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CRATES & TIE-DOWNS

Dear Abbie:
When my raiser is home, I only have to go in my crate when it's nap time. But when she goes to school, her mom stuffs me in the kennel and won't let me out--even when I'm not sleepy! Crates are for sleeping; when someone's home, I get to play! She obviously doesn't understand about play-time, so I bark and bark to tell her that it's just not fair! I heard her telling my raiser that I'm driving her crazy, but I have a right to protest, don't I?
--Uncivilly Disobedient

Dear Uncivil~
As cool as it is to be with your raiser every waking moment, your raiser needs to give you enough crate time when you are wakeful that you learn to be quiet and patient, and enough quiet time outside of your crate that you are comfortable settling down outside of it. By always kenneling you for naps, she may be teaching you to sleep only in your kennel. Sleep time and hanging out time both have to be trained so when you grow up you know how to lie quietly and wait patiently for your blind partner. If you never have a chance to settle down and sleep out in the open, you miss learning how to settle without a crate. Freedom from your kennel comes to mean "run around and go crazy". It may feel lonely and even scary to be in your kennel when you're not sleepy, but being comfortable when you are crated is a skill that all Guide puppies need. Some day, you will ride in the puppy truck back to school. You will need to ride quietly in the vans when you go out to train. Tell your raiser to crate you frequently, for short periods, off and on throughout the day--not just when you're sleepy. It may also help to feed you in your kennel, which will help you make a positive association with it. She should also teach you the important skill of lying quietly and falling asleep away from the security of your crate. You will use this skill a lot when you're waiting for your blind person at work, on the bus, at a movie, you name it—with a little time and effort, I'm sure you, your raiser and her mom can strike a balance between crate time and play time, and you'll all be happier in the long run.

Dear Abby~
My new mom keeps me in this crate. I really hate it, so I scream and cry. She talks all sweet to me, but I won't stop. She thinks she'll fool me by putting a long-line on me, then hiding. When I bark, she jerks me. But I'm no dummy! If there's a line on my collar, I don't bark. But when she takes the thing off me, I really go ballistic! Sometimes she tries to trick me by putting me in there and fussing around the house for an hour before she leaves, but I just bark and bark. Sometimes she just leaves, even though I'm barking. You can bet I'm still barking when she gets home! It's only been two weeks since I got off the puppy truck, and my mom seems mostly nice, but this crate stuff has got to stop!
—Tantrum Tyrant

Dear Tyrant~
Sounds like you're a smart young puppy just bursting with energy. When you're in your crate, you get bored, so you bark. It's important that you don't bark so much that you form a habit of pitching a fit every time you are placed in a crate! I hope your mom never opens the crate when you're barking, because that will teach you that barking works. She should wait until you're quiet and then praise you and open the door. She can increase the length of time she asks you to be quiet before you are released. That way, you will start to learn that being quiet works better for getting attention than barking.
    Your mom knows that being comfortable in a kennel is one of the best skills a Guide pup can have, and she's tried a lot of things to help you. It sounds to me like you don't get much time to play. It will be a lot easier staying calm in your crate if you are tired when you get there.
    Do you have a place you can stretch your legs and run around? If you are young enough not to be fully vaccinated, your mom is limited as to the places she can take you. If there are too many places to hide in the yard, or too much stuff to get into in the house for you to play, your mom can set up an exercise pen. That will give you more space than a crate, and you can have a little romp without getting into trouble; your mom can still get something done around the house without having to supervise you every minute. She should let you play there long enough to fall asleep, so you don't get the notion that the only place you can be still is in your kennel.
    Your mom can also get a tug ring or a rope toy and play lots interactive games with you, in addition to your regular training. It's fun for both of you, it's good exercise and you'll be building a bond for the future!
    Pretty soon you'll be old enough to go everywhere with your mom, and you won't have to deal with so much crate time. Things will be better, I promise!

Dear Abbie:
I sleep in a crate in my mom's room. I like it, but lately it's getting harder to squeeze inside, and once I do, I can barely turn around. Mom says if I don't stop growing, I'll have to give up my crate. Since I can't help getting bigger, I think my mom should get me a bigger crate. If she doesn't, where will I sleep?
–Growing like a Weed

Dear Growing:
Some humans get bigger crates as their puppies grow, but others don't have room for a huge crate in the bedroom. Then you're left with the choice of a big crate somewhere else in the house–which would be lonely–or moving to a tie-down at night. A tie-down is a short piece of plastic-wrapped metal cable with snaphooks on both ends. One end attaches to the bed or an eye-bolt on the floor, and the other end attaches to your collar. Some puppies are ready earlier than others, but usually by the time you outgrow your baby kennel, you are mannerly enough to start sleeping on a tie-down. If you are fairly good at making it through the night without an accident, and also at keeping your mouth on your own toys, you are probably ready. My mom always starts our puppies by putting them on the tie-down and lying on the bed beside them, reading. That way she can correct any misbehaviors and the pup still gets the feeling of being there while its human lies still. After a few trial runs, she lets them try it overnight–usually on a weekend so if she looses a lot of sleep monitoring them it won't make her too tired for work the next day. The pups usually take to the tie-down right away and we can get rid of the crate in the bedroom within a couple of weeks. It's important for Guide Dog puppies to be comfortable using both crate and tie-down, so even if you don't get to sleep on a tie-down overnight, it's high time your raiser introduces you to how they work. Remember, whatever your raiser decides, she should make sure you get enough practice that you stay comfortable with both crate and tie-down!

Dear Abbie:
I’m used to going everywhere with my Mom & Dad--they haven’t left me alone since I was a baby. Until yesterday, that is. They went away and left me all by myself in my kennel! Can you imagine! They never put me in my kennel, now that I’m a big dog and I don’t have accidents anymore. I felt so bad, I barked the entire time they were gone, and practically scratched a hole in my kennel trying to get out. I don’t think they even love me anymore. I’m a good dog, I don’t see why they left me alone like that.
—Jailbird

Dear Jailbird:
Sounds like you are one of the lucky pups whose raisers don’t go to work or school very often, or who can take you along when they do. As a Guide Dog puppy, you get to go along with your raisers on many outings. However, your raisers should be crating you a few minutes each day so you stay comfortable with the concept; you will ride in a crate a lot when you are in harness training. You’re not going to like this much, but it is important for you to learn to be contented all alone. Guide Dogs wants you to feel okay and not panic when your raisers can’t be with you, because there may be times when you won’t be able to be with your blind partner, either. By the time you go into harness training, you should be able to be non-destructive and clean (no accidents) at-large in a room for about three hours. The only way you can learn this skill is to be left alone. Your raisers can start by leaving you for a few minutes--even a trip to the mailbox will do--and then increasing that time gradually as you have successes. Tell them not to make a big deal of coming home or leaving, so you don’t get overexcited anticipating the big event. So, as much as you like to go on outings, you’re learning something just as important when you don’t. Your raisers love you the same as ever--they’re just helping you learn an important skill you’ll need someday!

Dear Abbie:
When I was a baby, I slept in a crate in my raisers’ bedroom. It was really great. I could hear my raisers breathing and smell them close to me. But now that I’m grown up and no longer need to go out during the night, they lock me in a room downstairs. I can’t hear my people or tell anything about what’s going on in the house. Plus, I get so lonely! I don’t even feel like part of the family anymore. Why do I have to spend my nights in exile?
—Banished from the Bedroom

Dear Banished:
I’ve always been perplexed when pups tell me their humans banished them at night. It’s terrible, but I’ve heard that some dogs are even made to sleep in the basement or garage! Can you imagine? My theory is that humans get bothered because we sometimes snore, or get up to change positions and our collar tags jingle. Humans forget that we dogs are pack animals and feel most comfortable when we are surrounded by pack members–be they canine or human. More than an ordinary pet dog, a Guide Dog puppy needs to sleep in the bedroom with its raisers. The pup can stay in a kennel, be hooked up on a tie-down, or when it’s ready, have the run of the room. As you pointed out, sleeping near your raisers (but never on the bed!) helps a puppy feel like part of the family. Nighttime provides eight uninterrupted hours of bonding. We can smell and hear our humans nearby, which is very comforting. All puppies need to learn tie-down manners. Sleeping next to your raisers’ bed is the perfect way to learn this critical skill. When you are placed with your blind person, you will certainly stay on a tie-down overnight by their bedside. It’s important that your raisers give you the chance to learn good nighttime manners now, so you’ll be a joy for your new blind partner to be with–24 hours a day. You can’t learn it exiled to a distant room. Tell your raisers that, overnight, the bedroom is the place to be!

Dear Abbie:
My raisers have this box that they trap me in all the time. I don’t like it at all! I can’t see them very well from in there and I can’t run and play like I want to. Worst of all, there’s nothing to do but sleep. When I think they want to trap me, I run away. If they catch me, I put on the breaks and fight them! When they finally get me inside, I scratch and whine to get out. If they ignore me, I yowl at the top of my lungs. Then they scold me and sometimes even bang on the box with their hands and tell me I’m bad. I hate that! Why can’t they understand I just want to be near them, not all cooped up?
—Boxed In

Dear Boxed:
The “box” you hate so much is really called a crate or kennel. There are some good reasons your raisers need you to stay inside it. When you were little, your raisers used it to keep you from doing business except where they wanted you to. I bet you didn’t “go” in your kennel unless it was an emergency! Second, even the most loving raisers need time to do people things–like work and sleep. When they can’t supervise and train you, they use your crate to keep you safe and to keep you from learning bad habits. Lastly, when you go off to Guide Dog training, you will ride in a crate. It’s a long trip and it helps if you’re used to it. Once in training, you will travel in a crate to your daily lessons. If being crated gives you a lot of stress, your time in training will be ever so much harder. Believe it or not, most puppies like their crates. Your raisers can help you learn to enjoy your crate by feeding you in there and occasionally having a game of pitch-the-Kong-in-the-kennel. They shouldn’t coop you up so much that you can’t get the exercise you need, or take care of business when you need to. They should never use your kennel as punishment, and should never, ever bang on it or pester you in any way when you’re inside. Your kennel is your den. It’s your safe house and escape from the world. I hope your raisers will help you discover what a nice place a crate can really be!

