My five-pound terrier mix is approximately 15 years old this year. I say approximately because she was an unclaimed stray, so her age was a best-guess estimate by the veterinarian who examined her when I found her many years ago. She’s a senior now, for sure, even though her size gave her more years of “middle age” than big-breed dogs have; she was always likely to live longer.
With age come issues. She is losing sight and hearing.
I asked dog trainers to share their thoughts on what you can teach dogs before they’re old that would help if they lose eyesight and/or hearing as they age, as well as what they’ve taught their own dogs that served them well when the dogs later lost sight or hearing. The trainers responded with their tips for dealing with sight or hearing loss in dogs as they age.
Kim Campbell Thornton We teach hand signals in puppyhood so that if they lose hearing they can still respond to those. Haven’t really had a dog lose eyesight until Gemma last year and it hasn’t been too much of an issue with her. I just say something to her before I touch her, and I always say “Up” as I pick her up.
Lynn Brezina Hand signals worked for Regina as she got old and deaf. Voice signals worked for Rafe as he lost his sight.
Margaret Tyler Coming to a whistle (the kind you wear on a lanyard). It’s much more audible to a dog whose hearing is going.
Alicia Graybill One thing I did with my Aussie mix when he was young was I taught him “wrong way” when he wrapped his leash around something, Even when his hearing was failing, the tug of the leash as it wrapped around something caused him to back up and come toward me.
Marcy Rauch Teaching the young dog an outrun to get the old dog. Also, from my deaf-dog days, a vibrating collar works well. NO shock, just vibration. If food-motivated, hit vibrate and when they look for you, reward/jackpot. In the meantime, get a whistle and reward for looking at/for you whenever you’ve whistled. Echo still hears whistles and high pitches, though doesn’t always know where they come from.
Tery McConville Without a doubt, scent and touch will eventually take over. I’m using double leads on Idg for walks now, as her hearing is nearly gone and her eyesight is iffy at best. I feel like I’m driving a team of ponies! She must have her sniff-walks, so we do what we can to give her that and keep everybody safe and me comfortable with old hands at the wheel!
Ray Sheehan A dog’s vision is largely through the nose and their studied knowledge of their surroundings. Eyes are important for following movement if giving chase, but smell and familiarity are key in the house. They’ll make mistakes, but not that many. Important, however, are stairways and open-rung railings (small dogs) where a mistake can mean a serious fall. We put a baby playpen screen in front of the railings so our guy couldn’t get through. We also had a gate across the top of the stairs.
Katharine Weber A client has a dog that is blind. Totally blind. They use scent. Little “patches” that they put scent on and can “refresh.” She’s even able to go outside on her own—down steps to get off the deck. She can also follow the garage wall to get back to the house, but isn’t able to come up the steps for some reason. She barks and they go help her come up the stairs.
Donna Furneaux No renovations or furniture moving. My Peri lived to be almost 19. I didn’t need to teach her anything, but when we walked I used a shorter leash as that helped her know where I was when we walked . . . especially in the winter. She knew she could go to the end of the leash and then come back without my tugging the leash. I always put her food dish in the exact same spot so she would know where HERS was.
Ski Tamborski Never move anything. Ski #2 went blind two years before he died, and nobody could tell he could not see. I used a “careful” cue in multiple contexts. Step up a curb, step down a curb, stairs, tree, and so on. He quickly generalized and learned to stop and evaluate the situation using his other senses.
Kimberly Kelly Dapper Dan is both blind and deaf. He navigates our house (and he has moved several times) with no problem. Before he arrived (I knew he was coming), I asked the kids to walk barefoot in the house (hardwood floors, Pergo laminate, and tile). We all laid track/odor lines throughout the house in common areas, but the overriding scent to each room belonged to the person in that room.
I also placed movers’ sticky pads/furniture protectors (like you’d put under chairs, or sofa feet, etc), on pieces of property/furniture that might be dangerous (like a really solid coffee table that would hurt if he ran into it). The pads are small and discreet, and have an adhesive backing. I placed cinnamon oil on the pads in areas that were a “warning,” but you could use any essential or scented oil.
At each of the doorways leading inside/outside, including sliders and the patio, etc., I planted and placed in clay pots different odor/scented plants. For example, lemongrass and geraniums at the front doors. Rosemary and basil at the back patio door near the kitchen. Sage near the laundry room door. And so on. Just pick a non-toxic plant that has at least some odor with it. You could do all the SAME plant at all the doors, as a general “out” odor, but this way, by separating, Danny knows which door is specifically which.
I do have a vibrating e-collar (several, actually), but he really doesn’t need it. And a dog that has already had sight or hearing will still already have a foundational memory of you and your home. I would just start incorporating hand signals and safety measures (like near a pool, if you have one and sight is becoming an issue).
As an alternative, for a small dog, someone could buy some of those cardboard cat scratchers, and fill with catnip. Safe and of interest for the cat, AND an odor source for the dog that isn’t harmful to him/her either.
I consider myself very lucky that my 15-year-old dog who’s losing some sight and hearing is healthy otherwise. We live in the same house she came home to on the day that I found her, and I have no plans to move any major furniture. Her dog companion and cat companion have been a part of her life for many years now—she alerts to their movements and acts accordingly. Her default choice of sleeping spots is consistent, so it’s easy to find her, even if she doesn’t hear me call.
I think my most difficult problem to solve will be her barking in the back yard when she is turned away from me. She doesn’t see me and, at a distance, doesn’t hear me, so her barking continues much longer than it ever has, because I can no longer depend on a voice cue from me to stop her.
Neighbors, we’re working on it!
