At the end of January I got an email from Izzy Forman with 360i on behalf of a company called Petside.com in regards to some deaf dog articles I’d written earlier that month. She wanted to let me know about their recently launched “Pets with Disabilities” series that had a section devoted to deaf pets.
Initially, my main focus for researching deaf dogs was how to train them. That’s what my friend needed help with for her puppy. But the Petside.com articles took a few other things into consideration aside from training. Things to make living with a deaf or disabled pet easier on both the pet and the owner. Such as:
1. Clearly marking a pet’s collar to indicate it is deaf. (Or even blind.) That’s actually brilliantly crucial information just in case for whatever reason your dog was to get away from you. Imagine finding such a dog. And then not understanding why it wasn’t responding to your verbal commands. (In the case of a deaf dog.) Eventually you might figure out it was deaf, but it would make it so much easier on everyone to know that beforehand. Simply marking the collar would do that.
2. For deaf dogs, putting a bell on its collar so it’ll make it easier for you to locate and keep tabs on it. For blind dogs, putting a bell on the collars of other pets in the household so they’ll have an idea where they’re at.
3. For blind dogs, keeping furniture positioned the same. This is especially important for dogs who may become blind due to age. They’ll be familiar with how your house is set up and will know how to navigate to some extent already. But move a couch or swap a table? Yikes! That could really cause problems for your pooch.
4. Pets born with disabilities won’t know any different, but pets who develop a disability can suffer from depression. Imagine a see-ing able dog suddenly in the dark. Or a hearing-able dog suddenly losing that sense. How confusing and scary that would be! Compassion is key in helping them adapt to their new situation. Because not only can they adapt, they will –with lots of love, time, and patience.
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