Undesired Behaviors

Yesterday, I went to a GDUI or Guide Dog Users Incorperated, meeting. Basically, it's a group of dog guide handlers and puppy raisers who meet from time to time and discuss things such as access laws and the issues they bring about, training for our 4 legged friends, and health tips. We had a room full of dog guides along with some cute puppies in training. Mason did well with all the distractions. However, some of the other dogs had some issues I'm glad we don't have to ddeal with. Some of these included, jumping, whining, refusing to sit or lay down, begging at meal times, and many others. The interesting thing was that the puppies behaved better than some of the adult dogs. This reminded me of how important it is to be consistant with Mason, and the great results I get from doing so. For those who let their dogs do whatever they please, it will come back to get them in the end. In fact, certain behaviors stemming from this could affect the length of the dog's career. So, no matter how hard it can be, be consistant and set boundaries for your furry friends. In the end, you'll be glad you did.

The Truth About Choke Chains

Yesterday, some friends and I were eating lunch in the dining hall at school. When we were leaving, Mason went for some food on the ground, and I had to give him a leash correction. "You're being mean to him," my friend, Erica, said.
No matter how hard I tried to explain, she still thought that correctijng Mason was cruel. However, what we might think is painful isn't that noticable to a dog. Dogs have 7 times the muscle strength in their necks than we do. So, what might look like a harmful jerk of the choke chain only feels like someone flicking your shirt sleve to them. It's just enough to get their attention, but not enough to hurt them. Nevertheless, people still think it is cruel to give a dog a leash correction. However, if you see this happening, remember that it's not cruel, it's just a harmless but effective form of training.

A Lesson On Stubbernness

This week, Mason moved back to the dorm. I brought his peg dish, mentioned in an earlier poste, with us. Yesterday, I poured his food and put it down for him. However, he wasn't interested. Since it is on a stand with his water, his old dish is still here. So, I moved the food to it. This way, I'd know if Mason didn't like the new dish, or if he just wasn't hungry. It turned out that he just didn't like the dish.
Later, I was on the phone with my friend, Anneliese, and we were discussing Mason's eating situation. She reminded me of the fact that just because our dogs want something doesn't mean we should just give in to them. If we did, then they would end up walking up walking all over us. So, when I got up this morning, I decided that I was in charge, not Mason.
This morning, I put Mason's breakfast in the new dish, and put it down for him. Like yesterday, he didn't touch it. So, I left it as it was. Before we left for class, I dumped it out so I could keep track of whether or not he had eaten. So, he got no breakfast, and that seemed surprisingly all right with him.
This afternoon, I served Mason his dinner. At first, I thought we were going to have the same result. However, after a few minutes, he began eating. In the end, he finished every bite. It just goes to show you that persistence pays off every time.

Too Much Attention

Today, Mason and I started our second semester of college. When we went to our first class, sciense, everything seemed pretty routeen. Then, I got a shock. The profesor came up to the front of the class, introduced himself, and said, "We have someone special in our class. His name is Mason and he is a guide dog."
I'm sure many people following this blog wouldn't think that's such a big deal. However, it is. One of the worst things you can do to a dog guide team is draw attention to its members. The less attention they get from people, the easier it is for them to function officiently. For example, after the profesor made it known that Mason was in the room, I got several requests to pet him. When it comes to that, I can politely tell them that he is working. However, some people will just try to pet a service dog without permission, which can cause major problems. Basically, the lesson here is that if you see someone with a service animal, ignore the dog. As cute as the dogs are, it just makes life easier for them if they are left alone.

Too Many Choices

Today, I was at work, and nothing much was going on. I work at my dad's office, so I see a lot of him and his girl friend when I'm there. Today, Dad's girl friend had been out running errands, and I guess one of her stops on the way to the office was the pet store. She came in with 2 stuffed animals. Both were hedgehogs. One of them was pink with a boe, and the other was blue with a tie. She was going to give 1 to Mason, and let a coworker take the other 1 home to her dofg. Since he was there, she decided it would be funny to let Mason pick his out. When she held them both down in front of him, he looked at both of them, and turned his gaze towards her. It was allmost as if he were saying, "Let me have both. Please, please, please.
In the end, she ended up only getting the pink one, which he seemed happy with. However, I think he still would not have minded bringing them both home with him. Like a lot of little kids, I guess Mason is still learning the concept of sharing.

No Breakfast Today

This morning, when I went to take a shower, I had to put Mason on my aunt's enclosed pateo. Since a lot of people were sleeping in the living room, and he is extremely social, I figured it would be better if he ate his breakfast out there. Normally, he can't inhale the food fast enough. However, he decided that since I wasn't watching him eat, he wasn't interested in doing it. Then, once I was done with my shower and came out, he decided to pout. Since I hadn't watched him eat in the first place, he wasn't going to do it at all. It just goes to show you that a dog is allways full of surprises.

Doughnut Feast

This week, I've been visiting family in North Carolina. The other day, we went to run some erands. Since it involved a lot of just sitting in the car, I decided to leave Mason at home with my cousins' boxer, Gabbie. When we returned, there was a surprise waiting for us. Betwen the 2 of them, the dogs had eaten half a box of doughnuts. I guess you could say Mason is an oppurtunist. If the food is sitting out and noone is watching, then it must be for him.