After this exercise we took the dogs to Portland to do our rout from Tuesday. We have done the same route for the last few days so that we could focus on our handling technique. Joel would try to anticipate what I was going to do which was not necessarily a good thing and he still was very timid at going right. He was not bad but the route was not as smooth on Wednesday as it was on Tuesday. After working our route in Portland for in the morning and afternoon we went back to campus.
We took care of the dogs and went to dinner. We had black bean chillie with pork chunks and cheese along with tortillas. They make their own Tortillas and they warm and not dry. Delicious. Afterwards we were given the toys for our dogs. I got a tug-a-war toy and a Nila-bone(Not sure how to spell it). The Tug toy is a ring and he took to it instantly. He is usually calm but he became very enthusiastic and excited when playing. He is really strong and when he snaps his head around to try and pull the tug ring free he does it so hard that his giant ears whip around. It sounds like it would be very painful but he doesn't seem to mind.
We learned how to use the "High Collar Technique" Thursday morning. This means that the user puts the collar up near the back of the dog's ears instead of low on the neck. This technique is used when the dog is not responding to all other forms of chastisement. Since this area is very sensitive the user can much easier draw their attention away from whatever they are doing. After this we returned to Portland. We actually went into the starbux this time and hung out there for a while. . Before we would do our rout and then return to the GDB Portland lounge without going into the starbux. Joel was much better about going to the right and I could actually feel it for the most part. Before, I could not actually feel what he was doing. What helped this was that the instru7ctors gave me an offset harness handle. The harnesses have a detachable handle that is made of PVC pipe like material with a GDB logo plate connecting the two shafts of the handle. In an offset handle, the two shafts are not strait but suddenly go diagonally before straitening out again. This places me a bit further to the right of Joel when guiding which for some reason gives him more confidence to push me right. We did our route several times and the other student working with my instructor went on a doubles route with me. There are six stud3ents and three instructors with two students assigned to each. So Usually we would do our routes individually but Thursday we both went together. Working two dogs is interesting and it makes it a bit more hectic but not considerably. Thursday evening we had roasted chicken for dinner and it was pretty good but not my favorite. Next we learned how to put on our dog's head collars. The head collar goes around their ears and muzzle
so that the user has complete control of the dog's head. Joel is a very good dog when putting the collar on. He just sits there and lets me manhandle his head. If I ever tried to put a head collar on Josie She'd take my hand off.
On Friday we had breakfast quesadillas for breakfast. They had egg, cheese, bacon and Sausage in them and they were really good. When in Portland we went on a doubles rout again. We were able to go a longer way to the starbux since both of use were with the trainer so we weren't pressed for time. In the afternoon we went to another city that I cannot spell and rode the Metro Area Express (MAX) and the bus. The max is a Light Rail train. Joel knew what to do and went strait onto the bus and MAX. Besides the other student who I usually work with there were was another instructor and their two students with us as well. Four dogs on a crowded bus is not fun in the least but Joel made it much better by being very calm and doing whatever he was told without a fuss. The max was the best since Joel had ridden it as a puppy so he went right on as soon as the doors opened. I wish Huntington had something like the MAX it seems to be a great mode of public transport.
When we came back to campus we worked on our clicker training. The clicker is used to indicate to the dog that whatever they are doing right when the click occurs is something worthy of a food reward. They call it a bridge since it is a very distinct sound and the dog has associated the click with the food so the reward is not as delayed since they have Click=food implanted in their brains. Using a clicker whenever Joel found a certain chair made it only take around30 to 45 minutes to train him to take me strait to the chair. That evening we had steamed cod which was absolutely amazing. It was really tender and the sauce that it was lathered in was delicious as well. We did not do anything else of note that night.
Saturday was escalator day. I was really nervous for these since at the top of the escalator where the teeth lock together to make a flat surface they can catch the dog's back paws and mangle them. To prevent this the dogs wear booties. These look like little water shoes with a tenisshoe sole on the bottom. They just slip over the dog's feet and tighten around the ankle. Joel has bigger front feet than back feet. We just put on the back shoes and Joel was very compliant and did not fight the shoes. The escalators themselves were not very bad since Joel knew what to do already. The only pain was putting on the shoes and since he is so cooperative this is not nearly difficult as it could be.
That afternoon we worked in sidewalkless areas. They are a bit more challenging on the handler's part since there are a lot of going to the curb to make sure you are on the correct side of the street. I move my feet quite a bit when trying to get orientated and this confuses Joel. It is one of the major things that I need to focus on improving. Again Joel knew what to do which helped matters. After this route we returned to campus and learned our way around the outside portion of campus. For the most part we have been in the dorm building where all the classes and other work is done. The campus is very large with several other buildings including the kennel where the other dogs that are either awaiting a handler in the next class or being trained are kept. This route will be excellent practic3e for dog distractions and there are many obstacles on the left and right so I will be able to practice my obstacle avoidance with Joel. He is good at it but I still have trouble sometimes knowing when he is turning. We also learned how to let our dogs free run. They have a grassy in fenced in area where the dogs can run off of their leashes. I let Joel off here and threw the tug ring that I have for him. He leaps all the way off of the ground to get it but he will not bring it back always. When you call the dogs they advise that you do not put your head near the dog's level since they run so hard to get back to you they can give you a black eye or knock you over.
Saturday evening we cleaned the dogs ears and teeth. Joel was very calm and easy when cleaning his ears but when I tried to brush his teeth he tried to move his head away. This is somewhat strange since all the other dogs wanted to eat the toothpaste where Joel tried to avoid it at all costs. This is something that I will need to figure out how to make a better experience for him so he won't always be so reticent to when brushing his teeth.
Today we have the day off so I slept in. We had amazing omelets for breakfast (Mine had egg, cheese, and bacon in it. Fantastic._) After this we went to the gift shop where I purchased rain coat for Joel as well as an extra leash and collapsible travel water bowl. The reason that I bought an extra leash was because at some point Joel got ahold of the leash and nibbled on it a bit. Now there are a couple of cracks in the leather and I figured that it would be a good idea to get an extra just in case he eventually chews through this one. I am going to take a walk after finishing this post. If anything else interesting happens today I will post about it either tomorrow or tonight.
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