Tuesday Training Tip Number 9. Living with and training a blind dog.

    "Hello. I just adopted a 7 year old Shih Tzu that about 3 weeks ago had his eyes removed. I am trying to supply him a safe and loving home. I also have him working with me and my depression, PTSD, anxiety and predicted my seizures. He has been doing this on his own. My question is do you have any advice or pointers to help with training and home life for a blind dog?"  Karen

   The first thing I will cover is that, in training, dogs rely on body language much more than sound.  This helps understand the potential troubles you may encounter when training a dog entirely by voice commands.

Make sure your dog knows when you are addressing it.

    As the day goes by, you are sure to say plenty of words that could be commands for your dog.  You want to make absolutely sure that your dog knows when you want something of it, and when you do not.  In order to do this, you need an attention command and a release command.  Your dog will usually be able to tell if you are asking it to do something by the tone of your voice.  It helps to have your dogs complete attention though.

    Attention command:  This indicates to your dog that you want it to pay attention to you and you will ask it to do something.

    Your dogs name is the perfect attention command.  If you wish, you can use another command.  To start, you will say this command in an exited voice near your dog and then give him a treat.  As he is near you and paying attention to you, you will continue giving him treats periodically and then release him.  As time goes on, offer fewer treats during the time before you release your dog.  Start incorporating commands (sit, down, other) during this time that he is paying attention to you before you release him.  If he turns his attention elsewhere during this time repeat your command and touch him to get his attention back on you.  While your dog is at attention they should stay near you.  If they are struggling with this, you can put a leash on them while you are training and guide them back to you every time they leave.  Use your attention command anytime you are going to command your dog so they know you are talking to them.

    Release command.  This indicates to your dog that you are done giving him commands and he is free to wander around again.

    You may want to have two different release commands.  One release command will be to release your dog from a command (i.e. sit stay).  Most people use the command "okay" for this.  You could use the same command to release your dog from giving you its attention as well.  However, if you want to release your dog from a command but have him keep his attention on you, you will need a second release command.  A good command for this could be "done" or "you're free". 

To clarify.  This is how an "attention" session might go as far as commands.

"Fido"  "sit"  "stay"  "okay"  "down"  "okay"  "done".

• Clicker training can be great for blind dogs since it is consistent.

   

Helping your dog orient himself in the house.

•  Whenever you are going to add or move something in your house, have the dog come over so he can explore it with you instead of running into it later.
• Putting a mat under the dogs food and water will help him identify his location.
• Using a running water fountain helps your dog find water by the bubbling sound.
• Set up a "base camp" for your dog in the house.  This can be where his bed/crate, food, and water are.  If he gets disoriented he can come back here.  (If you have a water fountain here it will help lead him back.)
• If you pick up your dog you should put him down where you picked him up.  If you set him down somewhere else it can be very disorienting.
• It can be helpful to give your dog a large rug as a play area and keep it cleared of everything but his toys.  He will learn what the edges of the rug feel like and that he wont run into any obstacles while on the rug.
• Having a radio or television on can help your dog orient himself.  Especially when you are gone.
• If your dog is having difficulty recognizing obstacles and finding doorways you can use scents to alert your dog to these different things.  You can get bottles of different essential oils and place a drop on the floor to mark different obstacles.  Places you might want to mark are doorways, top of stairs, bottom of stairs, and places your dog runs into often.   You want to have a different scent for each type of place.  Soon your dog will learn what each scent means as he walks around the house and it will also make the house smell good.  Only use 1 drop in each place as essential oils are very potent.
• Putting real or fake plants by hard corners can help your dog not run into corners.
• If your dog uses a crate, tie the door open.  This way your dog wont accidentally close the door when he tries to go into his crate.
• If your dog is getting startled by people/other pets in the home you can attach a small bell to yourself.  Bells can be tied to shoelaces or put on an anklet or bracelet.  If you want to, you can give each family member a different type of bell so the dog can distinguish everyone as they approach.
• When introducing your dog to a new space it can help to sprinkle kibble on the ground.  This way your dog moves slower and has a chance to explore the area.
• You can use the "watch" command when an obstacle is in your dogs way.  Eventually your dog will learn to slow down and avoid whatever is in front of him.
• You can also teach the "step" command when there are stairs in front of your dog.

In the yard.

• Placing a wind chime by the door will help your dog find its way back to the house.
• Fence off ponds, pools, or other hazardous areas.
• A 2' border of mulch around trees, buildings, and other obstacles helps alert your dog before he runs into them.  Something other than mulch could be used as well.
• Harnesses are better than collars to help lead your dog.
• Remember that your dog cannot read the body language of other dogs.  So be ready to intervene if another dog is getting aggressive.
• Walk your dog regardless of blindness.  They still need exercise.  A vest that says "I'm blind" can help if you have issues with people on walks.

    Good luck to you and your little man!  I hope he adjusts quickly.