Blind puppy?

Question

i had my lab puppy checked out and she has a brain defect and is completely blind i have decided to keep her but would like to know what i am letting myself in for i have done some research but would like some advice from people who have experienced livingwith/owning a blind dog....Thankyou

Answer 1

we had a shihzu he was not born blind but went blind at 8 he managed OK and we even moved house dogs are like people they adapt well it just takes time to get there bearings i know we had to put a stair gate at the bottom of the stairs to prevent him climbing up the stairs as there was a risk of him falling down if not watched.we never left him where he could hurt him self so if we went upstairs we left him down stairs behind the stair gate.blind dogs live a normal life and can live to a very ripe old age just beware they need more care than a dog that can see and i always found it best to not move things around the house as the dog gets used to where things are and by moving things even say a sofa can confuse the dog good luck

Answer 2

Good on you for sticking with your puppy. I have a lab that is totally blind (has been since birth) is now 5. Took a lot of patience at first and you have to mind when they are outside more than indoors as their hips etc are still vulnerable and can be easily damaged if they fall etc. Our vet advised us to get a second dog which we were able to do and the other one is the "eyes". Were told it was best to do this with another young dog and whilst she was a puppy. Very difficult to introduce another dog at a later stage. I would strongly recommend classes as labs are hard work anyway but it helped us develop different sounds for different things. Need to use clear commands and teach them from the beginning. You have to try not to move and rearrange things and dogs can usually work out gaps and things. We only ever had one accident with the oven door and to be honest it was our fault, as we got complacent because our dog was so good at trotting around etc we forgot that if something was in a different place she wouldn't realise! This probably sounds lame but its an example of how well our dog did that we just forgot and that's when accidents happen. Both our dogs are brilliant and the blind one is as naughty and spoilt as any other dog. Oh, use a "haulty" when walking as guides them from the neck so you can steer them! We still let her off the lead and sometimes she goes off but generally she leans on either us or the other dog. Also a metal bowl so they can hear it if they push it and can feel it. Ours is a great pet, its like having a big cat really so loving and loyal. Its well worth the effort. You will love the abilities your dog has rather than its disability! Good luck and the Labrador Society or any decent vet will be able to give you advise and help. Just out of curiosity what colour lab? Ours are both Black!

Answer 3

I gotta tell you that you are really an awesome person for deciding to take care of this pup.
I have rescue dogs all the time and we get them and the stay untill the pass on. So each one of them have aged into blindness.
I did have a puppy that had gloucoma and she was a real happy, rambunctioues girl!
You are really gonna have your hands full and feel some heartache that your girl won't be able to do ALL the things that all the other seeing puppies can do...but she really won't even know that there are things that she is missing out on.
Just make sure that you make it easy for her to get around the furniture and try to keep all the hard pointy pieces that are at eye level way away from her.
She is going to have to have a routine. One that very, very rarely changes. She is releying on you and trusting you with her whole world....for basically everything at first anyway...
Try to keep next to her so she has the security of you. The first time that she freaks out because she can't find you and something has startled her is going to be really rough. But you have to understand that it is bound to happen someday. Hopefully she will be adjusted enough and secure enough with herself that it won't be a lasting negative impression on her.
So please, just stay near her when she needs you and let her romp and play like a puppy does. Puppies are always so much fun!
If you don't have a partner to help you with this little girl then you should find a good 'babysitter' type person that you can reley on to take care of her when something comes up and you have to leave her. Someone that she trusts too.
Just have fun with her and take her places and get her to respond to your voice.
Like I said......she really doesn't know what she is missing.
Don't think bad of yourself when she bonks her head on things and runs straight off into things. She's a puppy. ~big smile~
The whole world really needs more people like you that have the heart and the gutts and the brains to be able to realize that what you are about to get into isn't going to be a 'walk in the park' hahaha.
Take good care .....both of you.
P.S....My dogs helped me with the spelling.....~wink, wink~

Answer 4

I have a 12 1/2 year old lab - He is blind in his left eye from cataracts...His eysight in his right eye isn't great either (He also has arthritis - He's just an old boy!).

He gets around pretty well, including the stairs in our 3 level house. I can't really move things around because he'll run into them. We also have a 3 1/2 year old Aussie, so he pretty much uses the Aussie as his seeing eye dog and follows him around. Maybe getting 2 wouldn't be a bad way to go...the more I think about it, the more the other dog is the key to his success right now.

Be his guide when you're with him and keep him on a short leash.

He'll do fine, a dogs sense of smell is key.

