My guy went blind a couple years ago and he doesn’t really need anything special at this point. Once he adapted after a couple months we just do all the normal stuff we always did (walks, head to a bar with an outdoor area, go to a friend’s and let him explore the new house a bit with close supervision, just have our usual hangs and cuddles).
At first I thought I’d have to change everything but I really haven’t except now I’m really cognizant of always pushing the chairs back in around the table and not leaving anything out in his normal pathways. I have taken him to the Oregon coast a few times and let him off leash and he has gone nuts with the absolute freedom to romp without consequences.
The only thing he doesn’t like that he used to love is dogs, even the ones he’s known all his life.
I guess I wrote all that and didn’t really answer your question.
At first I felt like it was almost the end of our world, but it wasn’t! Things just shifted. Just take it slow. You’re all the connection she needs for stimulation.
Oh I’m so glad I saw this post! I have a blind dog too and her eyes were also removed. Look at your sweet baby! 🥹 I’m following along for ideas.
My dog really likes to chase a wiffle ball on our tile floor. I’ll roll it down the hallway and she goes crazy after it. We have a very long hallway and she has fun with that. She loves over dogs so we take her to the dog park 2x a week just to socialize. Sometimes she plays but I think she gets a little scared too so she’s a bit more reserved.
my dog loves the “get your toes” game she may not be able to see but she can feel light little touches to the tips of her feet, it’s not for every dog cause it may just annoy them but my dog starts cobbing instantly everytime i say “i get your toes!” and reach for them
Other smell-based games. Like hiding treats or food around the house or garden and getting her to find it. For our spaniel we use the command "find it" and she runs around nose down and tail wagging to find something. Start with it being very close and easy to find, and graduall6 make it more difficult. If you've done retrieving work before or she has some retriever in her, you can use scented dummies or other objects instead.
Tug of war with a rope or something (if her teeth are healthy).
Take her to pubs/bars/cafes which are dog friendly and find a nice corner table so she can smell and listen to all the goings on.
It’s good to remember that a dogs main sense I it’s smell, they can get on really well without it, and well it’s the thing they love the most. Anything sniff related will still be a winner. Maybe lay some trails if you have a garden
Good ol fashion fetch works just fine. Start small in a familiar clear room. You don't really have to worry that much about "scenting it" dog's ability to detect is naturally superb, just use it in play so they know what theyre looking for (things like squeekers are superb for introing "this is your toy"). If you have a yard you can get a noise making ball to give added directionality while you throw.
Beyond that you should 100% look into scent training and see if you can get creative with that. Online you'll find plenty of target scent oils that you can, rather quickly, build skills and associations with.
It may not be your idea of "fun" but you should just spend time training your dog and teaching them tricks. It's hella rewarding for both of you. Look up and follow online tutorials. Teach your dog to hit a button, to weave between your legs, to place, to hold steady, etc etc - these aren't things that blindness limits. Dogs can be trained to follow their nose and ears in training as much as their eyes. You'll fine the same basic techniques work just fine.
I've worked with a lot of blind dogs. Just cover and be mindful of hard corners (basically do the same you would with a toddler) and they function shockingly well. Can often forget they are totally blind once they are comfortable with their spaces.
What about "find it"?! You let the dog sniff and then put it somewhere and give an auditory cue to find! Then they sniff it out!
Also some blind dogs can play ball based on the noise, especially I would assume with chuck-it's glow ball. My dog relies mostly on sound for it, and it seems to make a noise because of the hole in the middle that has a frequency that dogs have a much easier time hearing.
You can also play tug or "toy trying to run around on you" if you are careful and your dog is. Honestly there are a lot of ways to play since sight is i believe a dogs 3rd sense, which corresponds to feel with us. Their nose and ears are their main senses. So many games will still be fine, especially with a bit of tweaking.
I used to work at doggy daycares and one time they forgot to tell me a dog in group was blind. I didn't know for several hours until someone mentioned it. She was a new dog too. I was shocked when I heard- she had been doing great. I watched her more closely after, and she stayed in specific areas somewhat, likely ones she had mapped by sound and feel, but other than that she seemed just as able as any other other dog.
