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If your puppy has become blind with age or due to some illness, you should bear in mind that the animal will need some special attention to get used to its new reality. A puppy that is born blind will live more naturally than a dog that has lost his sight. Unlike humans, puppies despite having this inability, can survive better by adapting the senses of hearing and smell (this sense is much stronger than in humans). Your brain will compensate for the loss of vision by enhancing your other senses. Keep reading this PeritoAnimal article to know everything about care of blind dogs.
indoor care
If you have decided to adopt a blind dog, it is very important that you make things easier for him when he arrives. If you have a large and spacious house, it will be essential that, at the beginning, it has a small area and that little by little, expand the space. In this way and with a gradual process of adaptation, your puppy will feel more comfortable.
When you get home, guide the dog slowly with a lead, trying to prevent it from crashing into objects. Let him sniff to identify the different areas of the house. It is important to remove or cover (at least temporarily) objects that could hurt you, such as very sharp corners and protect you from stairs. Nor should you leave an object in the middle of the path.
If, on the other hand, your puppy has lost his sight progressively, although he is used to your house, blindness can cause him a desperate situation if he moves furniture and objects. For this reason, the order is the fundamental tool to find yourself relaxed and understand the layout of the house.
Don't scare him or touch him without first warning him, whenever you interact with him, say his name and gently approach him so as not to startle him. In general, although we are always more careful, we are still talking about a dog that needs basic care.
If you're not sure if your dog is blind, read our article on how to tell if my dog is blind.
care during the tour
During the walk it is equally or more important that the dog feels safe and comfortable with us, its owners, for this reason it is very important explaining to other people that our dog is blind before being touched, otherwise the dog might startle.
Guide him properly so as not to bump into objects on the street and be careful when letting him interact with other dogs and people. Remember that he doesn't see who is approaching and his reaction capacity is slower but more defensive. If you expose him to certain situations, it will generate great anxiety.
In addition, it is essential use the guide or harness during the tour, except if you are in a known and safe area where you can guide with your voice. In this way, the animal will exercise safely and always under your supervision.
Try to convey safety and tranquility during the walk, talk to him from time to time, congratulate him when he behaves correctly, and pet him from time to time (notice him in your voice beforehand). Keep him away from possible dangers such as stairs, swimming pools or aggressive dogs, it is your guide and as such you should avoid being near places that could put your well-being at risk.
Activities to boost your happiness
We must encourage the development of all other senses of the dog, so it is very beneficial to help the dog to know different objects, pets and people, always with care. It's very important capture different stimuli and keep relating with everything he was doing before he lost his sight, pushing him away will only make him sad and suspicious.
In addition, you should not miss out on walks and activities with him as if he were an elderly dog, as well as offering him toys and prizes. We recommend using sound toys such as balls with a bell inside or rubber toys that make noises.
Consider that toys that make noise can scare you, for this reason it is important that you be present and even leave them with your scent to feel confident.
dog that guides the blind dog
A good option to improve the quality of life of blind dogs is company of other dogs, since in addition to fostering a very special relationship, your other pet will help you and protect you from any danger.
Next, we show you two extraordinary stories that will make you think about the benefits of adopting a puppy to guide your blind dog:
- A very moving case is that of Lily and Maddison. Lily had a serious problem with her eyes that caused them to have them removed and faced with the possibility of having to sacrifice her, the shelter developed an experience with another dog, Maddison, who would start acting as a guide dog. Indeed, bringing both Great Danes together worked better than they thought, both became inseparable. After this story hit the media, 200 people volunteered to adopt these two friends, and now they both enjoy living in a house with a wonderful family.
- the case of Buzz and Glenn (Bull Terrier and Jack Russell) went viral and very popular on social media. Both had been abandoned and lived together in a tunnel in Durham, England. After being rescued and cared for, they discovered that they were two inseparable companions of the same age, who had spent their entire lives together. Buzz acted as a guide for Glenn and they never separate protecting each other.
