Blind Dogs and Fear Aggression

Some dogs that are going blind begin showing behaviors like growling, snapping, or biting.  This is very disturbing to the dog's family.  Suddenly the dog they thought they knew is acting very uncharacteristically.

The dog may be snapping at family members or other animals in the home.  If these behaviors are not understood and dealt with in the proper ways, they can escalate.

There is a period of transition when a dog is losing or has lost her sight.  How long this transition lasts is dependent upon the individual situation.  There are some things we can do to help a blind dog adjust while also keeping everyone safe.

Realize the Reason

If you can imagine for a moment that your vision is deteriorating or has suddenly disappeared, I'm sure you would be feeling a bit scared and uncertain.  As your dog is becoming blind, her world is feeling scary and uncertain now too.

There is no one specific way of becoming blind, so it's difficult to know for sure what your dog is seeing or not seeing in most cases.  But we can be sure that your dog's way of experiencing the world is changing drastically.   What she once thought was normal and made sense to her no longer feels that way.

If she's in the process of losing her vision, she may still be able to see, but what she sees may no longer make sense to her.  What she sees may be blurry, distorted, or have large areas of darkness within her line of sight.  She may be able to see light and dark contrast, or she may not.  Bright light may be painful to her or completely white out anything she may still be able to see in the shade.  Her depth perception may be changing.  She may not know how far down a step is or how close something is to her.

Perhaps your dog has become blind very suddenly.  This would be similar to the power going out and you trying to navigate in complete darkness.  Most of us would run into things, stub our toe, be startled by someone else running into us, knock things off the table, etc.  It's very disorienting to suddenly be in darkness.

As you can imagine, these changes are confusing to your dog.  She's going to be scared and unsure about her surroundings and what's going on around her.

When dogs are not feeling safe and secure, they may begin to show behaviors that people often interpret as aggressive - growling, snapping, and biting.  Your dog is not being mean or bad if she shows these behaviors.  She's telling you in the only way she knows how that she is not feeling safe.  She has needs that aren't being met, and she's doing what she knows how to do to cope in that moment.

If your dog doesn't feel safe in her environment because she's perceiving it differently now that she's losing her sight, she will be on edge and more alert to everything going on around her.  While she's on edge, anything else that happens to her, or anyone who approaches her, may scare her even more and feel like a potential threat to her safety and well-being.

When you are feeling your way around that dark room when the electricity goes out and you hear a noise, you are going to be much more startled by it than you would be in the daylight.  Your senses are on higher alert as you are feeling your way around the room, so you will be more startled by noises or unexpected bumps than you would be if you were feeling secure in your environment.

When your dog is in her environment but things don't look right to her, she will be more easily startled as well.  When a dog is startled, she may feel unsafe and will attempt to keep whatever has startled her or feels threatening away from her.  She does this by growling - that is how a dog says "stay away."  When that threat keeps its distance or goes away, the dog feels safer.  A growl is her way of trying to feel safe by creating distance around her.

If the dog still doesn't feel safe, or if the threat continues to affect her, she will escalate her growl to a snap and perhaps a bite in the direction of the threat.  Again, she's trying to create safety for herself.  She's not trying to be mean.  She's protecting herself from something she doesn't feel good about.

Learn the Signs

Your dog will show certain behaviors when she is feeling unsure.  Learn the signs of uncertainty so you can help your dog before she feels that she needs to growl or snap.

You may notice your dog staying in one place a lot of the time.  This can be due to uncertainty.  She may be afraid to move because of the unknown (what she can no longer see).  She may not know what's in front of her or where she is in the room.  She may feel safer staying in one spot than venturing out to move around freely.  Some dogs look like they are sleeping a lot, but if you watch, you will see that they are awake.

You may notice her moving very slowly if she does move around.  This is a sign that while she is wanting to move around, she's still not feeling very safe in her environment.  She may avoid being touched or doing things that she used to like to do - going for a walk, playing, eating or drinking.  You might notice her turning her head or body away from you or from something you're trying to engage her with.

There are many good resources that can help you learn to recognize signs of stress and fear in dogs.  Some of these signs are very subtle, but they are important ways in which your dog is communicating with you.

When you notice the subtle signs that your dog is not feeling comfortable, you are in a position to do something to help her.  Helping her to feel safer when she's showing these little signs will build her trust in you, and hopefully prevent her from feeling she needs to protect herself by growling or biting.

How to Help

What your dog needs now more than anything is for you to create an environment and routine where she feels safe.  You may know that she's safe and there's nothing that can hurt her, but until she also feels safe within herself, that feeling of uncertainty and being on edge is not going to go away.  Look at things from her perspective as much as you can.  Help create that space where she truly feels safe, and she won't feel the need to protect herself anymore.