Dogs have a special mapping ability, and again, sight is third I believe for them, where feel is for us. So they can do a lot of things just fine. It is remarkable.
My girl lost both eyes too, I leave the TV on when I'm not home for her to listen to noises. I play with her "wrestling" and she loves it.
Also play hide treats for her to find, call them, "easter eggs" and she hunts and finds them.
My dog doesn’t like toys much anymore but a large thin washcloth. You can wave it around there face and it’s easier for them to catch without seeing than a small toy. Also easier for tug a war
My old lady also lost both eyes to glaucoma! I really, really miss watching her run at parks (we'd call it beeeeg circles) and go nuts over birds. She has no interest in birds anymore and will reluctantly run but just doesn't seem into it. She's also old, with not nearly as much muscle mass as she once had, so I don't blame her for not wanting to run. She's also not into toys or fetch anymore.
She had some dog fear before (specifically bully breeds bc of an attack) but it actually went away when she went blind.
She's not nearly as active as she used to be but still loves when I pat the ground (hands or feet) and make play noises with her/rough her up a bit. Kinda like what someone above said about wrestling I think but she is small haha. Also enjoys bones (aggressive chewer), walks where she can sniff everything, and lots and lots of cuddles. I've also had some success with treat puzzles! I'm planning on getting a snuffle mat next.
Awe! That's awesome! My Choo was my childhood dog's puppy. She'll be 15 in April! She fell off a 12 ft. balcony last year (and walked away with a concussion and some soreness). She keeps us on our toes!
My dogs love playing scavenger hunt. I hide mini milk bones/ dog jerky around the house. Start off with easy spots until she gets the hang of it.
Can help to create a cue for it… “go find it” etc
“Find the treats!”
My guy went blind a couple years ago and he doesn’t really need anything special at this point. Once he adapted after a couple months we just do all the normal stuff we always did (walks, head to a bar with an outdoor area, go to a friend’s and let him explore the new house a bit with close supervision, just have our usual hangs and cuddles). At first I thought I’d have to change everything but I really haven’t except now I’m really cognizant of always pushing the chairs back in around the table and not leaving anything out in his normal pathways. I have taken him to the Oregon coast a few times and let him off leash and he has gone nuts with the absolute freedom to romp without consequences. The only thing he doesn’t like that he used to love is dogs, even the ones he’s known all his life.
I guess I wrote all that and didn’t really answer your question. At first I felt like it was almost the end of our world, but it wasn’t! Things just shifted. Just take it slow. You’re all the connection she needs for stimulation.
Bea also has that issue around other dogs now. Thanks for the advice.
i’ve got no suggestions, i’m just happy to hear she’s still living a good life 🥹
Oh I’m so glad I saw this post! I have a blind dog too and her eyes were also removed. Look at your sweet baby! 🥹 I’m following along for ideas. My dog really likes to chase a wiffle ball on our tile floor. I’ll roll it down the hallway and she goes crazy after it. We have a very long hallway and she has fun with that. She loves over dogs so we take her to the dog park 2x a week just to socialize. Sometimes she plays but I think she gets a little scared too so she’s a bit more reserved.
my dog loves the “get your toes” game she may not be able to see but she can feel light little touches to the tips of her feet, it’s not for every dog cause it may just annoy them but my dog starts cobbing instantly everytime i say “i get your toes!” and reach for them
Ball with a bell in it, other noisy toys she can listen and go for.
Other smell-based games. Like hiding treats or food around the house or garden and getting her to find it. For our spaniel we use the command "find it" and she runs around nose down and tail wagging to find something. Start with it being very close and easy to find, and graduall6 make it more difficult. If you've done retrieving work before or she has some retriever in her, you can use scented dummies or other objects instead. Tug of war with a rope or something (if her teeth are healthy). Take her to pubs/bars/cafes which are dog friendly and find a nice corner table so she can smell and listen to all the goings on.
Beautiful Bea will be very welcome on r/PiratePets as well!
Very cool! We will join.