Dear Abbie:
Usually I go everywhere with my raiser, or else stay in my crate, but lately she’s been leaving me loose in the house. After a while, I start to feel really nervous. I yowl so she’ll hear me and come back. I dash around looking for her. Sometimes I can’t help chewing on things. My raiser gets really mad. She says I’m too old for my crate, but what does she expect me to do when I’m on my own in such a big house? Please tell my raiser not to leave me alone anymore.
--Home Alone

Dear Homie,
Your raiser is right that you need to learn to stay alone calmly for a period of hours before you return to GDB for harness training. Trouble is, she gave you too much freedom too fast. Right now, you don’t have enough experience being on your own without your crate, so you have difficulty handling it. You need to build confidence slowly, and work up to being alone for longer periods of time. Your raiser can start by leaving for very short periods–like going to get the mail or newspaper. Once you’re calm about that, she can go for a little longer–like five minutes, and then keep upping the time until you can handle a whole half hour at large by yourself. Then she can try even longer periods of time, and you should do just fine. At first, your raiser might want to make a dog-proof room for you, where you can stay when she goes out. Sometimes it’s easier to handle freedom when you don’t have so much of it. She can let you practice by putting you in the room while she’s in another part of the house. That way, she can monitor you and correct your behavior if you start to yowl or dig. You’ll find that after a while, it’s not so different being all alone from when she’s home but in another room. Once you’ve mastered being in the room, it will be easier to have the run of the house when you’re alone. It may take weeks or months, but I’m sure that if your raiser will help you take baby steps, you will be able handle being home alone and even be calm about it.

DOG-TO-DOG INTERACTIONS

Dear Abbie:
I’m an eleven-month-old female German Shepherd. My raisers say I’m almost perfect, but lately I’ve felt “growly” towards other dogs, except for the puppy club dogs. At first my raisers sprayed the back of my head with Listerine when I acted up. That worked for a while, but not anymore. My raisers take me hiking in a nearby park each morning and we see about three dogs every time. If my raisers put me on a down-stay and talk calmly while the other dog passes, I’m okay. But if they keep walking when a dog is approaching us, I lunge towards it and bark. My raisers say that German Shepherds my age often have problems with anxiety and that we should avoid too much contact with other dogs until I grow out it. They say I shouldn’t get into the habit of showing aggression towards other dogs, but I don’t want to lose my morning walks! Is there anything my raisers can do to help me stay more calm?
–Just a Phase

Dear Phase:
Your raisers are right to be concerned about your aggressiveness. If you develop a habit of barking and lunging at other dogs, you will have a lot of trouble becoming a Guide, so it’s important that you and your raisers work closely with your club leader and puppy raising advisor to help sort your behaviors. They might decide you need to try the food protocol, to recondition you to pay more attention to your raisers and not worry about the other dogs. One shepherd’s raiser I know of used it in combination with a breath spray to get him over his aggressive phase. Every morning, his raiser took him to a park where they knew there would be lots of dogs and worked on counter-conditioning. The raiser sat on a park bench. His entire job was to sit beside her and watch the other dogs go by without keying on them. It’s great that you are able to be still and quiet around strange dogs when you are on a down-stay. Perhaps walking while strange dogs are going by is too much stimulation for you. More experience and practice being calm around strange dogs just might do the trick. With patience, time and training, I’m sure you will be able to work through this phase and make it all the way to being a perfect Guide Dog!

Dear Abbie:
This weekend we went visiting my raiser’s relatives and their dog Brutus. I’m telling you, Uncle Brutus is one cool dog. He’s huge and drooly and you should see him run and play in his big back yard! I really wanted to have a good romp with him but my raiser wouldn’t let me. It’s not fair! Why did my raiser make me stay inside with her on a leash?
–Not Running with the Big Dogs

Dear Not Running:
It seems unfair, but your raiser was really looking out for your best interests by not letting you play rough with Uncle Brutus. Aside from serious injuries that could result from playing with a dog much bigger than yourself, there are lots of undesirable behaviors you could learn from Brutus. Rough play can quickly escalate to something much more dangerous. Brutus could get mad and growl or even bite you. Then you might learn to be fearful of other dogs or aggressive with them. Future Guides need to be confident and calm around other dogs. When you are working, you must ignore other dogs altogether. If all you can think of is playing with every dog you see, you will not be able to keep your mind on your guide work. You see, in your future career you must be more people oriented than dog oriented. You already speak fluent dog–learning to communicate with people is like learning a foreign language. You have to spend much more of your time with people than with dogs because one day your “pack” will be entirely composed of one person–your blind partner. I hate to say it, but even play dates with other Guide Dog puppies about your same age are not a really great idea. Yes, you need time to play and be a dog–but the play needs to be interactive with your raisers so you learn to bond with people, not with other dogs.

Dear Abbie:
My raiser and I were having a nice neighborhood walk when all of a sudden this huge growling dog came out of nowhere, jumped on me and tried to bite me! I wasn’t hurt, but now I’m so afraid when I see another dog that I can’t help but growl in self-defense. I don’t like feeling this way, but I don’t want to be attacked again. Help!
–Beating them to the Punch

Dear Punch:
Unfortunately, loose dogs are a huge problem for both puppies being raised and working Guides. Our puppy club has had several dogs dropped from the program after an encounter like you described because they could not overcome their fear. Many Guides must be retired after such an encounter, too.
    Your raiser should work with your club leader and Puppy Raising Advisor to design a program to help you. This may include outings to places where you will be able to observe other dogs that are controlled, without interacting directly with them. They may prescribe even more powerful training techniques like counter-conditioning, too.
    It’s easier to stay calm when you encounter an aggressive dog if you have learned how to be mannerly around nice dogs. Raisers should begin by giving the okay to visit with another dog only when both dogs are calm (that means both dogs must be on a leash at first). If one of the dogs cannot keep calm, then the raiser should remove him from the situation until he can calm himself. Once both dogs earn the right to visit, it’s important for the raisers to keep the leash loose. If people tighten up, the dogs may be signaled that their humans are apprehensive and start feeling defensive or aggressive. After all, if your person seems afraid, then you will be afraid, too. If you and the other dog start getting rough, your raiser should take you away until both dogs are calm again. Guide puppies are never supposed to run loose with other dogs unsupervised–even with your raiser’s own pet dog! It’s too easy to be injured or learn undesirable behaviors when your raiser isn’t around.
    Raisers can prevent negative dog interactions by being extra aware of their surroundings and not putting their dogs in harm’s way. That means avoiding areas with loose dogs, and especially avoiding dog parks, where all the dogs are loose; and rough, unsupervised play is the norm.
    When a loose dog does appear, like it did on your walk, the best thing to do is ignore it as much as possible and get out of the area quickly and calmly. If you don’t respond to the dog, it may lose interest and leave you alone. If a dog does jump on you, it’s best for the raiser to maintain a loose leash or even drop the leash so you have the freedom you need to protect yourself. Of course, a person should never try to break up a dog fight with their hands or body, because they could be bitten. A bucket of water or sturdy stick can be used as a last resort. If possible, it’s good for your raiser to get the name of the dog’s owner or witnesses to the attack in case they are needed later. Any incident of this sort should be reported immediately to the club leaders so they can get you the veterinary and behavioral support you need to recover and still have a chance at a career as a Guide Dog.

Dear Abbie:
I was queen of the house until my mistress brought this rotten little puppy home. Now she spends all her time with him–it’s like I don’t even exist. She brushes him every day, trains him, takes him everywhere in his little green coat. She even escorts him when he relieves himself. I try to ignore him, but he won’t leave me alone. I growl to put him in his place, but he won’t listen. I want my life back!
–No One Asked Me if I Wanted a Baby Brother

Dear No One Asked:
Congratulations! You are officially the co-raiser of a Guide Dog puppy. I understand how you can feel pushed aside. Raising a Guide Dog is a huge commitment of time for your mistress–especially when the puppy is new and doesn’t know the ropes yet. It leaves her little time to pay attention to you. There are a few simple things your mistress can do to soften the blow. For instance, whenever you and the puppy do something at the same time, you, as the resident dog, should get to go first. That means you get fed first, brushed first, even go through doors first. Being first will help you feel important and demonstrate to the puppy that your mistress knows you are top dog. Tell your raiser to make time to spend exclusively with you. It benefits the puppy, too, to have to learn to be quiet and still while she interacts with another canine. Ideally, you two should be “chums.” You can sniff the same bushes, chew Nyla bones next to each other, and play in the same yard without a lot of tumbling around. Your mistress will have to do a lot of supervision at first so the puppy understands; after all, he’s used to lots of rough-and-tumble play with his litter mates. Your raiser must teach the Guide Dog puppy to bond with people above all and to ignore other dogs, so eventually you’ll find the puppy quite nice company. Before you know it, your new “brother” will start growing up and you won’t even remember what it was like without him. Then, when he’s off to training, you might even find yourself missing him from time to time.

Dear Abbie:
I love to run up and down the fence line and growl and bark at the neighbor’s dogs. It is so much fun, but my mom doesn’t like it one bit. What should I do? What should my mom do?
–Tired But Happy

Dear Tired:
Many dogs find your hobbies, fence running and fence fighting, to be enjoyable pastimes. However, these are habits that a future Guide Dog cannot afford to indulge. When you go for training, you’ll live in a kennel run with many other dogs. You will be expected to be mannerly and polite at all times. Growling is absolutely off limits there; even barking is not allowed. Running isn’t great either, because the runs are concrete and you can wear your pads down if you run too much. Ouch! Your training will be much easier if you abandon your wild ways while you’re still a puppy. (You younger pups, be smart and don’t even start!) It’s hard to stop fence running on your own, so ask your mom for help. The first thing she can do is to never, ever leave you out in the yard by yourself. That way, you won’t be tempted to run the fence. When you’re in the yard together, your mom can put you on a flexi leash or long line. That way, if you forget yourself and try to bark at the neighbor dogs, she can gently remind you to stop, by calling you back to her side and doing a calming exercise like “sit.” I would recommend you practice the recall a lot with your mom. You can start in a small room with no distractions, then add more and more commotion until you can hear your mom calling and go to her even when you’d really rather be running with the other dogs. Lastly, ask your mom to help you blow off some of your energy by taking you for more neighborhood walks or playing with the tug ring. After all, a growing pup still needs exercise! You just need to get it in a more appropriate way. Good luck and good habits!

Dear Abbie:
When other dogs or people get too close while I’m eating, watch out! I bare my teeth and growl so meanly they know to stay away. My raisers say not to worry about anyone stealing my food. I say they’re nuts! Who’s right?
–One Tough Customer

Dear Tough:
Abbie doesn’t have to think twice to know your raisers are right. Food guarding is a nasty behavior that is quite out of place for a Guide Dog puppy. Your possessiveness dates back to our ancient ancestors, the wolves. These beasts had to fight each other for every scrap of food to survive. Understandable as your feelings are, you must try never to growl at another dog, and never, ever growl at a human! We civilized dogs eat kibble, and our humans make sure there is an endless supply, so you don’t have to worry where your next meal is coming from. Your raisers can help you by only putting down part of your food, then adding the rest while you’re eating. That way you will get used to people near you at dinner time and associate them with more food, not less, and your growly feelings toward humans will disappear in time. You didn’t say whether or not the other dogs show interest in your dish. If they try to grab your food, your raisers should feed you in a separate room or in your kennel so you don’t have to feel threatened, which would only reinforce your possessiveness. If the family dogs are polite and mind their own dish, your raiser can try feeding the other dogs and you simultaneously. They should keep a leash on you and be ready to give you a sharp reminder if you forget yourself and start to growl. That way you will get used to the fact that everyone can eat happily from their own bowl without waging World War III over a silly piece of kibble. Polite table manners will stand you in good stead when you return for training and suddenly find yourself in a kennel with thirty other dogs and a run mate, so start practicing now!

