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6 years ago
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3 comments:
How fantastic!! I am so excited for Angel. We have had several chiwiennies adopted from DROH. 5 more sleeps as a foster!! Get in all the cuddleing you can between now and the. I have learned through the years as a foster that they never forget you and if your lucky you caqn keep in touch with them....I do!!
Mona's Mommy Sarah
Hi there,
I have just spent the evening reading your previous posts and enjoying all your stories. You have a great blog about a topic that's definitely near and dear to my heart since I have two special needs pups myself :-)
I think it's wonderful that you foster dogs in need. We used to foster a lot, but after adding three-legged Dewey to the family, it's a bit harder to have a pack of doggies in our one bedroom apartment!
Anyhow, I wanted to get in touch about your friend's blind border collie. My hunch is that his behavioral issues have more to do with his young age than his blindness. It is *hard* work to train any puppy and get them on a consistent schedule, let alone a vision impaired pooch. Someone else emphasized the importance of a steady routine, and I agree 100% I think this dog probably just needs to ease into the rhythms of daily (and nightly)life.
It might help to establish a bedtime proceedure, much like you would for a small child. In other words, I would prepare him with a series of signals - for example bedtime could always be preceded with a potty break, a bath, a massage, a specific treat, etc.
Also, I would give his as much exercise as possible. Border Collies are an active lot, and at his age, he needs a regular outlet for his energy regardless of his blindness. I know that it takes time to leash train a blind dog, but it's definitely possible.
Additionally, I would strongly suggest a lot of mental stimulation like kongs and puzzles, etc. We do this with our disabled doxie, Greta. Even though she can't be very physically active, I try to keep her senses sharp by giving her puzzles to figure out. Sometimes I bury a few treats in a sock and tie it up before giving it to her. She has to untie the sock with her teeth (or bite through it!) to get the treats. I have heard of many similar techniques like freezing treats in ice cube trays or wrapping a stuffed kong in a sock -the whole idea is to challenge them!
For a really high energy dog (and an 11 month old border collie could easily fall into this category), another option is to give all food through kongs. That may seem extreme, but some pups really need the extra challenge of *working* for their food.
I really don't know a whole heck of a lot about blind dogs, but I just wanted to throw a few ideas out there. I know that it can be frustrating to google a term like "blind dogs" because so many unrelated things come up. In my experience, searching for something more specific like "training a blind dog" can yield better results.
Anyhow, I wish your friends the very best of luck with their dog. It's so heartwarming to know that they provided a home for an abandoned, special needs dog! And you are a true inspiration as well! Come check out our blog sometime...
Your friends,
The Rebound Hounds
www.reboundhounds.blogspot.com
A Blog Devoted To Disabled Dogs
Thank you so much for your input on the "little" blind boy. I follow your blog too.
You have hit the nail on the head about the border collie's issues, routine.
His new mom runs a border collie rescue, so he is in very savvy hands. The short term challenge with the day/night thing was that he had never been in a home before. Routine takes a bit of time to establish, I was just trying to help her through the first sleep deprived week :-)
He has already learned to catch a ball!! I have seen the video. He is 100% accurate at catching the ball, while one of her sighted BC's has a much less stellar record, lol.
He is getting lots of exercise and will have opportunities to use his herding instincts as well.
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