In terms of separation anxiety, we've eased into it and so far so good with Harper.
A few days before we left the Seeing Eye School, my trainer came to our room and had me put a bell on Harper’s collar. “Tell Harper to go to his place,” he said. “Then leave the room for a minute.” I stood right outside the door so I could hear Harper if he whined. Or barked. If Harper got into any mischief at all, I was supposed to go back in and scold him. If he was good, I could go back and give him praise. “Good boy, Harper!”
The next day I put Harper’s bell on, told him to go to his place, then left the room for two minutes. “Good dog, Harper!” The next day, five minutes. The next? Ten. The Seeing Eye acknowledges there’ll be places I might want to go where a guide dog may not be very comfortable (Obama’s election night party in Grant Park, for example) or where I may not need a dog to guide me around., ”When you get home, ease into this gradually,” they told us. “Just like in class, begin by leaving your dog for a very brief time.”
I waited until Harper and I were comfortable together at home before starting all this. December 29 I put Harper’s bell on his collar and stood outside our apartment door for a minute. Not a peep. “Yay, Harper!” On December 31 Mike and I left Harper at home and headed downstairs to a friend’s apartment for a quick New Year’s toast. “Good boy, Harper!” Two days ago Harper stayed home while Mike and I walked to the grocery store. We returned to find Harper fast asleep on his favorite blankie. “Attaboy, Harper!”
A dozen or more schools in the United States train dogs to guide people who are blind, each school using slightly different methods. Earlier this week my friend Ira sent me a story from the Daily Herald about a man who is blind and uses a guide dog. Tim Spencer and his dog didn’t go to the Seeing Eye, they trained at Guiding Eyes for the Blind in new York. The condo where Spencer lives in suburban Chicago doesn’t allow pets, but when he came home with his new guide dog in November, the condo board made concessions. Months later, the dog barks incessantly anytime Spencer leaves him alone in the condo, and residents are lodging complaints. From the story:
“I am getting harassed for a tool I use to function,” Spencer said. “For the first six months, guide dogs go through separation anxiety. And he’ll bark a bit because he’s scared and in a new environment.”
Spencer claims his dog is rarely left alone for more than two hours, usually during the day or early evening. A hearing has been set up to try to resolve the issue, but until then Spencer faces nearly $300 in fines for violating condo rules.
A follow-up story in Thursday’s Daily Herald reports that Spencer has been flooded with offers from outsiders with ideas to help quiet his dog. Suburban residents are sharing advice on how they’ve handled their own dogs’ barking, Neighbors have offered to dog-sit,and a board-certified veterinary behaviorist even offered his services at no cost.
Spencer said he welcomes the help and will use these new tools to discover if Iggie needs more training or if the complaints are, as he contends, unfounded.
The phrase “reasonable accommodation” got its start when the Rehabilitation Act was passed in 1973, and I like to think of it going both ways. Seems to me the condo association accommodated Spencer in a reasonable (and legal) way. They followed ADA guidelinesFair Housing Act guidelines and allowed a guide dog in a building where other pets are not allowed. Perhaps Tim Spencer can return the favor and accommodate his neighbors in a reasonable way as well: either take his guide dog out with him more often, or take up these offers to learn ways to help his dog stay calm when left alone at the condo.
So interesting to hear all the ways you teach the dogs. Especially like the idea of the bell — you can hear what your dog is doing when you can’t see him.
Beth, like you, I was regularly encouraged to leave O.J alone in my room during training, sometimes even during mealtimes if I wanted. I’d put him on tie-down, put the radio on and leave the room and he was fine. I knew I wanted a dog that would be happy to be left alone sometimes, because to be honest there are lots of times when I don’t take him places. Of course we have another dog to keep him company but it doesn’t bother him.
I’ve had comments from other guide dog owners telling me its unfair, but if O.J doesn’t have a problem, I don’t either.
So happy to hear that Harper is doing so great and passing all his tests with flying colors! I’m thinking that you said at the Seeing Eye the dogs are trained not to bark (I know I’ve yet to hear Hanni bark, just the occasional lion like noises when she is rolling on her back playing with her favorite squirrel toy); Do you know if schools differ in the training or does he just have a problem with his dog?
Oh, I’m pretty sure all dog guide schools train their dogs not to bark. But there’s not a guide dog out there who doesn’t try to break one (or more!) of the “rules” now and then. And while I’ve had good luck with Harper when it comes to separation anxiety, trust me, he is not passing *all* his tests with flying colors! Not yet, at least. Example: he is *terrible* when it comes to other dogs in our lobby or outside in the hood. Remember –he’s a party animal!
