February 15, 2012

It has been a bit more than five months since we adopted Sammy. If you have read my other blogs you are well aware that I was wondering how difficult it would be living with a blind dog. Time has proven that ninety-five percent of the time there is no difference in dealing with a blind animal and one that is fully sighted. In fact there are many days I simply forget Sammy is blind.

If you lived with us you would understand what I mean. Sammy has no problems getting around our home or fenced backyard. As long as furniture hasn’t been moved he wanders through his habitat with the ease of our sighted collie. About the only time I notice his lack of vision is when I leave a chair out from the dining room table or have a recliner popped open in the living room. As he doesn’t expect those things in those positions he does walk into them. At that point he backs up, a confused expression on his face, adjusts his course and moves around the object.

About the only other time I am aware of his blindness is when I am watching him play in the backyard. As he runs at top speed across the grass, just barely missing trees, I get so caught up in his amazing speed I forget that he might be unaware of where I am. It took me a couple of times of having the big collie bang into me to learn to step out of his way. After all, unlike the trees that never change position in the yard, I am often in unexpected places.

So for those of you wondering if you can adapt to owning a blind dog let me assure you it requires far less adaptation that dealing with a puppy. Beyond not suddenly rearranging all the furniture, the most important thing I’ve found you need to know is that the dog will listen much more intently to your voice than a sighted dog. It is your voice that provides security and comfort, assures him everything is all right and alerts him to where you are. Therefore the tone you use with a blind dog is his major gauge of trust. Speak kindly, touch softly and praise him and he will stick to you like glue. And if your blind dog is running in the backyard, speak, sing or hum in order to let him know where you are. If you don’t you just might be picking yourself up off the grass.

Christmas Day 2011

The holidays are a big deal at our house and throughout December we have so many different people that come and go our front door. In fact that door gets opened almost as much as the automatic entries at some department stores. This major disturbance in our normal routine would be a challenge to any pet, but add in the element of blindness and it ramps up that challenge to the ninth degree.

Because he is blind, Sammy hones in on smells and sounds. Imagine for a moment how overloaded those two senses can become with as many of thirty people in the house at one time. Add to this a chorus of joyous voices almost singing out Merry Christmas over and over again. Finally, almost everyone who comes to our home wants to meet our remarkable blind dog, so now that puts a bit more added pressure on this special collie.

During group events at our home Sammy’s natural instinct is to go to his bed in the master suite and hide. He simply has no interest in meeting the guests that have walked in our threshold. So what is the dynamic that changes Sammy from a shy recluse into a creature ready to be a part of the action? It is something as simple as a leash.

Sammy needs the leash for security. As long as he has it on and feels either Kathy’s or my presence on the other end, he is comfortable and confident. With the leash in place he seems to enjoy hearing new voices, having a hundred different people patting his head and all the attention his teddy bear persona brings his way. The leash is a small thing, maybe a bit of a crutch, but it makes all the difference in the world.

We all have crutches we lean on during challenging times, so why should it be surprising that a sight-impaired collie needs one as well? In many cases the element that proves time and time again that we are needed and loved is the touch of a pet. Pets give our lives value and substance. Kathy’s and my world has been greatly enhanced this year by adopting a special needs dog. Maybe in 2012 you might consider saving one as well. You’ll be surprised what you learn about life, love and yourself through this one act of giving. It will be like having Christmas everyday of the year.

December 6, 2011

We have had Sammy over two months now and during the time he has perfectly fit into our home. He gets along well with our other animals and is beginning to bond with the humans who come into our lives on a regular basis. In many ways he is now just another member of our family who knows our world so well we often forget he can’t see. So what is so different about dealing with a blind dog over a sighted one?

In the past I have mentioned a few of the things that specifically deal with his blindness. In truth each of those have been very obvious. Yet there is one thing I have only recently come to understand that is far more subtle. Sammy needs toys. Why? The reason is born in the way our sighted dog (Baby) sees the world as opposed to how a blind dog deals with the world.

When Baby steps outside her eyes are constantly moving. She is ready on a moment’s notice to chase a squirrel or bird. She observes the passing traffic through a crack in our wood fence and alerts us when anyone walks or jogs by. There is a stand of dense trees and untouched woodlands beside us filled with interesting things for a dog to view. Baby knows when a raccoon or a deer has wandered into this domain. She follows their movements with great interest. Perhaps, because of her vision, Baby is not the least bit interested in toys. Why should she be? She has a fascinating world to watch that seems to completely hold her interest.

Sammy can perceive our world through sound and scent, but he cannot see the elements that make it so interesting to Baby. Without vision it is the tactual and auditorial that hold his attention. Thus he enjoys toys that make noise or have a unique feel. He loves to toss a large bone toy into the air and catch it. He also drags that toy in front of Baby trying to get her to play with it too. And nothing seems to cause him to grin as much as making a ball squeak.

Any dog can and will suffer from boredom. They must be challenged. But much more than a sighted animal a blind dog needs for you to come up with special ìtime passersî that are made for his or her unique senses. These toys become very important elements allowing sight-impaired dogs to fully enjoy life.

A final word: If you don’t have a toy out there, dogs like Sammy will invent their own. That could mean a stick that has fallen in the yard, shoes left on the porch or even a Christmas inflatable. So if you value your footwear or holiday decorations, go to Walmart or your pet supply store and find a few toys that will appeal to your blind dog.

November 14, 2011

We have had Sammy for only six weeks, but in many ways it seems like he has always been a part of our home. During this time it is amazing how easily he has mapped out our house and yard. In watching him go through the normal facets of dog life most people find it hard to believe that he is completely blind. But there are subtle differences that call for owner adaptation that might be surprising.

If I drop something on the ground his nose will pick it up the scent, but it is not a quick process. So when feeding treats I simply can’t drop them in front of Sammy or our sighted dog will get them before Sammy can. To help him I tap at the spot where the treat is located and he has learned to move immediately to where the sound originates. This using sound as a locator beacon has already become such a natural part of our relationship that Sammy knows immediately when I am trying to ìshowî him something.

Sammy is also much more sensitive to the tenor of my voice than other dogs have been. He listens for tone. He can sense much more quickly than Baby (our sighted collie) if there is tenseness in the way I speak. Thus I have found I really can’t yell at Sammy, if I do, he is going to find a place to hide. So in correcting his misbehavior I use a softer but still firm voice.

This week marked a big step in Sammy’s socialization. We host about 30-40 college kids at home each Sunday night for a meal and a devotional. For the first five weeks he was here we put Sammy in our bedroom and closed the door. Being around this many strangers at once would have traumatized him. This week we let him stay downstairs as the kids arrived. He was still a bit nervous, but he didn’t run from our guests. Rather he allowed many of them to visit with him and pet him. After a while he decided on his own to go upstairs and ìobserveî the proceedings from our landing. As my wife is a university professor and we often have large numbers of kids in our home, this socialization is essential to his becoming a full part of our household. I believe by the middle of the spring semester he will be ready to fearlessly welcome all our guests into our house.

So are there unique challenges to adopting a dog that is completely blind. But I can assure you they are minor and adapting to them is natural. Seeing Sammy become more confident and realizing that in the process I have grown a great deal as a person makes each of these adaptations more rewarding than I can begin to tell you. It is an experience you will have to have to fully appreciate.

October 29, 2011

Over the first month of our experience with Sammy I have been unable to count the number of times I’ve been asked, ìWhat is the hardest thing about having a blind dog as a pet?î The answer to the question might well surprise you.

Initially I figured that I would have to be Sammy’s eyes. I quickly discovered that simply wasn’t the case. He mapped out our house in a matter of hours and had no problem mapping out our large, tree-covered, somewhat hilly backyard. Those who watch him navigate these areas are simply amazed when we explain that Sammy can’t see.

So if I didn’t have to be his eyes then what is the largest adjustment I’m making for his handicap?

It is all about voice. Sammy judges inaction with humans based on pitch and tone. I have discovered that I must speak a bit differently when I talk on the phone because Sammy often shies away from me during these times. Last night when I raised my voice to scold our sighted collie for stealing one of Sammy’s chew sticks, Sammy reacted by racing upstairs. I guess because he could only hear my voice and not see me; he thought he was in trouble too. Thus I will have to use my voice a bit differently than I have in the past. That is an adaptation that sounds easy, but reversing years of speech habits might take me a while. In the future I will try to scold Baby or our cats more by pointing than by raising my voice.

There is another way I have had to adapt. I am not sure if this is true of all blind dogs, but Sammy tends to be shy. The way we have eased him into meeting new people is by using his leash. When he has the leash on with one of us holding it, he seems to have the security he needs to feel confident about the new voices and smells in his life.

So one month down and it has been one of the most rewarding months of my life. As you can see by what I have written he is teaching me much more than I am teaching him. So far having a blind dog is not really any different than having a sighted one. In fact, I now find myself forgetting that Sammy was born completely blind.

October 18, 2011

Today marks sixteen days with Sammy as a member of our family. These days have been interesting, but not nearly as trying as I expected when we agreed to adopt a blind rescue dog.

I will admit there was a bit of fear when we made this step. I wondered if we would be equipped to deal with a special needs dog. I questioned if he would be able to get around in our two-story — filled with furniture and collectibles — house. I wondered how he would do in our tree-covered yard. I wondered if he would be able to go for long walks through the Arkansas hills with us. Just a few days proved those fears completely unfounded.

