Scented oils can help warn the dog of the presence of a wall or furniture as it approaches. The dog can still play fetch or tug of war just find scented toys, add a scent to plain toys, or buy toys that make noise. Who s Talking, will babble for 30 seconds when squeezed. If owners can t find those, shop for a child s talking doll at Kmart, Ms. Levin recommended. Remove the plastic eyes and other pieces a dog can choke on, trigger the sound, and use that to play fetch.
Training is also vitally important for blind dogs.
Self-preservation helps the dogs pick up on those new commands, but the owners have to work at it too. Never use a choke chain on a blind dog the dog is going to be nervous enough. As the dog slows, feed it a treat. Many blind dogs are afraid of stairs. For small dogs, practice on a short flight of one or two steps, Ms. Levin said.