My blind dog: How to Help a Blind Dog Adapt

How to Help a Blind Dog Adapt

It was a beautiful day in coastal Oregon when fourteen-year-old Lisa and her brother Joe decided to go for a swim in the ocean. The tide changed suddenly, turning their lively voices into terrified screams as brother and sister realized they were being pulled into deep water. Joe managed to swim back to shore, but could only watch as his sister was pulled farther away from him.

Alerted by Lisa´s screams, a yellow Lab unexpectedly jumped into the water and started paddling strongly towards her. “Call my dog! His name is Norman. Call his name,” the Labrador´s owner yelled to Lisa from the shore. Guided by Lisa´s voice, Norman valiantly reached her and towed the exhausted teenager back into safety.

This real life story becomes even more miraculous when you learn that Norman was completely blind.

Finding out your dog is going blind can be devastating but, as with Norman in Oregon, most dogs can get along well—and even thrive—without being able to see. The fact is eyesight is not a primary dog sense. By making a few minor changes to the way we interact with them, a visually impaired dog can adjust quite well to a household’s lifestyle.

“A person with a blind dog needs to adapt their own life in many ways to the dog’s disability, yet these things are neither hard nor challenging—in fact, they are easy and even fun for the owner,” says Gayle M. Irwin, a speaker, rescue pet advocate, and author of four books about blind dogs.  

Here are six tips from experts on how to make a few changes to enhance your vision-challenged dog’s life and help him lead a normal life:

Blind Dog-Proof Your House. Once your dog loses his eyesight, he will at first feel extremely confused about his surroundings. Award-winning dog trainer and author Caroline D. Levin, (who also, incidentally, worked as part of the veterinarian team who attempted to restore Norman’s eyesight—Lisa´s parents were so grateful for Norman’s lifesaving heroics that they provided Norman with a visit to a veterinarian eye doctor to see if his vision could be restored; unfortunately it could not be. ), suggests spending some time guiding your dog around the house and fencing off any possible hazards, like a pool and stairs. “Just make sure that dangers are lessened in the beginning because after a while, a blind dog develops a mental map,” she says. Miki Saito, a certified dog trainer specializing in blind dogs, recommends removing or covering any dangers with cushion material until your dog learns the layout of the house. “See from your dog’s eye height to check if there are any sharp objects or corners that would injure his eye, face or body,” she says. And don´t neglect the yard. Make sure that it’s fenced off. Check for holes in the ground and keep plants trimmed, as they could cause further damage to your dog´s eyes.

Don’t Rearrange Your Furniture. Dogs have an incredible ability to map their environment as long as it’s kept constant. Overtime, a dog will memorize a house’s layout and the location of the furniture, getting a picture of the familiar places in his head and making him less likely to bump into things. “The dog will learn how to get around the house so don’t move your furniture; leave it as it is so that they are comfortable, so that their knowledge of their house stays the same and they don’t have to try to figure things out when things get changed,” says Irwin. 

Change the Way You Communicate. Saito stresses the importance of understanding that communication with a dog changes once they go blind—it becomes more vocal. “While a dog is losing his eyesight, he is more likely to become highly sensitive to sounds and being touched, and become very fearful or reactive,” she says. New behaviours are taught mainly by using sounds and touches as prompts or cues. Making your dog feel safe and positive reinforcement are both key when adapting your dog to their new situation. “I use some sounds and words as guidance for my blind dog in order to let her know where she should go or what is going to happen to her, and help her move or do things with ease,” Saito says.

Tune In To Their Other Senses. Using smell and texture can also be a quick way to orient your dog. Levin recommends choosing three different scents and spraying them in the three most common areas the dog uses. These could be where his food and water are, the back garden where he relieves himself, and a resting place, like his bed or a crate. Then, physically guide your dog to these places, so that he becomes familiar with the scents and what they mean. Smells are also a great way to indicate danger. “It could be a simple thing, such as when your dog smells a certain scent, like perfume or vanilla extract, it means slow down because the stairs are right there,” she says. Using different textures can also help your dog navigate more easily inside and outside the house. Set throw rugs near pieces of furniture, wood chips near and around bushes and trees and rough carpet in front of the back door to indicate the way to go out to the yard. 

Re-Train Your Dog. It’s essential for the dog owner to spend some time training the dog after they lose their sight. Teaching the pet to “Stop” or “Stay” on command is an important safety measure since it can prevent them from advancing into a dangerous situation. Using the commands “Step Up” and “Step Down” can be useful not only to help them navigate the stairs in your house, but for getting up and down a curb in the street. Another important skill to practice is to re-train your dog to come when called. “When they are blind and can´t see you, you just have to do things a little bit differently. Mainly, that means that you have to call them with a sound that is continuous. You have to say something for a long time so that they can hone in on where you are,” says Levin.

Play Games. When a dog loses her eyesight there is a risk that she can become withdrawn. Using toys is a great way to keep your dog entertained and engaged with her surroundings. “Often times, when they are not visual, dogs will stop interacting with their environment just because it’s easier. Make sure that you pay special attention to check that they are interacting with you, with another pet, or with their home environment and that they have access to toys,” says Dr. Caryn Plummer, veterinary ophthalmologist. Dog owners should experiment with different types of toys to identify which one best engages their dog’s other senses—hearing, touch, and smell. Plummer recommends toys that make sound, such as squeaky toys, or toys that engage a dog’s sense of smell, like a food-stuffable toy or a puzzle toy you put little treats in, as ideal choices for vision-impaired dogs. Keeping your dog active and continuing to take her on daily walks is extremely important too, as this will improve her other senses, as well as her health, wellbeing, and happiness.   

