[access-uk] Re: Doping a guide dog?
- From: "Peter Logue" <plsd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:53:41 -0000
Hi Barry,
Yesterday I visited the site of the incident and took my guide dog Ernie up
the path and into the station. As always, as he has done for the past two
years, he turned left and stopped at the ticket office doors. This is where
I always ask an attendant which of the 3 platforms I get the next train. Why
he turned right and walked in the wrong direction the other day is beyond
me. It was just so out of character. I again talked with my friends and they
all reiterated that Ernie was definitely not himself that day at the pub. He
wasn't, as I said, himself at home that evening either. I can't say one way
or another if he did or didn't consume a pill from someone's hand or if he
perhaps licked up a Prozac from the pavement. But it would give a reason why
he'd turn right instead of his normal route to the left. I'd have to say, in
spite of these incidents I have had, that Ernie is a brilliant guide dog. If
anything I have too much confidence in him. Yes, perhaps too much. Our walk
along Helensburgh promenade are not little strolls, they amount to speed
walking. Ernie and I step out at a fast pace and keep it up for the entire
half hour walk. We both thoroughly enjoy our speed walks. There are poles
and concrete benches and certain curves in the path Ernie has to watch out
for, not to mention other people, both on foot, skate and cycle. He does
this magnificently, apart from the one accident. If I hadn't been traveling
so fast I daresay it would not have occurred. Its myself to blame perhaps
for encouraging Ernie forward when he might have stopped. I didn't regard
walking on the promenade as regular guide dog work, so it was sort of, um,
stretch the training a little, if you will. Ernie is a big dog and is
normally very fast. Having that said, Ernie will stop at up curbs until I
find a footing and give him the command ... forward. Yes his dog distraction
has always been a bother, he loves little puppies. And he will do anything
to get to that half eaten sausage roll. I do think he might need some right
shoulder work, though, as he has bumped me off countless people, walking on
my right hand side. Guide dogs will be down next week and we will go over
the station incident and perhaps I will later get some training on right
shoulder work. I won't do without my guide dog though. I do know of some
people who have lost all confidence in their guide dogs and don't trust
their ability at all any more, in fact they leave these poor animals at home
and use their cane full-time. I know of a woman who has ruined 3 guide dogs
in 6 years. After the station incident I considered going back to my cane,
but that was just a momentary lack of confidence due to shock. Guide dogs
have been really good in the past and Nancy Stenhouse, Ernie's trainer I
think was especially good. And perhaps in future, when I get disoriented? I
should stop, take a breath and sort myself out, instead of just clambering
onward.
Thanks for your concern.
Regards,
Peter Logue
Re
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Dj Paddy
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 11:46 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Doping a guide dog?
Peter,
I'm posting this to list in the hope that others can take something away
from it as well.
Please believe me I'm meaning this in the most delicate of ways.
I'd be speaking quite forcefully to your trainer.
Your pup needs a bit of work on his right shoulder work here. I obviously
don't know your mobility skills or requirements but I find this all quite
alarming and am a bit worried about yourself and your big man.
I've a GS Lab myself who can be very easily distracted and quite nervy along
with being a 2 year old 95lbs quite pushy and playful in harness when it's
not on to be so.
My advice is to keep your speed slow when you have drops anywhere near you
and try and not let him overtake.
If you keep the speed down,
Earny will be able to focus more.
You will have more control over him.
You will find it easier to follow the harness movements and orientate
yourself or stop the second you feel disorientated.
I'm not saying Earnys a rubbish guide just that accidents can and do happen
to the lot of us but both of these are as you've said yourself potentially
serious ones and I feel two close to each other for comfort.
A quick check from a trainer doesn't do any harm and the point is to be safe
and feel safe. I always tell myself if it takes two hours one day to get
home from work to look at it like that I got home safely if not as quickly
as I'd always like to.
The warmest regards.
Barry.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Logue" <plsd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 10:12 AM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Doping a guide dog?
> Hi Jackie, Anthony Gordon and all.
> Ernie is fine this morning. He was his very normal self when he woke up.
