KismetKat

If you know the dog's name and approx age and rough area she is in, I would be calling the Guide Dogs and explaining the situation to them and ask if it is possible for them to do a follow up on the dog, to make sure everything is okay. That's a worry tho - what if they want her to relinquish the dog? She loves it to bits! She just needs more help. What they REALLY need to look at is their process for homing dogs.

I know the dog's name - perhaps I can get Council to contact her to get in touch with me.

I'm actually kicking myself for not giving her my business card so she could contact. I've been going to this park for over a year and it is the first time I've met her. I'm sure I could organise some extra dog-walking for her from the people I know in the area. Still - she was 84 when they gave him to her - can't they do the math? Well they weren't told! She hadn't heard of the "come" command and was just using his name (to little effect). I encouraged her to practice using "come" at home using treats (advising her to cut down on dinners to compensate, he was a little tubby). I certainly think he vaguley remembered it - when I used it to call him (with hand signals) he looked at me, seemed to be turning the other way, and then bolted straight to us.

I might just do that - but aren't there 2 guide dog goups in Vic??? (I'm not from around Melb originaly)

Me neither. Is there a problem within Guide Dogs Vic? Such a lovely and loving doggie owner but they've given her totally the wrong dog and she's the one suffering the guilt over exercise and training and what happens when they die. Why not the happy story of another elderly dog owner I recently met who had adopted a 9 year old GR and proudly stated that she was the dog's "retirement home" and even tho she didn't move that fast herself was vowing to 'walk the excess weight' off the dog.

I met an elderly woman in the park today. She had a 3 year old lab that they'd had from about 14 months old. He was a 'failed' guide dog. Their request to guide dog (as they love labs) was for a retired guide dog (does such a thing exist????) but they got this young, naughty adolescent instead. She admitted to me that they really should not have taken him, but they did, they love him, and he was well looked after (nice soft glossy coat, tho a little overweight). They have someone take him for a walk 3 days a week, but she conceeded he did not get enough exercise. The reason they were at the park was that their dog-walker could not make it and she took him to this park occasionally so he could (hopefully) run around (perhaps with other dogs) and, as it was fenced and he didn't really have any recall, she could get him back (eventually). The woman was 86 years old. She was in one of those wheeled walking frames with a seat. Her husband is also in a walking frame. She despairs what happens to the dog when they die. Her long-handled pooper-scooper was broken so I picked up her dog's poop for her. I also took her dog on a lap of the park with mine. I think he might have had a vague knowledge of the "come" command (do Guide Dogs get taught that?), and I encouraged her to teach it/reinforce it with the dog. But heck, I know there are 'seniors for seniors' rescues out there. This woman wanted an older dog. But Guide Dogs offered her this young dog and, perhaps being elderly and vulnerable and really wanting a dog, despite her better judgement, she took him on. What were Guide Dogs thinking??? Why did they allow an elderly vulnerable couple who love dogs take on this dog? Why did they not steer them in a more suitable direction?

I call it "dance's with wolves" play

Can I just say here that the subject header, in the sans serif font, looks like you're talking about something entirely different from pyjamas.

No - it's a PhD so they take a little while don't they?. As to 'results" I think the main point of the study is to see if a scientifically valid test is actually possible (she concedes it might not be) - but am sure some interesting data may become apparant. Perhaps she will publish some preliminary findings/theories/observations? Smoothiegirl - getting our rescue collie was the best thing we ever did. He's a gorgeous cuddlebunny and a great mate for ort little mutt. Here's my favourite

Oh that is just TOO funny! Love they way the dog's back legs are kicking about in the 2nd slide. Thanks for sharing

My sister took on an older dog via rescue whose name was "Cookie" - there was NO way she could live with that. He was renamed "Oscar" and quickly adapted to it. I think he was 5 or 6 when she got him.

Lol if you translate that into beeps for morse code you get three short bips, three long bips, three short bips = SOS Said he was a smart doggie Now if only I knew the morse code for "Timmy's down the well" Smoothiegirl - the collie is not a pup, he's 3. We've had him for over 1 year. He's generally so affable (tho a little tiny bit reserved) I really did not think he would react that way. I would not have put him thru it if I thought he'd get stressed (tho funnily enough I expected the mutt to stress, which she didn't, but that didn't bother me so much, but as the collie is a rescue... perhaps he was thinking he was in the pound again???) gunlover - I don't think it's like being at the vet's. Collie is fine at the vet's but the mutt isn't so good. It IS a "strange" situation though. From what the student said, some dog's don't give a rat's tho. She mentioned one dog that, as soon as the owner left, ran over and flung itself into the "stranger's" lap and kissed him to death. I wonder in the scales of possible behaviour there is one named "total tart"

I think they were just having a joke.