Dear Abbie:
I was playing with my doggie pal the other day when I twisted my leg. It really hurt, and I limped around for the rest of the day. But I’m not going to let that stop me from romping with my friend!
–Rough-House Rose

Dear Rose:
I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt during your rough play with your friend. Guide Dog puppies need to learn good manners around other dogs–if you were playing strenuously enough to be hurt, your play was entirely too rough! Your raiser needs to help you understand how to be chummy with the other dog–keep it company, sniff together in the yard, and interact without knocking each other down. Besides the danger of injuries that can happen during rough play, you may learn to be too aggressive, or even to be timid and fearful, if the other dog gets the upper hand too often. Remember, you should be spending most of your time with your raiser and not with other dogs. You must be people-oriented– not dog-oriented–if you are to succeed in your future career as a guide. So make sure your raiser is around to supervise when you and your pal are together, and that he steps in before things get too rough-and-tumble. Pretty soon, you’ll realize it’s possible to spend time with another canine without needing to jostle around.

FEARS

Dear Abbie:
I am a six month old lab and I am very fond of my foster mom. I love to follow my mom around, get under her feet and most of all give her kisses all the time. She sometimes gets annoyed with me and she doesn't understand why I am so attached to her. When she takes me to puppy class I do everything she asks me to, but I don't like to do those things for anyone else. In fact, when she hands me over to others in the group I tend to freak out. I bark, jump, whine, cry and really make a big deal out of it. At home she lets everyone sit with her and lay on the bed with her, but not me. I wish my mom would cuddle me like she does everyone else. I try over and over to get her attention by jumping up on the furniture and on her, but she always tells me to get down! Do I love my mom too much? How will I be able to leave her when it is time to go?
—Puppy Love

Dear Love~
You said it! You definitely love your mom too much. Some dogs bond tightly with just one person, and their world just seems to fall apart when they have to deal with anyone else. Being able to bond that closely with a human is a fabulous thing—when that person is your blind partner—but as a puppy being raised, that same bonding makes things harder. When you leave your mom for harness training, you will have to bond with your new trainer. Then you will have to leave your trainer and bond with your blind person. Your mom needs to help you learn to cope with these transitions so you do not become so overwhelmed with stress in training that you never make it to your blind partner. Sounds like your mom already trades you at puppy meetings, and that's a good thing. She's trying to help you learn that the world doesn't end just because she's not with you. It would be best if the people who take you are experienced, confident handlers. That way, when you begin to freak out, they will be able to help you calm down and mind your lessons. Your mom should also set up trades with other raisers where you can stay at their house for at least a week. This seems like a long time, but a week will give you long enough to adjust to the new surroundings and routine in a way you just can't do in one or two days. Pretty soon you will find out that there are lots of other people in the world who are nice and who can take care of your needs just as well as your beloved mom. Helping you become comfortable and confident with other people is one of the best gifts your mom can give you, because at least while you're in training, your life will be filled with transitions. With a little help and a lot of trading while you're growing up, you'll do just fine!

Dear Abbie:
My raiser took me downtown, and I was doing great, calm on the light rail, no reactions to statues, and calm around traffic. I even relieved on command. Oh sure, I was pulling at the leash, but so were all the other pups. Then, as we were sitting outside resting, a horse drawn carriage came along and I absolutely lost my brain! I panicked and tried to run away. I wrapped the leash around my raiser and pulled so tight she couldn't move in her chair. We stopped by the horse staging area on our way back. My raiser let me stay way back, and she and others took turns getting horse smell on their hands for me to sniff. But I couldn't focus to save myself. I hope my raiser never takes me near horses again! If she does, I don't know what I'll do! Help!
--Oh, Horse Feathers!

Dear Feathers:
I remember freaking out when I saw my first horse, too! Fortunately, I never had to deal with horses, but some Guides do live in rural areas, or work in cities where there are horse-drawn carriages, so it's important that you get used to them. That can be difficult for a suburban pup! Your raiser definitely should seek out places where there are farm animals—like the Littleton Historical Museum, or parks with petting zoos, so you can get use to the smells and noises they make. Perhaps there is a raiser in your group who is involved with horses, and you could go along to visit. I suspect sensory overload fueled your panic. After a night of dealing with the new sights and smells of the city, perhaps a horse clopping along was the one thing too much. You may find that in a quieter setting, you will be much calmer when meeting members of the equine set. Tell your raiser to record the incident on your monthly report and mention it in your project report when you go back, including whether you were able to overcome your initial fears. Then the trainers will be able to make an appropriate placement for you, so horses will not be a make-or-break issue for your career.

Dear Abbie:
Once my raiser thought I should climb some really nasty stairs that I could see through. Naturally, I refused. Another time she had the notion I should go over a bridge–but underneath the water was rushing so loud, it sounded like a lion roaring! I was so scared, all I wanted to do was get out of there, so I backed up and refused that, too. Both times my raiser got really mad and jerked and jerked my collar trying to make me do what she wanted. That only made want to get away from her, too! She finally gave up and we went home. Why is she so mean to me when I am afraid?
–Cringing in Colorado

Dear Cringe:
    Sounds like your raiser mistook your fright for stubbornness. She corrected you for refusing to cooperate when you needed her support and help. Sometimes raisers try force a dog to do something because they really need to go somewhere, are embarrassed by your refusal, or are in a hurry. Trouble is, force only leads to more fear–and fear never leads to the success of a Guide Dog. It’s important for raisers to plan outings that are age and skill appropriate for their puppy and be prepared to leave if the dog starts getting in over its head. A raiser can instill confidence, even in a balky dog like you. When you refuse something, she can help you realize that you really can handle the situation by encouraging you in upbeat, matter-of-fact tones. If something is really overwhelming you, it’s much better for her to leave and try another day than to use force and cement your fear. Over the next few days or weeks, she can return to the place and help you get closer and closer to the scary bridge or further up the open stairs, until you can do it with self-confidence. By supporting you without coddling or forcing, she can build your self-assurance so you gain confidence and can go on to be a wonderful working Guide!

Dear Abbie:
Every once in a while, the sky gets dark during the day. It smells like there’s something wrong with the air, but my humans don’t seem to notice. After a while, there are these horrible booming noises! The noise is everywhere all at once and nowhere feels safe except right up next to one of my humans. They pat me and keep telling me it will be all right–but I think really they are scared, too. They tell me I’ll have a hard time being a Guide if I’m a coward, but I can’t help it. What am I going to do?
–Cowering in the Corner

Dear Corner:
The phenomenon you are describing is called a thunderstorm, and we have a lot of them in Colorado. They are disturbing, it’s true, because we dogs are so sensitive to changes in our surroundings. Your humans cannot change the weather, but they can help you feel better about it. The first thing they need to do is make sure you are never left alone in the yard when a thunderstorm might come up. Not only could you develop a permanent fear of thunder, but you could be injured by hail or get scared enough to try to break out of the yard and run away. Sounds like your humans are trying to console you when you’re afraid. They don’t realize that their reassurances only convince you that there really is something to be scared of. It’s as though they were praising you for feeling fear. Instead, they should be very matter-of-fact about the thunder, taking little or no notice of it. They can play with you with your Kong or tug ring if you feel up to it, or brush you if you enjoy that, during the storm. These normal, pleasant activities will help you realize there is nothing to be done about thunder and help you keep calm. Ask your humans to get a tape of thunder sounds and play it on clear days. They can play with you or brush you while the tape runs so you learn to associate the sound with pleasant things. Then when you hear a real storm, you might not even notice it. My raiser used to play a thunder tape all the time when I was little, so when the real thunder came, I was already used to it. With your human’s help, you can overcome your fears and go on to become a fabulous Guide Dog.

HEAD COLLARS

Dear Abbie:
I used to love outings with my mom. I’d lunge to meet everyone I’d see. And when there was another dog around, look out! I’d pull my mom over to it on the double. Sure, she would yell and try to jerk me back, but she wasn’t really strong enough to do anything about it. Restaurants were the best. I could get my nose up on the tables and almost taste the food people were eating. Once I even got a french fry off someone’s plate! Then one day last week my mom plopped this head collar thing on my nose. Ever since, she’s made me wear it whenever we go out in public. How embarrassing! I rub on everyone I see, asking them to please take it off, but they won’t. With this thing on my face, I always have to go where my mom tells me to. What a drag! Let’s start a petition to outlaw head collars!
–Head Collar Hater

Dear Head Collar:
Your pre-head collar behavior is hardly becoming of a Guide Dog puppy! Thank heavens your raiser wised up and starting using training equipment that will bring you under control. Get used to it!

Dear Abbie:
My raiser makes me wear this halter thing on my head. Most of the time she uses it to tug my head so I have to go where she wants me to. But once in a while, when I see another dog I just have to go for it! I lunge and jump like a bucking bronco. Then my raiser gets mad and jerks my head really hard. It hurts! I don’t want to wear that collar on my head anymore.
–One Good Jerk

Dear Good:
Sounds like your raiser has confused a head collar with a flat collar. Raisers use a “jerk-and-release” correction to get their dog’s attention with a flat collar. But as you’ve said, the head collar gently guides your head–no jerking needed, or allowed! When your raiser needs to regain control when you are bucking, she should pull firmly backward on the collar. Your nose will be pulled down toward your chest and you can’t “go for it.” Your raiser can keep you under control and you don’t get a stiff neck from being jerked.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Dear Abbie~
I've discovered that I can get an extra meal or two a day by eating my poo. Mom yells at me when she sees me doing it, so I usually just do it when she isn't looking. What's the big deal, anyway?
—Stinky Mouth

Dear Stinky:
Dog's digestive systems are inefficient, and there is a lot of food value left in dog feces. However, humans find this habit disgusting, so you should avoid it. There are commercially available products to put on your food, like Forbid, and some people swear that adding meat tenderizer to your meal will make your stools unpalatable, but these methods are patchy at best. Some even put Tabasco on the stool, but when my mom tried it, it just made my little brother think the stuff was yummier! The truth is, my mom & I have never found a good way to stop a really determined dog from indulging, except to keep him away from the stuff until it can be cleaned up. That said, your mom might try switching you to a higher quality food that you might be able to process better. There will be less food value in the stuff, and if you feel more satisfied, you may be less inclined to go for the hors d'oeuvres left in the yard!

