Tips for living and training a blind dog

There are a number of things that can cause a dog to lose vision, but vision loss should not affect the quality of life of the dog!

When Orbit enters one of the classes I offer to puppies and their owners in Santa Cruz, California, he is like all other puppies in many ways. He jumped eagerly, wanting to sniff out other puppies and was enthusiastic about the items offered for certain behaviors. But Orbit does something different. She will close the circle around her husband, Melissa, and Ariel and gradually turn out.

Orbit, a mixture of Havana born blind, cannot visually scan its surroundings. Instead of seeing, Orbit uses cognitive, sound, and odor mapping to understand what is happening in its immediate environment. Like many animals, dogs have the ability to develop mental maps around them, even if they cannot see. By exploring space, they learn where things are and how to move safely.

The orbit is born because of retinal dysplasia and optic nerve colitis without vision. Dogs that are born blind can have a genetic component or develop problems in the uterus. Dogs can lose vision later on because of genetic diseases, illnesses, injuries, and other eye changes. Some of the most common causes of vision problems are cataracts, glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy, and sudden retinal degeneration (SARDS).

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