Overall, simply have patience and remember to constantly give positive reinforcement. This will help your dog adjust to her new situation. Dogs are exceptional creatures that can quickly adapt to new conditions as long as they are given enough time, love, and attention. As Irwin notes, “Dogs teach us lessons in courage, perseverance, loyalty, compassion, kindness, and joy—and they don’t have to have all of their senses or limbs to do so. ”

Photo: Ray Charles submitted by Andrew

Blindness in Dogs – Signs, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

What are Blindness?

Many obstacles and situations are not dangerous if your four-legged buddy can see, but become hazardous if they are blind. Blind dogs can unknowingly walk in front of a car, fall down the stairs, bang into sharp objects, and get into all kinds of situations when outside. If you think your dog is having trouble seeing, it is essential that you make an appointment with your veterinarian. Because there are so many reasons for blindness in dogs and you may not be able to tell that a loss of vision is happening, it is a good idea to visit your veterinarian at least once a year. The veterinarian will be able to tell if your dog cannot see even during a regular check-up.

Lack of ability to see can be a terrifying and even life-threatening disorder for your dog. Blindness may result as a sign of a different disorder, such as diabetes, or it could be from injury, and sometimes it is due to a hereditary disease you did not know your dog had. The truth is, it is sometimes difficult for you to tell if your dog is blind because dogs are so adept at coping. However, you may notice your pet bumping into things, becoming afraid of loud noises, and not wanting to play or go outside. This is often due to fear because your dog has no idea what is happening and it is frightening.

Despite the diagnosis, however, a blind dog’s quality of life can still be happy and positive. Encouragement and reinforcement on your part during walks and while training your canine companion to adapt can have a beneficial impact on your pet’s well-being.

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Blindness Average Cost

From 351 quotes ranging from $200 – $3,000

Average Cost

$500

Symptoms of Blindness in Dogs

Depending on the cause of the blindness, signs vary from case to case, but if you know your dog well, you should be able to tell eventually. Some of the signs your dog is having vision trouble include:

• Bumping into things
• Acting afraid to move
• General clumsiness
• Jumpiness
• Apprehensive during play
• Unable to find water, food, and toys
• Confusion
• Not wanting to go outside
• Depression
• Sleeping more than usual
• Anxiousness
• Excessive thirst (diabetes and SARDS)
• Eye redness
• Enlarged pupils
• Cloudiness of the eyes

 Types

Your dog may be:

• Partially blind – Cloudy vision, may be able to see shapes and light, blindness only in one eye
• Intermittently blind – Blindness comes and goes randomly
• Completely blind – Unable to see anything, including light

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Causes of Blindness in Dogs

• Glaucoma – Very painful, increased pressure of the fluids in the eye that damages the optic nerve and retina
• Cataracts – Painless cloudiness of the eye lens that produces partial or complete blindness
• Diabetes – One in 10 dogs is diabetic and 75% of them end up blind
• Old age
• Breed-specific – Certain breeds such as Spaniels, Siberian Huskies, Malamutes, Shar-Peis, Poodles, Great Danes, Dachshunds, Dalmatians, Chow Chows, Bassett Hounds, Beagles, German Shepherds, Chihuahuas, and Shih Tzus are predisposed
• Infection
• Injury
• Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) – An inherited disorder that causes retinal deterioration
• Suddenly acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) – Painless and impossible to cure with no known reasons as of yet

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Diagnosis of Blindness in Dogs

Your veterinarian will need to do a complete physical, which includes eye examination, pupil reaction time, reflexes, body temperature, blood pressure, weight, breath sounds, pulse oximetry (oxygen level), respirations, and heart rate. Tell the veterinarian what signs you have noticed and any abnormal behavior or eating patterns. Bring your pet’s medical and vaccination records if possible.

Diagnostic tests will likely need to be done to rule out underlying diseases such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease. Some of the tests needed may be blood glucose, serum chemistry analysis, complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), urinalysis, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum cholesterol, bilirubin, and tonometry. Other procedures usually done at this time are serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), electroretinography (ERG), ACTH stimulation test, and ocular ultrasound. You may need to take your dog to a veterinary ophthalmologist for further testing.

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Treatment of Blindness in Dogs

Treatment depends on the cause of the blindness. With some cases of blindness, such as SARDS and PRA, there is no treatment. If there is an underlying disease, such as diabetes, Cushing’s Syndrome, or hypertension, that will need to be treated first. Otherwise, the only treatment may be to train your pet to live with blindness. For example, there are points to remember as you contemplate how to care for a blind puppy. As well, an older dog who has recently experienced vision loss will require assistance and understanding as they get used to their new life. 

Use your voice often when spending time with your blind dog. They will quickly learn to use their keen sense of hearing as a replacement for sight. Keep their water bowl in the same place at all times and designate a certain spot for feeding. Provide your pup with a safe zone that allows them space for playing without the fear of banging into something. Make sure your home is dog-proofed by moving sharp tables out of the way and closing off stairways. Alert newcomers to the fact that your dog is blind so that they introduce themselves vocally before touching your dog.

These steps will ensure an easier transition into their new life. Ask your veterinarian for tips and talk to others who have dogs who have no sight. Your veterinarian will want to treat underlying diseases that caused or contributed to the blindness. These diseases may be:

Diabetes

The veterinarian will need to give your dog insulin and may have you continue giving insulin injections daily for the rest of your pet’s life. You may also need to put your dog on a special diet and exercise program.