Keep your dog's space and routine as consistent as possible.  She will feel safer knowing where she is, where the furniture and other objects are, and what is coming up next in her day.  Begin to guide her gently to help her learn new ways of navigating her environment.

Some dogs prefer a smaller area to navigate as they transition to losing their sight.  This usually isn't forever, but blocking off a room or even part of a room for your dog may help her feel safer.  She will feel more contained and will only need to map out and experience a small area and not the whole house or yard all at once, which might feel overwhelming.

Dogs that can hear will appreciate being notified of things happening in their environment with verbal cues and sounds.  Speak when you come into the room and let her know when you are leaving the room.  This can be as simple as saying "Hello, Penny" when you enter the room, and "I'll be back" when you leave.

If your dog is also deaf, teach touch cues and just touch base with your dog when you enter the room and leave.  If your dog is unsure of being touched at this point, you can gently toss a treat to her so it lands near her and touches her lightly.  This will help her be aware of you being in her space.

Take time to condition your dog that touch and being surprised are good things.  If you've taught this previously, this is the perfect time to begin to practice it again as a refresher.  It's also a great time to teach your dog a cue that means you're going to touch her now.  Use a verbal cue for dogs that can hear.  It may be enough for you to ask her if she'd like to be pet now before you touch her, or your dog may prefer you adding a name for various body parts that you're going to touch - would you like a belly rub?  I'm going to wipe your feet now.  How about an ear rub?

This allows your dog time to prepare herself for your touch instead of your hand just plunking down on her body.  Knowing what's coming allows a dog to feel safer with what's going to happen.  Tell your dog throughout the day what you're about to do - put a leash on, fill the water bowl, etc.  She will learn through repetition.  Remember, she used to get this information by watching you.  But she can't see now, so you can give her this information in another way.

Many blind dogs don't like to be bumped into or awakened suddenly.  If there are other animals or young children in the home, closely supervise them.  Even if your dog has been fine with them in the past, remember that now she is losing the ability to gather information visually.  She won't see them approaching her, and it can be scary to be grabbed or bumped into suddenly if you don't know it's coming.

You can give your dog advance information cues to let her know that the baby is nearby or the cat is approaching her so she's not startled with them suddenly being close or touching her.  It's also important to give your dog alone time without interruptions when she can relax and sleep soundly.  Sleep is important to all of us.  It is important especially during this time of transition that you create a safe place for your dog to get uninterrupted sleep. 

Dogs that are deaf and are losing their sight can be given informational cues through touches on different parts of their bodies.  Take the time to condition touch as a good thing first.  If you try to add touch cues before your dog feels safe, you may trigger behaviors such as growling or snapping.  Always pay attention to your dog's body language and what she's communicating to you.  Don't be afraid to hire a positive reinforcement based trainer to help you through the transition if needed.

Some dogs are more startled and concerned about noises as they lose their sight.  Normally a dog would hear a noise and then look to see what it was and where it was coming from.  A dog hearing a noise but not knowing where it's coming from or what's happening can feel uneasy.  This can lead to feelings of anxiety.

Give your dog information about noises in her environment.  If you use the same words and a calm tone each time, she will begin to recognize that the noise is something that happens regularly and is not something that you're concerned about.  Calming music or a white noise machine can help to mask noises during the day or night that your dog may be concerned about.

Other Resources

Here are some other related resources you may find helpful:

Learning a New Way to Communicate 

Encouraging Play and Activity with Newly Blind Dogs

Conditioning Touch

Signs of Stress

Tips for Stress Reduction




**For more information about blind and/or deaf dogs, visit my website at www.yourinnerdog.com  You will find articles, books, online classes and resources there to assist you!  To subscribe to this blog and receive emails as each new post is published, please scroll to the blog header above and add your email address!**

A Day in the Life ... Vinny

Most of Vinny's fans see him when he's in public - doing demos, therapy visits, or doing dog sports.  Today we're going to share with you the nitty gritty of his day to day life at home - what is it really like to live with a blind and deaf dog who doesn't know any better?  Who better to tell you, than Vinny himself?!

"Sometimes I sleep on the big bed with Mom, but other times I sleep in my dog bed on the floor.  I always try to keep Mom guessing, so there's really no pattern to my choice, although I do like to get on the big bed to cuddle most nights while Mom reads her book or writes.

When she starts to move around in the morning, I know it's time to get up!  I give her kisses and try to play with her, even when she wants to sleep more.  Sometimes I wait for her to let me know that my dog friends are not on the floor by the bed so I can jump off.  Usually I can tell by smelling, but sometimes it smells like they might still be there.  But if Mom tells me to jump off then I know the coast is clear.  It's rude to jump down on top of my dog friends, so I always try to be careful since I can't see them there.