Yes she wants some puppies of a certain age, with testing again in a year's time. And we've just analysed the collie's barking - there was a pattern. yip yip yip, woof woof woof, yip yip yip smart doggie

Don't know about don't fret pet, but if you DO need to use a kennel I think these guys would be good - they've run a fantastic cattery for many years (I would highly recomend) and as many of their cat owners also owned dogs and wanted the same high level of care, they bought a nearby kennel a couple of years ago. They've been very busy improving conditions (including sound-proofing) plus their carers DO actually play with and exercise the dogs.

Here's some details from the Monash website I'd be interested in reading the experience of others - did your dog/s do what you thought? Or did they surprise you?

I know she needs more doggies - so anyone interested in taking part please get in touch with her. Odin - as to the 'stranger', it is always the same guy (I think he is Tammie's, obviously very patient, boyfriend). The whole idea is that everything is the same for every dog, even using a lead supplied by the student (and a flat collar if you don't have one). t-time - at this stage the different temps of different breeds doesn't matter. This is data collection to document the range of behaviours that may occur - so I guess the more varied dogs she gets the better. There is no/right/wrong or pass/fail - it's just to record what the dogs do in the situation. edited for clarity

Sorry - daughter got on the computer. Now consider the room is a rectangle with the door at the bottom. The station outside the room where the student is monitoring the cameras is on the top right hand corner of the rectangle. When I exited the room I walked to this monitor station to watch what the dog did. The room is made of solid plywood with no gaps at the bottom and no way the dog can see out (no windows). What did my dog do??? Trot to the corner of the room that was physically closest to where I was standing and sat, focussing on the plywood wall she could not see thru. She knew where I was. I made sure that once I saw that I was extra special quiet (she may have heard my footsteps) and eventually she gave up her vigil at the blank wall and went and lay across the only doorway, patiently waiting my return. She totally ignored the 'stranger'. No reaction at all. Funnily enough when I went back into the room she finally showed some signs of stress. I was still under instructions to ignore her. so I sat on the chair with folded hands. She did a funny yawning thing until I was finally 'released' and allowed to interact. Then she was fine. And just back to the collie - it really was a surprise. I send them, together, to a groomer every 6 weeks (the mutt just to keep the collie company). The situation there is that he is fine the whole time, but the mutt does stress, but only when the collie is not with her. Like I said, I wonder if it was being with the OH that made the difference.

nah - guess

To answer questions - my dogs were numbers 76 and 77 (I think) - she needs 200 dogs overall. As to types of dogs - I think she's had all sorts (purebreds, mutts, DDs), but could not say how many of which sort. As to what my dogs did... I'll start with dog '2' - our collie from collie rescue. He did the test with my OH who is NOT a prime caregiver - so I do wonder if this affected how he behaved. However this sort of variable is covered by the 4 fullsome questionaires you complete before doing the test. Now our collie is typical of the breed. Lovely dog, good with people and other animals. When I have him at the off-leash park he's prone to gauging other walkers trajectory, standing about 20 foot in front of them in direct line with where they are walking, and then cadging a pat. I expected him to maybe be a little unsure in this strange situation, but happy to greet the 'stranger' and cope reasonable well. Oh dear He showed mild signs of distress from the start (panting). He did not like the 'stranger' touching him. He did not approach the 'stranger' when off-lead and called. Once the OH left the room he started a high pitched yip and yap. He totally ignored any and all overtures by the 'stranger'. I felt awful He did calm down immediately OH returned and stood very close to him (even tho he was still being ignored) and just panted a bit. Now the other dog (the mutt with me) - this is a dog totally sutured to me. My expectation was that she would be fine until I left the room where I suspected she would fling herself against the doorway and try and snort be back via any crack she could find under the doorway. As to her reaction to the 'stranger' while I was in the room, I figured it all depended on if she thought he was a 'dog' person or not (she does have the occasional left-wing-separatist-lesbian moment with blokes ) While on-lead she was very sniffy - SO sniffy she couldn't be bothered with the 'stranger' trying to say 'hello'. Once off-lead she was still sniffy, but did run up tail wagging to say a brief 'hello' when the 'stranger' called her. But it was what she did once I left that was so surprising. Not what I expected (see above) and the researcher did tap herself on the head and whisper 'smart dog'. Apparently very few dogs, so far, have exhibited this behaviour. OK - any guesses what she did?