Dear Abbie~
When I was little, I ate and ate and ate and ate! It seemed like my Mom couldn't give me enough food to keep the hungries away. Now that I'm grown up, I'm not as hungry, but I still get just as much food and I still gulp it down. Lately Mom's been looking at me and saying I look fat. She's threatening to cut back my portion size! I don't think that's fair, do you?
—Sign Me Porky Pup

Dear Pork:
Feeding a growing puppy can be tricky. Pups need more food during a growth spurt, or a period of high activity, and less when their growth slows down or they have a more sedentary schedule. Your mom needs to constantly monitor your weight and adjust your rations. At about nine months or so, a lot of pups stop growing so fast and can actually need less food than they did when they were younger. If you seem stocky to your mom, she may need to cut your food by 1/4 to 1/2 cup a day. As long as she keeps a close eye on your waistline and adjusts your food accordingly, you should have enough food to maintain a good weight. If your mom needs help figuring out if you're too fat or thin, she can have a leader look at you at a club meeting. They can help her decide how much food is enough to keep you lean and healthy!

Dear Abbie,
My fur keeps falling out. It doesn't hurt, so I don't care, but I hear Mom grumbling under her breath every day as she sweeps up my little black hairs. Am I doing something wrong? What can I do to keep from shedding hair all over Mom's house? She says she thinks I'm going bald!
—Shiny but Shedding

Dear Shiny:
Don't worry! You're not going bald. You are experiencing something called "blowing your coat" which means you are shedding your fur and replacing it with a new coat. Labs tend to blow coat twice a year, in spring and fall. My mom often has trouble keeping ahead of all the loose hair, no matter how much she brushes our puppy in training, but there are a few tricks we've learned over the years which can help. Your mom may want to start with a nice, warm bath. The warm water will help the dead hair fall out when your mom brushes you. Next, tell your mom to get a shedding blade or an undercoat rake at the pet store. The shedding blade is a loop with short metal teeth designed to brush out the dead hair; an undercoat rake is the same idea, only it's a straight row of metal teeth. She might want to pick up a slicker brush with soft, fine metal teeth at the same time if she doesn't already have one. Then have your mom take you outside for a grooming session. She can go over you thoroughly with the shedding blade and then finish up with the slicker, which will pick up any extra loose hair and keep you from bringing it back into the house. My mom uses both at once--one in each hand, for a quicker job! Of course, you have to stand very still so your mom can get the job done. She may have to repeat this kind of grooming session every day for a week or more until you're done shedding. Oh, and one last thing--until you're done blowing coat, try to resist the urge to shake yourself in restaurants and other places when you're socializing!

Dear Abby,
I loved your advice on shedding, and I am following your directions. But why would a labbie be shedding in the winter?                —Off Season Shedder

Dear Off:
Dogs that live inside can shed at any time of year. It depends more on your internal clock than the weather. For instance, puppies will blow their "baby coat" and get an adolescent coat, and then blow that coat when it's time to get their adult coat. I guess it's just part of growing up!

Dear Abbie:
I am eight months old now. I have “double teeth” on my lower front and upper incisors. Why haven't I lost my baby teeth? My mom and dad play tug with me and I love to chew on my Nylabone and Kongs, but my teeth won't come out. Is there anything that mom and dad can do to help this?
—Teenage Teether

Dear Teen:
Believe it or not, double teeth are not all that unusual in dogs. Usually their roots decay and they fall out in their own good time. This is especially true with incisors, like yours, which have shallow roots. I myself had this problem with my canine teeth on top! Canine teeth have the longest roots of all, and mine stayed so long that I finally had to go to the doggie dentist (who was also my regular vet) and have them extracted. The problem is, the adult teeth coming in will get messed up if the baby teeth don't fall out when they're supposed to. At eight months, your baby teeth should be outta there! So have your people talk to your puppy leader and get the ball rolling with GDB approvals to get those teeth pulled.

Dear Abbie:
The other day I went exploring inside the closet. It was so dark and comfy in there, I lay down and fell asleep. I didn’t even hear it when my Dad closed the closet door behind me. When I woke up hours later, I heard my Mom and Dad talking–they were really upset! They were saying I couldn’t have run away because no one opened the door, so someone must have dognapped me! It seems Mom had left to do errands, and Dad had gone to work, and each thought the other had me along. When they got back together and realized they didn’t know where I was, they got really scared! They searched the neighborhood, looking for me. I heard them calling me, but I know to be quiet in my crate, and the closet seemed so crate-like that I didn’t answer. Boy, did they ever hug me when they finally opened the closet door and discovered me safe and sound! I think all raisers should be extra careful to keep track of their puppy’s whereabouts, keep doors and gates locked, and communicate with each other about where their puppies are, so they don’t scare themselves the way my Mom and Dad did!
–Sign me, Lost & Found

Dear Found:
I’m so glad you were not truly lost or stolen. The safety of our Guide Dog puppies is indeed paramount! Thank you for sharing your story with my readers.

Dear Abbie:
Every once in a while, my raiser takes out this scratchy thing and rubs me all over with it. She acts like she expects me to stand still for it, too! Then she squeezes my toe-nails with this metal thing–sometimes it really hurts and even bleeds! Next she pokes around in my mouth with this bristly stick. Next time I see her with those things, I’m outta here!
–Not Standing for it Anymore

Dear Standing:
Sounds like your puppy raiser is making an effort to groom you and keep you neat. Trouble is, she doesn’t do it regularly enough for you to get used to it. It’s very important for your raiser to keep your coat, teeth, ears, and feet in good condition. Not only is it important for you to learn to stand still for your eventual blind partner, but it is also important for you as a puppy. Wherever you go, you are making an impression for GDB. If your fur is dingy and shedding, your nails are too long, your teeth yellow and breath nasty, people will not want Guide Dogs in public places. If you are clean and neat, the next GDB puppy will be more likely to be welcomed. More than appearances, grooming offers you and your raiser important one-on-one bonding time. Your raiser will find out a lot about your general health during grooming sessions, and could even discover a serious physical problem while brushing you. So try to enjoy your grooming sessions, and encourage your raiser to brush you every day!

Dear Abbie:
I love my food. I eat it fast, fast, fast! Once in a while, I eat so fast I even throw up. My raiser worries I’m too hungry, but the leaders think I’m fat. Any suggestions?
-Chow Hound

Dear Chow:
It’s not unusual for a puppy (I’m guessing you’re a Lab) to eat very fast and look for more. If there is another dog around, you may be eating fast so the other dog won’t get your food. If this is the case, ask your raiser to feed you in a separate room from the pet dog. Also, your raiser can use a tipless dish turned upside down. Then you will need to pick around the hump in the dish to get the kibble, and it will help you eat slower. Your raiser can also add a little warm water to your food, which will slow you down and help you feel more satisfied. It’s very important to Guide Dogs that you stay slender while you’re growing up--that way you’ll have a better chance of maintaining a good weight when you’re a working guide. The leaders are very good at telling when a dog has a good weight. The amount you are fed each day is ultimately dictated by your needs--a combination of growth and energy expenditure. The leaders can help your raiser determine how much food is right for you now.

Dear Abbie:
I’ve discovered a tasty treat I think all puppies would love to try! I go out in the yard and eat the piles my dog friend left there. It’s better than chocolate fudge! I especially like it when they’re frozen. Yum, Yum! If a pup doesn’t have a friend, he can always try eating his own. Please tell all the puppies about this neat supplement to their regular rations.
—Fudge Puppy

Dear Fudge:
The practice you’re describing, eating feces, is often called “filth eating” or coprophagia. To us dogs, it seems perfectly reasonable to recycle the nutrients still left in poop, but humans usually think it’s a dirty and disgusting habit. Although I’m not immune to the charms of the occasional “poopsicle” in the winter, I have to agree that it’s usually not a good idea. You can pick up all kinds of ailments from coprophagia--from really bad breath to intestinal parasites or worse.
So, you pups out there, listen up! If you don’t eat it now, don’t start! This habit is really hard to break. Humans can’t figure out why we do it, either. Some think it may be a dietary deficiency we’re trying to compensate for; others think it’s from boredom, or even an effort to try and keep our living area clean. Some dogs, like you, just enjoy it. I suspect we all have our own reasons. Several of the puppies I’ve co-raised have been filth eaters. My raiser tried everything to stop them--from putting yucky stuff in our food (to make it taste funny coming out the other end) to putting Tabasco or hot Chinese mustard on the piles (which usually just had the effect of adding chocolate sauce!). In the end, my raiser decided the best antidote is to pick up the piles as they are produced. Puppies in training need to be relieved on leash at least once a day anyway, so tell your raiser to get out the scoopers and pick it up--and to monitor you the rest of the time to help you keep your nose clean. Filth eating is a very canine thing to do, but we Guide Dog puppies must aspire to a higher standard. So, try to lay off the poop eating! You’ll thank me in the long run.

Dear Abbie:
My new career since I came home from Guide Dogs is as a canine blood donor. The other day, my mistress took me to the hospital on an emergency, to give blood for a pet dog that had swallowed a whole bottle of medication. The dog had stolen the drugs when his person left them sitting on the kitchen counter. The poor thing was so sick the vets didn't know if it would pull through or not. Please warn your readers about the hazards of leaving medicines, canine or human, where we dogs can get them. And while you're at it, tell them to teach their pups not to steal things off the counter, just to keep their pups double safe. Feel free to use my real name.
–Lodge

Dear Lodge:
I don't have to warn my readers–you did that quite eloquently. Even everyday medications like Ibuprofen can be toxic to canines, and just like a human toddler, we can be tempted to eat things we shouldn't. I hope our readers will take your message to heart and keep all medications safely away from where their dogs can get them.

Dear Abbie:
My mom keeps making me wear this goofy hat and some pants. She says it's for Halloween. I don't really like it, but she says everyone will wear costumes for the party, and that I'll get used it and even get to like it. Can't I just wear my puppy coat instead?
– Baffled Britches

Dear Baffled:
Humans celebrate Halloween by dressing up and pretending to be someone else. You raiser is nice to get you used to wearing your costume before the big party. Wearing costumes can be upsetting; you'll be glad she took the time to get you used to it before the big day. Another way your raiser can help is by making sure you are securely crated on Halloween night when kids go trick-or-treating. Some of their costumes can be quite scary to a dog. Plus, with the doorbell ringing and the door constantly opening, it would be easy for you to escape and be lost or injured. Some people think it's fun to play mean tricks on animals at Halloween, so the safest place for you and all the household pets is in a kennel or in a closed room instead of at large in the house or yard. Some Halloween decorations–like candles–are dangerous, plus there's lots of tempting candy, so the last way your raiser can help you is to be extra careful to supervise what you are doing with your mouth until the holiday decorations and treats are past.

