Chapter 35: Natural Occurring Barriers

Obstructing Dog Guide Travel

In training dogs are patterned to what is referred to as a straight line concept. This allows the dog to move laterally within its environment but still moving ahead on a straight line. Dogs are conditioned to clear both to the right and the left when able and to locate and follow the open pathway. However there will be times when the pathway is completely obstructed. In these cases the dog guide team will have to change direction before they can resume their original travel. There are three main types of barriers that dog guide teams will commonly come in contact with.

  • Left and right barriers with an open pathway
  • Full blockade, total obstruction of the line of travel
  • Over head barriers, obstructions that are out of the view of the dog

The three barriers are handled slightly different but with the same goal in mind.

Common left and right barriers are garbage, flower pots, parking meters and signs. In these situations the handler merely has to follow their dog closely, not crowding or pulling right as the dog locates the most available pathway.

Full blockades are more difficult and can be very confusing to a handler that is traveling along a familiar route. The full obstruction disrupts the rhythm and causes the handler to change direction. Common full blockades are parked cars across the sidewalk, trucks unloading boxes, temporary construction fences or walls and taped off areas. In most cases the dog will slow down and hesitate. Seasoned or experience dogs may negotiate the barrier all in one motion. However if it is a true total blockade it is best if the handler can physically locate it. They will ask their dog to Hup up and then take their hand and with an upward and forward motion sweep down in front of them to try and locate what is blocking the path. If the handler is successful then they will praise their dog. The handler will then step back with their left foot giving the dog plenty of room to locate a new pathway.

Ideally the handler should turn towards the street to avoid wandering into a small space or getting lost down an alley. After stepping back the handler will ask the dog to respond to “Forward”. Next the handler will locate the side curb. Then the handler will listen to the traffic and ask the dog to go “Forward” when it is all quiet. Upon entering the street the handler will tell the dog right or left so that they are facing in the original line of travel. The handler will need to realize that it may take the dog several paces before they can locate a suitable opening. This will take some time for the handler to learn and decipher when the dog needs to return back to the sidewalk. If they turn too early they may pull the dog into another barrier, too late and they may continue walking down the street. As teams gain more experience with full blockades they will improve. Once in the home area some teams will encounter these barriers frequently while other teams may not.

Over heads are the third most common barrier. Historically this has been the most difficult type to condition dogs to on a consistent basis.Dog guides do not naturally look up as they are working therefore they can easily miss objects that are not in their line of vision. Dogs do however have a large peripheral field of vision, approximately 240 degrees and can see a considerable amount on either side of them.

Overheads that are connected to objects several feet off the ground may help the dog detect that it is there. Particularly if there is a gradual protrusion of the object. Air conditioners, metal signs, café umbrellas and awnings pose the biggest concern. Dogs that work with handlers that are tall begin to take notice more of over heads since these handlers will make contact more often. There have been instances in the field where a dog had stopped for a tree limb for years. One day the town cuts the limb down. The dog still consistently stops in that location for its handler. Why? The dog had land marked the area so well; not necessarily the limb.

When the handler is able and working known routes they should land mark these over heads to the dog early on. The clicker is a valuable tool to teach the dog to stop & locate these obstacles. The handler can either carry a probing cane and pause when in the perceived vicinity or have a sighted friend help to point out potentially dangerous over heads. The clicker can be used with the back chaining method gradually increasing the distance.

After the dog understands and can locate the over head the handler should step back and give the dog enough room to negotiate a clear path around the over head or duck underneath when safe to do so. Praise once you are past the over head. Having the dog stop and locate it lets the handler know that the over head is approaching.