Mom takes us outside to take care of our business.  I wait by the door until she opens it and we have a special way we go through together, so I don't hit my nose on the doorway.  At the top of the stairs, I pause for just a moment to find the top step. Then away I go!  Mom sometimes tries to slow me down if I'm too fast.  I've been known to try to jump down the stairs in my excitement - but Mom says this is a problem since I can't see just how far I have left to jump! 

When I walk (or run) on the stairs, I know exactly how many steps I have to go up or down in my house.  I do the steps many times every day.  Mom says I count them. 

Then it's playtime!  I bring my toys to Mom and convince her to play with me.  We have a little game, but it's never long enough since she has to get in the shower and get ready for work.  I try to get her to play just a little longer with me every day, but she always has to get ready.  I love my toys and playing with my Mom.  So, instead, while she gets ready, I play with my dog friends and we bark and wrestle and run into things.

Then we all get breakfast.  I enjoy eating from my food puzzle toys most of all.  I like to pick them up and toss them on the floor so all the food comes out!  Sometimes Mom will give me a box with my breakfast inside and let me tear it up.  That's fun too!

When Mom goes to work, I nap most of the day.  I have favorite toys and bones, and my dog friends, but mostly we nap or chew our bones and toys.

If Mom doesn't go to work, there are all sorts of fun things we may do.  It might be a grooming day - which is not usually my favorite, but I get treats and lots of fun playtime afterwards, so I put up with it.  We may have a fun class to go to where I can meet more of my friends and learn fun stuff.   We might go on a therapy visit to meet our friends there and help people smile.

If we go somewhere in the car, I know to put my front feet up and wait.  Mom will take off my leash and then boost me into the van the rest of the way.  She taught me not to jump all the way in, because often there is a crate door or some other obstacle in the way that I would hit my nose on.  She takes good care to look out for me.  I put my front feet in, and when she's ready and the path is clear, she boosts me in the rest of the way.

More playtime is always good!  I like to play tug games with Mom.  I shake my toys and I like toys that crinkle.  I can feel them crunch in my mouth when I play with them.  I also like to catch.  I give my Mom the toy and then I wait - paying attention to the sky.  I know my toy is going to come dropping out of the sky, so I pay attention so I can catch it when it does!  I'm pretty good at catching! 

And walks are fun too!  Sometimes I go on walks with my other dog friends.  Sometimes I go on walks on a long leash so I can run and smell all the amazing things that dogs love!  Mom might even hide some treats along our path for me to find.  I'm really good at smelling and finding them all!

We have training time when Mom and I practice our lessons.  There's always treats and playtime mixed in to these lessons.  Mom uses different touches to let me know what we're going to work on.  I pay close attention so I can remember which touch means which exercise.

There's always nap time in the day again somewhere - after all, I do need my beauty sleep.  Mom works on her computer sometimes and I sleep by her feet so I can easily tell when she's done and gets up to take a break.  I can feel her feet move, so I know I better get up.  She might be going to the treat cupboard, after all.

Speaking of snacks, Mom likes to have a snack when she is writing, and when I smell one of her snacks, I ask very politely if I may also have a bite of her snack.  I stick my nose up very close and take a big smell to make sure it's something that I might like.  Mom knows I won't try to take any.  Then if the smell passes my inspection, I sit politely next to her leg and ask her for a bit like Lassie would.  Because, I am a collie too, of course!  I place one paw very gently on her knee while I'm sitting and I wait.  Sure enough, here comes a little bite for me!

At bedtime, I usually climb into bed and cuddle with Mom until she's ready to go to sleep.  Then I will decide if I want to get down and go to my bed, or stay on the big bed.  I like to sleep very close and touching Mom so I can know that she's alright if I wake up during the night.  Sometimes I sleep so closely that she keeps rolling to the edge of the bed, and then she has to wake me up to move me over a bit.

I have a really good and active life.  Most days are not the same as the day before, which I think is something called enrichment.  Whatever it is, I like it!"

**For more information about blind and/or deaf dogs, visit my website at www.yourinnerdog.com  You will find articles, books, online classes and resources there to assist you!  To subscribe to this blog and receive emails as each new post is published, please scroll to the blog header above and add your email address!**

Over the Moon!

I am over-the-moon proud of my boy Vinny this month!  He and I were away from home for three weeks this month, visiting new places, doing new things, and he took it all in stride.  We had a blast!  It was, of course, so hard to leave the other dogs for that long.  Both Vinny and I missed them so much!  And this was the first long trip that I did not bring Treasure on since she came to live with me 8 years ago.  It was hard to leave her behind.  It is hard for my heart to accept that she is retired now and would rather stay closer to home. 

We stayed at two different hotels and a friend's home while we traveled, so there were many new environments for Vinny to adjust to.  With each new space, he threw himself into exploring.  It is fascinating to watch him mapping out a new space.  He walks the same path many times, and then from different directions and he expands upon that path each time, adding a bit more to the map each time he makes a pass through.  He bumps into some things, but then quickly remembers where they are.  He learns a map of the outside too - from each new door to the elevator, to the door, to the potty area outside, or up and down steps, and he learns the map back to his door at the hotel.  