Cushing’s Syndrome

Treatment for Cushing’s depends on the cause of the syndrome. If it is caused by a tumor of the adrenal glands, the veterinarian may be able to remove it with surgery. If the tumor has not spread, your dog might be fine afterward.

Hypertension

If your dog has hypertension (high blood pressure), medications such as angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, special diet, and exercise routine is recommended.

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Worried about the cost of Blindness treatment?

Pet Insurance covers the cost of many common pet health conditions. Prepare for the unexpected by getting a quote from top pet insurance providers.

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Recovery of Blindness in Dogs

Recovery also depends on the cause of the blindness. In some cases, your dog may be back to normal after a few weeks of training. A dog is able to adapt quickly by using other special senses, but call your veterinarian if you need further assistance or would like recommendations for support.

Blindness in dogs can be expensive to treat. To protect your dog and yourself in case of an accident or emergency, start searching for pet insurance today. Wag!’s pet insurance comparison tool lets you compare plans from leading companies like PetPlan and Embrace. Find the “pawfect” plan for your pet in just a few clicks!

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How Blind Dog Tara Found a Family – Dogfriend Publishers

Our trainer from Kyiv Natalia Martyshko tells the story of a blind dog named Tara who found a new home. How the adaptation and training of the “problem” dog took place – about this in today’s article in the Dogfriend Blog.

This story is dedicated to all blind dogs and their future and present families.

I will divide my story into several informational parts. These were the stages of everyone’s life – the dog, volunteers, friends, future family and me, the person who participated in all this. To say that I was sure that I would succeed is to deceive you. However, I had important tools – knowledge of the new cynology, zoopsychology, experience in communicating with dogs and people. So, I gathered the whole team on board the invisible ship, and we set off on a difficult journey to save the blind mongrel Tara. nine0003

Part one. Acquaintance

I don’t know exactly how this puppy lost his sight and what he got over, but Tara’s childhood was obviously filled with anxieties and problems of survival.

I met Tara, then simply “Blind Girl”, after I was contacted by the owner of the “home overexposure”, who is in a private house. Knowing that I was studying New Cynology, she asked me to look at the new dog, as the volunteers brought him not only with a broken paw, but with some strange eye movement. According to her assumptions, the dog did not see. It was a mongrel dog (pooch), a girl aged about 6 months, not contact. The fracture turned out to be complicated and neglected, the dog was in pain, did not trust anyone, was wild and lived in constant fear. She needed urgent treatment and was no longer able to be outside. nine0003

The first thing we did was veterinary medicine. Having visited a couple of clinics, having passed the examination, I heard the verdict – an old fracture, the dog is blind, there are risks of neuralgia and mental instability. By saving her, we deliberately doom the animal to further trials. Perhaps living in a family will partially make her life easier, or at least secure.

Statistics on shelters are harsh – the frequency of adopting healthy animals leaves much to be desired. And then there’s the “problem” dog with a disability. So, the chance of finding a family for her decreases. Doctors unanimously called for euthanasia, without a person she would not survive. Decide! It is expected of me. There came a moment when the world froze around me, there were no sounds, the silence became deafening. Tears, pity, torment, heartache, common sense all faded into the background. The test was emptiness, my helplessness and inaction. And only in the acquired knowledge and experience I found strength and solutions. It became fundamental “in the construction of my ship and this voyage”. The firm position “she will live” was both our choice and our responsibility. From that moment on, with the whole team of my relatives and friends, we began to participate in the fate of Tara. nine0003

Part two. Treatment and rehabilitation

After giving the puppy first aid, putting a cast, the dog was transferred to a “private foster care”. During this period, the following signs of stress appeared: fear, freezing from 5 to 15 minutes, dullness of reaction, refusal to eat, and then, on the contrary, excitement for her, there were problems going to the toilet, she endured for several days. Based on this, a stress management plan was drawn up. At first, Tara was isolated from the rest of the dogs, fed separately, taken to the toilet in her arms outside. nine0003

We gave injections and treated the fracture. The gypsum required care, and at night Tara was taken from the aviary to the house where the owners live, in the hallway. After that, the puppy itself began to ask to come into the house, slowly learning new household items of people, first of all, by taste. Gradually, the dog began to recognize the territory, it was a little accustomed to the street and the environment. At this time, I only talked with Tara. There was no talk of any training yet, since the dog was only getting used to the place where it lives, to contact with people, plus the factor of constant treatment. nine0003

One of the first noticeable changes was her attitude to nutrition: it was during this period that Tara learned to eat without fear, not to overeat. She got used to being fed, that other dogs would not take the food. She began to get acquainted with dogs, avoiding some and making friends with others, getting to know cats and being interested in them.

The owner of the overexposure made a huge contribution. Thanks to her caring and patient participation, the dog recognized and reached out to us, despite the fact that medical manipulations were performed every day. Tara approached people she knew and from whom she felt kindness. Tara began to learn to trust. We removed step by step everything that could cause stress. nine0003

Surprisingly, it was the disease that became the factor that, instead of pushing the dog away from people even more, brought Tara closer to us. Our touches were associated with feeding (delicacy), caress and kindness, attention and stroking. She was still afraid – but she already wanted to communicate, she endured all the procedures that took place virtually every day. A double-edged sword – it could completely close, clog at the slightest of our wrong behavior, and the pain shock could turn into aggression. But we did all our actions deliberately and according to a previously drawn up plan, accompanying them with positive reinforcement. nine0003

Part three. Relocation

Does the dog always have a family, a friend? No, not always unfortunately. One of our main fears was that we would not find a family for her. We were lucky, and we resolved the issue at home quite quickly, although the new owner could not immediately pick up the dog – thus, we had time to prepare the dog for the move. By the time of the move, we prepared Tara, she was vaccinated, sterilized.

