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This site is confined to blind dogs, not dogs with blurry vision, limited sight or the ability to see shadows.
Pictured is our blind cocker, Scooby. He just had his 4th birthday.
Considering adopting a blind dog? There's lots to think about before taking the plunge!!
Back story ... We volunteer at a nearby animal shelter and discovered Scooby quite by accident. His sad saga is as follows: He arrived as an investigations - neglect case. He had been "dumped" at a private vet clinic by his owner after learning the cost of treatment. The owner had no funds and requested euthanasia. Having already put down four pets who were beyond repair that week, the vet decided that Scooby could be saved.
Tests were performed and two major results were obtained. 1.) Scooby's red blood cell count was almost nonexistent due to flea anemia; he had lost 10# and weighed only 16# of his desired 26 pound weight. The flea infestation and malnourishment resulted in emaciation close to the point of death. 2.) The owner had left Scooby's bilateral glaucoma untreated and he was in final stage by the time the vet saw him. His ocular pressure caused his eyes to bulge from their sockets. Needless to say, between the fleas and the glaucoma, Scooby was in great pain.
Glaucoma info here: http://www.animaleyecare.net/diseases/glaucoma.htm
The vet clinic kept Scooby for three weeks and treated him for the fleas while carefully restoring his diet. Then, he was sent to the shelter where we volunteer so that his eyes could be removed in the adjoining veterinary hospital.
Scooby did well with his eye surgery and was placed on the adoption floor. However, the new sounds and smells were overwhelming given his loss of sight. Soon, he was housed "in the back" of the shelter in a private area. It was still stressful for him given the rotation of staff and volunteers, different voice commands directed at him and yet another new environment to learn. He was kept in private quarters for about two months before we spotted him.
We began by being his "Kennel Buddies" and would spend time sitting with him and helping him to relax. He liked my wife much more than me, likely due to his abuse/neglect at the hands of a male. His most negative trait was food guarding. Anyone entering his kennel would be met with growling and snappy behavior. We couldn't blame him; for three years he never knew if and when he'd get his next meal. Still, he enjoyed time out of his kennel when we would take him for walks on the in-house walking trails.
After a couple of weeks of interacting with Scooby, we decided to ask if we might foster him in our home. As luck would have it, the Foster Department was starting to search for a foster family. Thus, Scooby came home with us. We fostered him for seven weeks before deciding to adopt him.
Scooby's initial scorecard? Here are the plusses and minuses that we noticed after a few weeks with him.
Positive attributes: He was not "vocal" and only yelped if we forgot to provide a potty break. He slept through the night. He was 100% housebroken! He walked well on leash. He seemed very appreciative of the care and TLC we provided.
Negative traits: He guarded his food. My wife found four food bowls beneath his bed while he was at the shelter. Staff didn't want to attempt removing them for fear that he'd snap. He also brought a toy home with him that had been his comfort and joy while in the shelter. He guarded it with equal fervor.
How these negative traits were removed: When he came home as a foster, we fed all meals by hand. He quickly learned that his food didn't simply fall from the sky. Instead, he realized that we were the good guys who were providing it. Eventually, we shifted to a bowl (after three weeks of hand feeding) but would drop small bits of cheese or chicken into the bowl while he was eating his kibble. This taught him that humans near his bowl were a positive thing and that there was no reason to guard.
We have not worked very hard on the toy guarding to date but plan to start. The technique will be to "exchange" the toy for a high value treat like Natural Balance Log Roll, poached chicken, or cheese. Treats need only be the size of a pea. Training sessions are not meals but rather opportunities to receive a small reward for requested behavior. Scooby, simply through living with us, has pretty much self-eliminated his former protective behaviors. He's comfortable and confident that we're allies and won't take any of his treasures.
It's all about trust: You will likely notice (and should be aware of) the tendency of blind dogs to startle. We had to keep this foremost in our minds and now it is second nature. For example, we don't just toss a leash around Scooby's neck. Instead, we "drag" it over his rump so that he can feel it first and know that leashing is about to take place.
People always like to approach a strange dog and pet it. We always advise to approach from the rear and touch rump first, gently. Close your eyes and imagine a stranger grabbing your neck or tapping the top of your head; dogs have the same reaction.
As a blind dog becomes accustomed to you, you'll sense the trust that he places while in your care. He'll run on a large school yard off leash, knowing that you're there to guide him by voice or clapping of hands. This process will take months before he is totally confident and willing to let go and trust you completely.
Should you adopt a blind dog? Is it all that much different than adopting any other shelter dog? Do your homework; there are differences depending upon how your prospective pet lost his sight. Sudden trauma is a more difficult adjustment than gradual loss of sight. Your other pets might sense the newly acquired weakness and exploit it. Knowledge is power when it comes to making your decision.
First, you should ask yourself some questions ....