HOUSE MANNERS

Dear Abbie:
Whenever the front door opens, I make a dash for freedom! It's fun to explore the neighborhood, and it's good exercise for my parents, too. They come running out of the house after me and chase me for blocks before they catch up! Trouble is, they always act mad at me. But hey, a dog's gotta be free, right?
—Escape Artist

Dear Escape~
It may be fun to dash out the door, but it's terribly dangerous! What if you got hit by a car, or lost or stolen? You would never become a Guide! You need boundary training to learn never to go through the door without permission. The time to start good habits is when a puppy first arrives, but even a dog who is used to making a break for freedom can learn boundaries. Here's something to practice when you're not going anywhere–so that you can understand the concept before you have to do it for real. Have your parents put you on a leash and help you sit and wait near the door--you know, like you do for your food dish. Then they open the door. If you break to go out, they should make a huge deal of it–"Oh, no! You were supposed to wait"–put you back on the same exact spot and try again. When you have a good concept of waiting, they can go through the door while you wait. If you try to follow them, you'll get the same end-of-the-world correction! Next they go to the end of the leash on the other side of the threshold or boundary, and give you the "okay" command. With enough repetition it will dawn on you that you can only go through the door when you hear the okay. It's like the doggie version of "Simon Says!" Now, you're probably wondering how you will take care of business while you're learning proper door etiquette. All your parents have to do is stop and have you wait on the spot where you've been practicing. They go through the door, and then give you the okay. Simple, right? If you start to follow before you hear the okay, they'll back you up and make you wait until you hear the word. The only way you will become trustworthy around the door is if your parents are 100% consistent on your having to have permission before you go through. You need to practice this at every doorway or gate that opens to an un-fenced area, and everyone in the house needs to do it the same way. Dogs' learning is very situation-specific, so you could have the front door solidly learned and gladly bolt through the back door or gate! One last thing: even when you think you are boundary trained to the door, don't trust yourself entirely. There's always the time when you'll see another dog or a squirrel across the street and bolt through–and that's the time you'll be hit by a car! Boundary training is a useful tool, but it;s not a substitute for caution and awareness on the part of your parents of where you are and what you might do when the door opens.

Dear Abbie~
I get off on smells. They're nirvana, man! Carpet in the house? Mmm-mmm-good! Freaks my old lady out—like I'm gonna to make uh-ohs on the rug or grab some chewin' stuff. Not this pup, man. All I wanna do is get high on them smells! I'm cool when I'm workin', keep my head up and stand proud, but when I'm relaxin', it's all olfactory, baby. Tell everyone to chill, would ya? A dog's gotta smell what a dog's gotta smell.
—Sultan of Sniff

Dear Sniff:
As long as you're keeping your head up on outings and walks, and not snatching things from the floor when you are sniffing, I don't see a problem with it. But I'll be jake with you man, your mom's cool to monitor you closely. If you start grabbing stuff from the floor to chew or play keep-away with, you're mom will have to play the fuzz and bust you for your sniffing habit!

Dear Abbie~
Yesterday at work, someone put a banana peel in the trash can under my mom's desk. She left for just a minute, and that was all I needed! I overturned the trashcan and ate it up. YUM! This morning Mom threw away a yogurt container and walked away. Boy, was it delicious, but Mom was upset when she found the chewed container. I don't know why I never tried this before. Trash is tasty!
—Garbage Gourmand

Dear Gourmand:
Ah, I see you have discovered the "Joy of Trash." You probably never tried it before because you didn't know it was possible—and then one day the situation was right, you took something, discovered that trash is yummy, and all of a sudden you're a world-class scavenger. I know it's fun, but it's obnoxious and hazardous to your digestion, so your mom needs to find a way to make you stop. Unfortunately, trash stealing is a really hard behavior to stop once it gets going. Mostly, your mom must be vigilant so you doesn't have the opportunity to steal from the trash again. The more successes you have, the worse the problem will become. Once you've gotten something in your mouth, it's too late--you've gratified the behavior and been reinforced. (Which is not to say you can have the item—of course your mom must take it away!). The other way your mom can teach you is to set you up, so that when you try to take something when you're on a long line, your mom can correct you before you snatch it. Of course, it helps if your mom stops throwing tempting stuff in open trash cans until she trusts you again, too. Tell your mom to help you stop the behavior right away, because it can lead to counter-surfing and all kinds of other stealing behaviors, and you don't want to go there!

Dear Abbie:
My mom's tried to teach me right from wrong, but wrong is much more fun! Mom doesn't want me up on her desk at work, but when she leaves, I can put my paws up and find something fun to play with while she's gone! Sure, she yells at me when she comes back and sees what I've done, but by then I don't care. Mom says I'm going backward in my training instead of progressing forward.
—Juvenile Delinquent & Lovin' It

Dear Delinquent:
Tell your mom that puppy raising is always three steps forward and two steps back when it comes to training. Sounds like you are in a two-steps-back phase right because you've discovered that you can do naughty things when your mom's not looking. I think what happened is that you were so "good" that your mom gave you more freedom than you can actually handle. A lot of your "goodness" was really from your mom's vigilance. Suddenly you got more freedom, and you're testing boundaries. It's a transition period for you—you used to rely on your mom to keep you on the straight and narrow. Now you must start taking responsibility for yourself.
    Sorry, but your mom has to go back to treating you like a baby dog that doesn't know good from bad for a while. She should kennel you when she cannot watch you. That prevents you from getting into bad habits. To teach you that jumping up isn't okay, she needs to catch you in the act and correct you. She can set you up by attaching a long line to your collar, going around the corner and correcting you just as you begin to get your nose on the desk. It's too late after you get your feet up and your mouth on something. As you said yourself, by that time, you won't care anymore what your mom says or does—you have your reward for being naughty.
    If your mom randomly sets you up enough times, you will figure out the good behaviors your mom expects and it won't be so tempting to be naughty. After a couple of weeks of heightened supervision, you will probably take a giant step forward in your behavior. But if you don't that's okay, too. Some dogs spend their entire year with their raiser on a long line because they are of a temperament to need that extra support. The important thing is that you and your mom keep trying.

Dear Abby~
I bet I'm the most popular pup in the entire club. People come to the house just to visit me all the time. I know they're out there because they ring the doorbell. I get so excited to greet my visitors, I bark and jump around and do a happy dance. Sometimes I get so happy I forget my manners and jump up on them. Sometimes the fur on my back even goes up. My mom say that's called hackling and it's not polite. She wants me to be quiet and sit when the I hear the bell. She says not everyone is there to visit me. How can she think that? She can't really expect me to sit still when I need to happy dance, can she?
—Door Bell Dancer

Dear Dancer:
You're mom is right: as a future Guide Dog, hackling and barking at the door are not proper; you must learn calm door manners.
   Right now, every time the bell rings, you get a big payoff--someone new comes in and makes a fuss over you. Your mom needs to make the door as boring as possible so you will not get so excited. To begin, practice sit-stays near the door when no one is there. Then have your mom help you practice sit-stays when the doorbell rings. A helper—kid, husband, neighbor, friend—can be outside and ring the doorbell, while your mom enforces your sit stay with a leash. She shouldn't answer the door yet, just give you lots of calm praise for staying. You can get lots of practice this way by having helper wait several minutes, then ring again. Pretty soon you'll find the door bell is pretty boring, and you won't feel like dancing anymore. When you get good at staying without the door being answered, have your mom go and open the door and calmly greet the person and have them leave w/out letting them in. When you get good at holding your stay when the door opens, your mom can let the person in. The helper should walk right past you and pretend not to notice you're there. You should hold your stay until your mom releases you, but it's pretty hard to do, so your mom should be ready to help you with a leash correction if needed. Your new door behavior is to stop and sit about five feet inside the door while your mom greets the person at the door and lets the person in.
   Be sure your mom lets everyone who comes to your door know that they must not give you any attention at all when they come in. Pretty soon the doorbell won't seem so exciting and it will be a lot easier to stay calm and mannerly around people coming in—just like when you meet someone when you're out socializing in your puppy coat!

Dear Abbie:
I love water. I love it so much, I dump my water bowl so I can splash around in it! The bowl makes such a lovely clanging sound. I love to slide it around with my nose and bat it with my paws like a hockey puck. My food bowl is fun to play with, too. My mom thinks it's cute when I play with my food bowl, but she hollers at me for spilling the water. I don't see the difference. Do you?
—Playing Floor Hockey

Dear Hockey:
No, I don't see the difference between your water and food bowl: you should not be playing hockey with either of them! No doubt your mom objects to you dumping the water bowl because it makes a huge mess. Your food bowl doesn't make a mess when it's empty, but you must not play with it, either. Think of it from your future partner's perspective: if you play with your food bowl and move it around the room, how will the blind person ever find it next time they need to feed you? As for dumping the water bowl, don't! A wet mess is destructive to floors and carpets, difficult for a blind person to clean up, and downright dangerous if it makes the floor slippery where a blind person can't see it. Tell your mom to teach you to stop playing with your bowls. She will probably need to keep you on a leash for a while and set you up for corrections to help remind you of your manners. Tell her to make sure you have access to fun, approved toys you can play with instead. And remind her to put your food bowl away after you've eaten so you aren't tempted to play hockey when she's not supervising you closely. Better to break the floor hockey habit now, before it makes a problem for your blind partner!

Dear Abbie:
There are so many things to bark at in the yard! I bark in the house too—especially when the doorbell rings or I see someone walking along. I growl and chase the mailman every day! When my dad tries to make me lie still for too long at work or in my kennel, I whine and bark. My dad usually lets me up, just to make me be quiet. He says I'm naughty to be so vocal, but hey, a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do! I think my dad should chill. Can you make him get off my back about the barking?
--Howlin'   Hank

Dear Howl:
Sorry, my friend, but it's you who needs to chill, and I'll tell you why. A working Guide simply cannot be vocal and keeps his job. Your future partner may live in an apartment—if you bark constantly and disturb the neighbors, she will have to send you back to Guide Dogs. If you whine when you are asked to be still at her workplace, you will be a nuisance and again she will want to get rid of you. No matter how good your work, vocalizing as you describe can ruin a beautiful partnership.
    Your puppy raiser must make it clear that you are never to vocalize. Instead of letting you bark in the yard, he should correct you and bring you in. He should not allow you to whine and pitch a fit in your kennel or at work. By giving in to your “demands: he has taught you that being noisy works. Instead, he should correct you for the noise, or at least ignore you until you get the message that there is no benefit to the behavior. He can even use a tie-down strung through your kennel door to give you a remote correction, if your problem is pronounced enough to require it. You must never bark at the doorbell, people passing, or at the mailman. Your raiser will have to keep you on a drag-line in the house to correct you for barking for a while until you un-learn this behavior. With time and patience, you can lose the bad habit of barking and go on to become someone's treasured partner for life.

