How can I teach my blind dog to get up and down from my high bed?

Question

I have a blind mini dachshund that has a slight amount of sight (about 10% or less) in one eye. He normally learns quickly when a room is changed around and he can get around obstacles, but I recently put my bed up on a bed frame, so it is about a foot higher than it was before. He is having a lot of trouble getting down from it, but he has been able to jump up on it with only minor trouble. I bought some puppy stairs for small dogs to get up, but he can't seem to figure out where the stairs are even though I keep them in the same place and I'm constantly showing him where they are. I wondered if anyone knew any good techniques to either get him to learn the stairs or how I could get him to jump down on his own without feeling as much fear as he has now when he tries to jump down. I don't want him to get hurt either, but I also don't want him to depend on me to get down. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi There...interesting scenario...does your dach go up and down other stairs in your home?? If yes then this transistion will take a while . If the answer is no, rather than stress the dog out you may just have to resolve to the fact you will need to help your dog up and down off the bed.

If your dach does stairs in the house, you can place a scent on the steps of the stairs...try taking a piece of his favourite snack and rub this on each step of the stair. Then using the same treat coax or guide him from the bed onto each step until he reaches the bottom, then reverse this and go up the stairs. Dogs have really poor day eyesight, worse than humans actually so they dont depend on day eyesight. Now they have better night eyesight , but mostly rely on hearing and smelling plus knowing what is around them. Much like a blind person, the dogs senses will increase. How long has the dach been blind and how old is the dach.Those are important questions.

Answer 2

It is not safe to put him on the bed unless you are sitting on it with him. If he can't see and attempts to jump, there is a high chance of serious injury. He can't judge where the floor is, and dachshunds can't afford to land wrong and hurt their backs. He could also break a leg. Get him a dog bed to put next to yours and teach him to use it. My friend has a blind dachsie and a high bed too! This is what she did.

Answer 3

Maybe the puppy stairs are a bit steep. Maybe he would be a bit less unsure if you set up a more gradual climb. I would place a set of foam cushions up in the form of steps up to the bed. Have you had him checked for diabetes at all? My dachsie had a treatable form of diabetes and her eyesight improved dramatically. She lived on my lap and bedtime was as easy as picking her up and putting her into my bed. Good luck.

Answer 4

I think he's at the point where he'll have to depend on you. If he can't see 100% then he has no depth perception and wont be able to guage if he's going to make it or not. If you want him to continue to sleep with you, you need to put him up and down.

Try putting yourself in his 'paws' and go around with one eye closed...you will be surprised how it messes with your distance judgement.

Answer 5

we have better luck with using an ottoman next to the bed rather than dog steps....the ottoman has a larger jump surface and the dog still gets to jump..