I was honored to assist once again at a TTouch training with Linda Tellington-Jones.  This was Vinny's first time.  He had fun meeting new friends, moving through the Playground of Higher Learning, and even doing an interview!  You can see his resting space in the background of the picture.  

Elements of the Playground of Higher Learning, such as the labyrinth above, are meant to help a dog learn to move in balance, starting and stopping mindfully.  Moving through the Playground with its person gives both of them a focus, and can change behavior drastically and permanently by allowing both to experience new awareness.  

When we weren't in class, Vinny and I enjoyed getting to know my roommate's new puppy Star.  What a cutie!  The two dogs had way too much fun together, while Rose and I always seemed exhausted trying to keep them occupied and exercised while on the road away from home!  

And, of course, all the excitement makes for sweet dreams!  I'm so very proud of the partner Vinny has become in such a short time already.  Treasure certainly taught him everything she knows and prepared him so well to step into his role as ambassador, educator, and friend.  I couldn't wish for anything more!  I do think we are both happy to be home for a little while, though!  

Bark for Life Photos

It was an honor to take part in the Bark for Life with Vinny this year.  He was invited as an honored guest and we did a demo in which we taught about double merles and showed off some of his amazing tricks!  Vinny tasted his first ice cream cone - which he loved!  And we hung out with our friends from the Humane Society and told everyone about our adorable pets for adoption!  

Photo: Effingham County Bark for Life

Photo: Because of Jadyn Photography

Vinny's Adventures and Brags!

Invincible Vinny recently became the first blind and deaf dog to earn his Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced Trick Dog titles through the AKC!  To celebrate, AKC sent him some lovely medals!  

Before Christmas, Vinny earned his Advanced Trick Dog title through DMWYD.  This allowed him to also get all three titles through AKC.  He also earned his first K9 Freestyle title through Poised for Success.  That's a lot of title letters to add after his name!

If you don't already follow Invincible Vinny on Facebook, go check him out.  We often post his trick and other videos there so you can keep up with what he's doing next!  Click on his logo below to see his page! 

Vinny is currently practicing for his  Expert and Performer Trick Dog titles, his Trick Dog Champion title, and his next Freestyle title!  Keep an eye out for this star!  

If you'd like to meet Vinny in person, please see his FB page for some events he is making appearances at this year.  And, if you'd like to have him at your event, message him!  

Christmas Crafts 2017 - Advent Doggie Wreath

We made some new items for the Humane Society Christmas Bazaar this year.  They were fun and easy to make, and came out as adorable gifts!  We'd like to share them with you in case you know of special doggies that would enjoy them!

Advent Doggie Wreath:

Cut a wreath shape out of sturdy cardboard.  I used two different sized dog bowls to trace the wreath shape to help keep the circles even all the way around.

Wrap wide ribbon evenly around the wreath shape.  I anchored the ribbon with masking tape on one end.  As you wrap, keep tension on the ribbon to keep it smooth against the wreath form.

Tie or tape the end of the ribbon at the back of the wreath once it is entirely wrapped.

With a narrow ribbon (I used a different color to make it more festive), add the dog bones.  Anchor the ribbon on the back with tape or tie it in a knot so it holds better.  Wrap it around the wreath as you did with the wider ribbon, but with each pass around, add a dog bone.  Hold tension all the way around so the bones don't fall out.  Tie it in the back of the wreath when you're done to hold them all in place.

Add a pretty bow!  Then hang it up ... out of your dog's reach!  You can help your dog to eat the treats while he/she waits for Christmas Day to come!  Ribbon is not safe for dogs, so keep the ribbons out of your dog's reach.  

What to Expect with a Blind and Deaf Dog

"Living with a blind and/or deaf dog is just the same as living with any other dog."

"It's really not hard at all."

"It's actually pretty easy to teach a deaf and/or blind dog."

"Train him/her just the same as you teach any dog, except ... "

"Oh, it must be so difficult to live with a deaf and/or blind dog."

"Wow, bless you for taking care of that poor helpless, blind and/or deaf dog."

Depending on who you talk to, you may hear these comments or even many others.  So, what's it really like to live with blind and deaf dogs?  Are they really  just like any other dog?

The answer is - yes - and no.

All dogs (blind, deaf or otherwise) have the same needs and urges.  They need their physical, emotional, mental and instinctual needs met on a daily basis.  Yes, blind/deaf dogs need exercise and playtime.  They need enrichment and a nutritious diet, as well as routine veterinary care.  They need attention from within their social group.  All these are the same needs - however, how you go about providing for those needs may need to be adapted.  

