We’ll see you next week at class.

Dustin already wrote about his experience on his blog. The only time I got worried for Dustin was on come when called…he nearly detoured towards Clover, but Anne got Dustin to straighten out and he reached her successfully. Take a look at Dustin’s blog.

My Hints For the CGC Test

Go over all of 10 tests and make sure your dog is prepared for each one.
As the handler be confident and relax. Your dog will notice if you’re tense.
Review everything several times the day of the test.
Make sure your dog gets ample exercise the day of the test before he/she is tested.
Arrive early to get your dog used to the environment and the smells at the test site.
We met up with another dog, Dustin and his handler Anne to review all parts of the CGC exam about an hour before test time.

That’s about it. If you’re dog is taking the CGC test anytime soon and you have questions please email me or leave a comment.

Thanks to everyone who helped us prepare Stetson for his CGC training including Ramona, Dustin, Anne, Jim, Virginia, Julia, Bennie, My Mom, Linus, Erin, Charlie, and the Loara freshman basketball team. We couldn’t have done it without your help.

What do you think? Are you ready to pass your Canine Good Citizen Exam?

Puppy Adoption – Black And Tan Labrador Retriever Mix

Feb 5, 2008 By Colby 5 Comments

If you are considering puppy adoption, I highly recommend visiting one of your local puppy/dog rescues. In past articles I’ve talked to you about the puppy/dog rescue, Cuddly Canines. I want to do my best to help place these puppies by profiling each puppy, litter of puppies, and dogs on this blog.

***Note this dog may already be adopted as I will keep this information in my archive. Please check the Cuddly Canines website for the most recent puppies up for adoption.

Chocolate The Black Lab Mix

Born in the Riverside Shelter on October 8th to a Black Lab mommy, we are sad to report that mommy died in the shelter, but we were able to save the babies & they have been loved & cared for in a wonderful foster home, complete with 2 kids to play with. These pups are going to make wonderful family pets. There is one femail left for adoption from this litter.
Chocolate is in Foothill Ranch

What is a Black and Tan Labrador Retriever Mix?

Chocolate looks a lot like a guide dog puppy in training from our group named Egan. You can see a picture of Egan on my post about Black and Tan Labrador Retrievers. My guess is that Chocolate is not a pure-bred black and tan retriever, but instead is mixed with one another breed that has black and tan markings…maybe a coonhound, doberman, gordon setter, or rottweiller. The Cuddly Canines website says the mother was a black lab, so here’s a little bit of information on labrador retrievers:

From Wikipedia about their temperament:

Friendly, reliable, loving, affectionate, lovable, patient, highly intelligent, loyal, willing, high-spirited, lively, good-natured.

In general the Labrador Retriever gets great marks from most people and sources you talk to. On this website we rated them the number 2 dog breed good with children.

Are you interested in adopting?

If you are interested in adopting Chocolate please visit the Cuddly Canines website. If you happen to adopt Chocolate please remember, it’s never too early or too late to start him on his training. If you are interested in puppy adoption or fostering here are a few other articles you might enjoy:

Puppy Adoption And Fostering
Dedicated To My Dog Linus

Of course, Chocolate is not the only dog being fostered by Cuddly Canines. Please visit their website to see the most current pictures of all their dogs and puppies.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this article. Is puppy adoption in your future? Do you want to try puppy fostering? If so, please visit the Cuddly Canines website.

A List Of My Fellow Guide Dogs Of America Bloggers

Feb 4, 2008 By Colby 1 Comment

I just wanted to take the time to make a shout out to my fellow Guide Dog Of America bloggers (the blogs I’ve been able to find that is).

Who Are Guide Dogs Of America

If you haven’t heard me talk about Guide Dog Of America before then you probably haven’t been reading through much of my blog. Anyways, here’s a little excerpt from the GDA website:

OUR MISSION:
Guide Dogs of America is dedicated to its mission to provide guide dogs and instruction in their use, free of charge, to blind and visually impaired men and women from the United States and Canada so that they may continue to pursue their goals with increased mobility and independence.

I must say that is a very noble cause and I am glad to be a part of it as Guide Dog puppy raiser.