The trainers at the Seeing Eye try to teach the dogs to control their instincts but it is virtually impossible to eliminate them completely. Unfortunately most instincts are detrimental to good guide work, so it’s up to us as guide dog users to discipline our dogs if they chase, scavenge, sniff, protect or socialize.
Take yesterday, for instance. Harper was so focused on a dog at a corner that he totally blew the curb, he had no idea whatsoever that we were about to cross a street. Had a car been turning into that street right at that moment we would have been killed. I have a hard time getting strict with Harper and disciplining him, so easy to think, gee, his work is so hard, Chicago traffic is rough, give the poor dog a break.
But I have to keep reminding myself how important it is, especially now in our first weeks together, to correct him.
A long response to simply say: it’s continuous, hard work. But well worth it!
As someone who has been through the training program at Guiding Eyes, I can honestly say I was very impressed and thought the training was very thorough. Keep in mind that any issue can surface at any time no matter which school the dog is from.
Beth, I’m so happy to hear you and Harper are doing so well.
While raising two dogs with the 4H for the Seeing Eye Morristown NJ when I went to the supermarket I left Animal Planet on the TV with their toys and a chew item left on the floor. When I arrived home they were happy to see me and I always purchased a little something like snacks or a rope toy which they would snoop into the bags when I brought them in. So that was their reward for being home alone for awhile.I hope this would help a little.
Beth,
I think you are right on point!
Of course issues can develop once one leaves the school, and the schools are all willing to help find solutions to those issues.
It is the responsibility of a handler, especially if they live in a multiple dwelling building, to be sure their dog is comfortable being alone. The condo association is accommodating this man and his dog, and there are lots of ways he could accommodate them.
This is an issue, if it can’t be resolved, that would be grounds for returning this dog to the school. It may not be appropriate for this man’s lifestyle; living in a multiple dwelling building. Legally, the association is within its rights to penalize the man for his dog’s behavior.
Everyone has their “line in the sand,” when it comes to what behaviors they will accept from their dogs. Barking is one of mine.
I live in a condo building too, and have had a dog who barked. I worked with the school, but couldn’t change the dog’s behavior. I returned her, not only for this reason, but others as well. She could not be retrained, and was adopted out to a family that lived on a farm. There she could bark to her heart’s delight.
Before he considers this, I hope the school will work with him, and provide suggestions on how to resolve this uncomfortable situation.
I love your blog, I learn so much reading what you write, and then what all the people who comment have to say. So many things I would have never thought of. Thanks for writing, everybody!
I totally agree with you on this, Beth. As far as I know every guide dog program teaches ways to avoid separation anxiety, but that doesn’t mean it still can’t crop up. My first guide dog, Willow, had problems with this after she retired, but I NEVER left her in my apartment to anxiously cry while I was gone to work without her. I always made other arrangements for her out of respect for my neighbors and to keep her happier. Luckily, so far, it doesn’t seem to be a problem with my new dog, but like you, I’m doing things with Jack to hopefully help avoid it.
I also wanted to let you know you about the Second Assistance Dog Blog Carnival which is happening soon. Post submissions are due by Midnight next Monday Jan. 17, 2011, and the theme is “Decisions”. I’d love to include a post from you! You can check out the link above (or my blog) for more details.
Thanks for lettting me know about this –I submitted my “Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend” post, it certainly qualifies as a post about decision-making. Good luck with the carnival!
I found this article interesting and informative. Having never been a guide dog user, I feel I’m being educated as well as entertained.
So good to hear that, Rollie — you hit on the two things I am trying to do with this blog: entertain, and educate!
[…] It looks like some people will be finding tonight’s blog post rather interesting! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not actually picking other blogs to pieces. The experiences are of that person, not me. I’m just discussing the different things bloggers write about, because I’m serious when I haven’t ever had such ideas when working with a guide dog before in my life. like leaving the dog home for gradually longer and longer periods.>/a> I’ve heard of this tec… […]
Sounds like you have gone to the best place to get a dog! I am totally amazed at the all the thought and caring that has gone into your training even though Harper is not your first dog. I am always appalled when going to a conference and seeing dogs that clearly display inappropriate behaviour even when they are “working”. They do a vast disservice not only to their owners but to the visually impaired community at large. While we think society is tolerant of service dogs, there are a growing number of incidents that prove the opposite.
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