Name

Name – Belaya Tara, the dog was given from the first days, when it became clear that there would be no euthanasia, and all the time she was addressed by name, so even at the preparatory stages the dog got used to it, and by the time of the move – the name was one of the bridges to the contact of the new family and the puppy. nine0003

Smell

When a family was found for the dog, and this was my friend, I started introducing Tara to a new person. And one of the main techniques was the use of smell, creating a connection with a new home in an already familiar place. I used a soft sweater that belonged to the future owner. The sweater was placed next to Tara during feeding and sleeping for two weeks before moving.

Preliminary acquaintance

It is best if there is such an opportunity for the future owner to come and communicate with the dog before the move. Unfortunately, with Tara, this was not possible due to many circumstances. In addition to the people who entered her zone of trust, with whom she began to communicate and calmed down after two months of overexposure, we added the smell of a new person. So, we got a preliminary acquaintance only through this method. nine0003

Something familiar with myself

And then came the long-awaited and exciting moment of the move. By this time, Tara had prepared a surprise for us. She found a friend and has not been separated from him for the last 2 weeks. It is difficult for me to explain this connection, how among all the animals at overexposure they found each other. It turned out to be a month old, very tiny kitten. But not just a kitten, but as it turned out later, seeing with only one eye. You can’t look at all this half-sighted tribe without tears. And we decided where one is – there is a place for two, let alone cook porridge so cook, so the cat went home with Tara. We also took items to the new home that the dog knew well, so that he would not be confused among new unexplored smells. But as it turned out, 200 grams with a tail was the most important thing for her. nine0003

My friend, who will become Tara’s family, passed the aptitude test. Are you sure? How ready are you to change your routine and lifestyle? The dog does not see. It’s a pity?! Pity passes in a couple of months, and the animal is with you for the rest of his life. After all, our task is to ensure that any animal, and not only Tara, lives the life allotted to it in a family that loves it. Therefore, family and friend, only from this position I asked her – are you ready? I am for a clear and clear awareness!

Media preparation

We have carefully chosen a place for bedding, in the part of the apartment where the main activity of the family takes place. Tara will get used to voices and everyday sounds. We have also prepared a place for solitude. We agreed that at first the furniture would remain in the same places, they even limited the movement of chairs. Place bowls for food and water in the kitchen to accustom to the feeding place. Having determined that the dog will eat natural food, I built a nutrition scheme based on the age and preferences of the dog itself. Delicacies and several tinkling and squeaking toys, ammunition for walking were purchased. nine0003

Adaptation in the family

We have passed part of the way successfully, super important remains, and all depends on this stage.

My friend has no experience with dogs. Tara did not live at home, she does not walk on a leash, and she does not know how to walk with a person at all, the dog is with disabilities. Our task is to socialize her, make her family and give her a full life.

I had many fears: 1. How a dog will accept an apartment, a closed alien space. 2. Rejection of a stranger to her, despite the already familiar smell and careful preparation. 3. Difficulties walking. This is the descent and ascent without an elevator along the stairs, walking on a leash and the process of walking with a person. 4. How to explain to the dog that the person next to him is good. nine0003

No one could have predicted how another change of territory would hurt Tara. We carefully prepared in advance: from the first days the dog was given special homeopathic drops Bach Flowers: Walnut, recommended for changes and moving in the life of the animal.

Surprisingly, Tara adapted quite quickly to the apartment. Perhaps the kitten helped her. The cat found the “master bed” at home for the first time in a day, the dog began to enter the bedroom only a day later, and to sleep on the sofa in the living room by the end of the first week. The kitchen was surveyed before all the rooms. The issue was resolved with the apartment. nine0003

Walking problem

The collar that Tara used to run with before changed to a harness. At first, the owner carried the dog outside in her arms, since it was difficult to explain to the animal what exactly she wanted from him. We avoided subjecting her to the new stress of ignorance and compulsion, and it was not known exactly how the paw had been broken – whether from a blow, or from a fall, or in some other way. The paw healed – the fear remained. Tara did not fully trust her paw, in the first days after the removal of the cast, she did not even use it. nine0003

What I definitely didn’t expect was that the dog wouldn’t go to the toilet, either outside or at home. For several days after the move, she did not go to the toilet at all. This was new to me – and I had to go back to an earlier observation that in the first days in foster care, she also endured for several days, and then hid in the bushes when she was carried out to the toilet. It told me that she was completely unprotected. Therefore, it is often a big problem for puppies to go outside – after all, this is a new environment for them, where they do not feel safe. So in our case: the dog was scared. She cannot relax, does not trust, feels discomfort in the presence of a person (after all, we cannot let a blind dog off the leash in a new place). Going to the toilet turned into a new stress. nine0003

After a couple of days, Tara began to relax in the place where she felt safest – at home. Long walks led to the fact that we returned home, and the dog peed at home. This once again confirmed that the dog is looking for seclusion and reliability. Later, Tara began to get used to the street. Every time Tara went to the toilet outside, she got a treat. When we coped with this, we began to move further: to teach the dog to walk on a leash in principle, and after a week of lifting several times a day on his hands up and down – to teach him to walk up the stairs and enter into a trusting relationship with the dog – such a blitz task. nine0003

We started by getting to know the entrance. For a short time, the door to the stairwell opened, and Tara listened to the sounds, after that she received a treat and returned to the apartment.