What Are Puppy Raisers

I am lucky enough to have the privilege of raising a puppy named Stetson for Guide Dogs of America. Here’s another little excerpt from their website on puppy raising:

YOUR ROLE AS A PUPPY RAISER: As a Puppy Raiser you will play an essential part in making sure your puppy receives the proper socialization needed to help adjust to the important job it will be doing later on in life.
It will be your responsibility to socialize the puppy as much as you can. Take the puppy everywhere. Expose it to as many different situations as possible (construction sites, heavy traffic areas, animals, children). A well socialized puppy will have fewer adjustments to make when it comes in for formal guide dog training.
The Puppy Raiser is required to teach the puppy basic obedience, such as how to walk on a leash (on the left, and slightly out in front), how to sit, stay, lay down, and come when called. It will be your responsibility to take your puppy through an approved basic obedience class and to attend monthly meetings. The meetings allow your puppy to interact with other dogs and it gives you the opportunity to talk to other Puppy Raisers. It is a good time to make friends and compare notes on your puppies.

In a few short paragraphs that is what we do.

My Fellow GDA Puppy Raising Bloggers

Here’s a list of GDA puppy raisers I’ve been able to find in the blogosphere:

Dustin – I am a yellow lab who is in training to become a guide for a blind or vision impaired person. I am a Labrador Retriever belonging to Guide Dogs of America. I am in training to become a guide for the blind. This is my story.
- Stetson and I have been lucky enough to attend monthly meetings and weekly trainings with Dustin for the past year. Dustin goes in for his formal training on February 16th.
Oceana – Tales from a chocolate puppy in training.
Truman – Hi. Have we met? I’m Jenny. And this little guy in the photo with me is Truman, my second puppy-in-training for Guide Dogs of America.
Camry – Meet Camry, my sixth dog to raise for Guide Dogs of America!
Blitz – Blitz is a puppy in training for Guide Dogs of America. We will be sharing this blog, so some posts (On his blog) will be by me, and some will be by him. (MOSTLY by him though.)
Tai – The story of four dogs, raised by two people, all for one common goal.
Tonka – I’m a male yellow Labrador and haven’t gone to my puppy raiser just yet.
Woody – My name is Woody and I’m a guide dog in training for Guide Dogs of America…
Drea – Drea is a GDA puppy in training for Guide Dogs of America.

Other Guide Dog Organizations

There are many other Guide Dog and Service Dog organizations across the nation (world) and I won’t pretend to know them all. Here’s a short list of some of the organizations I’ve come into contact in California:

Puppy raising is a wonderful way to help these service dog organizations. If you take a peak at any of the blogs you will see that we all cherish our time with our puppies in training and do our best to prepare them for their future careers.

Did you get a chance to read any of the blogs? Do you know any other GDA bloggers I can add to my list? Do you use an RSS reader to subscribe to these blog feeds?

Nissan Xterra 2008 – A Dog Car For Outdoor Recreation

Feb 1, 2008 By Colby 4 Comments

When I first sat in the Nissan Xterra 2008 I felt like I was getting into a more civilized SUV in comparison to the Toyota FJ Cruiser or the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I think this SUV was designed for someone who enjoys using their vehicle for outdoor recreation or for those who want to just give off that impression.

While I was not thrilled with any one part of the Nissan Xterra there weren’t too many negatives either. I enjoyed the on pavement driving as it was probably the smoothest ride out of the three cars I have test drove to date. Other than that it was a very average vehicle to me.

One thing I have noticed just from general observation is that all of the Xterra’s come with the luggage rack on top. This is an option on many other vehicles. The rack also includes a small storage spot above the driver and passenger seats that includes a lock. I took a look at this little storage area and must say you won’t be getting a whole lot in there (I think it was recommended that you could store your wetsuit in the tiny compartment).

As far as the looks and design…again just average to me. When my buddy and I went to test drive this car he mentioned he didn’t want to influence my decision, but he thinks this is one of the ugliest SUV’s on the market and also thought the inside was very cheap. He called it just simply “A low end SUV!”

So lets get to the numbers and what the dogs thought:

Nissan Xterra 2008 Specifications

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS
type	4 Door mid-SUV
msrp	$21,240
transmission	automatic/manual
gas mileage	16mpg/20mpg
horsepower	261hp @5600RPM
standard engine	4.0L V6
seating	5 passengers

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Criteria for the dogs:

