Hi All,
Hunter (Golden) went blind at the age of 10 months old (just a puppy!) due to a viral infection. I decided to try freestyle with him since every time I was training Sawyer he would stand there wagging his tail like he wanted to join in! I guess it sounded like fun!
Anyway, I was encouraged by my freestyle friends to let Hunter have a try. At this point he was already 10 YEARS old but still had very good mobility and heck I thought what do we have to lose!
He was always a very outgoing funloving guy and over the years became used to his blindness. I knew that sound played a big role in his world along with touch. At first I put him onlead and did straight line heeling with the leash very short so his shoulder would touch my leg. I did a lot of this at a slow pace, a few steps at a time. I said the word "heel" quietly and repeatedly and I think it gave him confidence. The we added a turn to the right. I said "turn" and slowly turned right. He caught onto this quickly. Then I tried repeating the word "turn, turn, turn" and did a complete 360 degree turn. He loved to do those. So one of his first freestyle moves was left sided heeling , with a 360 turn , then a few more steps heeling. I call it "loop-de-loop". Next I put him on my right, short leash and did the same to teach right sided heeling. I would say the word "right" and heel slowly etc. I used this turn word with the heeling to have him move from my left side to the right.
Here is how it goes:
He heels on the left. I say"turn" and he turns to the right. I turn my body so that my RIGHT side is touching his LEFT shoulder as he turned. He is then on my right side going back toward the direction from where we started and I continue to tell him "right." (I hope this is clear, if not I will try again!)
He learned this easily and it looked so smooth and effortless!
I did find that if he lost touch with my leg he would get a little lost. It took a lot of work on my part so he could reach out and touch someone when we danced, so to speak.
I think these early steps assured him that I was there and he wouldn't get lost. I was very concerned with his safety at all times and that was the reason I had proposed the WCFO rule change to allow blind (and deaf) dogs to compete in all classes on-lead.
This is just a start on trying to give you information about Hunter and the trials and tribulations (but mostly JOY!) of dancing with a blind dog. More to come later...
Eileen Hoyson
Sawyer and Munch (Goldens)
NE PA
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar