Coping with blind dogs can be a stressful experience; however, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences. Regardless of whether your dog has become blind with old age or whether you have made the choice to adopt a dog who is blind there is no doubt about it, owning a blind dog requires special considerations.

The fact of the matter is that blind dogs adjust very quickly to being blind and to navigating their environment. There are things you can do to aid your blind dog in life though and many of these things can be learned from speaking to other owners of blind dogs by joining online communities and speaking to local rescue organizations who may be able to offer resources for owners of special needs dogs.

Some ways you can help your blind dog learn about their environment are:

- Placing mats before steps so your dog can feel the change in flooring and anticipate steps

-Don’t rearrange furniture, rearranging furniture will leave your blind dog having to relearn his way around the house, much like blind people blind dogs learn their environment by cues and distance, rearranging furniture leaves your blind dog with no cues or distance knowledge of the house.

- Socialize your young blind dog, a blind dog can be particularly fearful of his environment and socializing him will lead him to understand that even though he can’t see he is safe and should not be fearful of strangers.

- Keep your dog leashed when outside – Keeping your dog on leash when outdoors is very important for your blind dog, even though your blind dog can smell his way around he is not able to see his way around his environment. Since your dog cannot see his way around the unfamilier environment it is your job to be his eyes.

- Blind dogs sometimes do well with a fur sibling, while this is not always the case some blind dogs do well with another dog in the household to be his eyes as well as to keep him company; however, always keep in mind that dogs are individuals and not all dogs appreciate being a sibling.

- Scent is a very important factor for your blind dog, you can use particular scents to mark doors so your dog can let you know when it’s “potty time”.

- Squeeky toys and scented toys are the best for your blind dog, although keeping your dogs toys in one location (a toybox is best) helps your dog to find any toy he wishes to play with.

- Make noise – when you approach your dog or when other approach your dog make sure that he hears you coming, since your dog can’t see he needs to hear someone approaching. Blind dogs can be easily startled. It is also important that you vocalize throughout your blind dog’s upbringing so he knows that you are there for him.

- Don’t baby your blind dog – the more you baby your blind dog for his disability the more disabled you make him become, teach your dog independence through treating him just like a “normal” dog.

- Teach your dog commands using scent and sound – emphasize the senses that your dog still has instead of focussing on the ones he doesn’t.

As your dog ages his joints will age as well and you will begin to worry about arthritis and your dog. There are signs that you can look out for in your dog as he ages that will help you to tell whether your dog is developing arthritis.

Things to look out for in your aging dog:

Your dog seems uncomfortable when squatting to use the bathroom

Your dog bites or gnaws at his joints

Your dog has trouble jumping up on the furniture or in to the car and did not have this trouble previously

Your dog needs to rest more often than he did previously

Your dog can no longer climb the stairs as he used to

Your dog doesn’t respond to exercise as he once did or he tires more quickly

Your dog seems stiff when getting up from rest

Your dog limps or has problems walking

Your dog limps more or has more trouble with stiff joints in cold weather

Your dog would rather lie down than sit or stand

Your dog seems more depressed or uncomfortable than usual and looses interest in food

Your dog seems uncomfortable when touched in certain areas that seem to be giving him trouble.

If you notice any of these signs in your dog you should take him to your vet immediately to find a treatment plan that is customized to your dog. You should also be aware that some of these signs can also signal other health problems, such as a loss of interest in food, and should be evaluated by your vet as soon as possible.

There are many websites out there that would have you believe that you need to drop $90 on an orthopedic mattress in order to keep your senior dogs comfortable, this simply isn’t true. Senior dogs, arthritic dogs and dogs with hip dysplasia are all similar in the fact that they all require a little extra something in order to keep them comfortable when they rest. While there is nothing particularly wrong in providing your elderly, arthritic or dysplastic dog with a nice padded bed to lay on you may be contributing to their difficulties in rising from their bed because of the amount of effort required to get off a softer bed as opposed to a harder more supportive bed. That being said don’t go running out to drop $90 on a specialty pet orthopedic bed (unless you really want one) because this problem can be remedied easily and for almost half the price.

It was when I was contemplating an orthopedic pet bed for Jet due to his hip dysplasia that I realized the job could be completed just as well with a crib mattress and I would be looking at spending $40-50 on a new crib mattress versus $90-110 for a specialty orthopedic pet bed. An additional plus to using a crib mattress versus a specialty orthopedic bed is that crib mattresses are made from waterproof material so if your dog suffers from incontinence this is the perfect choice in pet bed. Crib sheets (fitted sheets) are pretty cheap and can be held in place with elastic suspenders that clip underneath the bed, I also throw a couple of fleece blanket’s on Jet’s mattress because he does tend to nest at bedtime and this makes the bed more cushioned but still supportive.

The mattress above is the crib mattress I picked for Jet, I ordered it from Amazon.com and grabbed a couple of sheets while I was shopping; however, you can find crib mattresses at all of the big retailers for discount prices so don’t be afraid to price shop. Another great thing about crib mattresses is that they allow you to personalize your dog’s bed, while some people would consider this ridiculous, I like being able to change Jet’s bedding up throughout the year – soft jersey sheets for cold winter nights and light cotton sheets for hot summer days, call me neurotic but I know he appreciates the change from a cedar filled bolster bed!