Every dog deserves to have a happy and fulfilling life in a safe and loving environment. How do we provide that for a blind dog? 

The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs has been fostering dogs since 2016, and we have hosted quite a few special needs dogs. We currently have two very different blind foster dogs as foster guests.

ChiChi is an 8-year-old ChiPom who is slowly and cautiously adjusting to all of the big changes in her life.

Tessie is a 7-year-old Cocker Spaniel who took about 2 seconds to adapt and learn her way around our home. Nothing is slowing down Tessie’s joy. She is very trusting and loves everyone she meets.

What is it like having a blind dog? It’s like having any dog. With a few adjustments inside the home and some rules for outside, blind dogs can live happily ever after.  Many of the helpful things that you can do for your blind dog are things you may already be doing for your sighted dog(s). Blind dogs have all of the same basic needs as sighted dogs and blind dogs play, go for walks, and enjoy cuddling, just like sighted dogs. Blind dogs can range from grumpy to joyful; we have one of each at the moment. Their temperament really has nothing to do with their eyesight. Blindness doesn’t change their wonderful personalities.

But aren’t there limitations for a blind dog? Isn’t life harder for them? 

I wouldn’t say that life is harder for a blind dog, just different. Did you know that dogs are born blind? (Sort of.) They don’t gain their eyesight and hearing for about 2 weeks after birth. Dogs that are born with vision and or hearing impairment thrive. Dogs that have lost their vision or hearing later on can take a little time to adjust. You might be surprised that, although a loss of sight is dramatic for the pet parent, it isn’t that big of a deal to the dog. They DO care a lot about their family, their meals and treats, and some really enjoy toys. Most of all, dogs love getting positive attention from you. Dogs are resilient. They adapt really well to blindness by compensating with their other senses. Blind dogs have a heightened sense of hearing and smell compared to sighted dogs. Compared to these other senses, the usefulness of sight is rather limited for a dog. 

Do blind dogs get depressed? Yes. I think some dogs bounce back from major changes better than others. I have seen dogs bounce back quickly from major changes like losing their home, losing a limb, or losing an eye. The very day that I met Tessie, she had been spayed and had one eye removed.  She was groggy and a little confused. The next day, Tessie was happy and joyful and learning her way around our home.

Some dogs need more time and patience. When I met little ChiChi, she was in pain. During her time with us, she was spayed and had a chain of cancerous mammary tumors surgically removed. After that, she had two surgeries in which her painful eyes were enucleated. There have been days that ChiChi would not tolerate being touched. There have been days that she sought our affection. There are lots of days that she just wants to sleep. Some dogs need more time and patience. ChiChi has been through a lot and she is still decompressing from a lot of stressful situations. She is healing physically, and emotionally. She is learning to trust us. The wonderful thing is that ChiChi lost her pain when she lost her eyesight. She has a pain-free life ahead of her. I would make that trade any day. 

So, how do you help your blind dog thrive? 

First things first, safety proof the home and yard.

Keeping your blind dog safe is your number one priority. Dog-proofing is a lot like puppy-proofing or baby-proofing your home. Blind dogs, like puppies and babies, need a little extra help in order to safely navigate inside your home and outside in the great big world. If your home is toddler or puppy safe, then it is probably blind dog safe too. To identify any adjustments that you may need to make, you will need to investigate inside and outside of your home, everywhere that your dog will spend time. Drop down to dog level and look for hazards, anything your dog could bump into, fall from, or knock over. Remove or cover sharp edges. Use baby gates at the tops and/or bottoms of stairs until your dog can safely maneuver staircases. Don’t forget to dog-proof your yard. Remember, your blind dog can’t see predators, cars, or other dangers outside of your home. You will need a secure, physical fence around your yard and you will need to supervise outside time. 

I think the next most important tip is simply to keep a consistent routine. 

A daily routine is important for all dogs’ well-being, but a special needs dog will especially appreciate knowing what comes next. 

Next, give your dog a cozy, safe spot to chill inside the home.

It’s really important to establish a comfortable, safe “home base” spot right away.  You can use a crate, a mat, or a nice, cozy dog bed. Chi-Chi recently lost her sight and is carried up and down the steps of our raised house for potty breaks. She has been through three major surgeries with us and we are in the habit of carrying her. Every time we bring ChiChi inside the home, we put her on the same dog bed and tell her “home base” so that she knows exactly where she is oriented in the house. 

