Today is Divine's birthday. She turned 3 years old. She still looks like a little puppy that when I take her into the stores or other public places, they think I'm raising her as she still looks like a future service dog. She's cute, adorable and has that soft look. Even though Divine is still fairly young, she is quiet. Not like a rowdy young dog at all. When it is time to work, she is serious and focused on her tasks. Although sometimes we have little disagreements in which direction we are headed. Is it my turn to go to the ladies room or is it Divine's turn to go o outside to potty?
Next month I have had Divine for one year. What a year. Getting a new house and adding a new dog. Who would think this would be so overwhelming for me? Will I ever levelize that I can feel like I got a hold on things? Maybe one day, but the company of Divine is soothing. She's soft and mellow. The contrast to Mickey who is ready to go and on the move. I have one extreme to the other. When I need calm, there is Divine, when I need emotions, I have Mickey.
I can see Divine becoming even more attached to me as time goes by and our bond is still getting stronger. I'm learning how to balance between two dogs, still a challenge but I'm learning. Oh sweet Divine. I"m blessed to have you. Happy Birthday little girl.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The adorable little blond
Sweet little Divine is a yellow Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever cross who started out her life as a Guide Dog for the Blind puppy, but two weeks before graduation she was dropped from the program. Guide Dog work was not for Divine, but she did have potential. Guide Dogs for the Blind donated her to the Hearing Dog Program in San Francisco and became my hearing dog July 2010. Divine is my 6th hearing dog.
Mickey is my 5th hearing dog, but he's a rambunctious Belgian Malinois that couldn't take the sedentary life I had with my desk job. Mickey is the type to be up and ready. Lie down for two hours is not Mickey's idea of fun. So any little happening, like a door knock or someone walking through the door, Mickey had to let everyone in the department know it. This was from an experience he had as a young dog that had triggered his instinct to bark, rather than touch alert. The barking tendencies to alert just reinforced themselves as time continued. Mickey, not being able to handle the sedentary work at my job, I needed to find a dog that could handle the desk job and alert with a touch, not with barking. I applied for Divine through the Hearing Dog Program. It took about a year and a half to get her, but well worth the wait.
I am so fortunate to have Divine in my life. It is having the best of both worlds with both dogs. Divine is everything I needed in a dog for my work with the desk job. She is fine with the snooze during the day with the occasional alerts when someone knocks at my office door. In the evenings I can work with Mickey or take him on the long walks to the store to go shopping. Both dogs have their jobs and when I need the high power, I take Mickey, when I need a lower octane, I take Divine.
Divine has had training from two programs and sometimes she will do something that I just go Hmmmm, I wonder if she does this because......???? I am so amused to watch her think and do some of her behaviors.
I decided to start Divine's training for competition obedience. Her training as a guide has taught her to position herself that is more appropriate for a working guide dog. With competition obedience the positions are quite different. What I have learned in getting Mickey to place himself appropriately for competition obedience is helping me problem solve Divine as well.
For now, I'm teaching Divine to come straight to me. She has this fabulous bouncy spring come that is adorable. However, she was taught to come in sideways so she's in position to slide a guide dog harness right over her head and clip on. So my first criteria is to get her to sit straight in front of me. I do see her trying to position herself sideways, but with clicker training I can mark the position I need. I also was trying to train her to come both straight and close to me, but found that was too many criterion for her now. I will only work on a straight sit in front of me. I can teacher her to get closer later. This is what is wonderful about clicker training is she is enjoying the change of position. It isn't wrong but just different. Her enthusiasm is thrilling for me. I love working with this adorable dog.
When I call Divine, I will say Sit, and the instant her rump hits the ground or floor, I click. Divine's sits have been slow and with my timing of the clicker, I have been able to speed up some of her sits having that right time when the rump hits the ground. I do see the time for her to try and sit is taking less time. With a few more sessions she will understand that the faster she sits, the sooner the click will come. A new concept for her since she was not taught sport speed training, except for her fast comes.
I have to admit, I haven't really taken any time to train Divine the past year. It has been a hectic year, buying a house, starting a side business and getting a new hearing dog. I'm finally getting into more precision and accurate training with Divine. I'm seeing a little change in her. Almost like she is shaping a new personality. Kind of nice to see. Although my focus in competition obedience is Mickey right now, I'm starting some basics with Divine so when I get Mickey's CD (Companion Dog Title) I can enter Divine in competition obedience. What a wonderful journey with training both dogs. I'm so fortunate to have both them, not only as my dogs, but also my working dogs too.
Mickey is my 5th hearing dog, but he's a rambunctious Belgian Malinois that couldn't take the sedentary life I had with my desk job. Mickey is the type to be up and ready. Lie down for two hours is not Mickey's idea of fun. So any little happening, like a door knock or someone walking through the door, Mickey had to let everyone in the department know it. This was from an experience he had as a young dog that had triggered his instinct to bark, rather than touch alert. The barking tendencies to alert just reinforced themselves as time continued. Mickey, not being able to handle the sedentary work at my job, I needed to find a dog that could handle the desk job and alert with a touch, not with barking. I applied for Divine through the Hearing Dog Program. It took about a year and a half to get her, but well worth the wait.
I am so fortunate to have Divine in my life. It is having the best of both worlds with both dogs. Divine is everything I needed in a dog for my work with the desk job. She is fine with the snooze during the day with the occasional alerts when someone knocks at my office door. In the evenings I can work with Mickey or take him on the long walks to the store to go shopping. Both dogs have their jobs and when I need the high power, I take Mickey, when I need a lower octane, I take Divine.
Divine has had training from two programs and sometimes she will do something that I just go Hmmmm, I wonder if she does this because......???? I am so amused to watch her think and do some of her behaviors.
I decided to start Divine's training for competition obedience. Her training as a guide has taught her to position herself that is more appropriate for a working guide dog. With competition obedience the positions are quite different. What I have learned in getting Mickey to place himself appropriately for competition obedience is helping me problem solve Divine as well.
For now, I'm teaching Divine to come straight to me. She has this fabulous bouncy spring come that is adorable. However, she was taught to come in sideways so she's in position to slide a guide dog harness right over her head and clip on. So my first criteria is to get her to sit straight in front of me. I do see her trying to position herself sideways, but with clicker training I can mark the position I need. I also was trying to train her to come both straight and close to me, but found that was too many criterion for her now. I will only work on a straight sit in front of me. I can teacher her to get closer later. This is what is wonderful about clicker training is she is enjoying the change of position. It isn't wrong but just different. Her enthusiasm is thrilling for me. I love working with this adorable dog.
When I call Divine, I will say Sit, and the instant her rump hits the ground or floor, I click. Divine's sits have been slow and with my timing of the clicker, I have been able to speed up some of her sits having that right time when the rump hits the ground. I do see the time for her to try and sit is taking less time. With a few more sessions she will understand that the faster she sits, the sooner the click will come. A new concept for her since she was not taught sport speed training, except for her fast comes.
I have to admit, I haven't really taken any time to train Divine the past year. It has been a hectic year, buying a house, starting a side business and getting a new hearing dog. I'm finally getting into more precision and accurate training with Divine. I'm seeing a little change in her. Almost like she is shaping a new personality. Kind of nice to see. Although my focus in competition obedience is Mickey right now, I'm starting some basics with Divine so when I get Mickey's CD (Companion Dog Title) I can enter Divine in competition obedience. What a wonderful journey with training both dogs. I'm so fortunate to have both them, not only as my dogs, but also my working dogs too.
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