Written by FLFO board member and Vice President Donna Baker.
One of the obvious reasons I joined the Board of Four-Legged Forgotten Oldies (FLFO) was my love for older dogs … and I’ve owned quite a few over the past forty+ years! A relatively early arrival was Hobo, an approximately 12-year-old Golden Retriever, who had limited vision when he came to me as a foster dog in the late 1990s and who was completely blind soon after. Outside, Hobo had no fears and would trot along at the end of a long Flexi-leash with complete trust that nothing would harm him. One of my favorite memories is of him accidentally bumping into a parked car and setting off the car alarm. We skedaddled out of there quickly and I never owned up to what happened… oops! Inside, Hobo was a little more cautious; upon entering anyplace new, he’d do what I called “perimeter walking,” moving slowly down each wall in the room repeatedly, apparently getting his bearings and memorizing the layout.
As with humans, many senior dogs develop hearing loss little by little over time, until
they are functionally deaf. With two of my female dogs, Eliza and Alli, I learned to be
veeerrrryy careful opening the front door when I arrived home. They both loved to sleep right in front of the door, but would not hear me coming in. If I were not careful, the door would push right into them as they peacefully napped!
Despite helping Hobo, Eliza, and Alli learn to live with their sensory losses,
I’ve never owned or worked with a dog that was both blind and deaf, like one of
our recent additions to FLFO, little Dory. Such a dog obviously brings more
significant challenges, though they are far from insurmountable. As a senior
dog, Dory likely started out life with full sight and hearing, gradually losing both over the years. Other dogs are born blind and deaf and have no other frame of reference. Take little Nellie, for example, showcased in this video by GeoBeats Animals. (Yes, I know this is a senior dog blog post, but the exploits of this little puppy are just too cute to exclude…..!) It helps to remember that, like us, dogs rely on all five senses to interact with their environment and the other living beings they encounter. So, if sight and hearing are partially or completely gone, they still have smell (probably the most important sensory factor for dogs), plus taste, and touch. As an example, this sweet video of Nana, a dog at the other end of the age spectrum as puppy Nellie, shows how Nana’s initial trip over a bridge left her enthralled by the smell of the water and the touch of the wind gently
ruffling her coat. Despite her lack of vision and hearing, she was still able to appreciate and enjoy her bridge experiences fully.
Should you find yourself fostering or adopting a blind and deaf dog, there are many
resources available for support and guidance. Your approach may depend on whether the dog just recently lost sensory function, or if they have been coping with the loss for many years. Writing for Pugalug Pug Rescue, Blanche Axton notes that:
I have found that dogs born deaf and/or blind are both the easiest to train and the
ones I worry most about. The born deaf/blind can be wildly overconfident
(assuming no previous traumatic experiences) and much of my work with them is
teaching caution. The dogs that have gone deaf/blind over time cope well but
may need some encouragement. The dogs that have suddenly lost sight and/or
hearing can be the most traumatized by the experience and may need more
encouragement than others.
In general, however, it’s best not to feel sorry for a blind/deaf dog or “baby” them as if they were helpless. With some creativity and environmental adaptations, you can
ensure that they live a full and happy life and that they successfully adapt to the loss of sight and sound. Here are some suggestions compiled from several online resources:
Be careful not to startle your dog, especially when they are sleeping. Touch them gently or place your hand in front of their nose. (The article referenced above by Blanche Axton includes desensitization exercises to reduce a startle response.)
Keep furniture, dog bowls, beds, rugs, crates, etc. all in the same place so their location is predictable for your dog.
Use baby gates to block off stairs or any other potentially hazardous area that your dog may not be able to see.
Remove or cover anything at your dog’s eye level that is sharp or could otherwise injure your dog if they bump into it.
Remember that a deaf dog may still be sensitive to vibration, so clapping your hands or stomping your foot on the floor may be a way to get their attention.
Be sensitive to how other, non-sensory impaired dogs in the home may react to the blind and deaf dog. Some dogs resent being bumped into, for example. Try putting a little bell on the collar of the non-impaired dog so that the blind and deaf dog knows they are there and can learn to avoid collisions.
Make generous use of touch to help teach cues as well as to simply provide
comfort and reassurance.
Adapt training to the level of your dog’s sensory and cognitive abilities. While at 16, FLFO's Dory spends a good portion of her day napping and has no real behavior issues, younger seniors or younger dogs in general may benefit from learning basic obedience commands and/or good manners. Keller’s Cause and Touch Training are two helpful online resources for training blind and deaf dogs.
Be consistent and be patient!
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