Teach your dog to find their “home base” spot and then to stay there. You can positively reinforce every time the dog finds home base and then try giving them a long-lasting treat like a frozen peanut butter stuffed Kong to help build duration and reinforce staying at “home base.”

Be tidy.

Keep your floor clear of clutter and don’t move the furniture, the dog beds, the food or water bowls. Your dog will quickly make a mental map of the home and the yard and be able to get around. Set everything up the way that you want it and then leave it. Then you can either let your dog explore or leash and walk your blind dog through the house. This will help them to create a mental map. You may see that your blind dog wanders around the home and occasionally bumps into things at first. If you see that they are about to bump, but there is no danger of them being hurt, no need to intervene, you can simply say “bump”. They will quickly learn their way around and learn from their mistakes. They will learn to listen to your warnings. 

Try a blind dog “halo.”

There are several companies that sell “halos” to be worn on a harness or vest. The “halo”  surrounds the dog’s head and bumps into obstacles before your dog does. These can be reassuring for some blind dogs but are rejected by others. Much like strong-willed toddlers, some dogs want to learn to do it by themselves, even if it means a few bumps and falls along the way. 

Use carpets for orientation.

You can make use of carpet runners, area rugs, and mats to help blind dogs orient where they are in your home or just to provide a tactile path to follow. Mats can orient a dog to a water and food bowl, a couch, or a door. 

I do not have any carpets in my home. The last carpet was removed 127 dogs ago. (We potty train a lot…) We do use an absorbent mat under the water bowl, and we have another mat by the back door, where the dogs go out to the yard. 

What about using scents to help dogs orient? I’ve read about people using different essential oils in different spaces in the home to help blind dogs orient. I do not do that. A blind dog’s sense of smell is significantly heightened. Have you ever walked into a Bath and Body type store and gotten an instant smell overload headache? I have. Rule one for using essential oils for pets is to make sure that your pet can move away from the scent if it is bothering them. 

I do use natural, essential oil-based cleaning products. My kitchen cleaner smells different than the bathroom cleaner and the living room has wool blankets and books smells. There are shoes on a rack by the front door, so there is definitely a foyer scent at dog level. When I clean my hardwood floors, the dogs will enjoy a nice citrus essential oil scent throughout. We have dog beds all over the house. Yep, we have a home full of smells already. 

Sounds are important for blind dogs.

Talk to your dog blind dog often, and always when you are moving about. The sound of your voice can help them orient and can be reassuring. Always speak before touching so you don’t scare or startle. “Can I pet you?” “I’m going to put your eye drops in now.” “Good girl!” 

Use ambient noise. 

Leave the same radio or TV on when you are away. It helps orient the dog in the house and may reduce loneliness. Our dogs listen to a lot of NPR from the kitchen. They are totally up to date on current events. 

Provide noisy toys. 

Don’t forget your blind dog will still love to play.  Toys that squeak or make noise may be fun, but may also be too loud at first – remember the sense of hearing becomes more sensitive in a blind dog. If the noisy toys are rejected, try a food-filled Kong. You can even hide it for your dog to sniff out. Tessie loves toys; she is a toy destroyer. ChiChi rarely takes any interest in toys; she prefers a soft blankie.

Try using bells. 

Some people put little bells on their cats or dogs in an effort to save birds or rodents from being hunted (and brought home as trophies). I tie these small bells on my shoelace when I take my blind foster dog out on a walk so that she can place where I am.  Some people will wear them in the house, or put them on another pet in the house. I think that would get very annoying for the dogs (and the people). Instead, I talk to my blind dogs as I move through the house. It’s ok if I forget to talk. They are very sensitive to the noise of people and other dogs moving about on our wooden floors. Sometimes a blind dog will bump into another dog, but the sighted dogs get used to the situation. They either give a quiet growl or ignore or move out of the way. They all adjust. My little blind ChiChi still bumps around the house like a little Roomba, learning her way. Tessie blew through this step, not slowing down at all until she knew her way around.

When you leave your house and yard, keep it routine. You should continue to take your dog to the same parks and on the same familiar walking routes. It is important to keep your blind dog harnessed and leashed outside of the home unless you are in a very rural area and your dog has excellent recall. A blind dog will happily follow its nose, and it is your responsibility to steer them clear of obstacles and danger.  You will be your dog’s seeing-eye person. I bought my husband a t-shirt that says: Service Human. Do Not Pet. 

Let people know that your dog is blind. You can purchase a collar, tag, lead, coat, or bandana that says ‘Blind’. Other people (and their dogs) will hopefully give you a little space and approach slowly. I like to say “Who is this?” when another dog approaches, to let my blind dog know that they are about to meet another dog. 