Dear Abbie:
My raiser always keeps me on a drag line attached to her, or in my kennel. One day, I got loose in the houseand boy was it fun! I did puppy runs around the kitchen and knocked over some chairs. Then I ran up into the kid's bedroom and stole a stuffed animal and ran around with that in my mouth. No one could catch me and it was the funnest game! They finally cornered me in the bathroom when I jumped into the tub. It was so fun, but later I heard my raiser saying she would make sure I never got loose in the house again. But a dog can't live his life on a leash all the time, can he?
―Free At Last

Dear Free:
You're right, a puppy can't live its entire life on a leash or in a kennel. While these are important tools when you were young and new, it is equally important that your raisers gradually teach you how to handle freedom in the house. If you never experience life off leash, you will go bonkers when you get home with your graduate, when she lets you free in the house. So tell your puppy raiser to find some time every day when he can concentrate just on you, and begin to teach you how to handle freedom. He can begin in a small room that can be blocked off, and allow you to sniff and explore as much as you want. While he reads a book or does homework in the same room, you can play until you get tired and settle down on your own. After you are used to the small room and can settle down fairly rapidly, your raiser can gradually introduce you to more and more rooms of the house, until you can handle being at large in the entire house without becoming destructive or rushing around doing puppy runs. Then, you can start on the even bigger challenge of being calm and non-destructive at large in the house when your raiser isn't home. Feeling comfortable enough to settle down and sleep uncrated, whether or not your raiser is home, is a learned behavior, just like nice tie-down behavior. Your eventual blind partner will thank your raiser for taking time to teach you this important skill.

Dear Abbie:
My new baby brother picks up everything in his mouth–rocks, socks, sticks, pens, paper, you name it! Yesterday he ate up three crayons and one of mom’s flip-flops. Mom yells at him, but that only makes him run away with his ill-gotten chew toy. I can’t remember chewing when I was a puppy in training, and I certainly know better now that I’ve had a change of career! What can my mom do to make him stop already! I’m tired of all that yelling.
–Wise Guy

Dear Wise:
Little puppies, like human babies, explore their world by picking things up with their mouths. With oral breeds like goldens and labs, the drive to “mouth” things is doubly strong. This is a problem where prevention is 98% of the cure. Tell your mom to keep the puppy on the leash at all times and watch him closely. She can even attach the leash to her belt loop or ankle to help keep him close. In addition to picking up off-limits objects, she needs to make sure he doesn’t chew his leash or get entangled. If she can’t watch him, then the best place for him is in his kennel, where at least he can’t be learning bad habits. Your mom should keep a toy close by at all times and encourage him to chew on that. After a while, he will begin to understand the difference between his own toys and everything else, and will begin to prefer the toys. Then he can start dragging the leash. If he picks something up and starts to run with it, your mom can step on the leash and stop the keep-away immediately, then praise the puppy for giving up the item, and replace it with a toy. A couple of weeks of intensive training up-front will make the rest of the year with him much easier! If the puppy should ingest something accidentally, tell your mom to keep whatever bits are left. This is especially true if another puppy is having a sleep-over at your house–if a vet visit is required, those pieces will help tell the vet how big a belly ache the ill-gotten item will cause the hapless pup! And take heart, after he’s through teething, his chew-drive will decrease considerably.

Dear Abbie:
I found this really great toy. It’s rubber, like my Kong, and round like my tug ring. It was stuck on this big metal thing, so I worked hard to chew it off. Just when I almost had it, my raisers came along. I wagged my tail because I thought they’d play tug with it, but instead, they got mad! I haven’t touched that toy in months but I heard them telling someone that I’m a bad dog because of it. How can they still say I’m bad when I’ve been trying hard to be good ever since?
–Bad Rap

Dear Rap:
I’m not sure if you were chewing the tire off a tricycle or a barbecue, but I’m fairly convinced that the thing you thought was a toy wasn’t meant for doggie consumption. While the mistake you made is understandable–if you have one rubber toy, it’s only natural to think every rubber thing is a toy–your raisers made a string of mistakes that set you up to fail. They didn’t teach you the difference between toys and not-toys well enough. Worse than that, they gave you more freedom than you could handle. If you were almost able to chew the tire off a trike, you definitely had too much unsupervised time! Raisers must teach puppies what can and cannot be played with, through constant supervision. That means having their puppy in the same room at all times, on a long line for corrections if necessary. Most raisers have an idea of how much freedom their dog can handle. If they’re busy and can’t watch adequately, then the best thing to do is put the pup in its crate. That way, the pup won’t get into trouble and learn bad habits, and the raiser doesn’t feel angry at her torn-up prized possessions. Later, dog and raiser can enjoy each other without the raiser being angry. Your raisers made several mistakes, but I don’t think they’d like to be labeled “bad raisers.” They shouldn’t label you a “bad dog,” either. Instead, they can learn that you need closer supervision and take positive steps to teach you which toys are yours so you won’t make that kind of mistake again.

Dear Abbie:
I’m new around here, so maybe I don’t know all the rules, but I don’t think it’s fair that the other dog who lives here gets to sit up on the sofa and watch TV, while I have to stay on the floor and do obedience. He gets to eat people food, too, and I never get any. Why don’t they ever give me a break?
–New Pup on the Block

Dear New:
You are a Guide Dog puppy. Your friend is a pet dog. Pet dogs sometimes have privileges that Guide Dog puppies aren’t allowed. Your housemate was already used to being on the furniture and getting people food when you joined the family. Your people probably didn’t want him to have to change his lifestyle, so they have two sets of rules–one for you, and one for him. Let me tell you, your housemate is lucky! My mistress makes me follow the same rules as the pup we are raising! Since dogs learn from each other, it makes it easier for us to teach the new pup the rules if I follow them, too. It’s not so hard for me, because I was a Guide Dog puppy once myself. You see, your raisers have to teach you to be “bad-habitless” so that you will know how to live harmoniously with your future blind partner. That means no furniture, no people food, no licking hands or faces, no chewing shoes–you’ll learn the drill. Sometimes the rules are hard to accept, but they are all there for your safety or for good manners. Putting up with a pampered housemate doesn’t seem fair, but as you get older, you’ll figure out what is expected and it won’t seem so bad. Besides, you get to go places with your raisers that the pet dog can’t even imagine, so things equal out in the end.

Dear Abbie:
Whenever I jump up on the kitchen counter for a snack, my raisers holler at me. Why do they put food there for me and then act like I’m not supposed to have it?
–Snack Sneaker

Dear Sneak:
I know dog food gets boring and the tantalizing smells coming from the kitchen are tempting, but I can guarantee you one thing: the food on the kitchen counter or table is not meant for you! Counter-stealing is one of the most obnoxious behaviors a puppy can do, and I urge you to break the habit now, before it becomes even more ingrained in you. I know it’s hard not to sample the yummy people food, but as a Guide Dog pup, you must only eat food offered to you in your dog dish.
    Your raisers can help you by always placing every meal and treat in your dish and never feeding you from their hands. They should correct you when you start sniffing at forbidden food, because if you get it in your mouth, chances are you will be even more determined to grab it next time. For you to learn not to cruise the counter, your raisers are going to have to use a drag-line. They can attach a long-line to your collar, set food on the counter, then watch you around the corner and out of sight. When you start to jump up to get the food, they must silently give you a sharp jerk on the long line. After several set-ups you should start to think twice before jumping. After a while, you will begin to know the food on the counter is off-limits, and hopefully you will become trustworthy when left alone around food. Your raisers also must correct you whenever you try to grab food that isn’t meant for you, whether that’s on the kitchen counter or on a restaurant floor. Someday, your blind partner will not be able to see when you are about to steal food, so teaching you proper manners around people food now is one of the best things your raiser can do for you.

Dear Abbie:
When I was little, my raiser always held me on her lap on the sofa. It was so wonderful to be that close to her! But now I'm bigger, and she won't let me on her lap anymore, and says I can't even get on the sofa next to her. I don't think I did anything wrong, except growing up. What gives?
—Exiled from Paradise

Dear Exile:
You didn't do anything wrong, but I understand why you're feeling cheated. When you were little, you were probably pretty cuddly. Your raiser didn't realize that by holding you on her lap on the sofa, she was giving you the impression that the furniture was an okay place for you. Now she's figured out that the sofa is not an acceptable place for a Guide Dog puppy, but you still expect the situation you had before you got big. You'll have to learn the new rules, and it's going to be really hard for you. When your raiser gets her next puppy, perhaps she'll remember what happened with you, and not make the same mistake. She can cuddle the puppy all she wants to as long as she sits on the floor to do it. That way, the puppy will never become a lap-baby, and staying on the floor will be the most natural thing in the world. The old words of wisdom apply: it's much easier to teach good habits from the start, than to re-train bad habits later! Good luck getting used to your new, furniture-less lifestyle.

Dear Abbie:
Every time this loud bell sounds at my door people come to visit me! I start wagging and barking even before my raisers open it. As the visitors come in, I jump up and down and get my paws on them so they will pat me. My raisers tell me to stop it, but I don’t care, it’s so much fun to get attention. Besides, we Guide Dog puppies are supposed to be friendly with people, aren’t we?
--Dingy the Door Dog

Dear Dingy:
Getting excited when the doorbell rings is a temptation even Abbie can’t resist at times, but it’s just not polite or even safe. I know it’s hard to believe, but the people at the door usually want to visit with your raisers, not you. When you go ballistic it becomes difficult for your people to hear each other and may even make it uncomfortable for the visitor to enter the house. Plus, your raisers may fear that you will accidentally get out the front door and then run away and be lost or hit by a car–both not very nice outcomes for your long-term health and career. It’s important that you start learning door manners right away. Your raisers should put you on a leash when the doorbell rings. They can keep you well back and help you sit and stay so you don’t overexcite yourself and maul the visitors as they come in, or bolt through the open door. It may be really hard for you to sit still when your tail is wagging, so if two people are home, one can help you sit and stay and one can answer the door. Your raisers can help you practice by having a friend come over and ring the bell when they are ready to train you. The friend should come in calmly and not give you attention until you are calm and polite, and have the okay from your raiser. As you get more experience, you should be able to hold the stay all by yourself. Then, when your raiser releases you with an okay, you can calmly greet the visitor. It’s admirable that you are so friendly with people; now all you have to do is express your feelings more appropriately. Your raisers and their guests will all be impressed with your door manners if you can remember these hints!

Dear Abbie:
I love Kleenex! Yum, yum! The wastebaskets are a cornucopia of the delicious wads, and I jump up on just about anything to get them. But my mom has a fit whenever I eat them. I don’t get the big deal. What gives?    –Tissue Hound

Dear Hound:
Many puppies find kleenex–whether used or not–irresistible. The soft paper seems yummy, and once your mom is done using it, it smells like her, which makes them even more tempting. You must try to resist the urge, however. Your mom can help by putting the trash cans in cabinets, or getting ones with lids to discourage you. She needs to be more vigilant and correct you when you begin to sniff–before you get the tissue in your mouth. Once you’ve got it, the reward of its wonderful taste may be greater than any correction your mom can give, and you won’t learn to leave them alone. Your mom can even use a long line to correct you silently so you learn you must never steal any items from counters, furniture, or from the trash. Steeling kleenex may seem harmless, but it could lead you to start stealing food or other items, and that’s somewhere you don’t want to go!

