Blind pets should only be outside when supervised as well, because they can become frightened or disoriented, and they can wander off if a gate blows open. Also, owners should also try not to move their furniture very often, so their pets can know where objects are as they move around the house. With the help of these safety measures, pets can adapt remarkably well to blindness. Cats and dogs can learn to navigate through familiar environments by smell and by memory. Sometimes animals' behavior will change so little when they go blind that their human families will not even realize it, particularly if the blindness occurs gradually.
Blind animals can even learn to take walks in unfamiliar areas.
Owners should walk them with a body harness, instead of a collar, because it provides more body contact and a sense of being securely connected. It may take some time for a blind animal to feel safe walking in strange places, but most will learn with time. The primary challenge with deaf dogs is that their owners cannot guide or signal to them verbally. Deaf animals can learn to follow commands, however. They can be trained using a combination of eye contact, facial expressions, touch, and hand signals.