Remember to update your dog’s microchip information. That way, should they get lost, whoever finds them will know that they are blind.

Training a blind dog.

Training is important to keep your blind dog safe, as well as keeping your dog’s mind active. A sighted dog’s first line of communication is visually reading body language, so watching over interactions with other dogs and being able to direct your blind dog and stay in control of the situation is very important.

Work to Eat

If you want a really motivated-to-learn dog, don’t feed any food out of a bowl. A hungry dog will work for food, which is used to reinforce desired behaviors. All the dog’s food can be fed by hand during training. Or, all food can come out of a work-to-eat puzzle toy or a snuffle mat. This is another good way to keep the dog’s mind active. Just measure out the food for the day and make them work for it.

Use cue words, a clicker, and food to train. 

Your goal is to positively reinforce desired behaviors. To be successful, be consistent and repeat often. A clicker can let your dog know exactly when they have done the correct thing. Then reinforce the correct behavior with a treat. You can substitute a marker word like “Yes!” for the clicker. Eventually, you can substitute praise and affection for the treat. 

Watch

Okay, obviously this one means “look at me” for a sighted dog. For a blind dog, it means “turn toward me”.  You will use “Watch” when you need the dog’s attention on you. With your dog on a leash, use the cue “watch” then gently pull the leash down and towards yourself. Reward the dog for turning towards you with a click, and then reward it with a treat. Repeat. 

The next step is to say “watch” and then wait a few seconds. If your dog turns toward you on its own, click and reward. If they do not, gently pull the leash down and towards yourself, then click and reward. Keep this up until the dog is able to respond correctly to “watch” without you having to apply pressure to the leash. Keep practicing. 

Step

Steps, curbs, and other changes in elevation can cause a blind dog to trip or fall. Saying “step” will let them know that an elevation change is coming. When you approach an elevation change, say  “step” and then stop walking. Gently move forward so they can feel it then repeat “step.” Move forward and then click and reward. Repeat until the dog is easily able to manage changes in elevation. When there are stairs involved, I say “step” for every step up or down so that the dog knows to keep going up or down. I say “good girl” or “good boy” to indicate when the steps have been completed. 

Our foster dog Tessie decided to practice for several hours the steps and ramp that we use to access our backyard until she had it perfected. Just like a toddler learning to climb up and down steps, she went up and down again and again with great determination. She mastered both steps and ramp that day and was very proud of herself.  

Sit 

Put a treat in your palm and place it in front of your dog’s nose. Place your other hand just above their tail. Begin to slowly lift the treat hand up while you apply gentle downward pressure to their back. The dog’s head goes up and the butt goes down. When they sit, use the verbal cue “sit”, click and release the treat. Repeat and practice. 

You can gradually use less pressure on their rear. Eventually, you will ask for a sit without the treat in hand and just use praise. If they don’t respond, grab a treat and keep practicing. 

Come (or Go Home)

A blind dog cannot see cars, bikes, or predators, so they should always be closely supervised outdoors. Recall training is important enough to warrant using a “high-value treat”, something extra yummy. Cheese, cold cuts, banana, whatever makes your dog come running.  “Come” means come to me. When our blind dogs are playing in the yard and we need them to come inside, I tell them “go home”. *I use this also with any stray dog I see. Sometimes the stray will lead me right back to their gate or front door. 

Grab a high-value treat and hold it close to your dog’s nose. Say  “come”  in a happy voice while slowly backing up a step. You want to lure your dog to follow you. Click and reward them for coming toward you. Repeat until your dog doesn’t hesitate to follow. Then gradually increase the distance. Keep talking to the dog, encouraging them as they come closer. Click and reward. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Eventually, you can say “come” from quite a distance and your dog will come running. 

When you begin training, you will use a lot of food and a lot of praise. Have lots of training treats, or the day’s portion of kibble, ready to go. As the dog begins to master new skills, you will use less food and more praise. Then you can play the treat lottery for a while; sometimes they get a treat, sometimes they get a high-value treat, and sometimes they just get praise for a job well done. You want the dog ready to do whatever is asked just in case there is a treat until they are so good at it that they just do it for praise. Never underestimate the value of praise and affection to a dog. They really like to make us happy. 

If you are interested in a adopting a dog like Tessie or ChiChi, please check out https://animalrescueneworleans.org/adoptable-arno-pets/

or reach out to adopt@animalrescueneworleans.org for more info.