Dear Abbie:
My puppy raiser is a busy person. She works around the house and on her computer all the time. Sometimes she sits and reads a book. Then I have to occupy myself. I don't mind, though, because when she's busy, I find lots of new things to chew–like shoes and the chair leg–and jump up on the kitchen counters and have a few crumbs to eat. When she notices me, she gets really mad and calls me a bad dog, but I'm only looking for something to do.
–Sheepish in Seattle

Dear Sheep:
You didn't say how old you are, but it sounds to me like your raiser has given you too much freedom too fast. The kind of freedom your raiser is currently giving you has to be earned. If you haven't learned the difference between your toys and the chair leg then you need to be on a leash when you're in the house so your raiser can correct you when you make a mistake. She can even attach a nylon leash to her belt loop or ankle to keep you nearby. Jumping up on the counter is one of the worst habits a Guide pup can develop. Your raiser can help you break this habit by setting you up and correcting you with a long-line. Meanwhile, she should crate you if she doesn't have the time and attention to supervise you fully. That way, you won't develop unwanted habits and your raiser won't call you a bad dog any more. When you've proved you'll chew only your own toys and would rather die than jump on the counters, then your raiser can give you more freedom. Until then, your busy raiser will just have to supervise you more closely. You'll both be better off in the long run in return for a little more time spent now, when you're young.

Dear Abbie:
Wood feels so nice on my teeth, I love to chew on it. My raiser's chair is wood, so I usually chew on that, but my raiser always gets noisy and pulls my leash when I do. One day, he even put this tasty stuff on it. I tried to thank him by licking it all off before I began to chew, but he just got noisy again, and shoved this funny plastic bone at me. What's the deal?
—The Wood Eater

Dear Wood:
I understand how nice a piece of wood can feel in your mouth, especially when you're teething. Unfortunately, furniture is off limits, and chewing on it is guaranteed to make your raiser cross. Your raiser gets noisy to get your attention and make you stop. The tasty stuff was probably Tabasco or Bitter Apple, which are supposed to make the chair leg taste bad so you won't chew it. Sometimes yucky tasting stuff can help you break the habit, but eventually it wears off, and then you might go back to your old wood-eating ways. Since you won't be with your raiser forever, you need to learn what can be chewed and what cannot, without relying on the bad-tasting stuff to warn you. Sounds to me like you have a soft raiser who hasn't been firm enough with you. I hate to say it, but what you need is a few really strong corrections that make you understand that “no” means “no.” Your raiser is trying to get you to chew on a Nyla bone instead of the wood. That's really good. It wouldn't be fair to correct you—for the chewing that you need to do—if he's not going to give you something appropriate to chew on instead. My advice is, take him up on it! Nyla bones are nice, once you get used to them, and your raiser will be much happier with you if you don't constantly chew his chair leg!

RELIEVING AND HOUSE TRAINING

Dear Abbie:
I'm a ten month old boy, and suddenly, the world seems like a brand new place! There are dogs to sniff and things to lift a leg on—even in the house! There are mailmen to bark at and people to jump up on. My mom says I've gone hormonal, but I'm just having fun.
—Teenaged and Lovin' it

Dear Teenaged:
Sorry to hear you have developed juvenile delinquent tendencies of late! Hopefully you will get through the hormone surge and settle down into a nice young adult dog soon. Your Mom just needs to be extra patient, consistent and firm with you to help you to get through all the distractions and help you to remember the rules.
    I'm really concerned about your marking behavior—especially in the house! The first thing your Mom should do is make sure all the marked places are completely cleaned up, because if you can smell the urine in the house, you'll probably mark them again. She can use 50-50 vinegar and water or a product like Nature's Miracle to completely eliminate odors. Secondly, your Mom should go back to treating you as an un-housebroken dog until you start seeming more reliable. That means never leaving you unsupervised, and keeping you kenneled or on a tie-down at all times when your Mom can't watch you closely. She may even want to put you on a relieving schedule, so you that only relieve at prescribed times. I don't know how much freedom you have to relieve on your own in the yard, but your Mom probably will want to go back to having you relieve every single time on leash, just to remind you of your manners. Have your Mom follow the new relieving protocol strictly and never, never let you mark when you relieve on leash. Your Mom should take you out into the middle of an area with no upright objects nearby to squirt. It's okay if a you cock a leg—you just aren't allowed to aim for something. Remember, sniffing leads to marking, so your mom needs to keep alert and correct for the sniffing behavior on walks and out socializing. If she waits until you've lined up your "shot" it's probably going to be too late! I know this sounds like a bummer, but once your hormones have stabilized and you're back on track with the rules, it won't seem so important to mark and both you and your Mom can relax.

Dear Abbie:
The other night my mom came home late, all in a rush to get to puppy club. She didn't give me enough time to relieve both jobs, then fed me and off we went. When we got there, I had to "hold it" through all the puppy exercises. I know I'm not supposed to go when I'm working, but she wasn't paying attention to my signals, and I finally just let go and pooped right there in front of everyone! My mom was disgusted with me, and now everyone thinks I have relieving issues. I say she's not being fair!
—Pooped Out

Dear Out~
I agree, your mom is not being fair. It's a puppy raiser's responsibility to keep track of a puppy's potty schedule, to know your relieving patterns, and give you chances to relieve so that you avoid accidents. Your raiser got in a hurry, didn't attend to "business," and you paid the price.
    Most puppies need to relieve when they wake up, after they've eaten or had a drink, or after physical activity. The stress of social outings can also trigger relieving, even soft stools. Each puppy has it's own pattern. Some puppies defecate once in the morning and not again until night. Others need to make two poops in the morning, and go several times a day. Most puppies can successfully urinate when asked, especially if they have been drinking a lot. Your raiser needs to be aware of the status of your bowels and bladder and give you ample opportunity to empty before you go anywhere—even a neighborhood walk. On the day of a big outing, tell your raiser to feed you at least an hour before you leave. That will give you time to feel the urge to defacate before you leave home! If you still absolutely won't go, then GDB would rather your raiser leave you at home than risk an accident.
    It sounds like this incident was a one-time thing, and unusual for your raiser. That's good, because when accidents happen too often, they become habits, and you don't want to get to the point where relieving on outings seems okay to you. One of the major reasons for dogs to be career changed is relieving in harness—what a waste of an otherwise great working dog! Tell your mom to take the time to help you maintain good relieving habits; it will save embarrassment now, and could save your career as a Guide!

Since I've passed my eight-month birthday, I have this uncontrollable urge to urinate right on top of where other dogs went. It's the most fun in the back yard, where the pet dog goes, but I can't wait to try it on walks, too. Only trouble is, my human freaks out and says I'm disgusting. But a dog's gotta do what a dog's gotta do!
—Persistent Pee-er

Dear Persist:
Aren't hormones grand! The behavior you describe is often called "covering", which is peeing over the urine of another dog. It's usually a dominance thing—you are literally saying "I'm better than you are" or "I was here too" to the other dog. Now that you're a mature male, this behavior comes naturally, but it's not a good thing for a future Guide to do. Fortunately, it's pretty simple for your human to keep you from cementing inappropriate habits.
   Your human should be leash relieving you at least once or twice a day so you can stay in practice, even though you have a fenced yard where you could take care of business on your own. When leash relieving, your human gets to pick the place; she should be taking you to different surfaces on a regular basis. When she chooses to relieve you on leash in the yard, she should make sure the place she picks for you is a part of the yard that the other dog ignores. That way there's no scent for you to cover, and no bad habit gets started.
   I'm glad you haven't started marking when on walks yet. Marking can be covering the urine of another dog, or on any object in order to broadcast the signal "I was here." Your human must be firm about your not marking on walks, because if you get in the habit, it can lead to the nasty behavior of marking in grocery stores, and other buildings.
   If you are like most dogs, you will sniff, then line up for a "good shot" before you cock a leg. So your raiser should watch for the sniffing and correct for that. Usually a gentle tug on the leash and a little encouragement for you to "let's go" is enough. Even if you relieve before you leave home, I bet you save a little bit—just in case—so your human mustn't assume that just because you're "empty" that you will not try to mark. She should be ready at all times to help you resist the urge!
   By the by, it's normal for mature male dogs to assume the stance of lifting a leg when they urinate, so it's okay for you to do that if you want to. Your human shouldn't correct you as long as you're simply relieving yourself. It's the marking behavior that needs correcting, not how you choose to stand while you go.

Dear Abbie,
I've been at my new home for a couple of weeks and really enjoy it. In the past few days I've discovered neat things to "snark" whenever I go outside—little pebbles, pieces of leaves, pieces of ice or snow and any other little tidbit within reach (which at my height is pretty easy). Have to say I'm pretty good at it! It's so much fun that I really can't concentrate on getting busy, which annoys my mom.
—Turbo Teeth

Dear Turbo:
Puppies your age tend to pick up everything in their mouths. It's how they explore the world, just like human babies. Trouble is, if you swallow the things you pick up, they could make you sick. Plus, when you're outside to relieve, you need to take care of business, not be vacuuming up the landscape! Since puppies sniff the ground to find just the right place to relieve, your raiser can't correct you for the snarking without interrupting your business. You need to learn to walk with your head up. Your raiser should work on "no sniffing" when you are out for walks or in the yard together by giving you little pops when your nose goes down and praising when you look up at her. When she takes you out to relieve, she should give you five minutes, maximum. If you waste that time snarking, you lose your opportunity to empty out and your raiser should put you in your kennel for about thirty minutes before giving you another relieving opportunity. Eventually, you'll be so bursting that you'll relieve before you snark and then your raiser can praise you to the sky. After a few days of this routine, you should catch on that the best thing to do when your raiser takes you out is to get busy right away so you can spend more time with her and less time in your kennel!

Dear Abbie:
When I was little, I had to piddle all the time—and it hurt, too! I knew my raisers wanted me to wait until I got outside, but sometimes I just couldn’t hold it that long. They were worried because I had so many accidents in the house, so they took me to see this nice vet, who gave me pills to make me feel better. It doesn’t hurt anymore, but I still feel like I need to go all the time. Now my raisers say that I’m “cured,” and they get mad at me when I have accidents in the house. They say a big dog like me should know better, but I just can’t help it. How do I make them understand?
—Accident Prone at 14 Weeks Old

Dear 14,
Bladder infections like the one you had hurt a lot, so I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. The trouble is, when it hurts so much for so long, you get into unfortunate habits like not emptying your bladder thoroughly, urinating often, and—worst of all—not caring where you go as much as you want to go as soon as possible. That’s why you’re still having house training woes even after you’re supposedly “cured.” Did your raisers clean up the accidents on the carpet with a product that completely removes the odor, like Nature’s Miracle? If they didn’t get all the odor out, then the residual smell may trip you up, making it hard for you to tell the difference between where you accidentally relieved (inside), and where you’re supposed to relieve (outside). Tell your raisers to re-clean the carpet. Now that you’re feeling better, you can begin to re-learn your house training, and I guarantee it will be easier this time. Just like always, your raisers can use the kennel to help you remember to stay dry when they cannot supervise you closely. Lots of little puppies who have had bladder infections have gone on to perfect their house manners, so tell your raisers not to be discouraged. All you need is their patience for a little bit longer and you’ll be housetrained in no time.