To overcome the stairs, I imagined myself with my eyes closed and stepping forward – into the abyss turned out to be incredibly difficult, so the training was divided into stages – a process in which we learned each step, learned the word “step”, tried to teach by tapping with a stick, but the method of steps and voice approached more, with the reinforcement of one word by the process. If the “step” is the dog must fully trust, the word is trust – action – praise, plus all the time to be as close as possible, even supporting it slightly on the harness (during the descent, the dog does not know the height and sharply lowers the paw, especially if the height is incorrectly calculated on a sore paw, this is quite painfully felt as a “stumbling”). nine0003

Later, Tara began to listen to footsteps and words. Since the process was repeated frequently throughout the day, Tara could learn the same steps each time. Starting with the first independent steps from the street up to the front door to the front door, sniffing the keys, opening the electronic lock door with a beep, and ending with our door in the stairwell. We began to get the result precisely from the climb up, when we put the dog’s paw on the steps up and let the dog understand how this whole scheme works, while saying the word “step”. Each time we let the dog learn a little more, each time a couple of steps, then half a flight, then one flight, we walked until the dog began to get lost (the landings between the flights were especially difficult). For every action, for every step – praise and delicacy. Then she got a treat while walking the whole flight, then the floor, and then all the way. nine0003

If the dog stopped and lingered, we also stopped and waited, giving it time to think and explore new smells and sounds. After about two weeks of daily practice (sometimes going down and up took longer than the rest of the walk), we actually learned to walk the stairs from scratch.

At the same time, we were undergoing a full veterinary examination, with blood donation, ultrasound and other tests, so in addition to training, Tara was also subjected to the stress of treatment. In the process of treatment, diuretics were also prescribed, because of which observations were made and a schedule of accurate walking was drawn up. Some drugs can act throughout the day, not just in the morning, so not walking often enough led to downtime – notable actions have shown the need for walking every 4 hours. One of the walking schedules: 6-00, 10-00, 14-20 (+k), 18-30, 22-50. nine0003

Over time, after the end of treatment, we began to increase the interval between walks, allowing the dog to get used to, tracking how much longer he can tolerate, how much he has the desire to go to the toilet and confidence when he is taken out. Walking also meant playing and discovering something new for the dog. As soon as Tara began to trust my friend, she began to calm down and turn on her hearing, smell, touch, and tactile perception of the soil. Walks have become measured and thoughtful, randomness has gone. nine0003

Part four. Happy childhood

Today, after three and a half months of living in a family, this is what we have.

Tara underwent a medical examination and treatment, the causes of blindness were identified, and it was determined that her sight would not return. The dog receives high-grade natural nutrition, time for rest and sleep. Established a schedule of walking and adherence to it.

Tara has learned to play with toys and knows the location of all items in the apartment. The friendship of animals is strengthened: the cat is a guide and a researcher for the dog, learning from each other and exchanging experience in communication. nine0003

The dog fully walks outside, loves this process, plays with other dogs, recognizes people and remembers routes on a walk. On the street, he does not just follow the mistress, but enjoys and satisfies his curiosity. Tara perfectly uses all four paws when walking and playing, tucking her broken paw only freezing when she meets the unexpected and still unknown. After learning the novelty, the foot naturally lowers.

She is now in a wonderful period of “late childhood”. Since Tara did not have a childhood at all as such, it took place mainly in the struggle for survival, now she gets everything. Until the final treatment and getting used to the house, the puppy did not behave like an eight-month-old puppy in the house. Tara did not show the activity expected from a child at that age, but was more in a lying-waiting state. Therefore, now she is doing “deliberate hooliganism”, from which she enjoys – we find out, we try. This process is not completely destructive (parquet is not uprooted and walls are not demolished). She recognizes objects by taste – she just never played like that before, the dog has the joy of taking things apart, recognizing his toys, being a little mischievous – which is not a problem. nine0003

In all these games, you have to protect Tara from dangers, and the most dangerous thing in the house is electricity. Together with the kitten, Tara discovered the wires. They hid everything except the wire of the mobile heater. Most of the wire was hidden under the rug. And while we were doing all this, Tara and Gavryusha (that’s the name of the kitten) lost interest in the wires. They discover something new every day, and we just can’t keep up with them.

What are our plans for the future: getting to know and playing with dogs, because a dog needs the company of his relatives. Attraction to travel, easily and confidently push the boundaries. To be continued…

Author’s note

Tara is the goddess of Buddhism. White Tara is called “Seven-Eyed”. She has seven eyes on her body: three on her face, one each on her palms and soles of her feet. These eyes allow her to see all living beings with insightful wisdom and compassion. They help her to see everything that is happening around and provide support to everyone who needs it. Here we have such a blind and deeply seeing dog White Tara.