All dogs need to be kept safe.  Living with blind/deaf dogs does require me to be a bit more vigilant about safety.  Life is not as simple as being able to quickly call my dog away from danger from a distance.  My dog can't see or hear me, so I need to set up the environment to be safe for each individual dog.  One of my blind/deaf dogs is slower and goes through life more cautiously than the other.  My home is set up to be safe for either of them. This may mean leaving a gate up to block open staircases to the basement and only allowing dogs up and down them when I'm present.  This means keeping them on long leashes to let them explore the field near our house (that is also near a busy street.)

On walks, it becomes my job to watch out and warn my dog when a curb is coming up or there is a fire hydrant or a tree in its path.  I need to watch out that my dog doesn't poke her eyes when she's nosing around the bushes and branches.  

Are these things hard?  No. I don't find them hard.  They have become a way of life for me and how I relate to and with my dogs.  In the beginning, it was challenging to remember to always watch out for someone else and remember that he/she couldn't see.  But soon it became basically automatic and didn't take up all my brain power anymore. 

What about teaching a blind/deaf dog?  Is it hard?  Is it just as easy as teaching any other dog?

Again, it's not any harder - it's just different.  It requires me to learn a new way of communicating.  Deaf dogs can't hear me calling them with my voice or by clapping, etc.  So I need to learn how to use my body and create signals that will then mean something to my dog.  It is fairly easy to teach a deaf dog to recognize hand and body signals, because dogs automatically pay attention to our body language and pick up cues on their own.  By taking time to list what signs you want to use for which behaviors, you can help yourself be consistent.

Teaching any dog requires consistency, patience, reinforcement of behaviors you like, preventing behaviors you don't like, fun, practice, breaking behaviors down into easy to learn steps, and so much more.  These things don't change if you are working with a blind and/or deaf dog.  But you may need to adapt how your do them for your individual dog.

With a deaf dog, you will want to focus on developing a visual means of communication.  With a blind dog, focus on giving audible cues - these may be verbal, but they may be other sounds, such as tapping a doorway, a bell on your ankle during a walk, etc.  

And, with a blind/deaf dog, your language and communication will be built around touch.  

OK, I'm still causing it to sound a bit simplified, aren't I?  There are frustrations and inconveniences that I experience living with blind/deaf dogs.  

For example, sometimes I need to actually go looking through rooms in the house to find one of them if they are sleeping.  I can't really just stand in one spot and call their names.  And sometimes this can be alarming if I've looked everywhere and don't see the dog - only to have a small panic attack and then find her sound asleep behind the couch!  

My blind/deaf dogs can't just look around the room and see what I'm doing, so they are very often underfoot and have their noses and paws into whatever project I'm doing.  This can be frustrating at times, but then I remember that they are just trying to figure out what I'm doing. Once I allow them a moment to satisfy their curiosity, they often lie down next to me and let me finish what I'm doing. 

I must get up and go to my dog to communicate things like, leave the trash alone, stop chewing that plant, or please don't pull my dirty socks out of the hamper.  A well-timed "leave it" verbal cue just won't cut it when they are across the room.  

Sometimes when playing, I feel dog teeth on my skin or clothes and it can hurt.  Of course, they don't mean it and I've spent a lot of time conditioning a soft mouth.  But it's hard to tell where a hand ends and a toy begins - especially because I like to wave the toy all around when playing tug and chase games with my dogs.  

Do they bump into things - oh, yes.  Some more than others, but I can say that my blind/deaf dogs probably bump gently into things every day.  So, having things on coffee tables or end tables when I also have an inquisitive adolescent Collie can be tricky!  He knocks everything down - not in an attempt to be naughty, but just in his attempt to sniff everything and check it out ... long noses can clear a table in a second!  

But I can honestly say that yes, my blind/deaf dogs are just like other dogs - they play, they love, they are mischievous at times.  They learn.  They have personalities all their own - likes, dislikes, and little quirks.  How I've learned to communicate with them is different - but is no longer challenging.  We may do things a little bit differently than some other people and their dogs, but we enjoy our lives together.

Most people meeting my dogs cannot tell they are blind and deaf.  It's only when they notice their eyes look differently that they ask me if the dog is blind.  And then they are always super surprised to learn they are deaf as well.  "I never would have known just watching him/her!  He/She acts so normal!"  

That's the reality of living with a blind/deaf dog.  

Blind and Deaf Dogs & Dog Sports

Why is it that people assume I will do only nosework and tracking with my blind/deaf dogs?  I know these are sports that encourage the dog to rely mostly on his sense of smell.  I know that most people think a dog that is blind and deaf must have a superior and heightened sense of smell.  But so many people think this must be the extent of what I can do together with my blind/deaf dogs.  

This has been on my mind lately.  People ask me (out of the blue) if I've considered doing nosework or tracking with my dogs.  These are great dog sports!  In fact, Treasure and I loved and did nosework for many years.  But we also did lots of other cool stuff!  