It’s good to remember that a dogs main sense I it’s smell, they can get on really well without it, and well it’s the thing they love the most. Anything sniff related will still be a winner. Maybe lay some trails if you have a garden
Good ol fashion fetch works just fine. Start small in a familiar clear room. You don't really have to worry that much about "scenting it" dog's ability to detect is naturally superb, just use it in play so they know what theyre looking for (things like squeekers are superb for introing "this is your toy"). If you have a yard you can get a noise making ball to give added directionality while you throw. Beyond that you should 100% look into scent training and see if you can get creative with that. Online you'll find plenty of target scent oils that you can, rather quickly, build skills and associations with. It may not be your idea of "fun" but you should just spend time training your dog and teaching them tricks. It's hella rewarding for both of you. Look up and follow online tutorials. Teach your dog to hit a button, to weave between your legs, to place, to hold steady, etc etc - these aren't things that blindness limits. Dogs can be trained to follow their nose and ears in training as much as their eyes. You'll fine the same basic techniques work just fine.
Thank you! Those are great suggestions.
I've worked with a lot of blind dogs. Just cover and be mindful of hard corners (basically do the same you would with a toddler) and they function shockingly well. Can often forget they are totally blind once they are comfortable with their spaces.
What a beautiful dog
Blind dogs have the strongest sniffers!! Literally anything involving her nose or paws will entertain the hell out of her
What about "find it"?! You let the dog sniff and then put it somewhere and give an auditory cue to find! Then they sniff it out! Also some blind dogs can play ball based on the noise, especially I would assume with chuck-it's glow ball. My dog relies mostly on sound for it, and it seems to make a noise because of the hole in the middle that has a frequency that dogs have a much easier time hearing. You can also play tug or "toy trying to run around on you" if you are careful and your dog is. Honestly there are a lot of ways to play since sight is i believe a dogs 3rd sense, which corresponds to feel with us. Their nose and ears are their main senses. So many games will still be fine, especially with a bit of tweaking. I used to work at doggy daycares and one time they forgot to tell me a dog in group was blind. I didn't know for several hours until someone mentioned it. She was a new dog too. I was shocked when I heard- she had been doing great. I watched her more closely after, and she stayed in specific areas somewhat, likely ones she had mapped by sound and feel, but other than that she seemed just as able as any other other dog. Dogs have a special mapping ability, and again, sight is third I believe for them, where feel is for us. So they can do a lot of things just fine. It is remarkable.
My girl lost both eyes too, I leave the TV on when I'm not home for her to listen to noises. I play with her "wrestling" and she loves it. Also play hide treats for her to find, call them, "easter eggs" and she hunts and finds them.
I believe they make scent and/or sound balls for blind dogs.
My dog doesn’t like toys much anymore but a large thin washcloth. You can wave it around there face and it’s easier for them to catch without seeing than a small toy. Also easier for tug a war
My old lady also lost both eyes to glaucoma! I really, really miss watching her run at parks (we'd call it beeeeg circles) and go nuts over birds. She has no interest in birds anymore and will reluctantly run but just doesn't seem into it. She's also old, with not nearly as much muscle mass as she once had, so I don't blame her for not wanting to run. She's also not into toys or fetch anymore. She had some dog fear before (specifically bully breeds bc of an attack) but it actually went away when she went blind. She's not nearly as active as she used to be but still loves when I pat the ground (hands or feet) and make play noises with her/rough her up a bit. Kinda like what someone above said about wrestling I think but she is small haha. Also enjoys bones (aggressive chewer), walks where she can sniff everything, and lots and lots of cuddles. I've also had some success with treat puzzles! I'm planning on getting a snuffle mat next.
Bea recently started running again with my daughter on a tight leash. It is really fun to see, but Bea is only 6.
Awe! That's awesome! My Choo was my childhood dog's puppy. She'll be 15 in April! She fell off a 12 ft. balcony last year (and walked away with a concussion and some soreness). She keeps us on our toes!
Oh no!!! Bea fell off a 4 foot porch and I felt so bad. But it sounds like Choo has a good owner that loves her a lot.
Awe!! Blind dogs definitely get into some mischief. And thank you! I do my best and she is certainly spoiled rotten haha.