Photos from ordinary life of an unusual dog

Further reading Stress in dogs

Olga Kazharskaya. Shelter dog: recovery and resocialization

Chester is my angel of freedom

The story of Svetlana Telitsyna , owner of a guide dog, head of the Wise Dog club, winner of the Best Russian Dog Best Tandem 2020 title, about how she lost her sight and found a four-legged dog friend

I have loved street dogs since childhood

– I have always loved dogs. But it was never possible to keep her at home. I am from a military family, we often moved, lived in service apartments. I just dragged yard dogs home and washed them in the bathroom while my parents were not at home. Dad was then very surprised: “Where did the fleas come from in the bathroom ?!”

I was friends with the yard dogs, deeply and cordially: I cooked oatmeal, bought stew with the accumulated money, stirred it and took it out into the yard in a can to feed. Where did you get money from? Parents gave me ice cream. Donated bottles. nine0003

Mom knew about it: she is very attentive. And besides, when I went out into the yard, tailed and eared ones ran towards me from all nooks and crannies. They are very grateful!

I was not afraid of them at all. It is worth whining somewhere for a dog – I ran to see what happened to it. I could calmly take a paw from a whining yard dog and remove glass from it, then process it and give it some piece of sausage as a consolation.

Jimmy, Asya, Chip, Lord found me even in a strange yard… These were my shaggy yard friends. I was easy with them. It all ended when my eye disease started…

Four years of pain, despair – and blindness

Svetlana Telitsyna with Chester. Photo by Tatyana Shpakovskaya

I started having vision problems in 1996. I was 12 years old. Doctors now write in my anamnesis: “The etymology of the disease is unknown. ” But one of the studies showed that this is a complication after the flu. Suddenly the blood vessels in the eyes began to burst, as if dark spots appeared before the eyes. Eye pressure began to rise, pain appeared. Examinations showed neovascular glaucoma, a very unexpected diagnosis for adolescence. nine0003

I spent several months in hospitals, starting with Morozovskaya in 1996, and then non-stop until 1999: the Helmholtz Hospital, MONIKI, the Fedorov Institute, Krasnov … I completely studied the geography of ophthalmological clinics. Sometimes I was discharged just for the weekend so that my psyche would not suffer. All this time was accompanied by constant pain, sometimes unbearable. Operations, operations, operations…

I was operated on by the best Russian specialists in eye microsurgery. But it all ended with complete blindness in both eyes. nine0003

At the Fedorov Institute, another luminary examined me and said: “One can delve endlessly into your eyes. But the result will be null. Think about what exactly you need. And ended the tears, stretched for several years. My parents directed all the power of their love, with which they wanted to save me from blindness, to my social adaptation.

“Daughter, don’t cry, I’ll be your eyes!”

Chester follows orders. Photo by Tatyana Shpakovskaya

If you see a stylish, cheerful, cheerful disabled person, he most likely has a good rear. Parents, friends, mentors, volunteers… It was they who created an island for him in this world that is absolutely not adapted for the disabled. For myself, I can say this for sure. I’m like a presidential candidate who has a whole staff behind him. I am the cover, the fruit of labor, love, the work of my loved ones and relatives: mom, dad, brother, brother’s wife. A disabled person cannot do it alone! nine0003

At the age of 15 it was especially difficult. Hormones – natural and medicinal. Disruption of social ties: I moved from a regular school to a school for the blind and visually impaired. I had to accept that now my world is the world of the blind. I remember well how I looked down from the balcony with my unseeing eyes and thought, “Why should I live?” … At the age of 12 you were jumping, running and galloping. At 13, you could see with at least one eye. At 14, you saw at least vaguely. And by the age of 15 you can’t see your own hand…

My family saved me. My older brother noticed a change in me. Too thoughtful, too dull, stuck on the balcony … He told his mother: “Something is not right with Svetka.” nine0003

They began to watch me closely, trying not to leave me alone with myself. At first it irritated me very much: where I am, there they are. I’m on the balcony – they immediately start watering the flowers here …

Technical means of adaptation – telephones, computers – were then inaccessible to us.

But my mom and dad read books and textbooks aloud to me, studied with me. My parents always told me: “Blind does not mean dumb. It’s just a different form of life. You will live a full life!” And they did everything to make my life complete. nine0003

In my school for the visually impaired there were parties for the sighted and parties for the blind. One day my classmates and I went on a field trip. And then the “sighted” – those who moved independently – gathered and went to Luzhniki for the ice cream festival. And I went home with my mother by the hand. I walked and cried: the holiday of life is not for me. Life passes there, behind your back. More than 20 years have passed since that moment.

But I remember how my mother turned my life around with her words. As she told me then: “Daughter, don’t cry! Let’s go, I’ll be your eyes. I can’t take my eyes out and share with you. But I’ll be wherever you want.” And she took me, crying, to this holiday. nine0003

I went there with my mother, ate ice cream, slowly dissolving my grudge against life…

There are such feats for which they give medals: pulled out of the fire, rescued from under a truck… And there are such invisible maternal feats: yes, pulled out from under the truck of her own thoughts.

