Blind Dog

[krcandlehappy]

Good morning. I have a 9-month-old Shih Poo (male). When I purchased him, I did not realize he was blind and found that out about a month after I had him and took him to a dog eye doctor who told me he is completely blind. I have been able to get him to walk on a leash, sit, stay, leave it. I have trouble getting him to come. I've done three different training classes with him and am still having trouble with him biting me and furniture and at times will bark for what seems like forever.

 

I walk him three times a day for 25 minutes. I cannot play ball/fetch with him as he cannot see. I've tried using a cat toy that makes noise when it rolls and that will work at times but not always. I love him and want to fix his bad behaviors but not sure how to as he cannot see. I took him on vacation to New Jersey and he was so well behaved, I couldn't believe it then when I got back home the old behaviors returned.

 

Do you have any suggestions on what else I can try?:confused:

[JMFS]

This is a selfless task you're taking on! I can't imagine being completely blind in a foreign place and not understanding the local language. I don't have answers for the how-to, but I have a theory for the trip. He was probably overloaded on senses, taking in all the new scents, sounds, and touches, that he didn't have time to pull shenanigans.

 

I know there will be more information needed like When does he bite, and is it a playful nip, an aggressive bite, or is it perhaps exploratory. Dogs use their mouths quite a bit for figuring out what things are. Gertie learned the other day what a wasp is. :D She finally found a bug that bites back and she was less-than-thrilled about it, lol. Pretty much everything goes in her mouth - I'm thinking she may be a little far-sighted because it's mostly leaves that catch her attention and I think she chomps on them to "see" what they are. I digress, I'm saying all that to illustrate how a sighted dog uses their mouth, and I think a blind pooch might rely on it even more. That in combination with his biting the furniture makes me think he might be using his mouth to figure out what things are.

 

It may be wishful thinking, but I wonder if it might not be feasible to help him further by making paths to his food and water dishes, the front door, etc . . . with rugs or maybe marking paths with scents, so he has reference points to help him determine where he is. I use a mixture of witch hazel and lavender essential oil on the dogs' beds so maybe something along those lines, or walk those paths with him several times while you're barefoot so both of your scents are stronger in those areas. It works in my head, but I don't know about actual application - just trying to come up with ideas. :)

[krcandlehappy]

Romeo, my dog, has no problem with things in the house. He knows how to get around. He mainly bites my feet and ankles when I get home from work or get up to use the facilities in the middle of the night. I think he has a bunch of energy when I get home. I walk him right when I get home but that doesn't tire him out. My apartment is mainly wood floors or tile except for my bedroom. He will use his wee wee pad during the day when I am not home.

 

I feel guilty putting him in the crate at night. If he is not biting my legs and arms while on my bed, I will let him sleep with me.

 

He will kill bugs in the house and leave them on the floor for me to pick up.

 

If I could use up more of his energy, I think he would calm down. When I am getting dressed in the morning, he will jump to get my skirt or dress.

 

He is adorable and so cute.

[JMFS]

He will kill bugs in the house and leave them on the floor for me to pick up.

 

Awwww, lol. In animal language that spells L O V E. :D

 

He's got that puppy energy. I wonder how he would be at the "find it" game since it relies on the nose rather than sight, and he gets around the apartment well. That might help to tire out his brain. Based on our little ones I think 25 minutes is a good long walk for those short legs - our dachshunds tired out after about 15-20. I can't count the times I felt a pull on the leash only to look back and see I'd begun to drag Brownie because he'd flopped onto his side and given up on the walk (he was something else). When we'd get home, though, he'd go back to licking the floor for Hours - it drove me up the wall. Now that I've learned more, I think perhaps his brain needed more exercise than his poor old body. Maybe tug toys might work for Romeo since he likes to use his mouth. Abbi's favorite toy is a spider squeaky toy - she loves the legs. If Romeo likes your fingers he might enjoy a similar toy and with Halloween around the corner they're pretty easy to find right now.

 

On the crate part, don't feel guilty! Most dogs find them to be comforting. Momo goes to the crate when he's needing down time - I leave the door open so he can come and go when he's indoors. It's also the only way I'll give him a long-lasting treat in the house because he's a jerk about sharing. The crate keeps everyone safe. Gertie puts up a fuss when she's in the crate, but she'll sure take her Kong Goodie bone in there and happily chew and lick away for an hour. Eventually Romeo will learn the sleeping patterns and you'll be able to move him to the bed. Gertie used to pounce on us or nip and lick our fingers when she was ready to wake up, but with time she's learned that this gal isn't so easily swayed in the morning. :D At one point I put her leash on her and attached it to my inversion table so she couldn't get into things. With time she was allowed in the bed (and I'm someone who used to be Adamant about No Dogs in the Bed). She'll sleep in with me until about 9:00 on the weekends - chest scratches or leg massages help sweeten the deal for her. When I got up in the middle of the night to answer Nature's call she would get antsy, but with learning the "stay" command that eventually faded as well. Now she just rolls over onto my husband when I get up. It will all come to pass and it sounds like you have great gobs of patience, which will help!

 

That's about the extent of my knowledge, but I like to think I'm good at kicking around ideas. When I have time on my hands I like to give troubleshooting a shot. :)

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Good morning. I have a 9-month-old Shih Poo (male). When I purchased him, I did not realize he was blind and found that out about a month after I had him and took him to a dog eye doctor who told me he is completely blind. I have been able to get him to walk on a leash, sit, stay, leave it. I have trouble getting him to come.

Do you have any suggestions on what else I can try?:confused:

 

There are chances that your dog may be unable to zero in on where the sounds are coming from. When training a blind dog to come, you want to use auditory stimulation starting from a close distance at first and taking baby steps gradually increasing distance. Use high-value treats to reinforce coming to you. Start in a hallway from a close distance and call your dog or clap your hands. It's important to continue calling or clapping until the dog gets all the way to you and reward. This helps the dog orient and follow preventing him from losing track of the auditory stimulation. Of course, for safety, recalls for blind dogs should not be practiced in open spaces where there are no fences and dogs are exposed to dangers.