I guess I should explain what you do first. You enter a room with the dog on lead. There is a 'stranger' sitting on a chair at the end of the room. You stand near another chair that is by the door. For the whole test you don't interact with your dog or give it commands - just be perfectly neutral. After a while the 'stranger' aproaches you and you talk together. Then the 'stranger' tries to say hello to the dog. The stranger then goes back and sits down and you let the dog off lead and sit down with hands on lap. A bit later the 'stranger' calls the dog to him. A bit later you leave the room. While you are out of the room the stranger then a) calls the dog to him and then b) tries to approach the dog. You then go back into the room and sit down (but still ignore the dog). Then the test is over. What do you think your dog would do yellow girl?

The other week my two dogs participated in the 'amicability study' that has been much talked about on these forums. I think I remember saying I would happily bet the PhD student as to how my dogs would react. Well I'm glad I didn't. Ended up (particularly once we left the room - me with dog 1 and OH with dog 2) they behaved quite differently from what I expected. It was fascinating watching them on the computer video monitor.

I've worked with Austism Spectrum Disorder children. The DSM-IV criteria (for Autism, not Rett's, Asperger's, CDD or PDD NOS) outlines areas the children have problems with. Eye contact, obsessive interests, and an inability to read social cues are just a few of them. Many Austistic (again, not Asperger's, Rett's, CDD or PDD NOS) kids also have a permanant "blankness" to their face. OzPit - I've spent a lot of time with kids. My own, my many neices and nephews, even great neices and nephews - plus help with my kids classmates with reading and been the 'mum on the bus' for school swimming... Seems every 2nd kid these days either has an autism spectrum disorder or a nut allergy. But I have never seen a kid like this before. This was not a 'blankness' - the look in this kid's eyes was pure hate.

Me too I have 3 boys, they are gentle and loving towards all animals, they have been taught well. I think rather than hate something that makes you uncomfortable why not invite them to pat your dog? Then they will becone animal loving adults rather than fear dogs, most hate comes from fear. While I understand some kids are downright scary, we were all kids once, and it's not nice to be hated. My dogs are regularly taken to kinders and school to become socialised to children, I hope they remain ok with them as they grow. Mind you I am very watchful that the kids are gently and behave correctly around them. Hmm, maybe I should add that i dont hate ALL kids (and yes, I actually have one ) But seriously, with the number of downright rude, misbehaved, obnoxious kids out there I find it hard NOT to cringe when I see one. Each to their own, we can't all be all goo goo, la la over kids Adults are a completely different story . Sooo MUCH easier to yell at and put in their place without getting yourself a dirty look from their mummy What SecretKei said. I don't "hate" kids" - I have 2 of my own! And after the auction had finished and I had walked clear of most of the crowd two little girls called out "can we pat your dog" and I said "yes" and they very gently met my dog and gave him a cuddle and I asked them if they'd seen Lassie and they hadn't so told them to get their dad (who was standing back a bit) to get the DVD out for them. But this kid who did the staring... my estimation would be that he's one of those overindulged opiniated little shites (yes, calling out, there's a dangerous dog!" to all and sundry - obviously that kid hadn't seen Lassie either!) who can do no wrong in his parents eyes. By the evil glare (and the length of it) that he gave my dog I would even go so far as to say 'sociopath in the making'. There was definitely something wrong with this kid, and I don't mean any intellectual disability. The kid was mean, pure and simple. And I was stuck in the middle of a large crowd on the footpath, I couldn't move away mid-auction without causing a ruckus. My dog did turn away from the boy - but that was about as much room as we had to manouver. And yes, dealing with an adult would have been much easier. That sort of kid has the sort of parent that does not appreciate strangers taking their children to task, however mildly it is done. I just feel sorry for any future dog this kid stares down that does react.

I think mine are worse than yours (social skills that is) - i felt like drop kicking him into next week. Let me add this was not the look of a child scared, the look was full of hate!