Sammy mapped out our house and yard in a matter of hours. He runs into no more stuff than does our sighted collie. Those who visit us don’t even realize he is blind. In other this part of the transition has been very, very easy.

Like any new pet, Sammy has taken a bit of time getting used to our routine. He initially got up ìtoo early,î but over two weeks his schedule has come to match ours.

Another issue to deal with was food. Some of the food we have been feeding Baby was apparently too rich for Sammy. Thus, through experimentation, we have adapted his diet to suit his needs. He was also used to only eating once a day, so it took him a few days to realize we feed twice a day. Thus he was naturally distressed there wasn’t more on his plate at breakfast during those days.

Walking him has not proven difficult at all. Even though he can’t see he pushes fearlessly into the world ahead of him. He does tend to wander a bit from side to side rather than walk in a straight line. Thus I have to keep him on a shorter leash to avoid bumping him. Other than that there are no issues. If you can walk a sighted dog you can walk a blind one.

So have there been any real adjustments problems? Really only two.

The first is socialization and this issue has nothing to do with his blindness. Coming from a background of neglect and likely abuse, Sammy is very cautious around strangers who come into our home. He keeps his distance and almost hides from them. We have learned that when he is on a leash, he is secure. So we have found it best to introduce him to our friends by keeping him on a leash.

Because he is not sight oriented but rather gets to know you through smell, he is also sometimes confused when we have been with other people and then greet him. In some cases he even shies away from us for a few moments during those times. I am guessing he smells the strangers and can’t sense where they are. As he gets to know our voices better and completes the bond with us as his forever partners in life, that issue will likely be put to rest as well.

So at this point this experience with the blind dog has been much easier than dealing with a puppy. On top of that, watching Sammy deal with his disability has proven to me the incredible potential of not just every dog, but every person as well!

October 3, 2011

We have welcomed a new member into our family.  His name is Samson and he is a dog that was rescued by Almost Home Rescue group of Ohio (www.almosthomeohio.org). Sammy is a mahogany collie between four three and four years old.  He was born with five different eye issues including detached retinas. Thus he cannot even see light and has always lived in a completely dark world.  Up until seven months ago he was locked in a cage in a small mobile home with more than seventy other collies. He lived in filth, had never been to a vet and didn’t have enough to eat.  Naturally when these dogs were rescued the blind dog was viewed, as being one that most thought should be put down. Thanks Almost Home and two incredible women, Grace Bowels, who fostered Sammy, and Charlene Molnar, who keeps the options for special need dogs open, Sammy was saved. Over the past seven months Grace has worked with wonders with him. She even drove him from Michigan to Central Illinois in order to get him into our hands. Now Sammy is home with us.

My initial observations on his trip to Arkansas with me and his first day in our home have been fascinating.  It took him less than an hour to completely map out the first floor of our house.  He now has our large backyard mapped out as well. He can run full speed and avoid the trees, land chairs and our fence.  He had learned to climb the steep steps up to our second floor, but has yet to master going down by himself. That will take a while and some work on my part. As he is blind, stepping off into what seems like nothing on a wood service is not a natural thing to do. Thus Kathy and I will have to prove ourselves to Sammy in order for him to have faith in our lead.  I know that will come and we don’t mind waiting for it.  

He is an incredibly happy dog. He is curious and alert. He wants to make friends with everyone one and everything (including the cats). Tiger is not sure about this canine-feline friendship yet. He is also a gentle soul who prances when he walks. In many ways he seems like a teddy bear. His ability to so quickly map our home tells me he is very smart, thus training him should be easy. My first walk with he and Baby (our other collie) was interesting. He tends to wander from side to side a bit, rather than walk in a straight line like most dogs I have owned. To me this seems natural as he is not sight oriented. He also seems to listen to Baby's steps to judge where he needs to be and what kind of surface is ahead. Thus I can see how his “vision” works and so I am developing a language to help him know what is coming.

About once an hour he comes over to my desk and lays his head on my knee, but he is not demanding. And he loves to hear the sound of either Kathy's or my voice. To watch his ears and face as I talk to him is simply amazing. It is like he is trying to understand each nuance and tone.  

With good fortune we will have Sammy for at least a decade. I am sure that during those years we will learn far more from him than he will from us. His being blind will no doubt enrich our lives and likely teach us how to deal better with humans who have disabilities. In fact, I can see Kathy adapting new strategies for the classroom from what Sammy shares with us. 

I plan on writing much more about Lessons From Sammy as we continue forward. For the moment I just wanted to share with you our initial observations