Answer 5

I HAVE 3 BICHONS AND ONE OF THEM WAS born with no eyes and he is my life he is so special to us we call him nelly he gets stroppy if he cant have his own way but at first he use to walk into things but he now runs around the house and up and down the back garden up the steps to the higher part of the garden and comes back in and doesn't touch a thing he never runs into the furniture or the doors as he knows his way around the house and if i move anything i take him to it and tell him ive moved this and let him sniff it a few times and he his fine my other dogs are his eyes and they all play so well together he is now 13 months old and he is so full of love you may find that your dog will get frightened when new folk come to the house because he cant see them and you may find that your dog will bark at noises more than a normal dog so you will have to talk to him and reassure him and he will be fine you may find that the dog is a little extra work but it all worth It in the end i love my little dog so much i wouldnt part with him for the world take your dog in the garden and show him around a few times he will get use to where everthing is inside the house and out

Answer 6

I have helped train dogs for most of my life, and i also show them, and i have shown a blind one before. Your best bet would be to buy some books, and do a little bit of research on the interent on how to train the dog. You train them by sounds. Since it is still a puppy it will learn very quickly where it is going with out its eyes, and by noises. My only advide to you is gate off all stairs for the time being so the puppy does not hurt itself.

Answer 7

I used to walk a blind dog, believe it or not, before she went blind she was a guide dog!!

She learned to cope on her own, she bumped into walls and that, but, never let it bother her.

When training your puppy, lots of voice commands and lots of touching and handling will be good, dont make to big a fuss if your pup bumps into something, let her find her own way around, labs are one of the cleverest breeds and as long as you dont do too many major furniture moves in the house your pup will learn to live just as happily as any other!

Good Luck!

Answer 8

One of my dogs is completely blind. He wasn't born blind; he went blind (at the age of seven) very suddenly from an autoimmune-related condition called SARDS (sudden acute retinal degeneration syndrome), wherein the dog's retinas suddenly -- and irreversibly -- stop working; he went from normal to blind over the course of about a week. When my dog first went blind and was officially diagnosed by a vet ophthalmologist (yep, there are vet ophthalmologists) who told us that he would never see again, I cried for about a week.

Now, though -- after a few minor adjustments on his part and on our part -- our blind dog is pretty much back to his old, happy, healthy, spoiled normal self (he's now 9). Admittedly he is a bit lazier than he was before going blind, and he moves a bit more slowly and deliberately than he used to (for obvious reasons, most blind dogs don't run around as much, although that's not always the case)... That said, though, I am continually amazed at how NORMAL he is. He has completely mapped out our house and yard, and most people who meet him are shocked when I tell them that he is completely blind. Honestly, it's amazing how well blind dogs adapt! Sight is actually *not* one of their most important senses, and they quickly learn to compensate w/ their sense of smell and hearing. I would think that a puppy will be even *more* adaptable -- and if she was born blind, she won't even know anything different. Obviously, you will have to keep a closer eye on her -- you'll probably never want to leave her outside alone, you'll need to teach her about stairs, etc. And you'll need to adapt your training to accommodate her blindness, but the blindness really *won't* ruin the quality of her life. You mention that she has a brain condition... is this affecting anything *other* than her sight? If not, you're probably going to be amazed at how well she makes her way in the world (with your help, of course).

You should check out the following website for helpful tips, resources and answers: www.blinddogs.com . Also, when my dog first went blind, I joined a Yahoo list for owners of blind dogs (there are thousands of members!). They were EXTREMELY helpful and were able to answer all of my immediate and long-term questions. You can find them at the following URL: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/blinddogs/ . You should definitely sign up for this list. There is also a book for owners of blind dogs w/ some very useful information and training tips: LIVING WITH BLIND DOGS by Caroline D. Levin .

Please don't listen to any of the naysayers that you will initially encounter. Weirdly, since my dog went blind, our bond has really strengthened; he's such a gift, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. Best of luck to you and to your puppy.

ADDED: I forgot! As others have noted here, you won't want to change the furniture very often once your dog has mapped everything out... And they *will* bump into things -- it's inevitable. Make sure that your puppy is safe (obviously, don't let her run into sharp items, or fall down manholes!), but don't be too afraid or discouraged when she makes little mistakes (like bumping into a chair or wall), from time to time. She'll be okay. :)

Answer 9

Your pal should under no circumstances have bred a blind dog. Undertake a healthy pit bull instead from a shelter. If the blindness is genetic, the pups would be born blind or with different wellness issues. However, the bottom line is your pal is a bad breeder and you must now not give them your money.

Answer 10

Your pal might desire to on no account have bred a blind canine. undertake a healthful pit bull somewhat from a take care of. If the blindness is genetic, the domestic canine might desire to be born blind or with different wellbeing issues. yet, the final analysis is your pal is a undesirable breeder and you may desire to not supply them your money.