When I adopted Treasure and set out on my training journey with her, there were not many others doing any activities with blind/deaf dogs.  Some were just beginning to take some nosework classes.  But if I looked online I didn't find any blind/deaf dogs doing much of anything or being taught much of anything.  Sure I found deaf dogs, or blind dogs at times, but not those that were both.  Why is that?

Treasure doing K9 nosework

Treasure - PAWS for People therapy and READ program dog

Treasure - Expert Trick Dog

Treasure - Canine Good Citizen

As I was thinking, I realized that humans developed so many dog sports reliant upon our dogs' ability to see.  It seems impressive to get our dogs to do all types of activities at a distance or off the ground.  There are so many sports, even today, that exclude blind dogs from even participating at all.  Even sports that focus on a dog's sense of smell are not always welcoming to blind dogs to give it a go.

I did not set out to prove these ideas outdated.  I just set out to teach and have fun with my dogs in various activities.  We love the online trick dog titles, as most (but not all) offer a wide variety of tricks to choose from for each level.  Even so, many of those tricks seem to be assuming and reliant upon a dog's ability to see.  And I've even found some trick dog venues that specifically say that blind dogs can't compete.  Which I find rather sad.  

With my current blind/deaf partner, Vinny, I am pushing the limits of what people think is possible.  He is a super willing partner and is showing me, and the world, just what a dog without sight and hearing is capable of.  I don't push him, but I do give him the opportunity to learn anything and everything he can, in his own way.  He shows me a bigger glimpse into his world with each accomplishment.  I think he enjoys figuring out a puzzle for himself as well. 

Setting out to get his Advanced Trick Dog title, I wondered how a blind/deaf dog could be sent out away from me to a target 10 feet away to do a behavior.  So we gave it a try.  He learned to go out away from me 11 feet on cue, and do several different behaviors!  Did he always hit the target directly in a straight line?  No, he didn't.  But when he realized he was going off course, he could redirect himself, find the target and do his behavior.  

Vinny - Intermediate Trick Dog

Vinny - Go out 11 feet and push a ball - Treiball

Vinny and Brinks - Playground Equipment - Parkour

Vinny - heeling - Rally, RallyFree, K9 Musical Freestyle

Vinny - Skateboarding and Other Fun!

What does this mean for the future of our training?  Wow, I can only imagine the more we practice together, what he will show me!  

I am so grateful that certain dog sports are open to seeing what all dogs and handlers are capable of.  Through them, dogs and handlers that might not have had a chance before are now able to really shine!  I hope that more and more dog sports venues will learn to keep an open mind when it comes to how exercises are performed to get to the end result.  

Keep and eye out for Invincible Vinny and I in the dog sports venues!  We are having a blast finishing up our trick dog titles and then going for Trick Dog Champion, and beginning our rally and freestyle training.  I hope we have a long and marvelous partnership together.  I know I have so much left to learn from him!

Invincible Vinny Branches Out!

Invincible means incapable of being defeated, conquered, or subdued.  That pretty much sums up Vinny's attitude toward life.  He is a full-speed ahead, always joyful, kind of guy.  And I haven't found anything that he won't put his whole self into doing. 

To help celebrate that invincible spirit, Vinny has branched out with his own Facebook page!  He will spread the word about being different and making the most of it, about positive reinforcement teaching, and about having great fun with your dog!  He will also educate about responsible breeding practices and why he was born the way he is.  

Come follow Vinny on his adventures!  There will even be some fun giveaways as the number of followers grows!  Here's his new address - https://www.facebook.com/InvincibleVinnyBDF/

Congrats to Vinny on his new ITD title!  

Vinny the Great!

Vinny was born into greatness.  Born from two merle parents, it was soon apparent that he could not see or hear.  The veterinarian was consulted about what to do - after all, what was a blind and deaf puppy worth? But one of the vet techs knew about Debbie and her experience with double merles.  A couple phone calls later, and Debbie had arranged to go pick up the special puppy.

Vinny was 8 weeks of pure Collie adorableness.  And even in that moment, he began his role as educator.  Debbie and Vinny explained to the breeder why he had been born blind and deaf.  The breeder had not been aware of this danger, and was grateful to know how to prevent this from happening in the future and was very relieved that Vinny would be safe.

Vinny has gracefully evolved into his role as ambassador for the humane society where he accompanies Debbie to work every day.  His many fans come to visit him, and he uses his special-ness to educate others about the dangers of breeding merle to merle, and about adoption.  He is a strong ambassador for blind and deaf dogs and that they are capable of living full and happy lives.  Through social media and a teaching blog, plus many videos, he is paving the way for other differently-abled dogs to be adopted and trained.

