As dogs age it is typical that they start to lose their sense of sight and hearing. Some puppies may also have hereditary conditions or viral infections that cause hearing and sight loss even at a very young age. Dogs, unlike humans, generally can adjust fairly well to loss of sight or hearing, or even a combination of losing the two senses.

 

Dog owners can help their dogs learn to adjust and lead a normal lifestyle even with loss of hearing or sight. Start working with your dog early to teach it to respond in different ways to commands to adjust to their condition. Remember that a dog relies heavily on his or her sense of smell and this can continue to be a helpful way for blind dogs to identify people, pets and even locations within their environment.

 

Some tips for working with blind dogs include:

 

  • Try to avoid moving furniture or other items in the house or yard area. The dog will be able to move throughout familiar settings with minimal problems as long as everything is kept the same.
  • Place baby gates at the top and bottom of stairs to prevent the dog from trying to use the stairs without supervision.
  • Always keep water and food dishes in the same location.
  • Always keep the dog on a leash when outside of familiar settings. Blind dogs may still try to chase other animals that they can smell and this can, of course, be deadly if they run onto roads or in front of traffic.
  • Allow a blind dog to hear and smell you before you pet them. They may naturally be more startled if someone simply touches them so try to give the dog enough time to be aware of your presence before petting them. Talk to the dog as you approach to help them understand that you are there.
  • Never punish a blind dog for accidents in the house. He or she may have become disoriented looking for the doggy door or may simply be aging and loosing control of his or her bladder or bowels. Doggy diapers or more frequent trips out to the yard are usually all that is required.

 

Working with dogs that are deaf:

 

  • Always keep the dog on a leash when outside of a fenced area. Deaf dogs cannot hear your voice, traffic, or literally any other noises to alert them to danger.
  • Start pairing hand signs with voice commands as soon as hearing loss is noted. Basic hand signs for sit, come and down are usually all that is required. Sit can be a stop motion of the palm at the chest, down can be a downward motion of the hand from the chest to the waist and come can be a sideways arching motion from straight out in towards the chest.
  • Always be sure a deaf dog can see and smell you before you pet it to prevent it from snapping or startling from you.

 

Planning ahead for senior dog's needs with regards to hearing and vision loss is something that all responsible dog owners should do to make their pet's senior years as positive and pleasant as possible.

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