Seats that fold flat or easily removable – hopefully fits a crate or two – From what I recall the rear seats did fold flat – YAY! but the rear seat bottom had to be folded up in order for you to get the seat flat.
Plenty of usable cargo space relative to the size of the vehicle with wide, square backs, and little rear slope to make most of cargo area. – The cargo space is nice as it is in all of these mid-size SUV’s. Again, I did not bring the crates and nor will I until I’m making my final choices on these vehicles.
Dog friendly interior – Even the best dog can have accidents in the car. – The Xterra I was driving was a four wheel drive. Our salesperson said they rarely got the 4X4’s and said they usually were sold immediately (probably just a sales tactic). Anyways, I noticed the interior of this vehicle was not quite as dog friendly as the Wrangler or FJ. The seats seemed durable and the rear of the car was plastic and I noticed rubber floor mats, but I could see the carpeted floors being a bit of a hassle to clean.
Door & window locks – Dogs are smart and some can open a car door. – Doors and window locks are standard on this baby.
All-wheel or four-wheel drive and high ground clearance – for camping or going to the mountains with your best friend (I’m talking about your dog of course). – As I mentioned earlier our salesperson told us that the 4X4 are more difficult to come by, but the Xterra does come in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

Criteria for the humans:

Price Range: Under 30K – Once again the base model comes in pretty low at just under 22K. That fits well under my price range.
Curb Appeal – Hopefully the car is not hard on the eyes. – I think this is just an average looking car and wouldn’t give it high or low ratings. My friend thinks it’s hideous.
Fuel Economy -Unfortunately SUV’s get worse gas mileage. – 16/20mpg’s! Better than the FJ, but still nothing to write home about.
Reliability – If you’re car is not working what good is it? – I looked up a couple reviews on past Xterra reliability ratings and found that the vehicle for the most part had minimal problems when it came to maintenance
Retains Value – Cars are terrible investments, but we want it to retain some of it’s value. – The KBB projected resale value of the 07 model is below average. Here’s a link to the page I was looking at: Nissan Xterra.
Extras – Any miscellaneous extra goodies the car may have. – The luggage rack with the extra storage space is an added bonus.
Car in the City – Smooth ride? Does it have power? Handle Well? – While many reviews mentioned that the Xterra had “…a truck like ride and handling” I thought it was a smoother ride than some of the other SUV’s I test drove. I think I’d be completely comfortable with this car in the city. The power of the vehicle was just fine as I floored it several times off the line to see what it could do and it didn’t disappoint.

Advantages – The Things I Like

The things I like about this vehicle are:

I thought – nice handling.
Price – it’s at the lower end for price.
Rear seats fold flat .
Luggage rack and extra storage spaces.

Disadvantages – The Things I Don’t Like

Some things I didn’t like in test drive and read on the internet:

Average to ugly (my friend would say) looks.
Carpeted floors aren’t durable a la FJ Cruiser and Jeep Wrangler.
Fuel Economy – It’s and SUV for god’s sakes!
Just seems like an average all around car to me. Nothing is jumping out at me telling me. As Donkey from Shrek would say it’s not saying “Pick Me! Pick Me!”

Conclusions

As I’ve mentioned over and over in this article , this vehicle is just not blowing me away. The only added bonuses I see are the included luggage rack and the additional storage spaces included with said luggage rack. Other than that I liked the car, but did not love it. As a dog car it falls short on being the first of the three SUV’s without durable floors. I envision the carpets getting dirty and having difficulty cleaning compared to the plastic floors in the FJ and the pull out carpet in the Wrangler.

I am just a regular consumer just like everyone else and don’t get to thoroughly test drive these vehicles. I review information already on the internet and couple that with my own test drive and opinions. Hopefully this review helps you make your decision, but I’d highly recommend you do additional research on some of the other great auto review websites like Edmunds, Yahoo Autos, or DogCars.com.

I still have my eye out for the perfect dog car. Three reviews down and many more to go. If you’re interested take a look at my reviews of the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and the Toyota FJ Cruiser.

If you liked this article check out my first article on the Perfect Dog Car.

Let me know what you think about this car. Do you own a Toyota FJ Cruiser?

How To Teach Your Puppy His Name

Jan 31, 2008 By Colby 129 Comments

I’m assuming you already named your puppy. If not check out the article I wrote about how I named my dogs: Naming Your Dog.

If you’ve already named your puppy then it’s time to learn how to teach your puppy his name.

One of the most important things you can teach your dog is his name. It can save his life…literally. How you might ask?

Well what if your dog was chasing a ball into the street? What if a car was coming?

If your dog knows the meaning of his name he will respond and come to you when called even while in the middle of playing.

Of course, as I mentioned in my last article, How To Handle Your Puppy’s First Night At Home, training your puppy will require consistency and patience.