Mom ended up quitting her job, dad started working for five, and my brother also went to work early. And even my brother’s wife – when he later married – always took care of me. For my family, love is like a verb! I graduated from school with a medal, the Moscow State Law Academy with honors, worked for 11 years in a law firm. I’m married. I swim and skydive. I live a full life. But my family gave it to me. nine0003

Three professional exams

Elena Orochko , director of the Training and Cynological Center “Assistant Dogs for the Disabled:
– To raise a guide dog, we first buy a puppy at about 3 months of age and give it to a volunteer family, where it is just should grow in love and care.
Once a week, our curator comes to them, looks at the puppy’s behavior in different situations at home and on the street. The puppy is selected at several levels: at the selection stage; at the stage of education in a volunteer family; during training in our training center. nine0209 The dog may fail selection at any stage. For example, if it turns out that she is distrustful of strangers. Or afraid of sharp sounds (car exhausts, fireworks, thunderstorms), heights, stairs, unstable surfaces. Of course, the puppy can be cautious. But one thing is caution, which he will quickly overcome, and another thing is fear, which will not pass and interfere with work.
Some of the puppies and young dogs do not become guide dogs, we arrange them in ordinary families, where these traits do not have such significance. If we see insurmountable shortcomings in a puppy, then at some stage we offer volunteers to keep him. Sometimes families agree and even rejoice in this. And some find the opportunity to leave this one and take the next one to be brought up. nine0003

Everything changes with a guide dog!

Photo by Evgeny Gerasimov and Sofia Monstein

Chester came to me two years ago. With a guide dog, everything changes! Imagine: I had two points of support, and now there are six. What is the stability and coordination of movements!

When you walk alone, you are hardly seen as a blind person, especially if you are well dressed, with makeup and without a cane. They won’t let you in and won’t give up your seat. And when you are a team, you are hard to ignore. You have to be reckoned with. nine0003

Before, I couldn’t even get to the seats on the subway. And now Chester comes up to those sitting and looks into their eyes like that, and also moves his eyebrows, as if he wants to say: “I don’t understand why you are sitting?! We’ve already arrived!” And people are embarrassed! They immediately get up. I often say that Chester is my “eyes on a leash”.

Of course, some time is needed for getting used to, “setting up” life with a dog. For example, I had to learn to ride the escalator with the dog. I didn’t succeed right away. But we did it. The curator of the canine center was always in touch and was always ready to help me. nine0003

After a while you begin to feel the dog as yourself. By the vibrations of his paws, because they are transmitted to the harness, by the turn of his head, I already understand that something is bothering Chester ahead and I become more careful.

In all the time I’ve been traveling with Chester, I haven’t hit a single one. And before the dog, it was different – once I even had to sew up my forehead: because I “entered” a pole on the road.

The most unexpected obstacle on the route is always people. Especially people with cell phones. nine0003

Chester is used to trusting people. But if the person walking towards us does not change his trajectory, Chester raises a panic: “Chief, chief! There is something wrong with this man!” He understands that we need to bypass this person like a sick animal. He starts blocking my way and with his body pushes me around. And if you really need it, it will stand across.

Just yesterday I went shopping with my dog ​​and felt the thrill of every step. How cool it is to be exactly at that point in the Universe where I am now! It is a sense of completeness, freedom of movement. I am not lying if I say that today I feel only gratitude. To the people I met in my life, to those who raised our dog, to him himself. nine0003

Now it seems to me that this dog is just made for me. But cynologists explained to me that this is a feature of the Labrador – to adapt to the owner. He reads my emotions. He always looks me in the face. I am a goddess for him! It was worth getting a dog to feel like a goddess! (laughs)

When he shudders, sits down, is tense or happy, wags “the whole Chester”, I feel it both in my hand and in the waves that come from him. When I’m sad, he can come, put his toys on my knees: “Mistress, don’t be sad! I will give you my beloved toucan!” nine0003

I don’t just feel Chester. I see him. It is hard to explain. But you can’t see the most important things with your eyes, only with your heart. It is so. In these respects, I am not blind.

Labradors as guide dogs gradually replaced shepherd dogs

Elena Orochko , director of the Training and Cynology Center “Help Dogs for the Disabled”, shares the secrets of training guide dogs:
– When I just started training guide dogs, we were engaged exclusively in shepherd dogs . But gradually they were completely replaced by Labradors. Labradors have many advantages: lack of aggression, lack of increased excitability, which a shepherd needs to maintain its alert state. For a guide, this is useless. nine0209 Labradors are very friendly. For a guide dog, it is important, on the one hand, to inspire confidence in the surrounding people, and on the other hand, not to show mistrust itself. A blind person is often offered some kind of help, and his dog should not scare people away from him.
It is also important that Labradors easily endure changes. An ordinary dog, as a rule, lives in the same family, with the same owners, from puppyhood. And we get a puppy from a breeder, settle for a few months in a volunteer family, then she lives and trains in our training center, where a trainer becomes her temporary owner. And only after that the dog gets to a blind person. nine0209 For most Labradors, transfer to intermediate families does not become traumatic, does not depress them. They enjoy meeting new people. Of course, the dog remembers his owners, he rejoices when the volunteers, with whom he lived for several months, come to visit. But parting for a Labrador is not a tragedy. As a rule, people are worried.

A guide dog must have a day off

Svetlana Telitsyna with Chester, Yulia Pashkova and dog Mira. Svetlana and Yulia are the leaders of the Wise Dog Club. Photo by Anna Gupalo

There are people who take the guide dog like a magic wand into service. But just as I cannot do without him, so he cannot do without me. I’m in the same mood for him as he is for me.

If I feel, sitting in the subway, that he is worried, I try to check. Is he suddenly uncomfortable? Or does the neighbor’s bag hit him? I always take him water with me (for such cases there is a special drinker with a nipple), a bowl, a napkin, a bedding, if he has to wait for me somewhere.

As passionate as I am, I must make time for him to attend to his needs during the trip. I know that after a lot of people he is overwhelmed with emotions – he needs to move to the lawn. And it is my responsibility to offer it to him. While he is on the route, he cannot leave on his own.

