losing his sight

Hi everyone, thank you for reading and replying in advance. I have been a dog owner, mommy for most of my life, I am 41 years old and my Jasper is 14 years old. he is half aussie and half bordercollie, the reason I am writing is that he is going blind. I have put a rope light down the stairs and the lights are on 24/7. We just got home from a 9 day trip and when at a hotel he fell in a grate in the parking lot. I guess I did not know how bad his sight had gotten till then. When I throw the ball for him in the yard I have to throw it in the same spot or he cannot find it. I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas for me on how to make everything easier for him as his sight goes. I do know to keep the house the way he knows and not to move any furniture. Any advice will be appreciated.
Thank you,
Jackie and Jasper

[ginger899]

Jasper is going to be relying more on his hearing, and on his sense of smell. That is a good idea, to keep the furniture the same in your house. If you are out with him, it might be a good idea to keep him on a leash, so he is near you, and you will have to do some of the watching out for him, especially in a noisy environment, or where there are hazards, such as the grate where you were parked. A place where there are a lot of cars could put him at a disadvantage because of the smells, and the extra sounds. The same would go for walking in streets. I would always watch out for him in places like this, and of course, not let him off-leash.

Off-leash in familiar surroundings will be ok. I am sure he'll still find much to interest him, and will become familiar with the placement of shrubs, trees, steps, etc. There will be the few times he will get something wrong, so keep a watch out for him till he is really used to not being able to see. At the moment, it is all new for him.

He's not going to be the same, obviously, and life isn't going to be the same as it was before. Both of you are going to have to adapt, and do things differently.

I wish I could give you more specific advice and suggestions. But I have never had a dog who was blind. I am sure other people here will have had a similar experience, and be able to help you more.
Best wishes to you and Jasper.

[wicki4628]

thank you for responding

[Ghilly]

Ginger is correct, Jasper is going to be relying much more heavily on his senses of hearing and smell.  

You can help him, as you have already said you plan to do, by leaving the furnishings in your home the way they are so that he knows where everything is.  Also remind the family to be careful not to leave their shoes or gym bags or purses on the floor where he could trip over them.  

Even if he is impeccably trained off lead, once he loses sight it will no longer be safe for him to be off lead anywhere but a fenced-in yard.  Even in your own front yard, if he becomes disoriented, he could panic and run into the street before anyone realizes what has happened.  

You're going to have to change the way you approach him just a bit because don't forget, he will no longer be able to see you coming toward him.  If he is laying on the floor, don't just suddenly approach him and pet him.  It's especially important to teach this to any young children who might be in your house at any given time because if they were to just run up to him and touch him, it could startle him and he could bite just because he's surprised.  It doesn't mean his temperament is changing, that's just a normal response to an animal being startled.  So to preserve his reputation as a good dog, always remember to talk to him first before petting him so that he is expecting it, that way there will be no unpleasant surprises.

Also remember, other than announcing yourself to him and making sure he doesn't get into any place he can't get out of, he'll still be the same dog you know and love.  Once he adjusts to being blind, he will really surprise and amaze you, because he will learn his way around your home and yard so well that you'll find yourself forgetting that he has lost his sight.  Give him a while to get adjusted and you'll all be fine.  

Ghilly

[wicki4628]

Thank you for responding, I pretty much know what to expect but it is still hard. I didn't even think about announcing myself and having others do it also. Very good advice and we will start doing that.  Thank you again, having Jasper around is wonderful and I hope he is able to stay healthy for a couple more years. One can wish
Wicki