Vinny also spreads joy through visiting people in the community.  Young people are drawn to him and relate to his differences.  He teaches them acceptance and compassion.  When visiting with a group of Scouts, one girl said with disgust, "Eww, his eyes look different.  They look weird."  Very quickly, another said, "He doesn't know they look that way, and he is perfectly happy.  We should be too."  When Debbie looked closely, she realized the girl that had answered had a difference of her own and had related quickly to Vinny's differences.  These comments led to wonderful discussions of differences and acceptance.

The senior population have also been inspired by Vinny, who shows such happiness even though he can't see or hear, just as they are beginning to lose these senses themselves and are wondering what life will hold for them now.  One woman told Vinny that she was going blind, but seeing him and how happy he was made her guess that it was all going to be OK.  She thanked him and together they shared a private moment.

Vinny is a typical puppy - lively, playful, and yes, even a bit full of mischief at times!  But when he's visiting, all of that fades away and he shows calmness and understanding way beyond his age.  Although he can't see or hear, he finds a way to position his body next to someone with limited mobility so they can reach to pet him, and he gently puts his head under their hand.

This special dog and his person together spread joy, laughter, smiles, hope and inspiration.  Debbie teaches Vinny using mostly touch cues.  She touches various parts of his body in different ways to communicate her requests to him.  He knows basic obedience and manners, as well as many different tricks.  As a matter of fact, Vinny has already earned his Novice Trick Dog title and is working toward higher levels.  He loves to learn new things and is taught strictly through positive reinforcement methods.

Vinny also gathers lots of information about his environment by scent and by feeling vibrations.  He recognizes air currents when a door opens.  He can quickly  map out a new area when he goes somewhere new.  He loves to travel and has already traveled to several different states with his partner Debbie.  Vinny plays with the other dogs in the house and loves to play with toys of all kinds!  He gets lots of time to enjoy being a puppy, and he brings much joy and many smiles to Debbie daily.

Vinny's reach into the community and the world is already significant and will only continue to expand as he gains experience in his new role.  He and Debbie are amazing partners in advocating for rescue, adoption, responsible breeding, and the joys of differently-abled dogs.  They spread messages to everyone about compassion, acceptance and being kind to others - all things that the world needs so much of right now.  It is their hope that by spreading ripples in their own little corner of the world, that those ripples will continue to spread into something magnificent that blankets the world with love.

(The above was Vinny's nomination for the Collie Club of America's Shining Star Award.  Congratulations to Vinny and the other winners of this year's award!)

Treasure's Travels (and Vinny's too!)

My beautiful Treasure and Vinny accompanied me this past weekend on an adventure!  Treasure and I are very accustomed to traveling together, and Vinny has traveled with us a few times during his puppyhood, but he had many firsts during this trip.  I am so very proud of how he responded to all the new experiences!  I wondered how he would do - visiting a museum, going to a large dog show, and staying in a hotel.

Our first challenge was learning to navigate together through the Museum of the Dog - Treasure in her stroller and Vinny learning to walk beside it and keep his toes out from under the wheels!  This was the first time Vinny would be walking with the stroller.  After only a couple times of walking in front of the stroller and tangling his leash, and a few times of his toes getting bumped by stroller wheels, Vinny said, "Piece of cake, Mom!"  He walked like a pro.  

Both dogs were a bit puzzled by the numerous dog statues that smelled a little strange.  I couldn't help but wonder what my other dogs would have thought, since they can see and some of the statues were large and even a little scary looking!  Of course, Treasure and Vinny are both blind and deaf, so they didn't know what the statues looked like, but they spent a lot of time sniffing them and trying to figure out what kind of dogs they were!  

I didn't think about the fact that Vinny had never been on an elevator before until we were about to step onto the one in the museum.  He went into it easy enough, with no hesitation, but as the elevator began to move downward and the floor moved down under his feet, he looked at the floor with a puzzled look.  I was pleased to see that he wasn't very concerned about it - probably due to all the work we do with moving surfaces.  Going up didn't produce the same puzzlement.  He acted just like a pro.  

When we got to the hotel later, there was once more where he pondered the elevator moving downward, but after that, he didn't even seem to notice anymore.  He checked out the hotel room when we arrived, just like he had been doing it all his life.  Very confident, sniffing every corner and all the furniture, finding his water bowl, playing with his toys.  He did take more trips to come check in with me than Treasure did, wanting to make sure I was OK, no doubt.  

And, while Treasure fell quickly asleep next to me, Vinny continued to check on me all throughout the night.   He would sleep for a bit and then come up to poke me with his nose to be sure of where I was.  I guess he didn't want me to be scared in a new place.  That was very thoughtful of him!  

Exciting New Opportunity!

I am so excited to be able to announce to you the opening of my new online school - Uniquely Paws-Able!