I control his physical and emotional stress.

I know, for example, that if we worked with him “in sweat and soap” for a week, he should be given a day off.

Tired – not tired, I go with him to the playground, play with a puller (a dog toy in the form of a rubber ring), so that he just runs, jumps. He needs to relieve stress, relieve tension, and sometimes feel like an ordinary dog ​​without a leash and harness.

Love is not blind

Elena Orochko :
– It happens that contact between a blind person and a dog does not work out. We all know about our dogs. But those people who are on our waiting list are not. Therefore, we try to learn about them as much as possible. For the past two years, we have introduced the practice of preliminary visits to the blind. nine0209 First, to understand the person himself. Secondly, to help him form an idea of ​​what a guide dog is. People often do not take into account that the dog is not only a helper, she herself needs care and attention. She needs to be fed, she needs to be walked. This is a constant and sufficient burdensome concern.
When we meet a person and move on to a confidential conversation, we can learn a lot about him. About his physical condition, living conditions, routes. Then it is easier for him to pick up a dog: there are more cheerful, active dogs, there are calmer ones, there are those who can walk willingly and a lot, there are those who will work well if this work is not enough. nine0209 There are times when we come and see that a person suffers from alcohol addiction and lives in such conditions where it is scary to hand over a dog. Then we can refuse him.
We are responsible for this dog. After all, it was we who chose such a mission and fate for her. Maybe she didn’t want to be a guide, she wanted to lie on the couch (laughs). Therefore, we are responsible for its continued existence, including legally. In the contract that we conclude with a blind person, giving him a dog, it is written that the dog remains our property. We give it to use for life. But in the end we can take her away if the conditions of her detention prove unsuitable. There have been such cases. But they were non-confrontational. The man himself understood that he could not cope with this task, and by mutual agreement we took the dog. nine0209 Of course, we keep in touch with all the owners of our dogs. And now there are about 150 of them. We have a special map on which we mark their “habitats” with flags. You see: two of our dogs live in Kaliningrad, one lives on Sakhalin. So we can safely say: the geography of distribution of our dogs stretches from the west to the east of our country.

And leave the dog at the entrance…

In the New Tretyakov gallery. Photo by Anna Gupalo

The hardest thing for us is to hear: “Please leave your dog at the entrance.” It is fundamentally important for Chester to have physical contact with me. He, like a big nanny who has lost her child, begins to get nervous, anxious, rush about like a tiger in a cage. nine0003

And although there is Article 15 of the Federal Law 181 “On the Social Protection of the Disabled”, according to which my guide dog has the right to be with me in public places, no one has ever let us through immediately, without a fight. Even if I have a guide dog passport, which I always carry with me. Even when explaining my civil rights, references to the law. The guards just shrug their hands: “But it’s still a dog.”

The situation of rejection of guide dogs in our society and misunderstanding of their significance is well illustrated by a recent fact: Boris Vishnyakov, the head of the Blind Racing Karting School, was invited as a motivator to the conference dedicated to the Olympics “I am a professional”. But they warned that they would not let him in with a guide dog at Moscow State University, where the conference was held. He refused to participate in the conference. nine0003

And sometimes it comes to scandals. In the clinic, for example, where I came with Chester for help, I had to call the police. The nurse’s arguments were simple: “You went to the clinic, why did you drag the dog here …” So this is my technical means of rehabilitation! By law, as a disabled person of the first group, I have the right to TSR in the form of a guide dog.

I want to live an ordinary full life: go to shops, to the bank, to the post office, to a beauty salon. I have friends that I would like to meet in a cafe. I really love museums and I want to receive the same energy of joy from art as other people. How can I convey this to the museum guards, cafe administrators, who always perceive my dog ​​painfully? As a source of dirt and infection. Yes, sometimes there is more dirt from people …

I always have tissues with me. At the entrance to a public institution, I take off the overalls and rubber slippers from the dog (if the weather is bad), wipe the paws and tail with napkins.

His nails are always clipped. Because I follow him, take care of him, take him to grooming. Why can’t we become the same visitors with him?

But still, I must say, the situation is changing. Yes. In all the nearby stores, I had to meet the administrators. But now they know us by sight. And for them, a guide dog in the store has become the norm. Chester and I are now a given for them. And then, by magic, the surrounding space changes. Even buyers react normally to the dog. And even if they see us somewhere on the street or in other stores, they smile at us, greet us. nine0003

Even the guards say to each other: “It’s a guide dog, don’t you know?! They can!”

“Oh, they just can’t part with a dog, they even go to the store…”

Yulia Pashkova with Svetlana Telitsyna and dogs. Photo by Evgeny Gerasimov and Sofia Monstein

The ideal attitude towards a blind person with a dog is benevolent and neutral. If you can help, come and ask how you can help. You can not – do not climb, it is better to pass by.

No comments like: “Oh-oh-oh, poor thing, unhappy thing, why did you go to the store with a dog, do you really have no one …” if only on the Internet, everything would be brought home to you … “or” Oh, they can’t part with the dog directly, they even go to the store … “. nine0003

Disrespect for people with disabilities is manifested very often and unconsciously, sometimes, for example, people find it possible to talk about me behind my back. Aloud. “Oh, look, blind, but just so well-groomed.”

Now it’s easy for me to turn these situations into a joke. Because I have no resentment or aggression inside. And I no longer regret losing my sight.

For me there is no difference between the words “blind” and “blind”.