How To Teach Your Puppy His Name

Puppy Charlie hears his name. — Did someone same Charlie?

From the Guide Dogs of America Handbook:

Teaching your puppy its name is important.
Use it every time you talk to him and with every command (except NO and STAY) .
Never associate the dog’s name with something negative.
Never scold the puppy after he comes to you, even if it has taken a while to respond.
Please do not change the puppy’s name or call him by a nickname.

That’s it! Short and simple. However it is much easier said then done.

My Experiences With Stetson And Linus

A few pitfalls I can warn you about are:

Not using the puppy’s name with NO and STAY – This is difficult to do when you try to use their name with every other command. Try to be consistent. I still will occasionally use Linus and Stetson’s name with the NO or STAY command.

Also, you might be wondering why can’t we use our puppy’s name with the STAY command? The main reason we don’t associate our dogs name with the STAY command is because the puppy’s name should be synonymous with the COME command.

When I say my puppy’s name he should COME to me. That is quite the contradiction from STAY.

It is also very difficult to avoid using your dog’s name with something negative. My biggest problem is when Linus or Stetson does something wrong I’ll say their name in a very negative voice. Sometimes I catch myself…sometimes I don’t.

Scolding your puppy when he comes to you…another bad habit that can be difficult to break. Why wouldn’t you want to scold your puppy after he comes to you?

Lets say he just chewed up your new shoes and you say “Stetson Come” He comes to you as you commanded (made the correct choice). Then you scold him! Do you think he’s going to come to you next time? No! You should praise him when he comes to you.

The only time you should scold your puppy is when you catch him in the act of doing something wrong.

Not changing your name or calling your dog by a nickname is more of a Guide Dog thing, but is also good for a young puppy. It can be confusing for a young puppy if your calling him by several different names.

I tried hard with Linus, but my sister, my room mate, and my ex-girlfriend each had a nickname for him. I constantly told them not to use nicknames. Here are a few they used: Linie, Linikins, Linoceros, and Puppy Chow.

I’ve been very strict with Stetson and people are usually more understanding since he’s training to be a guide dog.

Teaching our puppy his name — Here comes Charlie! Teaching this puppy his name.

The Name Game

The first game we always play at our Guide Dog training class is the Name Game. How does it work?

Take your dog to the park and keep him on leash (it works a little better if you have a longer leash maybe about 10 feet).
Give him about 5 feet to wonder away.
When he’s not looking call his name with an excited voice and make sure he comes to you (if he doesn’t come reel him in with his leash).
When he gets to you give him tons of praise!
Repeat the exercise over and over again until your puppy is consistently returning to you when you call his name.

QUICK TIP: This might be the only time you’ll catch me recommend using a flexi-leash. When working on recalls we will use either a 10-30 foot long line or sometimes we’ll use a flexi-leash. We ONLY use our flexi-leash when training our pups.

***Whenever you’re trying to get your puppy’s attention you have to be the most exciting thing in the world…more exciting then the birds, smells, other dogs, joggers…you get the picture…

Try playing the Name Game with your puppy. Be consistent and patient. Stick to the rules outlined above and your puppy will soon be consistently coming to you when you say his name.

Have you played the Name Game before? Does your puppy know his name? Do you have any other suggestions for reinforcing a puppy’s name?

Now that your puppy knows his name you might try teaching him something more advanced like “Go To Your Bed”

Stetson Took The Canine Good Citizen Test And He…

AKC’s Canine Good Citizen Program – as completed by Stetson

Where Did I Think He Went Wrong

The Results Are In

Congratulations to Dustin!

My Hints For the CGC Test

Puppy Adoption – Black And Tan Labrador Retriever Mix

Chocolate The Black Lab Mix

What is a Black and Tan Labrador Retriever Mix?

Are you interested in adopting?

A List Of My Fellow Guide Dogs Of America Bloggers

Who Are Guide Dogs Of America

What Are Puppy Raisers

My Fellow GDA Puppy Raising Bloggers

Other Guide Dog Organizations

Nissan Xterra 2008 – A Dog Car For Outdoor Recreation

Nissan Xterra 2008 Specifications

Does It Stack Up? Dog And Human Criteria Lists

Advantages – The Things I Like

Disadvantages – The Things I Don’t Like

Conclusions

How To Teach Your Puppy His Name

How To Teach Your Puppy His Name

My Experiences With Stetson And Linus

The Name Game

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