> I
> still don't know if anyone in the bar gave him anything. I can only go by
> my
> own sense of how he was acting and the opinions of my friends who
> insisted
> that Ernie was just not as settled at my feet as usual. His manner through
> the evening might have been down to his awareness that his master had been
> hurt. Who knows. He wasn't scolded at all for the incident, but perhaps
> they
> know. . Certainly one does lose confidence when an incident like this
> occurs. I've never really felt 100% safe when it comes to doors and
> corners and steps on my right hand side as Ernie tends not to give me
> enough
> room. Last summer I was walking along Helensburgh waterfront, a one mile
> walk I enjoy twice a week, when Ernie came up behind two old ladies. Well,
> he skirted around them and took me too far to the right and caused me to
> walk off the edge of the 7 foot promenade. Luckily this promenade has a 45
> foot slope rather than a sheer drop, but it could have been quite bad if
> the
> tide had been in. I don't know what happened at the station, whither Ernie
> skirted a suitcase and took me off the edge or I got disoriented or a
> combination of both. I certainly thought I was in the middle of the walk
> not
> in fact heading for the edge of the platform. This is how accidents happen
> though and probably no matter how hard I try, I'll always get disoriented
> and lost a time or two. It might only be for three seconds, but that's all
> it takes.
> The main thing is there's no serious injury and Ernie is running in
> circles.
>
> Peter Logue
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
> Of
> Jackie Cairns
> Sent: Friday, February 08, 2008 8:42 AM
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [access-uk] Re: Doping a guide dog?
>
> Hi Peter
>
> So sorry to hear about your fall and the problems you experienced with
> Ernie.
>
> I do hope your dog recovers, and that this experience hasn't affected your
> confidence too much as it would understandably do after a fall like that.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Jackie
>
> Email: cairnsplace@xxxxxxx
> Skype Name: Cairnsplace
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter Logue" <plsd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 11:35 PM
> Subject: [access-uk] Doping a guide dog?
>
>
>> Hi all,
>> Today I was in Helensburgh where my wife and I had just bought another
>> house. I had gone over the property, was quite pleased with the purchase
>> and
>> went to celebrate with a pint or two. My favourite bar is really quite
>> nice
>> and caters to all types. However they also cater to a great many sailors
>> from navy boats that come to dock at Faslane submarine base. Today was no
>> different and the place was quite busy. After a brief 15 minutes I
>> thought
>> my guide dog was a little listless, kept putting his chin on my knee. I
>> thought he wanted a drink, so I took him a drink. He still kept putting
>> his
>> chin on my knee. The place was busy with all kinds of sailors, some were
>> very friendly, having not seen a lovely dog for some time and wanted his
>> attention. Still his chin was on my knee though. So maybe he wanted a pee
>> or
>> to spend. I took him outside between the cars and he peed a little.
>> Inside
>> again he had a sip of water and tried to settle. But it soon occurred
>> that
>> he was up on his
>> Haunches instead of laying at rest. I just could not figure it out. The
>> place was busy, but its often busy. Sailors are petting him and making a
>> fuss, as they always do to a fine looking dog. At this time my friends
>> are
>> telling me that Ernie is looking listless and apprehensive in a manner
>> that
>> they had not ever seen before. Anyway its time to go so I harness up the
>> dog
>> and head over to the train station for the train. To cut this short, we
>> are
>> heading up the pavement and into the station where the platforms lie. The
>> train is dead ahead so I tell my guide dog ... Forward Ernie, find the
>> door.
>> He moves forward and walks me right off the platform and I go crashing
>> right
>> onto the tracks. Apparently Ernie had seen the doors alright, but the
>> doors
>> he saw were on the train of the far platform, not any train dead ahead. I
>> can't see of course, as my vision is just dark smoke so I thought he was
>> heading for the door, going by the sound of things as I tend to do these
>> days. It was a close escape I guess. Anyway I felt I had to call my wife
>> for
>> an escort home as I was quite shaken, as was ernie. As we got home we
>> noticed that Ernie was still listless and he went on to sleep all night,
>> not
>> wanting to go out for a pee or nothin'. Later at night when called to
>> head
>> upstairs he usually bounds up two at a time. But tonight he just barely
>> made it up. And when we were upstairs and we encouraged him to a little
>> play, he just laid his head down and could care less. I'm hoping the poor
>> guy isn't in some kind of extasy nightmare but unable to relate. I'm
>> hoping
>> some sailor didn't slip him a piece of blue chocolate. I can't figure why
>> he'd walk me off the edge of a platform. I can't explain his
>> listlessness;
>> he's usually such a vibrant dog. I hope no-one has slipped him something.
>> As
>> to my fall, a torm pair of pants, a badly bruised leg, a sore ego and
>> totally embarrassed. I'll be phoning guide dogs tomorrow to get to the
>> bottome of why Ernie would walk me over the brink when he has turned
>> left,
>> then right, then right these past two years. Luckily I was in the depot
>> of
>> helensburgh central. Had I been in Queen street, I'd have met the 25,000
>> volt third rail.
>> Peter Logue.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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