After consulting with people from all over the world, who are living with and teaching dogs that are blind, deaf or both, and finding that so many of them are looking for the same support, I decided to create an online community where we can share and learn with each other!  The classes will allow me to share information with so many more people than doing one-on-one consulting.  

Having an online class allows for anyone, anywhere to have access to information at any time.  Written lectures and videos will be released weekly (for 6 weeks) for discussion and practice at home with your dogs.  There is a private Facebook page also, for those who enjoy sharing in that way, strictly for students of this and upcoming classes offered by Uniquely Paws-Able.  Your instructor (Me!) will be available for feedback and to offer bonus information depending upon the interests and questions of the students.  

The first course offering is Positive Reinforcement and Clicker Training and it starts March 25th!  

Some of the lesson topics covered include: 

How dogs learn

What is positive reinforcement

What is a marker (clicker) and how to choose the right marker for your dog's abilities

Teaching check ins and attention

What to do when your dog doesn't do what you want

Learning about ways to teach behaviors and when you might choose to use each one

How to change behavior using positive reinforcement

Some fun tricks and games

How to use reinforcers other than food

How to teach quiet

And ... more!  

Come on over and check out the new school!  I'd love to have you join us for our very first class!  Or, you can choose to sign up with only an account for now, to get information about future classes that are already in the planning stages!  

Hope to see you at Uniquely Paws-Able soon!  

Just Let Him Cry It Out?

“Don’t go back to him if he cries.  No matter what you do, you must ignore him if he is barking or crying.  You will spoil him.  Don’t reward his crying.  Just let him cry it out.  He will eventually stop.” 

Have you ever heard this advice?  It seems to be pretty popular advice to give someone with a new puppy. 

Trainers may argue that going back to a crying puppy and giving it attention will reinforce the crying.  While there might be some truth in that statement, I don’t think much thought is normally given to the emotional cause of the crying in the first place, nor to the physiological changes that are happening to a puppy’s body and brain while he is crying. 

Yes, a puppy left to cry it out will eventually be quiet, but is that the best thing for the puppy?  Can letting the puppy cry it out lead to problems with anxiety down the road? Is there a better way?

I'd like to propose a different perspective about teaching a puppy to stay by itself.

Let’s talk about getting a new puppy.  Let's think about his first day leaving his mother and littermates, and that safe puppy pen.  Everything he had known up until this day had been comfortable and safe for him.  He was never alone.  He always had the comfort of others around him.  Taking him away from that safety and security is a major life change for him.  He is stressed and looking for his mom and littermates, and the sense of safety he had known.  Very quickly that sense of safety begins to transfer to the person who is caring for him.  

Is it really necessary for a puppy to learn that very first day how to be alone?  When he already feels terribly alone and wants to cling to the new person in his life so he feels safe?

Vinny feeling very safe in his confinement area.  

Staying alone and learning self confidence should be a gradual process.  Puppies who cry are distressed. They don't cry unless they have a reason to cry.  They aren't crying to keep you up at night.  They aren't crying to annoy you or to interrupt your favorite TV show.  They are scared and alone and they feel vulnerable.  They are calling out for someone to care for them and comfort them, and to help them feel safe.

Puppy brains are always learning.  Do we want our puppy's brain to learn and develop from a place of fear or panic (fight or flight), or from a place of trust and safety?  

I hear often about people who let their puppy cry and howl for an hour (or more) until it begins to quiet down.  Each minute that goes by increases that puppy's stress, anxiety and fear.  I have to wonder if letting a puppy cry it out and become more and more upset until it is exhausted may contribute to separation anxiety behaviors later in life?  It is something to ponder. 

I want to teach my puppies to have the capacity to self calm, so they are able to settle down on their own. To a puppy, being left alone must be a scary feeling.  He is unable to take care of himself, and the group of others he’s always been with has helped to keep him safe.  He may feel vulnerable.  He may become hypervigilant, watching everything to see if it is a threat.  

Puppies very quickly form emotional associations with the situations around them. Spending so much time learning that being alone is scary and stressful can't be good for staying by himself later on. These are not feelings we really want our puppy to associate with being left alone at home or with being in a confined space, are they?

It is a process to teach a dog to calm itself.  It is not something you can just throw at him all at once and expect him to get used to and understand that all is well.  Expecting a puppy to just cope with it and get used to it is very stressful for him.  Puppy is calling to you to help him and you don’t come.  Does this build trust in your new relationship?  Puppy doesn’t understand why the rules have suddenly changed. 

Perhaps this is how it's always been done - letting him cry it out.  Or perhaps it worked for a puppy we had a long time ago, so we are sure it is the best way to do it.  Or maybe you know someone with a dog and it worked for them, so you're sure it will work for you and your puppy.  But don't we owe it to our puppies to consider them as individuals?  To do all we can to build their trust and their confidence that we understand what they're communicating to us?  Sometimes we do need to think outside of our box ...