1. What is your lifestyle? Do you like to arrange your furniture differently for the sake of variety? Do you have multiple levels in your living environment? Stairs can be tricky for a blind dog.
2. Do you work or go to school? How much time would your dog be alone? Crating any animal for long periods is hardly fair. What alternatives could you provide to alleviate boredom?
3. Does the dog you hope to adopt have any ancillary medical issues or residual effects from treatment? If you are going to face long term veterinary care, it's best to know if it's within your budget to take on such expenses.
4. Who will watch your dog if you have to be gone? Are you willing to allow a pet sitter to inhabit your residence? Are there boarding facilities in your area who accept blind dogs? What about doggy daycare facilities? Some simply don't accept blind dogs since they are unable to read other dogs' body language. Others will invite you to bring the dog for an assessment. If he passes, you'll be allowed to board with them or place your dog in daytime play groups. Scooby did well at two daycare businesses, never complaining while being bumped and sniffed by other dogs. Groups usually ranged from 12 to 20 dogs but, in both instances, staff felt that he wasn't really enjoying himself since he couldn't play like the others. Through sheer luck, we found a wonderful woman who runs a daycare in her home. She has, at most, two other carefully accepted dogs. Scooby can't wait to go see her and play with his pals.
5. Will this be your only pet? This is a major consideration. While we'd love to continue our role as foster parents at our local shelter, would this be a good thing for Scooby? Would this cause him to revert to food guarding? What if the foster dog were to take his favorite toy? At the moment, we're content to allow Scooby to acclimate to his new life with us. Whether we'll foster in the future is yet to be decided.
6. Should I foster before adopting? Yes, if at all possible! We'd make this recommendation for anyone thinking about adopting any dog. There's nothing like a field test to see if it is the right dog for you. As a shelter volunteer, I've seen countless cases of people adopting a dog on Saturday and then leaving it alone when they return to work on Monday. They're upset that the dog barked, chewed, or had a potty accident and surrender it after 72 hours. Most dogs take two to six months to fully adjust to new living conditions and a blind dog should not be expected to require any less.
Note: Many shelters require foster parents to become volunteers. Until you have undergone new volunteer orientation, it's possible that you cannot foster any animals.
7. Would a second, sighted dog be of assistance to my blind dog? Maybe. It's not quite as simple as the YouTube videos and Hollywood portray it. With careful selection and proper introductions, another dog may work wonders with your animal.
8. What if I change my mind after the adoption? Returning a sightless dog is extremely stressful on all concerned, especially the animal. He has been forced to "map" and remember a new set of obstacles. He's begun to bond with a new human. It's just not fair. You need to think of adoption as a long term commitment and be absolutely certain that you have the skills, patience and resources to bring a blind dog into your life.
9. Are there resources to help me both before and after I decide to adopt? Fortunately, there are many! Here are a few that I refer to often:
http://www.blinddogs.net/resource_links.html
10. Is it worth it? Yes! Yes! Yes! True, there are a few necessary adjustments (covered well in the above links) to living with a sightless dog. Keeping a short leash when walking and maneuvering around objects requires constant vigilence. With Scooby, it was all about TRUST. Once he became comfortable with us and confident that we would protect him, he became the most happy-go-lucky and well behaved dog. You simply have to be willing and able to put in the time. With a sincere commitment on your part, you'll have a loving companion like Scooby!
11. What activities do blind dogs enjoy? This varies with age, breed and temperment of the dog. Scooby enjoys going to his doggy daycare lady, playing "find the treats" and swimming. He goes to an indoor dog swimming facility weekly and swims against the force of therapy jets in a lap pool. It's great for joints, builds strength and is just plain fun. If you do a browser search for blind dog games, blind dog activities, etc. you will find abundant hints and tips.
Special note on walking a blind dog: All dogs are scavengers by nature and blind dogs are no exception. Anything from a wad of bubble gum to a tossed bag of french fries is fair game. If it's half of a chocolate candy bar, such an impromptu snack could be life-threatening. As a result, it's important to be the eyes of your blind dog. If we see fast food debris ahead, we take evasive maneuvers rather than allow Scooby to be driven crazy by the scent. Once, he darted to the side and displayed a large piece of aluminum foil in his jaws that once held a beef sandwich! Oh dear ...
Luckily, we were about 80 yards from home and I dashed to the house while my wife held his leash. No amount of coaxing or cajoling would prompt him to release his grip on the mouthful of foil. I returned with some high value treats and he was willing to swap. Since that episode, we always carry a small amount of treats as insurance so as to avoid being "foiled again."
BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK!
Congratulations for taking on your quest to be the proud owner of a blind dog! We have to actually tell people that Scooby is blind. Like all dogs, he uses NOSE, EARS and EYES in that order. It's no major effort to own and care for a blind dog and, as you'll see, he'll love you for being his human! Questions? chstr29@comcast.net
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