Blind Dogs

I want to add information that includes tips for blind dog caregivers. If you have a blind dog and discovered tips or tricks to help your dog, post it below. I am researching many websites, talking to vets, want to add my own experiences, and want to include information from anyone else who posts here.

From my experience blind dogs are fairly easy to care for, depending upon the cause of their blindness. They have the same wants and desires as sighted dogs. They love to do all the things other dogs do, they just have some limitations. Before rescuing a blind dog, see if you can discover the reason for the blindness so you can be prepared to properly care for them. One of my dog's blindness resulted from glaucoma and she acts like any normal dog. My other two dogs have neurological issues that caused their blindness. Their level of care is different from a normal dog. Once I became used to caring for the mentally disabled dogs, daily care is smooth. It is a matter of adapting to their different needs.

The 10 tips below are from my experience.

10 Tips for Blind Dog Owners/Caregivers

Talk to the dog, let them know where you are. Verbal communication is very important.
Touch the dog, let them feel connected.
Talk to them before touching them.
Blind dogs love to go on walks. Keep them healthy by walking them often. Try to keep them on level surfaces as much as possible (sidewalks, roads) instead of unleveled hiking trails.
Look for steps within their everyday environment. Anything that could trip them. If it is a permanent part of the house, teach them.
Act like you have a baby. Blind dogs do not blink before hitting something. If your blind dog has eyes, look for anything sharp at eye level and remove it or cover it or your dog could experience pain and lead to the necessary removal of an eye.
Use sounds to indicate food time. I tap on the side of a metal food bowl, along with vocal indications, so mine are certain food is ready.
Blind dogs don't necessarily know time of day it is (day or night). Use phrases that indicate time of day. One of my dogs knows what "10:30" means. It is her mid-morning snack, so she associates it with mornings. Basically, a regular schedule is good for them, just like sighted dogs.
Never let a blind dog off leash unless inside your house, fenced yard, or secured in your car. A blind dog can become frightened by sounds and will try to run in a direction, any direction to get away from anything that scared them, possibly hurting themselves.
Don't let their disability make you feel sorry for them. Don't feed them more, leading to a premature death. Treat them normal. Keep them healthy.