Fred got fired for playing too much!

ADD Attention Deficit Dog

A family will enjoy him; not a great candidate for critical incident situations.

I understand the requirements for any type of service animal. If they can't cut it, they can't cut it and don't belong in that role. It just struck me funny that a dog got "fired".

My town had to give up their bloodhound. Her handler got a promotion and no longer had time for the dog and the other K9 officer we currently have works with a GSD for drugs, suspect apprehension, that type of thing. Rosie was a tracker. The time to train a new office was too long to allow Rosie to remain idle. As the PD put it, she took a "new job" with a PD in PA. I personally know the officer who gave up the dog and it wasn't easy but the interests of Rosie had to come first.

NCWriter wrote:
Interesting discussion. I know that Guide Dogs for the Blind in CA cooperates with Dogs for the Deaf in Oregon and sometimes provides them with Career Change dogs who weren't suited for Guide Dog work ( determined after breeding, whelping, puppy socialization and raising, etc for 18 months). These dogs can make great Hearing Dogs. I happen to be receiving such a dog in three weeks.

Interesting that my manuals say that learning to work the sounds is a game for the dog. The trainer-partner has to make it fun and constantly reinforce, keeping things interesting, or the dog won't "play." But alerting sounds is quick work, not sustained search work.

By the way, I saw on the news this morning that the Taliban captured an American military dog with GPS tracker in his vest. Showed video of them with the dog. Made my blood run cold, and I don't think I want to know what else happens.

"Play drive" is very important to any working k-9. The "play" after the deed well done is the ultimate reward for these dogs ie. they live and work for the reward. I have seen quite a few dogs washed out of
k-9 programs for exhibiting low play drive.

Interesting discussion. I know that Guide Dogs for the Blind in CA cooperates with Dogs for the Deaf in Oregon and sometimes provides them with Career Change dogs who weren't suited for Guide Dog work ( determined after breeding, whelping, puppy socialization and raising, etc for 18 months). These dogs can make great Hearing Dogs. I happen to be receiving such a dog in three weeks.

Interesting that my manuals say that learning to work the sounds is a game for the dog. The trainer-partner has to make it fun and constantly reinforce, keeping things interesting, or the dog won't "play." But alerting sounds is quick work, not sustained search work.

By the way, I saw on the news this morning that the Taliban captured an American military dog with GPS tracker in his vest. Showed video of them with the dog. Made my blood run cold, and I don't think I want to know what else happens.

dturm wrote:
Just a little aside, I attended a meeting where military vets in conjunction with some university types gave a presentation of a research program where they were trying to develop tests and identify marker genes that would make choosing individuals for these programs more efficient - reduce the washout percentage. You can imagine the costs savings in being able to choose individuals more likely to succeed.

Well the NDSDF tried that DNA testing, .... and we all know how that one went! ... :D

Pops

dturm wrote:
Just a little aside, I attended a meeting where military vets in conjunction with some university types gave a presentation of a research program where they were trying to develop tests and identify marker genes that would make choosing individuals for these programs more efficient - reduce the washout percentage. You can imagine the costs savings in being able to choose individuals more likely to succeed.

Big savings!!

Many wash outs happen only after a great deal of time, training, and money is invested in the dog.

Dog Folks wrote:
As a retired dog trainer and breeder of Belgians, I say Fred is a wash out.

Most folks do not understand that only about 1 dog in 6, up to 1 in 20 dogs, depending on the type of work, actually make it through training.

That is with the training facility also having a breeding program where they can influence the gene pool a little.

For example: A "seeing eye" dog success rate if the dog is drawn from the general population? 1 in 100 dogs.

It is hard work for both the dog and the handler.

The dogs ability to do scent discrimination never ceased to amaze me. Never.

X2

Watching dogs sniff out cancer cells placed on cotton and inside vials was the most unbelievable thing I've seen with regard to their scent abilities. And of course the seizure and diabetic dogs priceless to their owners they serve.

Just a little aside, I attended a meeting where military vets in conjunction with some university types gave a presentation of a research program where they were trying to develop tests and identify marker genes that would make choosing individuals for these programs more efficient - reduce the washout percentage. You can imagine the costs savings in being able to choose individuals more likely to succeed.

As a retired dog trainer and breeder of Belgians, I say Fred is a wash out.

Most folks do not understand that only about 1 dog in 6, up to 1 in 20 dogs, depending on the type of work, actually make it through training.

That is with the training facility also having a breeding program where they can influence the gene pool a little.

For example: A "seeing eye" dog success rate if the dog is drawn from the general population? 1 in 100 dogs.

It is hard work for both the dog and the handler.

The dogs ability to do scent discrimination never ceased to amaze me. Never.

It's not useful (and often detrimental) for working dogs to quit working in the middle of a job to go do something else.

Papania says, Fred gets distracted. In searching a building, Papania says Fred might spy a soda can on the floor and start playing with it.

Not good if this occurs while searching a building for an armed suspect.



Since Fred could not be retrained, Fred is being returned for refund to the company that sold Fred.