Dear Abbie:
My raiser has this thing about my relieving habits. She makes me stay on my leash, so close to her that a pup can’t get any privacy! It takes forever to find a good spot, and then when I do, most of the time she flicks the leash or moves so I lose the urge. After a while, she gets mad and then I really can’t go in front of her. So she takes me to a new spot and we start all over. Why won’t she just let me take care of business in the yard on my own?
–Reluctant Reliever

Dear Reluctant:
Your raiser is doing her best to teach you the most basic thing a Guide Dog needs to know–how to take care of its business while on a leash. Right now you have a nice yard, but many blind people live in condos or apartments and must relieve their dogs on leash every single time. Even if your eventual partner has a yard, he or she may work in an area where you will have to be on leash when you relieve. Relieving should be a positive experience; your raiser must try not to become impatient if you take a long time. Her anger can only make things worse. Instead, after giving you about fifteen minutes to take care of things, your raiser should bring you back inside and kennel you for about a half an hour, then try again. Eventually, you’ll have to go right away. Then your raiser can praise you to the skies and you will feel happier about things. Your raiser may think she’s doing you a favor by letting you shift spots all the time. In reality, she’s teaching you to become a picky reliever; if you stall, she’ll take you on a little walk, and then another, and another, and you’ll never have to get down to business. Your raiser needs to learn to pick one spot and stay rooted to it like a flag pole. You rotate around her and find a place to go. Does your raiser ask you to relieve on different surfaces regularly? She should. In the city, there is often no grass to be found. A Guide Dog must eliminate wherever its partner says it should–whether on blacktop, rock, grass, weeds, or something else. With time, patience, and a lot of praise, your raiser can help you overcome your inhibitions and you’ll find relieving on leash is not so bad, after all.

Dear Abbie:
When I go for walks, I like to leave a little something for other dogs to remember me by. I lift my leg and squirt-squirt! I leave my calling card. So what if my raiser totally freaks and jerks my neck? I hardly feel it at all, and it’s definitely so worth it to know all those other dogs will sniff that I was there!
–Big Dog on Campus

Dear Big:
You will go a lot farther if you lose the ‘tude, dude! It may seem cool to mark every upright standing object and tuft of grass now, but that’s definitely not where it’s at when you get to Guide Dog training. You could even be dropped from the program if you habitually urinate on route. Not only is the habit a nuisance to your raiser now, it’s just plain unacceptable for a working Guide. A Guide has to have its mind on the job–not on where it can leave its next mark. Remember, even as a puppy in training, you have admittance to people places like office buildings and grocery stores; your partner needs to trust that you won’t try to make your mark in the frozen food aisle! By displaying civilized manners you will preserve access privileges for yourself and all the other Guide Dogs and their blind partners. Your raiser can help you work on better habits by anticipating your urge to mark. She can watch your body posture and sniffing and correct you before you start to lift your leg. If you aren’t allowed to line up a good “shot” you’ll be less likely to try to mark. Tell your raiser to make sure she relieves you before you start an outing or walk, and stops specifically to relieve you again if you’re out long enough to need to urinate a second time. She can show you that it’s ok to “go” by choosing a suitable spot for relieving, lengthening your leash, removing your puppy coat, and then giving the “do business” command. By giving you clear signals about when you may empty your bladder and when you must hold it, you will be less apt to try to sneak in a mark here and there.

Dear Abbie:
When I was a little puppy I used to freak out around my raisers and piddle without meaning to. After a while, I started to trust them and I stopped piddling so much. Lately I’ve been thinking that problem was gone for good. Then my raisers traded me. The exchange family didn’t know my schedule and they asked me to do all kinds of things differently from my real family. I felt so nervous that before I could help it, I piddled right on the rug. I was so embarrassed! To make matters worse, I kept on losing control at the least little thing. Will I ever be able to stop worrying about accidents?
–Going Out to Buy Depends

Dear Going Out,
Don’t spend your money on diapers just yet! The problem you describe is called submissive urination. When dogs feel subordinate, they tuck their tails, cower, and sometimes even urinate to acknowledge the dominant pack member’s superiority. It’s a totally natural behavior, and nothing to be ashamed of. Some puppies have weaker bladder muscles than others and can’t control themselves. You simply can’t help piddling when you feel intimidated. The newness of the environment at the other raisers’ home made you feel just insecure enough to trigger your puppy behavior. I hope the people didn’t punish you! Submissive urination is not under conscious control, and has nothing to do with house manners. A perfectly house-trained dog can have a submissive problem if the conditions are right. There are several confidence-building things people can do to help an insecure dog get over submissive urination. Our two-legged masters are very tall, compared to us four-legged canines; they tower and loom over us. So it helps if new people get down on our level. That way they don’t seem so intimidating. Training can boost confidence, too. A dog who understands all its commands is less likely to become confused and submissive because it can’t figure out what it is being asked to do. Some dogs let go when they get too excited. When you’re calm, you’re less likely to lose track of your bladder, so tell your people to use calming techniques when you train together. Finally, a relieving schedule can help. One puppy I co-raised had a problem with submissive urination right up to the day she was loaded on the truck. We kept her on a tight water schedule and made sure her bladder was empty all the time. It didn’t eliminate the problem, but it occurred less frequently. You may always have a tendency to submissively urinate, but with understanding, your people can help you greatly reduce those embarrassing accidents!

RETURNING DOGS,
CAREER CHANGE &
GRADUATION

Dear Abbie:
My raiser is feeling sad. She says the first dog she raised got career changed today. She keeps looking at me, wondering what she can do differently to make me graduate. How can I cheer her up?
–Puppy Number Two

Dear Number Two:
I’m sorry to hear about your raiser’s career change dog. Raisers always want their dogs to become Guides, so it’s really hard on them when the dog they raised is better suited to a different career. Sounds like your raiser feels extra sad because she thinks the career change is somehow her own fault. It isn’t. After about phase three of harness training, dogs move way beyond the basic obedience that raisers teach. They have to learn right from left, how to walk in a straight line, and to leave room so the person holding onto their harness doesn’t run into anything. They must take more and more responsibility for their partner, and eventually need the courage to disobey their partner’s commands if obeying them would put the team in danger. A Guide Dog takes responsibility for its partner’s safety–even for his life! In truth, only about half the dogs that start training are able to make it as a Guide Dog. The best raiser on earth cannot “make” a dog graduate. A dog either has the heart for the work, or it doesn’t. All your raiser can do is give you your best chance to be a Guide. She can help you prepare for training by loving you and following all the training techniques that her leaders and PRA teach, but whether or not you graduate will depend on you, not your raiser. Now, go give her a big sloppy kiss and tell her you’ll always love her and remember her, no matter what career path you eventually decide to take!

Dear Abbie:
My raiser is driving me nuts! She corrects me for stuff that she didn’t used to even notice. Worse yet, she’s gone all emotional on me. Sometimes she hugs me and cries. Other times she seems not to even want to be near me. She’s acting so weird I’m afraid to leave her out of my sight. I feel it’s my duty to try and cheer her up. I bring her everything I can find, like the TV remote, the portable phone, even dirty Kleenex from the trash can. The things I give her ought to make her happy, but it just makes her worse. What’s wrong with my raiser?
–Sign Me Raiser Gone Haywire

Dear Haywire:
I hope you’re still in town to read this, because my guess is that you are scheduled to go off to Guide Dogs for training soon. Your raiser’s problem can be expressed in three words: Returning Dog Syndrome. Many raisers develop RDS in the last few weeks before their dogs are recalled for training. Yours has all the classic symptoms. She hugs you because she can’t bear to let you go, then pushes you away because she doesn’t want it to hurt when you leave. Your raiser has a particularly bad case, being tough on your minor mistakes in a misguided effort to hone your manners before she lets you go. I hate to tell her, but if she hasn’t taught you good manners right along, being tough on you now won’t help. A sensitive dog like yourself can’t help picking up on her turmoil, so you get clingy and bring her presents like TV remotes. I knew one pup so stressed by her raisers’ RDS that she started eating their underwear! My raiser came down with RDS a full three months before I was scheduled to go. It would have been far easier on us both if she could have enjoyed the time we had left together. Fortunately, overlooking human failings is a strong suit for us dogs. You’ll be on your way to Guide Dog school in no time, and when you see your raiser at graduation, you’ll forget about her Returning Dog Syndrome and be ecstatic to see her–I promise!

SOCIALIZING

puppy in restaurant

Dear Abby:
My mom and I were just walking along the mall when this man coming from the other direction ran his hand down my back from my head to my tail, without so much as a by-your-leave! Pretty soon here comes a little kid, and she does the very same thing. It was a long outing, and there must have been at least five people who snuck a pet that way. I was so distracted! Don't they see my puppy coat? Aren't people supposed to ask before they pet me?
--Pestered by Petting

Dear Pestered:
I see you have experienced the “fly-by pet.” Lots of people do it, even though they shouldn't. It is terribly distracting, but I'm afraid the fly-by pet is something that working guides deal with daily. Your raiser can try to politely educate people that they should always ask before they touch a working dog. She can gently explain that a Guide may get so distracted that its work could become unsafe, and the blind person may not even know why! It's important to emphasize that the blind person may say “no” when asked, because the dog needs to concentrate on its job. With children, your raiser can give a little safety lesson, telling the child not to touch any dog without asking: it's impossible to tell if a dog is nice just by looking at it! If your raiser has time, and you are calm, it's okay for you to sit for pets, if the person asks. That will give your raiser a little time to educate the person about Guide Dogs for the Blind and etiquette around working dogs. I'm sure, when your raiser doesn't want people to pet you, that she's courteous about it, in order to leave a positive impression. Unfortunately, there will always be people willing to sneak a pet when they think no one is looking, so it is best get used to it now—it will be part of your life as a working dog.

Dear Abbie:
Whenever I’m out socializing with my raiser, he gives me huge corrections, yells NO and gives me commands so loudly that everyone stops and looks at us as if I’m a really bad dog. I’m doing the best that I can and I feel embarrassed to be seen as so naughty in public. There must be a better way!
–Chagrined

Dear Chagrined:
Your raiser needs to soft-pedal the negativity with you, and especially when you are out in public. You two may be the first and only Guide Dog team that many people will ever encounter, and you’ll make a lasting impression. If your raiser is giving loud commands and corrections, people will think poorly of you, and may even think that it is cruel to make a dog work for a blind person, or that service dogs are out of control and shouldn’t be allowed in public places. Tell your raiser to practice using positive techniques whenever you train or socialize. If you start to get distracted, he could try a cheerful “let’s go” instead of yelling NO. If you know your commands, he should use a soft tone and give you time to comply before jerking you into position. If you don’t make an effort to sit or down when asked, then he can follow up with a gentle collar reminder instead of a huge correction. Working guides must think for themselves, and sometimes even disobey commands if it will put the team in danger. If your raiser